creative writing classes jacksonville fl

Creative Writing Workshops

Find Your Words

This summer Bridge Eight Press has partnered with MOCA Jacksonville to offer two, six-week creative writing workshops.

Each workshop will cap at 10 participants and meet for two to three hours at a time over the span of six weeks. Each session will focus on elevating your craft in your genre of choice (poetry or fiction).

Select an option below for workshop details and to apply.

Applications close May 31.

Accepted participants will be notified via email by June 3.

A quick note about the review process. We know that ‘applying’ to a workshop can mean a lot of things. For us, requiring an application helps us ensure that each participant is actively working on a project and is willing to put in the effort to make the workshop a success for both themselves and their classmates. We welcome any-sized project at any stage of development. 

Poetry Workshop

Saturday, June 22  – 11:00-1:30 Saturday, June 29   – 11:00-1:30 Saturday, July 6  –  11:00-1:30 Thursday, July 11 –  6:00-8:30 Saturday, July 13  –  11:00-1:30 Saturday, July 20   – 11:00-1:30

About the Workshop

In this six-week workshop, you will engage with poems, other writers, and yourself in many different ways, always with the intention of moving closer to meeting your personal writing goals. Expect to read and investigate work by established poets, sharpen your craft skills, participate in meaningful discussions, and consider not just how poems operate, but why they matter to each of us.

Each week, we will workshop select poems by at least two participants and generate new work. We’ll adjust the readings and instruction based on participants’ goals and interests, established during the first session.

We’ll celebrate the end of the program with a public reading featuring all participants.

What We’ll Cover

Each participant will:

• Look closely at the fundamental techniques that shape the poems we read and write
• Develop and refine craft (the line, stanza, sound, image, and metaphor, to name a few)
• Explore numerous strategies in drafting and revising poems
• Generate new work
• Cultivate relationships with other writers for guidance and feedback
• Have your poems workshopped by the group at least once
• Receive personal, practical instruction adapted to individual goals
• Have the opportunity to present their work in a public reading

A Note From the Host

“My hope is that our six sessions together will move you closer to your personal artistic goals and add vibrancy to your summer. I want to help you build or re-establish a foundation on which to grow—maybe that’s with practical knowledge about craft, or with a sense of ritual and routine around your writing. Maybe it’s through community, through shared conversation, or through being held accountable.”

About Jennifer

Jennifer Bundy is a poet and author of the audio chapbook Girls (EAT Poems). She is Senior Poetry Editor of Bridge Eight Press and teaches creative writing at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, where she co-directs the Douglas Anderson Writers’ Festival. She previously taught at IES José María Infantes, a school for the arts in Utrera, Spain. Jennifer holds an MFA in Poetry from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Fiction Workshop

with Author & Managing Editor, Caleb Michael Sarvis

In this workshop, you will be tasked with defining or redefining what a story means to you. Whether that is a concern for the broader picture of things (plot, character, conceit) or simply figuring out how to write the best sentence possible, this course will meet you where you are and work with you to take you where you want to go.

Each participant will have the opportunity to hear one piece workshopped by the instructor and their peers, and have that discussion guided by what the writer wants to get from the course.

We’ll cap the course by participating in a short 500-word flash fiction contest amongst ourselves.

• Generate a response to “What makes a story?” and “Why do I want to write one?”
• Develop a foundational understanding of good vs. bad writing habits, and how to critique your own work
• Explore the multiple components of a story (character, plot, dialogue, conflict, emotion) in order to refine their own interests
• Engage with and develop relationships within Jacksonville’s growing literary community
• Learn about the publishing process, and how to go about submitting your work to the right literary journals

A Note from the Host

“As a writer, I’m sure you understand what it means to be in the thick of it. There’s nothing like getting lost in your own work, in shaping your own ideas into something a little more transformative. That’s the inspiration behind this workshop.”

About Caleb

Caleb Michael Sarvis is a writer from Jacksonville, Florida. He is the author of Dead Aquarium (Mastodon Publishing 2019), the managing editor for Bridge Eight Press, and co-host of the Drunken Book Review Podcast. His story “An Unfaded Black” was short-listed for Best American Short Stories 2018 , edited by Roxane Gay. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Tampa and you can find his work in Hobart, Volt, Saw Palm, Split Lip Magazine, and several others.

