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BEST SUMMER WRITING PROMPTS

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Showing 22 prompts reset

Aposiopesis, what was meant to be a great bonding vacation turns sour when an uninvited guest tags along., write a story about a character who returns home changed by someone they met on a trip., the cicadas came early this summer. little did everyone know that it was actually an omen., write a story about a character whose favorite season has switched from winter to summer. why, it just hit 110 degrees fahrenheit, and your air conditioning unit just broke..

creative writing about summer

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Write a story titled "It Happened One Summer."

Write a story about a summer fling., write a story about a family summer vacation to europe that… does not go to plan..

  • Set your story in the woods or on a campground.

End your story with someone saying: “What a day.”

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Write a story about a tea party that your character is reluctant to go to.

Write a story about characters going on a summer road trip..

  • Write a story about somebody reminiscing on an event that happened many summers ago.
  • End your story with somebody stepping out into the sunshine.
  • Write about the longest day of the year, or a day that never seems to end.

Write about a character who thinks they have a sun allergy.

  • Write about a community that worships Mother Nature.

Write a story set in the summer, when suddenly it starts to snow.

  • Write a story about another day in a heatwave.

Write a story that begins with someone's popsicle melting.

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The best summer writing prompts

Fun at the beach, an awe-inspiring trip in nature, exploring and camping on long, sunny days — summer is many perople's favorite season for good reason. The possibilities seem endless, and there are therefore an endless number of summer stories to tell. Luckily for you, we've got plenty of ideas for thosewith our summer writing prompts.

Whether your characters are enjoying the final days of a golden summer with friends before returning to school, hanging out at the neighborhood pool, or about to travel on the vacation of a lifetime filled with sun, sea, and sand — and perhaps a summer romance — there's adventure around every corner.

Here are our top ten summer writing prompts:

  • Write about characters going on a summer road trip.
  • Write a story about a family summer vacation to Europe that… does not go to plan. 
  • Write a story about a summer fling. 
  • Write a story that begins with someone's popsicle melting.

Looking for more tips for your writing? Check out the free resource below:

  • How to Master the 'Show, Don't Tell' Rule (free course)  — Summer is a season of the senses — the stickiness of ice cream, the crashing of waves, heat radiating off the sidewalk, and the smoky smell of bbq. And that means you're going to want to get your descriptions spot on. To brush up your skills, try out our free course.

Want more help learning how to write a summer short story? Check out  How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published  — a free, ten day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly  short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of  writing contests  or our directory of  literary magazines  for more opportunities to submit your story.

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Home / Book Writing / Summer Writing Prompts: 35+ Ideas to Get You Started

Summer Writing Prompts: 35+ Ideas to Get You Started

One of the worst things about being an adult is you can't take summers off from work (unless you're a teacher, I suppose). The last day of school before summer vacation was always brimming with possibilities. The seemingly endless days of summer stretched out before you like a sparkling river under a tire swing.

But even for adults, there's plenty of fun to be had in summer. And it's some of that magic we're tapping into with the summer writing prompts below. 

  • How to make the most of the writing prompts.
  • A list of writing prompts to choose from.
  • Tips for vetting your story idea.

Table of contents

  • Choose a Writing Skill to Strengthen
  • Form a Writing Habit
  • Disassemble Writer's Block
  • Summer Writing Prompts
  • Will Your Story Sell?

Tips for Using the Writing Prompts Below

Writing prompts have a great many uses. But like any tool, it helps to know how to use them for whatever it is you want to accomplish. The quick tips below are by no means mandatory, but they may be able to help you get the most out of these summer writing prompts. 

In On Writing by Stephen King, the Master of Horror talks about how the various aspects of writing are like tools in the writer's toolbox. Some you will naturally be proficient with, while others will require a bit more practice before you can master them. This is where writing prompts can be incredibly helpful. Choose one or more “tools” from the list below and then focus on it (or them) with a writing prompt.  

  • Character Development – There's an art to crafting round characters and satisfying character arcs. By focusing on these aspects, you can strengthen these skills. 
  • Action – Action scenes can be hard to write without confusing the reader. That's why practice makes perfect. 
  • Point of View – There are nuances to understand when it comes to POV, so choosing one you're not necessarily comfortable with can help improve your use of POV. 
  • Dialogue – Compelling dialogue is one of the hardest things to pull off. But if you work at it, you'll get better. 
  • Show, Don't Tell – Showing how a character is feeling through their actions, mannerisms, dialogue, and the use of subtext can be hard to master, but it's certainly not impossible. 

It can be hard to write every day on a large project like a novel or a nonfiction book. But if there's one thing professional writers have in common, it's that they write every day—or at least regularly. Unfortunately, creating a writing habit is easier said than done. But by using writing prompts to get you excited to sit down at the computer every day, you can ingrain the habit in a matter of weeks. 

This is also a good way of getting warmed up to tackle your work in progress. By writing a few hundred words (or even just a paragraph) on a writing prompt, you can get the words flowing before moving on to your current work in progress. 

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If the words just don't want to come, a writing prompt could be the ticket through writer's block . By starting on a story that you're not as invested in, you can unleash your creativity and get back on track. 

The key here is to really let yourself get creative with the prompt. You may even want to go so far as to write in a completely different genre than your work in progress. If you're writing a romance, try instead doing a horror short story. If you're writing a gritty thriller, try a goofy mystery. Or forget all about genre and just go with stream-of-consciousness writing!

Boost your creative writing skills with these summer story prompts. 

1. Write about a whirlwind romance that only takes place over the summer months. 

2. Write a story in which a group of teenagers working at an amusement park must solve the murder of a mysterious Jane Doe that wound up dead in the food court. 

3. Write about a character who experiences a summer that's both the best and worst of their life. 

4. The world is about to end, and humanity collectively agrees to take the last summer off. What happens during the last months before the apocalypse?

5. Start your story with a child going missing from a summer camp. 

6. Set your story at a summer camp for adults. 

7. Write about a small group of students dreading summer break. Why do they fear it? What happens in their town during summer that is so frightful?

8. Explore the origins of a strange summer tradition one family practices every year. 

9. Think of your favorite summer memory and write a story in which a character experiences that for the first time. 

10. Write about a group of kids who have summer activities planned but they keep getting interrupted before they can enjoy them. 

11. Write about a character whose favorite thing about summer is the heat. 

12. It's the first day of summer vacation and a group of friends decides to run away from home to live in the woods. Explore this from the point of view of both the kids and their parents. 

13. Write about a crime that happens on July 4th during the fireworks display. The town's only detective—brand new to the area—has to solve the case. 

14. Write about a second-grade teacher who decides to hitchhike to Woodstock in the summer of 1969. 

15. Write a thriller story about a family on summer vacation when they're held hostage by two desperate criminals. 

16. Write a horror story about a hot summer day that just keeps getting hotter and hotter. How would people survive? What could they do to escape the heat?

17. Start your story with a young writer for the school newspaper witnessing a crime committed by the principal on the last day of the school year. 

18. See if you can convey the magic of summer fun with a story about kids without a care in the world trying to make the most out of their summer in small-town America. 

19. Begin your story with a character getting an anonymous note that says, “Contact me when summer starts.”

20. Write a story that takes place exclusively on the three major summer holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. 

21. Start your story with a water balloon fight that soon gets out of control. 

22. Write about a character who sets out to do 100 random acts of kindness during her summer. 

23. Pick a summer activity you love and write about characters doing that activity when they're interrupted by something completely unexpected. 

24. Write an acrostic poem about the joys of summer. These types of poems are great for creative thinking and expanding your vocabulary.  

25. Tell the story of a character's summer vacation through a series of their blog posts. This type of epistolary story is great for character development!

26. Set your story on a beach near a bonfire. A fight breaks out, and one of the fighters is your protagonist!

27. Write about two groups of kids with rival lemonade stands trying to outdo each other. 

28. Your protagonist gets a summer job at a local resort. But he soon finds out that something shady is going on at the resort, and he may have seen too much. 

29. A small town's summer festival goes awry when nearly all the attendees are drugged. When the dust settles, someone's dead. But who's to blame?

30. A group of once-tight-knit friends gets together after many years apart. The idea is to reconnect over the summer, but one member of the group has an ulterior motive. And it's not a nice one.

31. A group of strangers boards a small boat for a trip to a secluded island resort. But a summer storm lands these vacationing strangers on a deserted island. They must learn to work together—or pay the ultimate price.  

32. Your protagonist is a camp counselor at a summer camp that has been closed since some awful murders happened there. It soon becomes clear that something strange is happening again. . .

33. Write about three competitive friends who participate in a summer scavenger hunt that sends them all over New England. 

34. Write about a family staying at a cabin when the high temperatures and low moisture cause a forest fire. They must escape, but that's easier said than done. 

35. When a young girl is upended and moved across the country during the summer, she befriends an old woman who has been shunned by the town. What does she learn about herself and the world by starting this friendship?

I hope these writing prompts are to your liking! Whether you use one of the creative writing prompts as a story starter or a creative writing activity, the important thing is getting the words down. 

That said, I encourage you to use them however you like. While not every writer wants to sell their work, there are plenty who do. And if you're one of them, then it's a good idea to see if there's a niche audience for your story. This is easily done with Publisher Rocket . 

