Zwoosh, thump—kaboom! These might not be the normal sounds you’d associate with writing, but at the Graphic Novel Youth Writing camp, it might be the perfect way to highlight a protagonist’s adventure.
PLACE and the Greater Madison Writing Project finished hosting our first youth summer writing camp of the season. Children were able to write and draw their very own graphic novels—think comic, but more than just heroes in capes, though that’s okay too—virtually.
You can write about a variety of topics in our themed online writing programs.
“I made a short comic about ice cream,” attendee Madeline Kahn, 11, wrote back to me, adding an ice cream emoji. “The counselors let you do your work freely. The counselors are funny, and they are nice. Plus, it’s cool how you interact with the other kids by sharing your ideas.”
Madeline attended the program with her sister Sophie, 13. Of course, Sophie loves to create her own stories, and the camp kept her entertained as she combined two things she really enjoys: writing and drawing.
“It helps improve your drawing skills, and helps you make fun stories,” she said. “It is a fun, interactive camp. I really enjoyed that there was always something that kept me entertained.”
“I ❤️ 2 draw,” Madeline added.
While the graphic novel writing class won’t come around again until next year, there is still time to join three other writing camps this summer.
Nature Writing, High School Writers Camp, and Rise Up & Write: Let’s Talk About Election 2020 are still open for registration.
Nature Writing asks students to write about nature. That opens up quite a few possibilities. Just think about how much nature is right outside of your window. Birds chirping, frogs calling, bugs buzzing, trees swaying.
The High School Writers Camp is a bit of a potpourri: young writers of all abilities get to explore many genres as they hone their craft under the support of staff dedicated to supporting and inspiring them.
That means you can write some poetry, maybe even a haiku. You get to write creative nonfiction, share a personal narrative about that time you scored a game-winning goal, or a short story that has been burning inside of your mind’s eye and just needs to be put into words and shared.
You will learn writing techniques to engage your readers, but most importantly, meet other writers and share and grow with them. But there is one more cool thing: you get to publish one of your pieces in an anthology, with everyone receiving a copy.
One final summer camp gets political.
No matter how you feel about politics, it is a part of life every day. There is a constant push and pull of political activity and change going on within the world. Whether it’s local votes on a referendum, protests, or the 2020 election, the world is always changing in the political landscape. Rise Up & Write is here to support writers and young activists who want to create multimedia commentaries for the KQED Let’s Talk about Election 2020 Youth Media Challenge.
It’s a chance to let your voice be heard, and learn how to shape your activism into words.
If you enjoy writing, now is your chance to hone your craft and get even better at it. Don’t miss out on a chance to be creative this summer!