Commitment & Make-up Sessions

These workshops are a commitment for both the teacher and the students. You are encouraged to check your calendars and assess your level of interest, and your commitment to completing the program before signing up. For those of you who have a conflict with one of the session dates, make-up sessions can be arranged.

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• Creative Writing   The Creative Writing Department was established in 1990 to support the growing need at Douglas Anderson for more outlets for written expression. Its mission was to advance the art of writing as an essential part of the artistic spirit. Today the program provides a disciplined and nurturing environment for the serious writer who is passionate about language and ideas. The curriculum includes a wide range of course offerings: fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, journalism, screenwriting, portfolio work, as well as skill-based courses in digital arts, publication, copy editing, speech, and oral interpretation. Classroom work includes theory, close reading and study of contemporary and classical literature, conferencing, mentoring, and workshops in small groups that focus on revision, self-evaluation, and individual improvement.   Writing students have many opportunities during the year to have their work read and heard. The department sponsors Elan, an international student literary magazine published twice a year online with a print book compilation at the end of the school year. The Artisan, Douglas Anderson’s student newspaper, offers staff positions to creative writers in their junior and senior years. Public Readings are held throughout the year, each featuring a different grade level. Coffeehouse, a student-produced evening of original performance work, is open to all arts areas, and combines writing with theatre, dance, visual art, and music. The Elan magazine staff hosts a series of events in celebration of National Poetry Month each April.    The biennial Douglas Anderson Writers’ Festival features writers from all over the country during a weekend of varied writing activities. Writers of national and international acclaim are invited to present. The mission of the Douglas Anderson Writers’ Festival is to provide hands-on, craft oriented workshops with professional writers and scholars, furnishing an invaluable and affordable opportunity for the emerging young writers of our community. The overarching purpose of the project is to provide exposure to the diversity of writing in the literary professional world and also to provide students with time, space and encouragement to contemplate and practice the art of creative writing. Featured presenters have included Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Billy Collins and Richard Ford.   Our students get incredible opportunities normally only afforded to graduate students in writing. The department has grown to produce many talented young writers who have gone on to win awards, to teach, and to publish. DA students have won the National VOYA Award in poetry, the YoungArts National Arts Recognition and Talent Search, Scholastic Art and Literary Awards, Southern Voices, Boditch Award in Poetry, Essay and Fiction, and numerous local awards in writing. Our students have been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies. Our students graduate with a full knowledge base and the inspiration and encouragement necessary to enter post-secondary education with energy, passion, and reverence for the written word.    

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Creative writing classes events in jacksonville, fl.

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Things to do around Jacksonville

Creative Writing

Students in the Creative Writing AOC cultivate imaginative literacy and cognitive flexibility by studying multiple genres, understanding craft from a cross-cultural perspective, and applying their creative skills both on and off the page. 

About the Creative Writing Area of Concentration

The holistic AOC in Creative Writing encourages students to explore aesthetics and methods across and between disciplines and genres.

In addition to instruction in the craft of writing and the history of literary art, coursework in Creative Writing develops core skills—like empathy, respect for other points of view, and critical thought—necessary to sustain creative livelihoods after graduation: whether that involves teaching, professional writing, using writing to inform or enrich a corresponding career, or—like Marianne Moore, William Carlos Williams, T.S. Eliot, Ted Kooser, and Michael Cunningham—writing and publishing books alongside a “day job.”

In keeping with this goal, students in Creative Writing practice engaging with the politics and issues of the larger world; building community via the literary arts; and responding to tense cultural issues and challenging situations precisely, directly, and creatively.

“The Creative Writing AOC will help students explore their value as artists and learn how to flex their creative muscles both on and off the page.”