This tool can compress what would otherwise take hours of research on Amazon into just minutes, helping you identify ideal markets for your book. Once you find a niche market, it can help you position your book for success when you do publish. With Publisher Rocket, you get insights directly from Amazon on:

  • Keywords – Metadata to position your book on Amazon.
  • Competition – Allowing you to see what's selling and how stiff the competition is.
  • Categories – So you know where people who are looking for books like yours go to find them.
  • Amazon Ads – Helps you quickly configure a list of profitable keywords for running ads for your novel, novella, or short story collection.

Best of all, it’s easy to use and comes with quick little videos to get you started. Check out Publisher Rocket here .

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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50 Summer Writing Prompts!

sunglasses and a pen sitting on a notebook next to a swimming pool

Hey friends! It’s almost June, and I know a lot of writers (and a lot of students, parents, and teachers) are looking forward to summer. In my mind, the season inspires a lot of good creative writing topics, so here are 50 summer writing prompts!

If you’d like creative writing ideas with more magic and fantasy, you might also want to check out my post on 50 Fantasy Writing Prompts and Fantasy Plot Ideas . And whether you’re looking for June journal prompts or starting a new story, I hope one of these creative writing ideas inspires you. Be sure to pin it on Pinterest for future reference!

TEXT: 50 SUMMER WRITING PROMPTS AND JOURNAL IDEAS, bryndonovan.com | background collage of images: sky; water in a swimming pool; an orange; a pair of flip fops

1. Write a scene that includes fireflies.

2. Write a scene that includes mosquitos, hornets, or wasps.

3. Someone is driving with the car windows down, singing at the top of their lungs to their favorite song. Who are they? Where are they going — or what are they getting away from? Why do they like this song so much?

4. Write about someone at a state fair. Why are they there? What are the sights, sounds, and smells?

5. Come up with a conversation that takes place around a campfire.

6. Write about a teenager at their summer job. It could be a normal one, or something unusual.

7. Write a scene that includes a waterfall.

8. Describe lightning striking something — or someone — along with what happens next.

9. Someone is packing their bag for a summer vacation. Where are they going? What are they bringing along?

10. Write about something going very wrong on a vacation.

11. Incorporate the chirping of crickets or the buzz of cicadas into a piece of writing.

12. Set a scene at an ice cream parlor, a frozen custard stand, or near an ice cream truck.

13. Write about an outdoor event getting interrupted by a downpour.

14. Write about a bike ride to an unusual place.

15. Describe a baseball game that takes an unexpected turn.

a baseball in a baseball glove, lying on the grass

16. Write about something you used to do for fun as a kid during the summertime.

17. Write about a parent whose out-of-school kids are driving them bananas.

18. Two characters are picking berries. What’s their relationship to each other? Are they having fun, or no?

19. Write from the point of view of someone who hates summer.

20. Describe one of your favorite summer experiences, such as cooking steaks on a grill or getting a pedicure.

21. Write a scene that takes place at a swimming pool.

22. Come up with a scene that includes a sand castle.

23. Imagine a kid at summer camp, and describe what they do there.

24. Someone is fishing… and pulls something out of the lake or ocean that is definitely not a fish.

25. Somebody on a beach finds a message in a bottle, washed up on the shore. What does it say?

26. Come up with a scene that features fireworks in some way.

27. Describe a happy scene at a farmer’s market.

28. Describe a fight — silly, or serious — that takes place on a cruise ship.

29. Write from the point of view of someone who is sailing alone.

30. Picture yourself in a rose garden. Who does it belong to? Why are you there, and what happens?

31. Write from the point of view of a character in one of your favorite blockbuster movies.

32. A camper is in their tent  — alone, or with someone else. What wakes them up in the middle of the night?

33. Write a scene in which the characters are hot and sweaty.

34. Write about a place that characters go just to cool down.

35. Describe the perfect summer meal, beverage, or dessert.

36. Write from the point of view of a moth telling himself not to go near that flame.

a moth flying in a night sky

37. Write a scene where somebody runs through the sprinklers — intentionally or not.

38. Imagine being at a big outdoor music festival, and write about what you do and the people you meet.

39. Write about a character who’s wearing sunglasses… and never takes them off.

40. Write about something embarrassing happening to someone who’s wearing a swimsuit.

41. Write about a father and a son meeting for the first time in years on Father’s Day.

42. Write about a character who has strong feelings about Independence Day (the 4th of July.)

43. Write about a road trip you took once.

44. Describe a stay at a funky old motel.

45. Write about characters sleeping out under the stars.

46. Make up an eccentric relative that you might meet at a family reunion.

47. Write from the point of view of a dog at the dog park.

48. Imagine going to a flea market or garage sale, and finding something that thrills you… for cheap!

49. Write about a character making a wish by blowing on a dandelion puff.

50. Somebody is reading on the beach… but it’s not the typical beach read. What’s the book about? Why is this person interested?

book lying face down on a sandy beach with the ocean in the background

I hope you enjoyed the summer writing prompts! I’d love to hear your comments—and if you’re an elementary, middle school, or high school teacher, I’d love to hear about your other needs, too. (Of course, these creative writing topics work just as well for adults. Don’t get me wrong!)

If you don’t want to miss future creative writing ideas, follow the blog if you aren’t already — you can subscribe below. And if you want to share something you wrote, go for it — that would be so much fun to see. Happy writing!

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9 thoughts on “ 50 summer writing prompts ”.

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I love summer back in the midwest, because of the fireflies (although in southern Indiana they are called “lightning bugs.”)

I used to catch them and put them in a jar with holes poked in the lids to keep by my bed overnight. They inevitably would crawl out somehow, and I’d wake up to find flashing bugs crawling around on my walls and ceiling.

Mean kids would pull the them in half and draw glowing pictures or words on the front of their shirts. This always upset me and caused me a great deal of stress and outrage.

I also remember how at the hay farms, the fields would have an unearthly, flickering glow at night from all the fireflies hiding in the tall hay before it was harvested.

Fireflies and the loud buzz of cicadas = summer nights for me. 🙂

' src=

I was trying to catch some last night! Just for a picture. It’s not as easy as I remembered 😀

Someone told me that when she was a kid, they used to dig out the glowy bits and smear them around… I was horrified!

I love the fireflies. 🙂

' src=

These are great! I think I will use them with my students this year also.

Your first few suggestions brought back a family memory of when my daughter Katie was a new driver as we were on a family trip.

Her stress level when she felt pressured driving 55 mph through road construction on the freeway with the yard-high orange barrels on her left and a semi-truck moving on her right became amplified when a wasp flew in her window and landed on the front of her shirt. Katie’s loud and continuous screaming while she tried to flick off the wasp and keep control of the car prompted her older sister in the back seat to use an empty pop bottle to bonk Katie on the back of the head several times in an attempt to quiet Katie down.

That action required Katie to then alternate between trying to blindly brush off the wasp and grab the bottle as it attacked her head. The rest of us couldn’t stop laughing at her misfortune. There was nothing we could do during that 2-minute portion of the drive, except when I asked the bottle bopping to end.

Katie pulled over to the side if the road when the construction area ended, and immediately exited the car to shake herself off with more screams plus scoldng her sister for threatening our safely with her annoying action.

That was one of our most memorable family events.

Kathy — oh my gosh. I remember how nervous I would get anyway as a new driver… The poor thing! But that is so funny!

' src=

Thank you very much for this blue. This is a very inspiring piece. I have written a long conversation between mosquitoes and a bed bus. If you would like it I would mail it to you. I would try on several prompts. Thank you once again.

Hi Sayed, thanks for reading, and for the kind words! I’m so glad you like the post. My email is [email protected] — I’d love to see what you did!

' src=

What fun topics for summer inspired writing prompts! I hope I can share on here soon. I stumbled across your blog as I was searching for ideas on describing facial expressions.

Hi Miss Kim, welcome to the blog! So glad you like it 🙂

' src=

Great prompts, thank you!

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Writing Forward

Creative Writing Prompts Inspired by the Seasons

by Melissa Donovan | Jun 20, 2019 | Creative Writing Prompts | 7 comments

creative writing prompts seasons

Celebrate the seasons with these creative writing prompts.

Today’s creative writing prompts look to the seasons for inspiration. All of these writing prompts come from my book, 1200 Creative Writing Prompts .

Writers and artists, and human beings in general, have always been inspired by the cycle of nature. The seasons provide a rotating backdrop for our lives. They mark the passage of time, and they represent change — moving on and letting go.

A season can provide a setting for your story or the subject for your poem. Seasons can function as metaphors. They can bring challenges for characters in the form of severe weather and natural disasters. Even the absence of seasons will affect a piece of writing.

Creative Writing Prompts

All writers get stuck. Call it writer’s block, lack of inspiration, or absence of the muse. Sometimes, ideas just don’t come easily. That’s when creative writing prompts and other writing exercises can keep your creativity going.

