This week, we grew as writers by making new connections and immersing ourselves in a creative environment. We spent our time with intellectual discussions and diverse writing opportunities. Encouraged by helpful teachers, we expanded our knowledge of various methods and facets of writing, which improved our technique. With the help of writing exercises and prompts, we learned new skills and pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zones. Our workshops were amazing. We give thanks to Screenwriting taught by Dina Fiasconaro, Poetic Prose instructed by Nate Brown, Fantasy writing lead by Elise Gallagher, Investigation and fieldwork Illuminated by Anthony Moll, Exploration of Identity directed by Christina Rockey, last but not least Responsive poetry enlightened by Austrie Martinez Duarte. These workshops taught us new ways to improve our writing comprehension and collaboration skills by teaching us different ways to write our pieces such as changing the genre you usually write about. We also used the “art-to-art” concept by visiting the Visionary Arts Museum, and had fun exploring the museum together, gathering inspiration, and learning from other artists. A visit from slam poet Lady Brion on Monday and a lesson on public speaking with Austrie Duarte on Friday provided bookends for a week of exciting activities. Through our teachers, the environment, and our classes, these experiences will help us grow as writers and people in the future.
Imagination in Ink
Here at camp, we learn techniques for writing poetry, prose, memoir, fiction, and much more. Our workshops allow us to explore multiple genres and styles of writing while surrounded by a positive community. The camp is very diverse with many unique people with different styles of writing and ways of expressing our artistic strengths. Through these workshops and interactions, we have been gaining knowledge about how to write literature more coherently for audiences to enjoy. We believe in the importance of teamwork and friendship and try to respect one another. The camp is an enriching experience for any rising 8th – 12th grader.
Throughout Week 2, we’ve had the opportunity to work with many amazingly skilled instructors, such as Tristen Fagg, Elise Gallagher, Rosemary Kitchen, Austrie Martinez, Latonia Valencia Moss, Nate Brown, Krystle Carter, and Meagan Noel Nyland. On Tuesday, we met the author Kathy Macmillan. She gave us advice about professional writing and told us about her latest novel, Sword and Verse. We also practiced writing a short author’s biography, and learned about the publishing process. Thanks to these instructors, we have learned new forms of poetic expression, as well as developed and enhanced our knowledge on the elements and styles of fantasy. We learned and practiced new techniques, and tried our best to revise and critique our writing in order to reach its full potential.
A Mind’s Eye
Stevenson University Creative writing camp is a 1-2 week session that allows you to delve into your imagination/memory and put it on paper. Every day we learn new material and get to dig deep into our creative senses. Each morning starts a full day that includes writing, activities, games, and snacks. We help each other develop our writing through encouragement and workshops. This camp allows us to explore and open our minds to the many themes of fictional writing.
We have explored many types of writing in our classes, such as fiction, poetry, and memoirs. We were under the instruction of Nate Brown, Krystle Carter, Dare Turner, Anthony Moll, Sarah Shellow, Lady Brion, and Amanda Licastro. The course “Monsters are People, Too” taught us about a variety of creatures seen in folklore around the world and helped us incorporate it into our writing. In “Writing Mysteries” we have learned how to construct mysteries through character-driven stories. “Writing from Life” starts each class with a yoga session, followed by writing exercises, readings from non-fiction, and practicing writing techniques. We are instructed on how to compose drafts for different genres of writing in our multimedia class, and we took part in workshops on ekphrasis in “Responding to Art with Poetry.”
We are given motive, means, and opportunity to write and experiment different styles by attending these classes. In just a week or two, we have taken inspiring workshops and explored our creativity. We observed the world around us and immortalized our perceptions and sensations through the stories we crafted.