~~~ It’s Official! ~~~
The Summer Creative Writing Intensives will run IN PERSON this summer at Drew University!
Weeks 1 and 3 are FULL | In-person spots OPEN in Week 2
(Sorry, there are no more virtual spots available.)
WordSMASH will also run IN PERSON
in South Orange, Summit, and Morristown, NJ. All-virtual options are available for select weeks.
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Write with Us this Summer
Our Summer Workshops for Adults begin the week of July 6. Our adult students and instructors are loving the convenience of virtual classes, so we’re staying on Zoom this session – meaning you can join us from anywhere, including that vacation get-away we’ve all been looking forward to!
New Classes and New Instructors This Summer:
Publishing Boot Camp with Rachel Barry
In this 6-week boot camp for all levels, we’ll review publishing options for writers of any genre, including traditional book publishing, self-publishing, and being accepted in literary journals and mainstream media outlets. We’ll discuss your individual writing goals and ambitions, then cover the finer points of submitting your work: formatting work, sending query letters, using Submittable, and keeping organized. And of course, we’ll talk about rejection—how to handle it, how to move on, how to use it to grow as a writer.
Writing Short Stories & Flash with Katie Barasch
In this class we’ll learn how to write short fiction that hooks a reader from the very first sentence, giving and receiving constructive feedback throughout. By reading a range of published stories and paying close attention to the conventions of craft, we’ll learn the rules—and then how to break them!
Writing What’s Real: Adventures in Creative Nonfiction with Kathy Curto
Explore the multi-faceted genre of creative nonfiction, which encompasses writing about real events, from your personal past to the world at large. Write your own short pieces, transforming true stories into compelling literary works. Personal essay, memoir, travel and humor writing may be explored.
and lots of favorite classes returning, including the Memoir Writers Circle, Exploring Poetry, Creating KidLit, Where Do I Begin? and more!
Register
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Kids & Teen Summer Programs Are LIVE and In-Person!
2021 WordSMASH for Grades K-2, 3-5 & 6-7
Announcement: We will be meeting in-person in South Orange, Summit and Morristown, NJ, this summer! And our students from farther away can still join us via Zoom.
This two-hour per afternoon, week-long program is chock-full of writing games, wacky prompts, and time to sink into a favorite book just to read. Seasoned writers will be challenged by story starters unlike anything they’ve seen in school. Reluctant writers will find TWC’s interactive games and prompts an irresistible invitation to start creating. Our collaborative, energetic environment will lay foundation for kids to let loose and let the words flow. Let WordSMASH keep writing and reading alive for your kids this summer.
All in-person classes will be held outdoors as often as possible.
Register
~~~
2021 Summer Creative Writing Intensives
for Teens Who Love to Write!
It’s OFFICIAL! We’re running in-person at Drew University in Madison, NJ, this summer!
At the Summer Intensive, teen writers develop their voices and writing ideas in a generous, creative environment with professional authors as instructors. They’ll focus on different genres each week: fiction, poetry, memoir, playwriting, creative nonfiction, and more; and work on their own writing projects as well as new work inspired by creative exercises and prompts. They’ll take part in literary inter-activities and adventures, and share work in a reading on Fridays for family and friends. Plus they’ll have the chance to submit their work for publication in The Writers Circle’s online journal.
This summer will be filled with creativity, friendship, fun, and lots of writing. Our in-person classes will be held outdoors as often as possible. Join us!
Weeks 1 and 3 are FULL | In-person spots OPEN in Week 2
Register
(Sorry, there are no more virtual spots available.)
Less Stress College Essay is BACK!
July 10-11 In-Person in Summit, NJ | October 9-10 Virtual Session
Writing a college essay can be the most stressful part of the application process, especially for students who don’t consider themselves “good writers.” While a little stress can motivate and energize, too much can turn this necessary task into paralyzing agony. Each half-day workshop will guide students toward a draft of their college essays while introducing them to stress reduction techniques that will ease them through the college application process. Students will brainstorm for an engaging topic that fulfills one of the 2016 essay prompts, then develop a working draft that fits the Common App requirements. Writing is rewriting, and there will still be work to do, but students will be way ahead of the game with their draft underway and with a few stress-relieving strategies.
Both sessions taught by the fantastic Sarah Lyman Kravits.
Register
Follow us on Social Media
Facebook, Instagram & Twitter
Our social media is a great resource for our writing community and beyond. Looking for writing prompts? Check out our creativity sparkers on Mondays and (for the kids) on Fridays. Need some inspiration to keep going? We bring you writerly wisdom from fabulous authors every Wednesday.