  • A woman is walking alone on a beach in the summer twilight (or at dawn) when something happens that completely changes her life.
  • The heat is sweltering and everybody’s indoors. The lucky ones have air conditioners. Everybody’s trying to stay cool. Write a poem about what it feels like at the height of a scorching summer.
  • Use all of the following words in a piece of writing: lemonade, cotton, fish, taffy, ripe, saltwater, blackberry.
  • A single mother leaves her two teenage children home alone for the summer.
  • The leaves turned gold and amber, and then they drifted to the ground. We raked them into mounds then leaped and landed.
  • The protagonist is raking leaves on the lawn. He or she pauses for a breath and glances at the neighbors’ lawn. They never rake their leaves , the protagonist thinks, and their dog is always using my yard as a latrine . The protagonist decides to do something about these inconsiderate neighbors.
  • Halloween is just around the corner, and the protagonist has a lot do this year: candy, costumes, and pumpkin carving. The house smells like apples and caramel. While making preparations, he or she looks outside and sees something astonishing.
  • There’s a quiet cracking sound, and then an apple falls, twirling to the ground below and bruising itself against the hard earth.
  • While shopping in a department store during the holidays, a child is separated from his or her parents and discovers a portal to a winter wonderland.
  • All the kids are looking forward to their winter break. There’s a school-sponsored ski trip, and one girl is aching to go so she can try snowboarding for the first time.
  • Puppies and kittens aren’t always born in spring. This winter, a special puppy is born, one that will change people’s lives.
  • Even though it’s freezing outside, people are out and about, bundled up and chattering among themselves. Write about pedestrians in the winter.
  • It’s the last snowfall of the year. What do you do? Go sledding? Build a snowman? Head to the pond for some ice skating?
  • Write a piece using the following image: a clearing deep in the woods where sunlight filters through the overhead lattice of tree leaves.
  • Deer bound across the field, breaking delicate blades of grass with hard hooves, pausing to dine on soft flowers.
  • Write a piece using the following image: someone standing in a doorway, soaking wet, with rain pouring in the background.

Have Fun with These Creative Writing Prompts!

If you use any of these creative writing prompts, come back and tell us how they worked for you. Feel free to make up your own seasonal creative writing prompts and leave them in the comments. And keep writing.

Creative Writing Prompts

I think seasons are a great idea to give to students when writer’s block sets in. I teach a creative writing course and always have students asking for ideas when given the opportunity for free writing. I have a stack of inspiration cards that students may pull from to get ideas. I will have to remember to add some seasonal topics into the deck of cards. Great idea!

Melissa Donovan

Thanks, Trent. I’m glad you found this article helpful. Best of luck with your inspiration cards.

Tanya van Hasselt

Ninevoices’ 2019 short story competition might be a good one for writers to try – the theme is ‘Summer’!

Details on ninevoices.wordpress.com

Vivienne Sang

Great prompts. Thank you.

You’re welcome!

Unknown

My teacher gave me a topic from this website lol

That’s awesome!

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74 Summer Writing Prompts for Students to Keep Them Engaged and Creative

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: September 7, 2022  - Last updated: July 31, 2023

Categories Creativity , Inspiration , Writing

Summer vacation is a time for students to relax and enjoy themselves. However, it can also be a time for students to get creative and engage in writing activities. Here are 74 summer writing prompts to help students stay engaged and entertained during the summer months!

  • What makes you feel like summer is finally here?
  • What words can you use to describe summer?
  • What does summer smell like?
  • What happens at the beginning, middle, and end of summer?
  • How did your school year end?
  • Write down what you’re looking forward to this summer.
  • What goals have you set for yourself this summer? (e.g., make a new friend, travel more often).
  • Who’ll you spend the summer with?
  • What’s the best part of summer?
  • How would you describe a perfect summer day?
  • Do you like to be outside in the summer or prefer to stay inside? And why?
  • How do you feel about picnics in the summer? Do you have a favorite food or place to have a picnic?
  • What’re three summer activities you want to do this summer?
  • What summer activity is at the top of your agenda for your next summer vacation?
  • What’s the worst thing that can happen during the summer?
  • What did you do on your last vacation?
  • What’s your favorite food to eat in the summer?
  • Your favorite summer color?
  • Your favorite summer clothing?
  • Your favorite summer drink?
  • Your favorite ice cream?
  • Your favorite summer song?
  • Your favorite summer story?
  • Your favorite writing activity?
  • Your favorite summer activity (beach, pool, etc.)?
  • What’s your favorite summer movie and why?
  • What kind of books do you like to read at the beach and why?
  • What’s the most important thing about being home in the summer?
  • What animal would be your spirit animal for the summer? (For example, a dolphin because it’s playful and friendly).
  • You and your family are on vacation! What’re you doing there? (picture or story)
  • What was it like the first time you went on vacation with your family?
  • Write down the last time you went camping with your family or friends and describe what happened that day.
  • What’s your favorite memory of summer camp?
  • What crazy and ridiculous things can happen at summer camp?
  • What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen in nature?
  • Write about a song that reminds you of summer vacation.
  • What’s your favorite summer memory?
  • Describe the first time you went to the beach or swimming pool as a child and tell us about that experience (don’t forget to mention what happened before and after).
  • Have you ever been to a waterfall? If so, how did it make you feel?
  • What’s your least favorite summer memory?
  • What would you like to do again?
  • What does July 4th mean to you?
  • What do you think is the best part of summer?
  • What do you think is the worst part of summer?
  • What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you this summer?
  • What do we all have in common when it comes to our summers?
  • What did you do this summer that you’re proud of?
  • What’s your favorite thing to do outside this summer?
  • If summer were a person, what kind of personality would it have?
  • What did you not get done this summer that you wish you’d have had time to do?
  • Where have you been this summer that you’ve never been before?
  • What’s the best way to spend a hot summer day?
  • What would be your dream vacation spot? And why?
  • What’s the best way to cool off when it’s hot?
  • What do you like to eat when it’s hot outside?
  • What would it be and why if you could only take one thing with you on vacation this summer?
  • How is daylight saving time different from wintertime (other than temperature)? Should there be more differences between the seasons, or are these differences enough?
  • What do you want to be when you grow up?
  • Write down what you’d do if it never rained again
  • Write about what you’d do if the sun never came up again.
  • Write an epic poem about everything you’ve planned for your summer vacation (and all the fun things that might happen along the way).
  • Write an acrostic poem
  • How do you imagine Christmas in the summertime?
  • Write a short story or a scene at the beach where someone is trying not to get caught up in their worries while hanging out with friends or family-however hard that might be!
  • Write about a time when you tried something new this summer, and changed your life.
  • Describe what made this summer different from all other summers (in your opinion).
  • If you could choose how long your summer vacation would be, what time would you choose and why?
  • How will the upcoming school year be different than the last?
  • Do you’ve homework to do before you go back to school?
  • If you could choose one teacher for the upcoming school year, who’d it be?
  • What’re you looking forward to when you go back to school?
  • What’re you most afraid of when you go back to school?
  • Write down 10 goals for the upcoming school year.
  • Write down how you plan to accomplish these goals.

Summer Is a Good Time to Practice Writing

Here are some ideas for making the most of your summer writing prompts:

First, you can use them to encourage creativity in your students. Summer is when kids aren’t in school and not learning as much as they normally do.

You can help them take advantage of this downtime by giving them summer writing prompts that they mightn’t find in their textbooks – for example, writing about their favorite place in the world or describing a dream they had last night. This writing prompt allows them to create something new rather than just regurgitating information from earlier in the year.

Second, you can use summer writing opportunities to practice basic skills like spelling and grammar. Writing isn’t just about writing well, it’s about knowing how to spell and use words correctly, so other people understand what you’re trying to say!

Summer is a great time to practice these skills because students have no pressure at home (and can afford to make mistakes). A great way to do this is to give students homework assignments where they’ve to write emails or letters home about what’s been going on in their lives lately – summer vacation gives them plenty of time to think about it.

Improve Your Creative Writing Skills During Summer Vacation!

If you’re a student or a parent of a student, you know all too well how important writing help is during the summer.

Summer is often when students have a lot more free time, but it’s also when teachers aren’t around to provide helpful feedback and guidance. This can make it much harder for students to get the support they need to do well in writing, a skill that will be useful throughout their lives.

There are many ways you can use summer writing help:

  • You can talk to your teacher about getting extra practice during the summer months. Many teachers offer “distance learning” programs where they create materials that students can use on their own time at home (sometimes even before school starts again). This way, they can continue to work on the subject matter and get additional practice on certain skills that may have been difficult for them during the year.
  • You can request one-on-one tutoring with someone who’s experienced working with students like you! A tutor can help you understand what’s going wrong and give tips on improving your writing skills, so that next year doesn’t look like this year!

A Great Time to Journal

These creative writing prompts are also a great way for students to start journal writing.

When you first start writing a journal, it can be quite intimidating. There are so many different options; if you don’t know where to start, it can feel like it’s just not working for you.

But journal writing doesn’t have to be complicated! Summer may be the best time to try it – especially if you want your kids to get into the habit of putting their thoughts and feelings down on paper. Here are some tips on how to make journal writing more fun:

Start With Small Topics

Don’t take on the big topics right away, but write about something simple, like your favorite color or an animal that lives in your yard. This way, students can explore their feelings about these topics without feeling overwhelmed by the task.

Use Prompts That Evoke Emotions Rather Than Memories

For example, instead of asking them what they did last summer (which would likely lead them down a path full of memories of previous summers), ask them what they’d like to do this summer! This allows them to think

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Great Summer Creative Writing Programs for High School Students

Immersive Summer Programs for Budding Writers

Summer is a terrific time for aspiring writers to focus on creative writing . Immersive programs give high schoolers the opportunity to develop writing skills, meet like-minded students, and gain an impressive line on their activities resumé. This list of excellent summer creative writing programs for high school students may offer just what the budding writers in your family need to make the most of their talents.

