(Virtual) Summer writing programs for a teen?
May 26, 2016 4:16 PM Subscribe
A talented and typically sullen sixteen-year-old girl is about to meet the vast free time of Summer Vacation and I'd like to find something that feeds her inspiration more than her desperation. She's a fine writer and it's good for her mental health for a whole pile of reasons. Registration for the local, in-person summer writing programs has come and gone, so I'd like to find some online options that encouraging her writing. Give me your online classes, camps, communities, apps, or anything else appropriate for a teen who likes to write, but could use some constructive encouragement.
I really like what they do at DIY (ie: using kid's enthusiasim to trick them into doing all the hard work) but she's definitely aged out of its community. Ideally it would be something/somewhere that she feels safe expressing herself, but with enough oversight to keep a parent from clenching too badly.
I really like what they do at DIY (ie: using kid's enthusiasim to trick them into doing all the hard work) but she's definitely aged out of its community. Ideally it would be something/somewhere that she feels safe expressing herself, but with enough oversight to keep a parent from clenching too badly.
Sarah Selecky's online course, Story Is a State of Mind, is very good.
posted by alicat at 5:23 PM on May 26, 2016
posted by alicat at 5:23 PM on May 26, 2016
Grub Street offers online writing courses. Intro to Fiction might suit her, even though it's for adults. There are also great online courses at The Loft. Gotham Writers' Workshop has teen-specific online writing classes.
posted by Miss T.Horn at 7:03 PM on May 26, 2016
posted by Miss T.Horn at 7:03 PM on May 26, 2016
Where are you? Local mefites may be able to recommend in-person programs that still have spots. Failing that, have you tried calling the programs whose registration date has passed? It's worth a shot. I say this because as an artsy, angsty teen, summer theater, music, and writing classes and camps were such a great thing for me, just getting to spend the time with other artsy kids who didn't go to my school.
posted by lunasol at 7:54 PM on May 26, 2016
posted by lunasol at 7:54 PM on May 26, 2016
I took a couple of online poetry-writing courses from The Poetry Barn a while back and really enjoyed them. You want to look for the ones that don't explicitly say The Poetry Barn is the location -- those are the online ones.
posted by possibilityleft at 4:46 AM on May 27, 2016
posted by possibilityleft at 4:46 AM on May 27, 2016
Also, I forgot to mention -- if you want to sign up until a week or two before the class starts, they will sometimes slash the prices to encourage signups. I never paid full price for the classes I took.
posted by possibilityleft at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2016
posted by possibilityleft at 6:39 AM on May 27, 2016
Out of the box here, but if she writes fanfiction, most fandoms have what they call a "Big Bang" which is a lot like NaNoWriMo. There's a deadline and some community to it, a lot of encouragement, and you can find a writing buddy, a beta-reader, etc. Usually a fanartist will come and do illustrations. Not guaranteed but it can be incredibly rewarding. You google e.g. "Veronica Mars Big Bang"
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:45 PM on May 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:45 PM on May 27, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by WalkerWestridge at 4:30 PM on May 26, 2016