Emily Carr Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing 

Featured Course

• Writing Environments

Recent Courses

• Electronic Literature: Intermediate/Advanced Creative Writing Workshop
• Beginnings and Endings: A Beginning Creative Writing Workshop
• How a Woman Becomes a Lake and Other Unheroic Acts: A Craft Seminar in Gender and Genre Bending
• The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Reading as a Writer Seminar
• Uncategorizable: A Multi-Media Poetry Workshop

Career Pathways

• YA Fiction Author
• Magazine Editor
• Technical Communications
• Small Press Publisher
• Marketing and Communications
• College Composition Instructor
• Advertising

Humanities Division

• Creative Writing Faculty

337 East Forsyth Street

Jacksonville, FL 32202

904.323.2471 (call or text)

[email protected]

Hours: 9am - 10pm Daily

screenwriting

Ages 16 & up.

UPCOMING CLASSES:

SCREENWRITING FOR FILM, TV, & THE WEB

Meets: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7pm - 9pm

8 Classes Total

Starts: Tuesday, 4/30 at 7pm

Cost: 395. *payment plans available*

This class is a formal introduction to screenwriting with no 

experience required and suitable for ages 16 & up. 

This is a 4-week session that meets Tuesdays from 7pm - 9pm 

with a Movie Meet-up/Film Critique on Thursdays from

7pm - 9pm (a total of 8 classes). By the end of this session,

students will understand the structure of a screenplay, develop

their own story, learn how to use dialogue and theme,

understand the 4 elements of a narrative, and

have their own original script.

A few things covered:

Story Generation

Character Arcs

Script to Screen

Complication

Screenplay Analysis

Elements of Screenwriting

You can try the first class for free by clicking on the button at the top of the page labeled "Free Classes"

Writing the Fantasy Novel

Write for the increasingly popular genre of fantasy fiction and lay the groundwork for your very own fantasy novel. This course teaches you how to develop characters, build a compelling world, outline a narrative, apply a consistent theme, commit to the writing process, and publish your book.

Requirements

Fantasy is an increasingly popular genre of fiction, and now is a great time to become a fantasy fiction writer! This course is perfect whether you have an idea for a book or even if you don't know where to start. With the tools you'll gain in this course, you'll be ready to tackle your first fantasy novel.

In this course, you will learn what separates fantasy fiction from other types of fiction. You will also discover how to create characters and populate your world with unique, compelling, and interesting creatures. You'll learn how to outline your book, come up with a theme, and commit to actually writing. You will learn how to revise and edit so that when you complete it, your book will essentially be a finished product. You will even learn a bit about publishing your book, including the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing. Finally, you'll get a number of tips about how to stay motivated and complete your novel - because, after all, writing is hard work!

Enrollment Options:

Lesson 1 - what is fantasy fiction, lesson 2 - world-building, part one: exploring the world, lesson 3 - world-building, part two: magic, lesson 4 - world-building, part three: societies, lesson 5 - creating characters, lesson 6 - plotting your novel, lesson 7 - theme, lesson 8 - the narrative voice, lesson 9 - the writing process, lesson 10 - the postwriting process, lesson 11 - publishing your novel, lesson 12 - marketing and motivating.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader .
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Laura K. Anderson

Laura K. Anderson picked up her first science fiction book when she was in first grade and she's been in love with speculative fiction ever since. She particularly enjoys writing fantasy fiction and is the editorial director for Sojourn: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction. Laura has a Master of Arts degree in literature and creative writing and is currently working on a Master of Arts in special education.

Instructor Interaction : The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

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Writer's Lab

Never stop learning: adult programs coming in march.

Did you know? March 3-9 is Celebrate Reading Week in Jacksonville! This year's theme, Where the Wild Books Are, is designed to take our City's youngest readers on adventures with fictional and real-life animals to show them just how exciting reading and learning can be! There will be programs and events at libraries and locations across Jacksonville all week long. But don't worry, there are also lots of great adult programs!

• Read more about Never Stop Learning: Adult Programs Coming in March

Writer's Lab with Michael Regina: Play Your Story

For many, learning to write and outline your story can be a daunting task. But what if it could be a game? Embark on a unique storytelling journey as we discover the art of crafting compelling narratives using the unique power of various tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons. Whether you're a brand new writer or a pro, this workshop is designed to unlock your creative potential and guide you in using solo roleplaying as a tool to outline and write captivating stories.