Emerson College Creative Writers Workshop

Emerson’s Creative Writers Workshop is a five-week program for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors geared at developing their writing skills in a variety of media, including fiction, poetry, screenwriting, graphic novels, and magazine writing. Participants attend college-level writing classes exploring these genres in which they write and present their own work, create a final portfolio of their writing, contribute to the workshop’s anthology, and present a reading for family and friends. On-campus housing is available for the duration of the workshop.

Alfred University Creative Writing Camp

This summer writing program introduces rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to many different genres, including poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction, and drama. Students read and discuss the work of established authors and participate in writing-intensive exercises and workshop sessions led by Alfred University faculty members. Campers stay in university housing and enjoy a variety of recreational activities outside of classes and workshops such as movie nights, games, and social gatherings. The program runs annually for five days at the end of June.

Sarah Lawrence College Summer Writers Workshop for High School Students

This program is a one-week, non-residential summer workshop for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors that explores the process of creative writing in a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment. Participants have the opportunity to attend small writing and theater workshops led by faculty and guest writers and theater artists, as well as attend and participate in readings. Classes are limited to 15 students with three faculty leaders per workshop to provide individual attention for each student.

Sewanee Young Writers Conference

This two-week residential program offered by The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, provides dedicated rising high school sophomore, junior, and senior creative writers an opportunity to develop and polish their writing skills. The conference includes workshops in playwriting, fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction led by celebrated professional writers as well as visiting writers whose works students analyze and discuss. Participants select one writing genre and spend their two weeks attending a small workshop dedicated to that genre, with opportunities for one-on-one contact with workshop leaders. Students also participate in lectures, readings, and discussions.

Emerging Writers Institute Creative Writing Camp

Allen Grove

Education Unlimited offers the Emerging Writers Institute creative writing camp each summer at Yale University , Stanford University , and UC Berkeley . This two-week residential program for rising 10th-12th graders includes daily workshops, evaluations, peer editing groups, and creative presentations designed to encourage students to challenge themselves as writers and hone their expressive writing process.

Each student chooses to major in the writing of either short stories, poetry, playwriting, or nonfiction. The bulk of their critical reading and writing exercises and workshopping is devoted to their selected major. Students may also attend afternoon workshops on nontraditional genres such as speechwriting, graphic novels, and advertising copy, as well as guest presentations by local authors and publishers.

Iowa Young Writers' Studio

The University of Iowa offers this two-week summer creative writing program for rising juniors, seniors, and college freshmen. Students choose one of three core courses in poetry, fiction, or creative writing (a more general course sampling from poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction). Within their course, they participate in seminar classes in which they read and analyze literary selections and workshops to create, share, and discuss their own writing. Also offered are large group writing exercises, inspirational outdoor writing excursions, and nightly readings by prominent published writers. Many of the program's teachers and counselors are graduates of the university's Iowa Writers' Workshop, one of the most prestigious creative writing graduate programs in the country.

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creative writing about summer

Course details

Creative writing summer school.

Immerse yourself in your writing over three intensive weeks spent in Oxford. 

This unique summer school offers opportunities for writers at both intermediate and advanced levels to work under the guidance of experienced tutors.

You will write, develop your technique, sharpen your critical faculties and discuss your work in small, focused seminars. Each weekday you will attend a talk given by an author, publisher, agent, or editor. You will live and work in beautiful Exeter College, the environment that nurtured J R R Tolkien, Philip Pullman, Martin Amis, William Morris, and many others.

At the end of your three weeks, you will have acquired new skills, made new friends, and developed a fresh portfolio of creative writing.

  • A three-week residential summer school.
  • Take part in interactive seminars featuring writing exercises and group discussion.
  • Benefit from guidance by tutors who are both published authors and experienced teachers.
  • Attend daily talks given by established authors, agents, editors and others.

Participate in open mic nights and peer-led workshop sessions.

  • Study and live at Exeter College, founded 1314 - one of Oxford University's oldest colleges.
  • Enjoy a range of social events, including walking tours and excursions.

What is meant by intermediate and advanced?

The intermediate strand of the summer school is open access; it is for keen readers aged 18 and over who have written regularly and read widely over a sustained period. Students on the intermediate programme take two seminars, one in fiction and one in creative non-fiction. Applications for the intermediate strand do not require samples of written work.

The advanced strand of the summer school is an intensive programme which is suitable for writers who have completed or nearly completed a single-honours degree in Creative Writing or English Literature, or who have taken a significant number of courses in creative writing or English literature. Students on the advanced strand are likely to have developed specialisms in their work; they choose two from seven available seminars: creative non-fiction, fiction (two options), middle-grade and teen/young adult fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, and short story. Applications for the advanced strand include a statement of purpose and samples of written work.

Both strands live and work in beautiful Exeter College, socialising, dining and attending plenary lectures together.

All of the seminars involve writing exercises, group discussion, and the development of a portfolio of creative writing.

Each seminar has two two-hour meetings per week. Classes typically contain no more than 15 students.

(See "Programme details", below, for seminar descriptions.)

Contact hours

The programme provides you with a minimum of 46.5 contact hours, comprising:

  • 24 hours of seminar meetings (12 hours per seminar); and
  • 22.5 hours of talks (15 sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours).

Social programme

You can enjoy optional social events throughout the summer school. These may include a walking tour of Oxford, after-dinner talks and weekend excursions to sites of literary and/or historical interest. Most of these activities incur additional costs.

You will have an opportunity to share ideas and work with your fellow students at open mic nights (one per week) and informal peer-led workshop sessions (two per week).

Beyond the summer school, Oxford is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a busy cultural and social scene offering a wide variety of plays and shows, concerts, films and exhibitions.

Programme details

Intermediate-level seminars.

Click here to download the intermediate-level seminar timetable .

Creative Non-Fiction

Writing about real lives and experiences – your own, or someone else’s – is rewarding but also daunting. What if you have too much information, or your story involves other people? How do you fill the gaps? How do you keep the reader reading? What if your core purpose is to write creatively not about a life, but about a specific place or time, journey or sickness, idea or vocation? And when does storytelling tip over into fiction? In this course we will use practical exercises, examples, discussion and the sharing of writing to explore ways of imagining, researching, developing, shaping and voicing real-life material to form a narrative.

Tutor: Dr Emma Darwin’s memoir,  This is Not a Book About Charles Darwin  (Holland House Books, 2019), explores her disastrous attempt to write a novel about her family. Her debut novel,  The Mathematics of Love  (Headline Review, 2006), was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers’ and other awards; her second,  A Secret Alchemy  (Headline Review, 2009), was a  Sunday Times  bestseller;  Get Started in Writing Historical Fiction  (John Murray Learning) was published in 2016. She has a PhD in Creative Writing (London) and was an Associate Lecturer at the Open University; she blogs at  This Itch of Writing .

In this course you will explore who you are as a writer, reflecting on the stories that you see and hear in the stuff of everyday life and thinking about what you, uniquely, can bring to those stories that you choose to tell. We will discover how to depict fictional worlds, characters, relationships, situations and sequences of events so that they seem ‘real’ but at the same time sing on the page and make for compelling reading. To this end, we will be spending our time on writing exercises and discussion - sharing our work, ideas and experiences as and when we are comfortable to do so.

Tutor: Suzannah Dunn has published two collections of short fiction and twelve novels, seven of them historical, one of which,  The Confession of Katherine Howard,  was a Richard and Judy Pick. Her thirteenth novel,  Levitation for Beginners , will be published by Little, Brown in 2024. She has decades of experience as a tutor of creative writing in all kinds of settings with writers of all levels of confidence and skills. For five years she was Director of Manchester University’s MA in Novel Writing, and is now a tutor and mentor at Curtis Brown Creative.

Advanced-level seminar options

Click here to view the advanced-level seminar timetable .

We tell stories about ourselves and others every day. Taking a close look at autobiography, memoir, and biography, we will discuss how these stories are told and the extent to which this influences what we think we know about our own lives and those of others. The course will focus on narrative prose. It will provide an opportunity for students to work on an idea for a life story or an existing project. Students will be encouraged to work on their own writing during the course. We will discuss the challenges we all face as writers and how to address them. There will be opportunities to explore contemporary examples of life-writing that challenge traditional autobiographical and biographical narratives and the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction. We will address questions about form and style that help us to decide what kind of narrative we want to write, whether it be a book, an article, or a short life story.

Tutor: Dr Jane McVeigh publishes on different aspects of life-writing and twentieth-century women writers. Her most recent book is  Richmal Crompton, Author of Just William: A Literary Life  (Palgrave 2022).  In Collaboration with British Literary Biography: Haunting Conversations  (Palgrave 2017), explores the nature of contemporary biography and the haunting relationship between a biographer and his or her subjects. 

Fiction: Turning Ideas Into Narratives

This course is aimed at those who are starting to write prose but do not yet feel fully confident. Using a variety of exercises and some examples from literature, we shall investigate the formation of character, and develop character arcs. Then we shall develop story and plot outlines together, planning scenes. Finally, we shall attempt to identify and discuss your unique strengths and preferences with a view to finding your USP - unique selling point.

Tutor: Dr Rachel Bentham has been Royal Literary Fellow at Bath University, and teaches for both Bristol and Bath Spa Universities. Her plays and short stories have been regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and her poetry is internationally published. She has recently completed a novel set in nineteenth-century Tahiti. A recent collection of haiku was called  Let All Tongues Flower  (Firewater Press, 2013); and her most recent collection, also of haiku, is titled  Other Roads North  (2019) and reached number one on Amazon.

