“I learned so much about writing and fighting off writer’s block from Sam. Her class improved my writing skills and got me to write regularly. I loved working with her and the other students in the class.”
2024 Virtual Summer Creative Writing Classes (4th Grade – Adults)
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Thursday June 6. Fill out the form on my contact page to register or for more information.
Classes are capped at 7 students and registration is first come, first served.
Writing Fiction, True Stories, & Poetry (Grades: Rising 4 – 5)
1x/week for 4 weeks, 1.5 hours each class. Dates and times dependent upon student availability.
COST: $395
Writing Fiction, True Stories, & Poetry will cover the basics of three genres of creative writing. We will start with a week of fiction writing, in which students will have a short lesson on basic elements of fiction, followed by a discussion of a related reading and in-class creative writing time based on fun prompts. For homework, students will add to what they started in class or respond to a different prompt, and will hopefully be eager to share their work with their fellow students in the following class! We will start the next class by reading the stories we wrote, asking questions, and talking about how to add to these ideas. Then we will move on to a short nonfiction lesson, followed by a discussion of a related nonfiction reading and in-class creative writing time. Homework for this week will be nonfiction-based, and then we move on to poetry (this pattern repeats for each genre). Our fourth and final class will be a free choice genre, to be determined by the class. This could include going deeper into any of the genres we previously studied, or exploring genres and forms outside of these boundaries.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS
A basic understanding of the components of writing in the three major genres
Experience discussing readings and student work in an insightful, respectful manner
Tactics and insights to apply to any type of writing, including academic writing
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to complete one small reading assignment and one small writing assignment each week. Students will upload their writing to our class Google Drive folder before the next week’s class. We will read them together. Class discussions will be positive, friendly, and are intended for all of us to learn from the teacher and from one another! No prior creative writing experience is necessary—just a willingness to explore and have fun!
Writing Fiction & Creative Nonfiction (Grades: Rising 6 – 8 and Rising 9 – 12 )
1x/week for 4 weeks, 1.5 hours each class. Dates and times dependent upon student availability. 6 - 8 and 9 - 12 classes are separate.
COST: $395
Writing Fiction & Creative Nonfiction focuses on the craft of writing, reading, and discussing both nonfiction and fiction stories. Although these are two different genres, writers use the same tools—structure, language, pacing, and more—to develop them. This class will explore the many structural forms fiction and nonfiction writing can take, how to create momentum in a story, how to write compelling descriptions, how to develop complex characters, and much more. Students will also write and share one or two fiction or nonfiction pieces of their own (many writing prompts are provided). Learning from each other’s writing is a substantial part of this class. For weeks 2-4, I will create a schedule to determine who will share their homework with the class the following week for discussion (or “workshop”).
COURSE TAKEAWAYS
An understanding of the components of writing fiction and nonfiction
The opportunity to workshop one or two pieces of work
Experience discussing readings and student work in an insightful, respectful manner
Tactics and insights to apply to any type of writing, including academic writing
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to read a few short stories and essays in preparation for our first class. Students are also expected to share their writing (2-4 double-spaced pages) once or twice, depending on how many students enroll. Students who are workshopping will upload their writing to our class Google Drive folder before the next class. We will read them together. Class discussions will be positive, friendly, and are intended for all of us to learn from the teacher and from one another! No prior creative writing experience is necessary—just a willingness to explore and have fun!
Writing Something Out of Nothing (Adults)
1x/week for 4 weeks, 1.5 hours each class. Dates and times dependent upon student availability.
COST: $395
Sitting down to write can be daunting. It can seem like there are at once an infinite amount of things to write about and nothing to say at all. To give himself a starting point for his blank page, writer Brian Evenson has a routine he calls “weekly reports.” The idea is to take any concept or object—a table, a streetlight, friendship, spring, your pet—and start writing, whatever comes to mind, whatever turn it takes. In this class, we will read and discuss some of Evenson’s short weekly reports, and write our own for homework. We will have a casual discussion (or “workshop”) about one another’s weekly reports each class. No reason to be shy—this is about developing a writing practice and generating ideas, not about crafting the perfect story. Maybe you’ll write the next great fiction short story inspired by a table. Maybe you’ll craft a nonfiction essay about the human-animal bond. Maybe you’ll write something that you never look at again! What I can guarantee is that you’ll walk away with the routine and skills to sit down, face your blank page, and write however often you choose.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS
A writing practice/routine you’ve developed that works for you
The ability to write even when you’re feeling blocked
The opportunity to discuss three pieces of writing in a casual workshop environment
Experience discussing readings and student work in a workshop format
Tactics and insights to apply to any type of writing
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to read a few short stories and essays in preparation for our first class. Students upload their weekly reports to our class Google Drive folder before each, and should generally be prepared to discuss them with their classmates. We will read them together. Class discussions will be positive, friendly, and are intended for all of us to learn from one another. No prior creative writing experience is necessary—just a willingness to explore and have fun!
“Our 5th grader gave Sam’s class an enthusiastic five stars! Sam’s talent for teaching shines through, and she quickly sparked a love of writing in our daughter. ”