• Read more about Writer's Lab with Michael Regina: Play Your Story

Writer's Lab with Jessica Hatch: Not Your Mama's Romance Novels

Novelist Jessica Hatch will show you how to use (and subvert) the genre's most popular tropes, decide between "closed door" or spicier love scenes, get your Nora Ephron on by infusing humor into your romance, and write in a way that is authentically you - while still appealing to the market. Hatch is the author of two contemporary romance novels: My Big Fake Wedding and How to Keep a Husband for 10 Days.

• Read more about Writer's Lab with Jessica Hatch: Not Your Mama's Romance Novels

Never Stop Learning: Adult Programs at the Library this February

Need for a new romance book to spice up those cold winter nights? Looking for some fun Galentine's Day ideas for you and your besties? We've got a Lit Chat Interview with two local romance authors and a romance-themed Writer's Lab workshop for anyone planning to put their own pen to paper. February is also Black History Month and we've got some great ideas for celebrating that, too! Jerry Urso returns for another History Chat - this one about the exciting life of Captain James W. Floyd. We'll also delve into poetry, true crime, gardening, business, finance, and more!

• Read more about Never Stop Learning: Adult Programs at the Library this February

Writer's Lab Workshop with bestselling author Jami Attenberg

How do you best serve your creative processes? Where do you go for inspiration? How important is a writing community? And how can you carve out a life in this business of art? New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg will share ideas and perspectives for putting your creativity first at our next Writer's Lab workshop. Later that same day, she'll return for a Lit Chat Interview where she'll be in conversation with local author and interviewer, Nikesha Elise Wiliams.

• Read more about Writer's Lab Workshop with bestselling author Jami Attenberg

Adult Programs at the Library in January

It's going to be a busy January here at the Library! Whether you're resolving to read more, challenging yourself to (finally) write that novel that's been kicking around in the back of your head for years, or just continuing your pursuit of lifelong learning: We've got a great lineup of adult programs this month! Improve your day-to-day life with one of ten Life Lit workshops, get inspired with a Writer's Lab workshop and Lit Chat Interview featuring bestselling author Jami Attenberg, come together as a community for a thought-provoking Forward Thinking panel discussion, or check out a brand new Library Book Club.

• Read more about Adult Programs at the Library in January

Adult Programs at the Library this December

We're closing out the year with some very cool programs and a ton of great book clubs! Get caught up in a good book with "Tangled Webb," a brand new Book Club meeting at Webb Wesconnett Regional Library. If you're interested in local history and memoirs, don't miss the Lit Chat Interview with Nat Glover.  At seventeen, he unknowingly headed into an angry white mob and the Ku Klux Klan attacking young black protestors staging a sit-in at a downtown whites-only lunch counter. Known as “Ax Handle Saturday,” this harrowing encounter with racism would commit him to a lifetime of fighting for justice. December is also the last month to check off 12 books and win a cool prize for the 2023 Jax Stacks Reading Challenge. A new challenge (and new categories) start January 1, 2024!

• Read more about Adult Programs at the Library this December

NaNoWriMo Guest Blogger and Local Author: Sohrab Homi Fracis

For National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), we asked a few of our recent Lit Chat and Writer's Lab alumni to answer a few questions about their writing process. Our second guest blogger is Sohrab Homi Fracis. Our second guest blogger is Sohrab Homi Fracis. True Fiction, his new book of North Florida (and elsewhere) stories, won the 2023 International Book Award for story collections. Fracis was also the first Asian American author to win the Iowa Short Fiction Award, described by the New York Times Book Review as "among the most prestigious literary prizes America offers," for his first book, Ticket to Minto: Stories of India and America.

• Read more about NaNoWriMo Guest Blogger and Local Author: Sohrab Homi Fracis

NaNoWriMo Guest Blogger and Local Author: Hurley Winkler

For National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), we asked a few of our recent Lit Chat and Writer's Lab alumni to answer a few questions about their writing process. Hurley Winkler is a writer and a lifelong resident of Jacksonville. Her fiction and nonfiction work has appeared in Hobart, Neutral Spaces, The Millions, and elsewhere, and she interviews writers and musicians for The Creative Independent and WJCT's Jacksonville Music Experience. 