Fiction: Fine-Tuning Your Writing

This course is designed to help you hone your craft as a writer and see your project through to its completion. We shall start by examining your aims and motivation, troubleshooting any problems you are having in maintaining commitment and progress. We shall explore how to give your writing maximum resonance and power, analysing how you can use voice and point of view, give your characters extra depth and weave together story strands, themes and images. Finally, we shall look at sending your work out into the world, with workshopping and advice on editing and pitching.

Tutor: Lorna Fergusson is an experienced writing coach and editor who has taught on various OUDCE programmes since 2002. She has republished her novel,  The Chase , originally published by Bloomsbury. Her chapter on Pre-writing appears in  Studying Creative Writing  published by Frontinus. She has won the Historical Novel Society’s short story award with ‘Salt’ which appears in  An Oxford Vengeance . She has been shortlisted for Macmillan’s Write Now Prize and was runner-up for the Mogford Prize in 2021. Her new book for creative writers,  The Unputdownable Writer’s Mindset , will be published in 2022.

Middle-Grade and Teen/Young Adult Fiction

The middle grade and teen/young adult fiction markets are exciting, and rewarding, areas of publishing. This course, run by an established novelist, will look at the way successful writers have chosen subjects and themes, explored fantasy and/or social realism, and found exactly the right voice to appeal to younger readers. It will also explore such key topics as planning, plot development and perspective. Students will be guided in the development of a story of their own, and there will be plenty of opportunities to workshop ideas and get feedback on stories as they progress.

Tutor: Julie Hearn is the critically acclaimed author of a number of novels for young adults, all published by Oxford University Press. Included are:  Follow Me Down,  shortlisted for the Branford Boase First Novel Award , The Merrybegot,  shortlisted for the  Guardian  Children’s Fiction Prize and the Highland Children’s Book Award ,  and  Rowan the Strange,  shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and described by  The Guardian  as “nothing short of extraordinary”. Her eighth novel,  I am NOT adorable,  written for younger children, was published by Jolly Heron in 2018 and a collection of short stories,  The Princess Thing,  is in the pipeline.

Poetry may well be 'a pheasant disappearing in the brush', as Wallace Stevens quipped, but on this course we will carefully and cunningly follow that pheasant into the underwood. In this series of workshops, we will go in deep and examine new and old examples of poetry, to figure out how it can be made. You can write poetry in so many ways these days, and you will experiment with traditional and avant-garde methods of writing poems, learning not only how to write different kinds of metrical lines but also accomplished free verse, among other things. Ben Jonson knew that 'a good poet's made, as well as born', and on this course you will be made into one through continual practice, innovative imitation, and workshop discussion.

Tutor: Dr Edward Clarke teaches English literature and art history at various colleges and the Department for Continuing Education, Oxford University. He is the author of two books of criticism, The Later Affluence of W. B. Yeats and Wallace Stevens and The Vagabond Spirit of Poetry , and he has edited a selection of poems by Henry Vaughan and George Herbert, Divine Themes and Celestial Praise . His collection of poems, A Book of Psalms , was published 2020. ‘Clarke’s Psalter’, the documentary he presented about writing these poems, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4. His latest collection of poems is called Cherubims . A selection of his poems, The Voice inside Our Home , was recently published.

Scriptwriting

This course is based on the study and creation of scripts for stage, screen and radio and on helping aspiring dramatists to develop a practice to engage with a golden age of script writing. Convincing characters in coherent plots, with a keen awareness of genre, is the basis of all good fiction. We shall explore such core elements, culminating in the submission of a short script. In the third week, students can workshop a script begun outside the course. Dramaturgy will be strictly focused to help writers to develop individual writing for performance projects, using processes that are ‘industry standard’.

Tutor: Shaun McCarthy has had over a dozen stage plays professionally produced and a range of radio dramas broadcast. His adaptations include J.M. Synge’s  The Aran Islands  (BBC R4 Classic Serial), a stage version of  A Christmas Carol  that was a critique of David Cameron’s ‘big society’ and had a happy, unexpected ending; and a re-set of Strindberg’s  Miss Julie  to Oxford 1963. He teaches a range of creative writing courses for OUDCE, runs Hooligan Theatre Productions to develop his new plays and co-runs the writing events and residential writers’ retreats company ‘Stage and Page' in the UK and Italy.

The Short Story

This course encourages you to become a braver, more vital writer by experimenting with the short story form. As close to poetry as it is to prose, the short story is ideal for testing uncommon characters and situations, innovative structures and syntax. Unlock voices and creative techniques that will transform your writing practise. In the final week we will focus on intensive self-editing and how to transform a saggy, weak story into a powerful, shapely narrative, through close examination of language, rhythm, energy and pace. Perfecting short fiction is a great way to build your track record through publication in literary journals and entry to awards judged by agents and publishers.

Tutor: Susannah Rickards' collection of short fiction,  Hot Kitchen Snow,  drawn from experiences of growing up in North East England and working in East Africa, won the international Scott Prize in for best debut fiction collection in 2010, and is published by Salt. Her writing regularly appears in journals and anthologies and has been broadcast on BBC radio. She read English at Oxford University and now lives in Surrey, UK, where she writes and mentors new and established authors.

Recommended reading

Each seminar has its own requirements for preparatory reading.

Students will be enrolled as readers at Oxford University's main reference library, the Bodleian. They will also have access to the Continuing Education Library.

Certification

All students who complete the programme will receive an attendance certificate.

Those seeking credit at their home institution may request a detailed certificate which lists contact hours (for seminars and talks), an assessment of their contribution to seminar discussions, grades achieved for written work, and the number of private study hours required. Certificates will usually be sent to students' home institutions within a month of the end of the summer school.

As Oxford University does not offer credit for this summer school, those wishing to obtain credit from their home institution for attending this programme must make appropriate arrangements with that institution in advance.

Residential: Standard (shared bathroom) - £4,380; Residential: En suite (private bathroom facilities) - £4,765; Non-residential (no accommodation; limited meals) - £2,255

Programme fees

Residential: Standard (shared bathroom facilities) - £4,380 Fees include tuition (2 seminars and the daily programme of talks); access to IT facilities and libraries; accommodation in a standard single room with shared bathroom facilities for the nights of Sunday 21 July to Friday 9 August 2024 inclusive; meals in hall from dinner on Sunday 21 July to breakfast on Saturday 10 August 2024 (except lunch on Saturdays and Sundays).

Residential: En suite (private bathroom facilities) - £4,765 Fees include tuition (2 seminars and the daily programme of talks); access to IT facilities and libraries; accommodation in a single en suite room with private shower and toilet for the nights of Sunday 21 July to Friday 9 August 2024 inclusive; meals in hall from dinner on Sunday 21 July to breakfast on Saturday 10 August 2024 (except lunch on Saturdays and Sundays).

Non-residential - £2,255 Fees include tuition (2 seminars and the daily programme of talks); access to IT facilities and libraries; no accommodation; lunch Monday-Friday, and the programme`s formal opening and closing dinners on Sunday 21 July and Friday 9 August 2024, respectively.

There are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for applicants.

Invoicing and payment

Successful applicants who accept their offer of a place on the summer school will be invoiced for the appropriate programme fee once they have been formally enrolled on the programme.

Invoices will be emailed to students together with full instructions for payment. Fees may be paid online with a credit or debit card, or by bank transfer.

Students are required to pay the full fee within 30 days of the date on which their invoice was issued. Late applicants (see "Apply for this course", below) are required to pay the full fee within 7 days of their invoice date.

Please note that:

  • students need to purchase travel insurance to cover the programme fee, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred (see "Cancellations", below);
  • a student's place on the summer school is not confirmed until their fees have been paid in full;
  • places will not be held for students whose fees are not paid in full by the due date; and
  • in no circumstances will students be admitted to the summer school unless all fees have been paid in full.

When you have paid your fees

Your place on the summer school is confirmed as soon as your payment is received by OUDCE.

You will receive a receipt for your payment: an automated email from [email protected] if paid online, or via email from [email protected] if paid by bank transfer.

The Programme Administrator will provide all non-UK/Irish nationals enrolled on the summer school with a standard format pdf letter by email confirming enrolment and course details (see "Level and demands", below).

Cancellations

Intermediate-level strand

All enrolments are subject to OUDCE's Open Access Terms and Conditions .

You will enter into your contract with the University when you pay the course fees in full.

You have the right to cancel your contract at any time within 14 days, beginning on the day you paid your fees. You will receive a full refund of any payments you have made.

Advanced-level strand

All enrolments are subject to OUDCE's Short Selective Course Terms and Conditions .

By accepting your offer of a place on the summer school you enter into your contract with the University.

You have the right to cancel your contract at any time within 14 days, beginning on the day you accepted the offer. You will receive a full refund of any payments you have made within those 14 days.

Both strands

If you cancel your place at any time after the expiry of the 14-day period you will not be entitled to a refund.

You need to purchase travel insurance to cover the programme fee, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred.

If you wish to cancel your place on the summer school you must inform the Programme Administrator by email at [email protected]

OUDCE reserves the right to alter details of any course should illness or any other emergency prevent a tutor from teaching, and to cancel a course or individual seminar if exceptionally low enrolment would make it educationally unviable.

Course aims

Each seminar has its own course aim and objectives.

Teaching methods

Students will attend a programme of talks and readings.

Elements of seminar teaching will normally include:

  • mini lectures by tutors;
  • tutor-led class discussions;
  • writing exercises;
  • small group activities; and
  • individual student presentations.

Students will attend short (10-minute) one-to-ones with their tutors to receive feedback on their written work.

Learning outcomes

Each seminar has its own learning outcomes.

Assessment methods

Tutors will monitor and assess students’ contribution to class discussions.

Students are expected to submit an assignment of 2,500 words in length for assessment for each seminar taken.

Application

Before you submit your application.

  • ensure you meet the admissions requirements (see "Selection criteria", below);
  • check the seminar timetable  carefully to ensure that your first and second choice courses do not run at the same time (advanced-level applicants only);
  • make sure you have all the required supporting documents listed below;
  • ensure you are familiar with the terms and conditions of enrolment on the summer school, especially those relating to payment of fees and cancellations (see "Payment", above); and
  • read the 'Important information regarding immigration and visa requirements' (see "Level and demands", below).

The application process - intermediate strand

Complete the application form (intermediate) .

Please ensure all sections are completed fully, clearly, and in BLOCK CAPITALS.

The form must be accompanied by:

In the case of non-native speakers of English, official evidence of English language proficiency.

A portrait photograph (JPEG format).

Applications should be emailed to: [email protected]

Application deadline

Applications for the intermediate strand will be processed on a first come, first served or rolling basis until 1 May 2024.

Subject to the availability of places, late applications may be accepted until 1 June 2024.

After you have submitted your application

Applicants will normally be offered a place by email from [email protected] within 14 days of their application having been received.

Applicants who are offered a place on the summer school must respond in writing within 14 days to accept or decline the offer. In accepting an offer of a place applicants are committing to paying their programme fees in full by the due date.

Late applicants will normally be offered a place within 7 days of their application having been received, and will then have 7 days in which to accept or decline the offer.

The application process - advanced strand

Complete the application form (advanced) .

The form must be accompanied by the following documents as PDF files unless otherwise indicated:

  • A brief statement of purpose (250-300 words) detailing your academic reasons for wishing to attend the summer school. This should include what you feel the programme would offer you and your writing, and what you feel you could bring to the summer school. This may include details of creative writing courses you have previously taken, or the relevance of the summer school to your present course of study or professional development. It is essential that you clearly state your reasons for wishing to enrol on specific seminars.
  • Please provide samples of your work relevant to your first and second choice courses and ensure that the name of the seminar is printed at the top of each sample. As a guideline prose fiction, creative non-fiction and dramatic dialogue samples should be no more than 1,000 words in length (please provide an extract of a longer piece of work if appropriate); applicants for the poetry seminar should provide five short poems.

You will receive an email from [email protected] confirming receipt of your application materials, and informing you when your application will be reviewed by the admissions panel.

Application deadlines

The advanced strand of the summer school operates a gathered field closing date system by which applications are reviewed fairly and equally in batches at specific dates throughout the admissions period rather than on a first come, first served or rolling basis.

There is a limited number of places available on every seminar within each gathered field, and in assigning successful applicants to seminar groups the admissions panel will pay particular attention to applicants' personal statements.

There are three deadlines for applications to the advanced strand of the programme:

  • Gathered field 1 - 1 March 2024
  • Gathered field 2 - 1 April 2024
  • Gathered field 3 – 1 May 2024

Subject to the availability of places, late applications may be considered on a first come, first served basis until 1 June 2024.

Notification of the admission panel's decision

Applicants will normally be notified of the panel's decision by email from [email protected] within 14 days of the relevant gathered field deadline.

Late applicants will be notified within 7 days of their materials having been received, and successful applicants will then have 7 days in which to accept or decline the offer of a place.

Enrolment - both strands

Students will be formally enrolled on the summer school once they have accepted their offer of a place.

The enrolment process includes the issuing of invoices, which will be emailed to students together with full instructions for payment (see "Payment", above).

Any queries?

Please contact the Programme Administrator by email at [email protected]

Level and demands

Participants are expected to.

  • undertake preparatory reading in advance of the programme;
  • attend all seminar sessions and talks and readings;
  • be actively engaged with their seminar topics;
  • submit an assignment of 2,500 words in length for each seminar taken; and
  • undertake approximately 96 hours of private study during the programme (elements of private study will include: reading, writing and other preparation between seminar meetings, work in the library, writing papers, etc).

Important information regarding immigration and visa requirements

OUDCE welcomes international students on all its courses. However, it is the responsibility of successful applicants to ensure that they conform to UK immigration law.

If you are not a UK or Irish national, you might need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa to study in the UK. We strongly recommend that you establish whether you will require a visa before submitting your application.

Information regarding visiting the UK to study is available on the UK Government’s website  as well as Oxford University’s Student Immigration website .

If you will require a visa, you should ensure your summer school application is submitted as early as possible to allow yourself sufficient time to complete the visa application process (see current visa processing times ).

The Programme Administrator will provide all non-UK/Irish nationals enrolled on the summer school with a standard format pdf letter by email confirming enrolment and course details once their fees have been paid in full.

For legal reasons the Programme Administrator is not permitted to provide any visa advice to applicants; any queries should be addressed to [email protected] .

The University takes no responsibility for a visa being denied at any point before or during a course.

Please note that the standard cancellation policy applies in all cases. (See "Cancellations", above.

Support for students with disabilities

OUDCE welcomes applications from students with disabilities or learning difficulties. Individual student needs are taken into account, and adaptations and assistance provided within the resources available. We ask that students advise us in advance where any special provision might be needed. Further information is available at www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/students-with-disabilities .

Selection criteria

This is an intensive programme of study taught to an informed international audience. Applicants should be confident that they are academically and linguistically prepared for such a programme.

Academic requirements for the intermediate strand

We welcome applications from all aspiring writers aged 18 and over.

You should be a keen reader who brings an open-minded, questioning approach to both reading and writing; you should also have written regularly and read widely over a sustained period.

Academic requirements for the advanced strand

Applications are welcomed from those who have completed or nearly completed a single honours university degree programme in creative writing or English literature, or a combined honours university degree programme in creative writing and English literature.

If your degree is in a different, but related, subject, the admissions panel will look for evidence that you have taken a significant number of courses in creative writing or English literature, namely the equivalent of two years’ worth of credits.

The summer school is not appropriate for those who have already achieved commercial publication.

English language requirements

As students are expected to participate fully in seminar discussions and are required to produce written work, it is important that applicants can demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the four language skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking.

If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency in the form of an original certificate or a certified copy that is not more than two years old on the date the summer school starts. You must satisfy one of the following requirements:

IELTS Academic - minimum overall score of 7.5, with not less than 7.0 in each of the four components

TOEFL iBT - minimum overall score of 110, with not less than 22 for listening, 24 for reading, 25 for speaking and 24 for writing

C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced or CAE) - minimum overall score of 191, with not less 185 in each of the four components.

For further information on English language qualifications:

Click here for IELTS

Click here for TOEFL

  • Click here for Cambridge English

The requirement to provide English language test scores may be waived in either of the following circumstances:

  • If you have completed a full-time degree-level programme at a recognised institution where teaching and assessment throughout the course was undertaken entirely in English, and the programme was completed with a gap of no more than two academic years to the course to which you are applying. If you studied this course in a country that is not majority English speaking, you will need to provide evidence that the course was taught in English. This can either take the form of a link to the appropriate page of the institution’s website or a statement from the institution confirming this.
  • If you have worked for a minimum of two years in a majority English speaking country where the main language for the role was English, and your role involved daily professional use of each of the four language components (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

Accommodation

Founded in 1314, Exeter College is one of Oxford University`s oldest colleges and is situated in a prime city centre location.

Bedrooms and meals

Students who choose to attend the summer school on a residential basis will have a single study bedroom.

Bedrooms are located up the four to nine floors of a staircase; bath and/or shower and toilet facilities on each staircase are shared. A limited number of rooms have private bathroom facilities (shower and toilet) and these are available for a higher fee. Early application for these rooms is essential.

Students cannot be accommodated at Exeter College either prior to or beyond their programme dates. Family members and/or friends who are not enrolled on this summer school cannot be accommodated in college.

Residential students will take meals in the college's dining hall. All meals are self-service with a range of options available. The only exceptions are the summer school's opening and closing dinners, which are formal served set menu meals. Should applicants have any dietary requirements (eg vegetarian, gluten-free) they are required to complete the relevant section on the application form.

Please be aware that accommodation at Exeter College is limited and may not be available for those who submit their applications towards the end of the admissions period.

Non-residential students

Students who choose to attend the summer school on a non-residential basis are responsible for finding their own accommodation. Information on accommodation in Oxford is available at:

  • Conference Oxford
  • Experience Oxfordshire
  • University Rooms Oxford

Lunch is provided for non-residential students Monday-Friday, and the summer school's opening and closing dinners are also included in the non-residential programme fee.

IT requirements

Although it is not required, most students bring a laptop to Oxford to assist them with their studies.

For residential students, wireless internet access is available in all bedrooms; for all students, wireless access is available in communal spaces of the college.