• Read more about NaNoWriMo Guest Blogger and Local Author: Hurley Winkler

Get Help Writing, Editing and Publishing Your Novel at the Library

Writing 50,000 words in a single month can be a daunting task... but it doesn't have to be a solitary one! There's a whole community of writers, right here in Jacksonville, and several ways to network and learn from them. Between monthly Writer's Lab workshops as well as Lit Chat Interviews and Author Talks, the Library is truly a local author's best friend. You never have to pay to attend these classes either, whether it's an up-and-coming local author or an international bestselling author. Not only that, the Library has tons of books on writing, publishing and more... and it's all completely free to use! 

• Read more about Get Help Writing, Editing and Publishing Your Novel at the Library

JACKSONVILLE WRITERS WRITING JACKSONVILLE   JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival 10 Presented by: Alternate Roots Ford Foundation Mellon Foundation Chamblin's Bookmine & Chamblin's Uptown Cafe Florida State College at Jacksonville Friday, Saturday, and Sunday December 1st, 2nd, & 3rd   at FSCJ Kent Campus 3939 Roosevelt Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32205 FREE/Public Welcome

We are thrilled to announce:   former jso sheriff nat glover will read from striving for justice: a  black sheriff in the deep south to open the festival on friday night. and jacksonville mayor donna deegan will read from through rose-colored glasses: a marathon from fear to love to close saturday's event. to see an alphabetical list of the selected adult reader-writers for 2023, click here. to see an alphabetical list of the selected student showcase writers for 2023, click here. to see a list of 2023 workshops and leaders, click here. to see a schedule of events, click here.  .

2023 marks a decade of the JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival where we’ve come together around our literary community and shared in narrating Jacksonville’s story. Over these ten years, we’ve shared poems in arcades, performed interpretive readings at the Jessie, and shared the words of many. We’ve also built a community, and that community is growing. We are deeply thankful for the unwavering support and contributions of past directors and JaxbyJax pioneers, Tim Gilmore, Jo Carlisle, Brad Kuhn, and Darlyn Finch Kuhn. Their vision has brought JaxbyJax to where it is now, and part of their vision looking forward seeks to grow and evolve our literary community across story genres, continue strong community partnerships, and provide opportunities for diverse thought. Facilitating these upcoming changes, JaxbyJax is happy to announce that they have appointed Erica Saffer as Co-Director for the 2023 JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival. We are excited to see how her vision advances the momentum of the movement that is JaxbyJax!

Darlyn Finch Kuhn introduces 2023 Co-Director  Erica Saffer

Click on musical note at bottom right corner of video to hear sound. Video produced and narrated by Brad Kuhn

The theme for 2022's festival was "This is Jacksonville."   Here's a word from JaxbyJax Founder & Director Emeritus, Tim Gilmore . 

In collaboration with  904WARD  and  The Jessie , the  JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival   was thrilled to sponsor the “We Have a Write to Our Futures” Writing Contest and Celebration. 

To see the list of winners, click here.  

2023 is the TENTH ANNIVERSARY of the JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival, and we are happy to announce that Florida State College at Jacksonville's KENT CAMPUS will host the festivities on December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. 

We are pleased to announce the receipt of an Alternate ROOTS Artistic Assistance Grant that will be used in part to sponsor monthly community writing workshops in 2023 at CORK Arts District, and writer honoraria at the Tenth Anniversary JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival in December, 2023. The Mellon Foundation and The Ford Foundation co-sponsored the grant, which we greatly appreciate!

Brilliant young writers from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts , FSCJ , and UNF we re featured in past Student Showcases . And, for the third year, poet Andres Rojas  will sponser the  Dr. James Robert Cobb Student Writer Awards to student poets, writers, and spoken word artists at the JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival Student Showcase  on Saturday evening. There will be three winners in each category. Cash prizes are $250 for 1st place, and $1 50 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place.

And  Jacksonville Writers Writing Jacksonville  will read from their work.

This celebration of Jacksonville talent would not be possible without the generosity, support, and enthusiasm of our sponsors . The writers and readers of JaxbyJax thank you!

One such sponsor is Chamblin's Bookmine and Chamblin's Uptown Cafe . Ron Chamblin has once again given generously to the festival, and will  provide dedicated JaxbyJax shelves at both bookstore locations so fans can find books by their favorite local authors.  Look to the right to view a short video of Ron stating why he is a believer in the JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival.

In collaboration with the Jacksonville Public Library,

JaxbyJax met and greeted book fans

at Jax Book Fest. 

2023 Community Writing Workshops

JaxbyJax  hosted nine monthly Last Sunday Workshops for students and mem bers of the community to polish their writing. Go  to https://www.facebook.com/JaxbyJax  for details.

Student Showcase

2023 's JaxbyJax Student Showcase  will  feature the work of talented Jacksonville students from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, UNF, and FSCJ . Teacher s /Writers  Tiffany Melanson, Mark Ari, Tricia Booker, Jessica Stark, and Jenn Chase  worked with the selected students to provide a great literary experience.

Writer/Reader Coaching

Director and Improv Queen  Barbara Colaciello  offered to elevate and invigorate the presentat ions of writers selected to read at the 2022 festival in her studio at  Bab’s Lab !

Writers rediscovered their words in the moment and dispelled performance anxiety 

The only drawback to being a reader at the JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival is not being able to hear all the other writers read their work.  Thus the pre-party was born. A celebration held exclusively for the selected writers and sponsors to have an opportunity to read to each other before the festival, 2022 's event was  hosted  by the Jacksonville Literary Arts Alliance located in the Cork Arts District.

We appreciate the generosity of Erica Susan Saffer in sponsoring the pre-party in 2022. This year's Pre-party will be held on November 18th, and details have been sent to the selected writers.

Meet the 2023 writers below. (Click on photo to see writer's name and bio.) 

Click on the logos below to visit our sponsors.

If you or your organization would like to sponsor the JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival, click here for details, or contact Darlyn Finch Kuhn at [email protected] 

​ Chamblin's Bookmine and Chamblin's Uptown Cafe   

Alternate ROOTS  

Mellon Foundation

Ford Foundation  

FSCJ  

​ 904ward  .

​ Brad Kuhn & Associates, LLC  

​ Scribbles  

​ Jacksonville Literary Arts Alliance 

​ Babs' Lab  

​ JaxPsychoGeo  

​ San Marco Books and More

​ Delegal & Poindexter, P . A.

Documentary Film

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our writers and their fans, JaxbyJax did not hold a face-to-face reading as part of the festival in 2020. Instead, we produced a documentary video.

TO WATCH JAXBYJAX LITERARY ARTS FESTIVAL VII, you MUST have a Facebook profile and GO TO:  facebook.com/JaxbyJax  and LIKE the page.

Here are links to JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival VII, in the video section of the JaxbyJax Literary Arts page.

https://www.facebook.com/1434005530221644/videos/271272430775623

https://www.facebook.com/1434005530221644/videos/700879380540755

Please note that both videos have identical openings for the first minute and twenty seconds, but different writers and different content after that.

Day One will LIFT YOUR SPIRITS and OPEN YOUR MIND, featuring poetry and prose by Yvette Angelique, Ben Atkinson, Tayve Neese, Abel Harding, Lex Hamilton, Tim Gilmore, Taryn "Love Reigns" Wharwood, Brad Kuhn, Shannon Pulusan, Johnny Masiulewicz, Michelle Lizet Flores, Damon Thomas, singer/songwriter Jesse Montoya, and featured poet Lynn Skapyak Harlin, who will read her work and also wrap things up with a 15-minute workshop on HOOKS that you won't want to miss.

Day Two will HEAL YOUR HEART, featuring poetry and prose by Andres Rojas, Sarah Crooks, Thomas Ferriello, Sonja Mongar, Tricia Booker, Nikesha Williams, Sohrab Homi Fracis, singer/songwriter Jesse Montoya, and the fabulous STUDENT SHOWCASE. We'll learn how to get involved with Women Writing for a Change from Jennifer Wolfe, talk with Ron Chamblin about the importance of bookstores, and walk with Tommy Shapard through his experience at Baptist Health with COVID-19.