All students will be eligible to use the computers and printer in Exeter College's computer room.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support

creative writing about summer

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Summer Programs & Courses

Four Weeks, 8 Undergraduate Credits

Writers in New York offers students of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction an opportunity to develop their craft while living the writer's life. Daily workshops and craft seminars are supplemented by readings and lectures by New York-based writers and publishing professionals. Cultural activities, readings, and guest lectures constitute an integral component of the program. Read more

Summer Writing Intensive students choose to focus on poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, and attend daily writing workshops, craft seminars, and literary readings and events. Read more

In this Tuscan retreat for undergraduates, Writers in Florence students work intensively to generate new writing while finding literary inspiration in the enchanting, historically rich setting of Florence and Villa La Pietra. The program features nightly readings and lectures on writing and the writer’s life. On weekends, students have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of their literary predecessors: they might walk along the Arno River, view the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo, or visit Tuscan gardens and vineyards. Read more

Summer On-Campus Writing Workshops

Six Weeks, 4 Undergraduate Credits

The Creative Writing Program offers introductory and intermediate writing workshops throughout the summer. Classes are held on NYU's Greenwich Village campus. Coursework ranges from an introduction to the fundamentals of the craft to more advanced explorations of specific forms, techniques, and genres. Workshops are open to NYU and non-NYU students. Read more

Creative Writing Academy

  • How to Apply

Transform your dreams, ideas, and stories into organized, compelling, creative written works with dynamic lectures in craft topics, workshop sessions with graduate student instructors, and insightful, productive feedback from your peers. This combination of instructional approaches will help you generate and polish a wealth of new poems, stories, and essays, and allow you to experiment with innovative forms in the field of creative writing. The Academy will also focus on the publishing and professionalization aspects of the industry, exploring what markets are available for your writing, what jobs are available to creative writers, funding opportunities for your work, undergraduate and graduate programs in writing, and how to get published. Topics for discussion will include literary form and targeted craft points, often in relation to social, political, and environmental themes. In addition, this week-long program will feature excursions to sites around Washington, D.C., including an exercise in ekphrastic writing at the National Gallery of Art and the chance to read your work aloud at Busboys and Poets, a famous D.C. literary hub.

Estimated Tuition:

Price includes tuition, housing, and meals. Commuter Student tuition is $2,625.

How You'll Benefit

  • Participate in writing workshops
  • Awaken your powers of observation, imagination, and description
  • Learn concrete elements of the craft of writing in daily workshops
  • Attend readings from published authors, who will lead interactive classes and conduct group discussions
  • Work with Georgetown's expert creative writing faculty to bring out your most creative ideas
  • Read excerpts from award-winning works and use them to develop your own original works
  • Visit local monuments, world-renowned theaters, museums, and literary organizations
  • Take part in peer critiques and learn how to revise and refine your writing

Program Format & Subject Areas

As a student in the Creative Writing Academy, you'll spend your day immersed in a blend of classroom lectures, field trips, hands-on activities, and group discussions. Throughout the week, you'll have the opportunity to explore the following subject areas:

  • Personal prose
  • Literary history
  • Technique (story structure, character development, theme, description, dialogue)
  • Finding good ideas and turning them into polished pieces
  • Using great literature and art for inspiration

Headshot of Zeyneb Sekin

All in all, I fell in love with the program. I got to meet so many amazing people not only from the D.C. area but all around the country.

Headshot of Anthony DuPrau

Having the chance to experience once in a lifetime opportunities and getting to meet people from around the world made it so I got to really experience what college life was like.

Headshot of Trevor Dalton

My #SummerHoya experience was enriching, inspiring, and rewarding; if I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all over again.

Headshot of Nicole Lyon

It was amazing to be surrounded by such high caliber students and staff who were all encouraging and fabulous to work with. I took away many positive things from my week as a Summer Hoya.

Headshot of Grace Hermes

As I am filling out my college applications, I am able to think back to my memories from the summer and I am reassured that I am pursuing the right educational path.

Headshot of Jazzelle DeLaney

The program offers so much–from the off-site visits to the daily lectures and the on campus activities. The lectures were interesting, meeting new people was great and the off-site visits were interactive and intriguing.

Want to learn more?

Request information to find out the latest on the Summer Programs for High School Students.

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  • Summer 2024

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Summer Creative Writing Workshops

Our unique three-week programs offer aspiring, practicing, and experienced creative writers a community in which to create and connect., all interested students are welcome you do not need to be a berkeley student to enroll., program overview.

Our program offers daily creative writing classes in short fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a workshop that teaches you to present your work and listen and critique the creative writing of others. And, most of all, you will meet and socialize with like-minded creative writers and faculty.

Berkeley Students : Two 3-week creative writing courses count as one course for the  Creative Writing Minor . ( Visit other creative writing courses  for Summer 2023).

Summer Creative Writing Courses

In the Academic Guide

The following four classes meet Monday through Friday and are worth 2 units.

Classes meet either face to face or online. When registering, be sure you enroll for the format you prefer. Enroll at summer.berkeley.edu

ColWrit N131, The Craft of Creative Nonfiction

This course in creative writing focuses on the craft of reading and writing creative nonfiction. The course emphasizes an introduction to craft—how creative nonfiction is generated, what its elements are, and how finished pieces work—which students will explore through careful study of models by published writers, and through writing and revising their own short pieces.

ColWrit N132, The Craft of Short Fiction

This two-unit creative writing course on the short story emphasizes an introduction to craft—how short stories are created, what their elements are, and how the finished pieces work—which you will explore through careful study of models by published writers and through writing and revising your own original pieces generated for this class.

ColWrit N133, The Craft of Dramatic Writing

College Writing N133 is a creative writing course offering an introduction to the craft of dramatic writing through the study of works by professional playwrights and through composition and revision of your own playscripts. You will come to understand dramatic writing as an art and as a set of skills; you will receive an introduction to some of the elements involved in the creation of written scripts. Particular emphasis will be given to the work of generating and revising writing and, to a lesser degree, for the screen.

ColWrit 134, The Craft of Poetry

This two-unit creative writing course on poetry & poetics emphasizes an introduction to craft—how poems are created, what their elements are, and how the finished pieces work—which you will explore through careful study of models by published writers, and through writing and revising your own original pieces generated for this class.

ColWrit 135 The Craft of Creative Writing: Workshopping & Performance*

This is a practical and personalized class that will help writers workshop and perform their creative work. Open to multiple genres--fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry--we will discuss how to ask good questions to and integrate feedback from peers in workshop. We will help you revisit your work and produce a sustainable revision process for yourself. We will discuss how to select your work for public reading and presentation, and we will practice effective performance strategies. Above all, the class will be tailored to support your goals through individual consultation with the instructor.

*Note: ColWrit 135 is worth 1 unit and meets twice a week.

Summer Creative Writing Workshops Instructors

Tory adkisson, joe de quattro, miriam bird greenberg, joseph horton, belinda kremer, michael larkin, john levine, eric longfellow, matthew j. parker, bridgette dutta portman.

Creative Writing

Hone writing skills and explore contemporary creative works as readers and writers, using New York and its rich, cultural universe as a habitat.

Developing their critical reading and thinking skills, students will survey a wide body of work to understand the past, present and potential futures of creative writing. Students will discuss and analyze these works as readers while simultaneously learning to read like writers, honing their skills at understanding the underlying architecture of notable work.

The course will also function as a writers’ salon, an informal, free-flowing conversation designed to help generate and foster ideas as a group, increasing the depth in our work both individually and collectively. The salon environment challenges students to discuss complex themes such as identity and social change maturely and dive deeply into text.

Over the course of the term, students’ interests will develop into the high-quality proposals and pitches that are necessary to pursue commissioned work. Thus, the course is customizable with each student given individual attention to pursue personal literary goals.

Site Visits Visits will vary based on the instructors and terms. Students have previously visited:

  • Center for Fiction
  • New York City museums
  • The Strand Bookstore

Speakers and Lecturers Speakers and lecturers will vary with the instructors and terms. Previous speakers include:

  • Authors, Teachers and Writers
  • Hasanthika Sirisena, author, Juniper Prize for fiction winner
  • Hannah Giorgis, Culture Writer, The Atlantic
  • Darin Strauss, Novelist, National Book Award winner
  • Hillary Zaid, author, Independent Publishers’ Book Awards in LGBT+ Fiction winner
  • Abe Streep, journalist and contributing editor, Outside, The New York Times Magazine Please note: All information is subject to change at the discretion of The School of The New York Times.
  • Price Residential Program $6,845 Day Program $5,560 *Additional fees apply. Tuition, Fees & Aid
  • Date View Terms
  • Division Pre-College
  • Program Summer Academy
  • Location New York City

Contact Admissions [email protected] 646-438-7269

Course Highlights

Summer Academy enables students to dive deep into a course of study, sharpening skills for their academic and professional futures. Each course is carefully designed to suit student interests and encourage intellectual curiosity.

Be immersed in genres of the sprawling creative writing market and learn how to read, analyze, discuss and critique notable work.  

Investigate the most recent literary trends and learn about industry developments that have shaped the contemporary literary scene, hearing directly from industry practitioners.  

Expand your capacity to consider complex ideas with increased clarity and sophistication in reading, writing and editing; interact professionally and intellectually with peers and gain skills and fluency for college-level seminar discussions.

Term dates and course availability depend heavily on instructors’ schedules.

June 9 - 21

Rising 10-12, Graduating Seniors

June 23 - July 5

July 7 - July 19

July 21 - Aug 2

Rising 10-12

We foster a culture of diversity, equity and inclusiveness. Our goal is to provide affordable educational opportunities to as many qualified applicants as possible. Explore financial aid and scholarships.