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Young Writers

Lighthouse's Young Writers Workshops are designed to foster creativity, self-expression, and excitement about writing. There are no grades here, just the stories. We offer workshops at Lighthouse including afterschool and weekend workshops, the Young Authors Collective, and summer camps, as well as youth outreach in schools, at juvenile residential treatment centers, and in collaboration with other arts organizations.

For the latest on workshops and events,  sign up for our Young Writers Program e-newsletter . 

Lighthouse connects kids and teens to words, new friends, and a writing community. We offer workshops in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and many other genres and topics. Our classes are taught by published authors and are designed to foster creativity, self-expression, and excitement about writing.

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Lighthouse's Young Writers Camps are led by published and award-winning writers, and each workshop is designed to foster creativity, self-expression, and excitement about writing in young writers aged 8 to 18. Registration for half-day camp and applications for full-day camp will open on January 1, 2019.

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The Young Writers Program offers creative writing workshops in public and private schools as well as juvenile residential treatment centers throughout the Denver metro area. Led by working, published writers with a passion for sharing their craft, our outreach workshops provide access to our innovative creative writing programming for young people who cannot come to Lighthouse.

The Young Authors Collective, or YAC, is a group of talented, word-obsessed high school writers dedicated to experimenting with new creative forms, collaborating with other arts organizations, and writing a ton. We meet once a week at Lighthouse to generate new pieces, give friendly feedback, and work towards publication.

Support Young Writers

Our Future Scribes Depend on Your Support. Nearly all of the workshops and projects that will engage 2,300 students this year are free to attend, and for the sessions that do have tuition, such as summer writing camp, financial aid is available for any student who needs it. We want all young people who want to write to be able to do so and for them to be nurtured by the best instructors and mentors available. This only happens with the support of generous donors like you.

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The Young Writers Workshop

Banks Vadeboncoeur

The Young Writers Workshop is a youth-led summer program dedicated to fostering a love for creative writing and reading among underserved children in Jacksonville, Florida. Concluding the workshop, each child composes their own short story which is then published, printed, and delivered to their home. Updates from The Young Writers Workshop July, 2022 Hello, this is Banks Vadeboncoeur! I am the founder of the Young Writers Workshop. Over the past few weeks, the leaders of the Young Writers Workshop have reached out to Jacksonville residents in order to find volunteers for the summer program. We are in the process of creating a curriculum for the workshop that is oriented towards children in grades 3-5. We are excited to continue this project and are prepared to host an awesome workshop for our young attendees in Jacksonville!

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Young writers workshops.

Each workshop will run July 12-16, 9am-12pm, virtually, using secure platforms. Find descriptions of the workshops, supports and materials needed, and the instructors below.

The registration deadline is June 1, 2021. Space is limited! If you are registering more than one child, please fill out a separate form for each child. http://bit.ly/cdwpyww21 

WRITING LIKE AN ARTIST (Ages 6-12) Participants will explore picture books and the different forms of art, such as illustration and photography, that are used to help tell the stories. Taking inspiration from a variety of other materials, participants will play with different ways to tell their own stories.

LEAVING YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD: FINDING YOUR VOICE THROUGH POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD (Ages 12-18) How can we truly change and shape the world around us? This workshop is designed to inspire and ignite the creative flow of students determined to leave their mark on the world (or just a small portion of it). It is a space in which students can safely express their experiences, inquiries, and aspirations while reflecting on the various histories that got them to where they are right now. This workshop aims to acknowledge and honor past histories whilst creating our own through self-expression, rhythms and beats, and of course, poetry.

LIFE WRITING: BREATHING YOUR STORY INTO ART (Ages 12-18) Participants will utilize visual texts like photographs, paintings, cartoons, and graffiti to inspire narrative and memoir style writing pieces. Writers will breathe life into these images as they sculpt narratives, craft scenes, and implement skillful sensory language in their writing, ultimately diving through the surface to bring their own personal stories to life on the page. The workshop will culminate in a self-portrait creation that includes a written narrative and visual text that work in tandem to tell your story.

CREATIVE WRITING FOR THE COLLEGE ESSAY (Ages 15-18) This course will focus on a self-reflective writing approach that could serve as the basis for a powerful, personal college essay.

Limited scholarships available!

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