“This course exposed me to all forms of writing and expression — from classic literature to opinion pieces, from Broadway to The Moth. ” Daniella , Ontario, Canada

Live & Learn in NYC

You have the option of living on campus in a university dormitory or commuting to class from your local residence.

Join A Diverse Community

We are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusiveness. Our goal is to provide affordable educational opportunities to as many qualified applicants as possible.

Be Inspired

Times journalists and industry experts guide you through every step of your journey of exploration and discovery.

Hear From Alumni

Read first-person accounts from Summer Academy alumni about their experiences in and outside of the classroom.

Related Courses

Writing for film.

Study and master the fundamentals of writing for the big screen as you take an original short film idea from concept to polished screenplay.

Writing for Television: Inside the Writers’ Room

Master the fundamentals of outlining a story and executing an episode in proper script form while working in the “writers’ room” and creating original work.

From Page to Stage: Playwriting, Performance & Production

Take one step closer to the lights on Broadway - build essential theater skills and start carving out your own creative professional path.

Sign up for updates about our programs, courses and events.

We'll be in touch soon. For immediate assistance contact [email protected] .

PrepScholar

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 12 summer writing programs for high school students (2022 -2023).

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Extracurriculars

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Love reading, writing, and being creative? Then consider checking out summer writing programs for high school students! 

Whether you want to become a journalist or the next Poet Laureate, there are tons of summer writing programs that will help you achieve your goals. Participating in these programs can look great on college applications too! 

In this article, we’ll give you all the info you need to decide if creative writing summer programs for high school students are right for you, including: 

  • A full description of 12 summer writing programs for high school students (including cost, eligibility, and what they cover!)
  • A quick, five question quiz to help you decide if a summer writing program is right for you
  • Three tips on how to impress colleges with your summer writing program

Let’s get started! 

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Summer's the perfect time for sitting on the beach, eating ice cream...and participating in writing programs. 

What Are Summer Writing Programs for High School Students? 

Creative writing summer programs for high school students are a great way for students with an interest in writing to explore subjects they’re interested in, build skills for college, and meet other students who share their interests.  

As a bonus, summer writing programs can look great on college applications!

Summer writing programs for high schoolers are typically held between May and August each year . These programs are similar to a summer class or camp. Additionally, these programs last anywhere from a week to several weeks throughout the summer. 

Like summer camps, writing programs for high schoolers are pretty intensive. Students spend their time l istening to lectures from experts, participating in workshops, presenting their work, and getting real-life feedback. 

Best of all, summer writing programs are hands-on, so you’ll spend lots of time writing and creating original work ! The goal of any summer writing program is to help you develop and improve your writing skills through practice and feedback. 

While some programs teach general writing skills, many summer writing programs focus on a particular field or genre, like journalism, essay writing, or creative writing . For instance, if you’re thinking about becoming a journalism major, you might participate in a journalism writing summer program that’ll give you a glimpse of what it’s like to work in the industry.

There are many benefits of summer writing programs when it comes to college applications too. After all, writing great college essays is an important part of getting into your dream school! And because they’re extracurricular activities, summer writing programs are also a good option for students who are aiming for an arts-based spike approach on college applications. 

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Dust off that typewriter...it's time to apply!

12 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students

We’ve put together a list of 12 summer creative writing summer programs for high school students to help you get a sense of the many great options out there. Our list includes journalism, research-based, and creative writing summer programs for high school students so you can find the best one for you! 

#1: The School of New York Times Summer Academy

  • Eligibility: Must be entering 10th, 11th, 12th grade, or graduating high school
  • Dates: Term 1: June 5-17; Term 2: June 19-July 1; Term 3: July 3-15; Term 4: July 17-29
  • Location: New York City
  • Cost: $6,420 for residential; $5,820 for day program
  • Deadlines: Varies by term; deadlines range from early May to mid-June

The New York Times (NYT) offers a series of writing-based summer courses for high school students at their campus in New York City. Courses are designed to develop students’ curiosity and critical thinking through traditional coursework and in the museums, arts centers, think tanks, and start-up labs of New York City. Courses are offered on various topics , including creative writing and investigative journalism. 

The program “seeks talented student leaders with diverse interests, ambitions and writing styles.” To participate, students complete an online application that includes short answer questions and optional writing samples, high school transcripts, and one recommendation. 

#2: Boston University Summer Journalism Academy

  • Eligibility: Must be aged 14-18 
  • Dates: Vary by year; Session 1: June 20-July 1; Session 2: July 4-July 15; Session 3: July 18-July 29
  • Location: Boston University, Boston, MA
  • Cost: On-Campus w/tuition, room, board and activity fees: $3700; On-Campus Commuter w/tuition and activity fees: $2700; Learn-from-Home: $1300
  • Deadlines: Applications due mid-May

The Summer Journalism Academy at Boston University is designed to introduce high school students to life as news reporters . Students practice their skills in the classroom then apply them to hands-on learning opportunities in a real newsroom. One of the biggest perks is that students get to learn from working journalists who cover a wide range of beats. 

Students can participate in person or remotely. In-person participants can stay on BU’s campus through the residential program, where they’ll get a chance to live alongside other academy attendees. To participate, applications must be submitted online and should include a 300-word letter explaining the student’s interest in journalism.

#3: Asian American Journalist Association (AAJA) Journalism Camp

  • Eligibility: 9th-12th graders with a strong interest in journalism 
  • Dates: Summer; exact program dates may vary
  • Location: Varies by year; JCamp 2022 is hosted by the University of Southern California
  • Cost: No cost (travel expenses are also covered by the program)
  • Deadlines: Applications due March 31

The AAJA‘s six-day summer training camp, called JCamp, gives students the opportunity to learn from journalists and journalism executives while developing their writing skills. This summer writing program gives students hands-on experience producing multi-platform news packages that are published on the program’s news site, JCamp Live. 

Students who show a strong interest in broadcasting, newspaper, magazine, photojournalism, or online media are encouraged to apply online. Also, JCamp isn’t limited to Asian American students, so all high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible. Even better: all program costs are covered , including travel, university lodging, and meals. 

#4: Yale Daily News Summer Journalism Program

  • Eligibility: Open to all high school students
  • Dates: August 16-20
  • Location: Varies by year; 2022 program held via Zoom
  • Cost: Free to students from New Haven Public Schools; all other participants pay $160 in tuition
  • Deadlines: Unspecified

The Yale Daily News Summer Journalism Program is a one-week journalism course for high school students. Students participate in workshops on the basics of writing and reporting, hear lectures by journalists from major publications, and work as a team to produce an issue of the Yale Daily News.  

As a bonus, the program is run entirely by undergraduate staff members of the Yale Daily News , so students will get to see what it’s like to be a real journalism student at an Ivy League school. 

To apply, students must submit four short answer questions and a pitch for one professional-grade news article . Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible as program costs may increase as the program start date approaches. 

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Howard University's writing program is perfect for people who want to write across media--and yes, that includes TikTok.

#5: Howard University Multimedia Academy 

  • Eligibility: Must be in 9th-12th grade
  • Dates: June 14-25
  • Location: Virtual/online
  • Cost: Not specified
  • Deadlines: Applications due June 5

Howard’s virtual summer writing program teaches students to use multimedia journalism to report on health and wellness in underserved communities . At the end of the program, students’ work appears on the Howard University News Service and on Voices of Tomorrow, a nonprofit that provides social services to immigrants and refugees from East African communities.  

Additionally, the best work by seniors and recent graduates will be eligible for the Dow Jones News Fund’s scholarship competition . To apply to Howard’s Multimedia Academy, students must fill out an online application, including a 250-word essay. 

#6: The Multicultural Journalism Program (MJW)  

  • Eligibility: Rising 9th graders through college freshmen
  • Dates: June 3-12
  • Location: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
  • Cost: Free, including housing, meals, and field trips; students are responsible for transportation to and from Tuscaloosa
  • Deadlines: Applications due April 1

MJW’s summer writing program selects 10 to 15 students to attend an intensive workshop held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This workshop focuses on multimedia reporting, writing, editing, graphics, photography, and production. During the workshop, students produce an issue of the MJP Journal to showcase everything they’ve learned. 

Applicants must submit a high school transcript, a typed 500-word essay explaining their interest in journalism, and a recommendation letter. The program also encourages students to submit samples of published journalistic work , but unpublished writing samples are also acceptable. 

#7: Carnegie-Mellon University Writing and Culture Program

  • Eligibility: Must be at least 16 years old by program start date; must be a current high school sophomore or junior at time of application; must have an academic average of B (3.0/4.0) and/or have received a B or higher in their last English class.
  • Dates: July 5-August 12
  • Location: Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Cost: $9,000 for residential program; $6,932 for commuter program
  • Deadlines: Applications accepted on a rolling basis

The Carnegie-Mellon Writing and Culture Program teaches high school students to think critically and express themselves creatively. This six-week course features classes taught by Carnegie-Mellon faculty, readings and events with local authors, and hands-on visits to Pittsburgh’s museums. Throughout the program, students produce a written portfolio that explores film, art, and culture . 

To apply, students must complete an online application that includes a high school transcript, responses to essay prompts, and up to three optional writing samples. If an applicant’s cumulative high school GPA is below a B average (3.0/4.0), submitting writing samples is strongly encouraged.

#8: Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Residential Program

  • Eligibility: Must be a current 10th, 11th, or 12th grader
  • Dates: Session 1: June 12-25; Session 2: July 10-23
  • Location: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
  • Cost: $2,500 for residential
  • Deadlines: Applications due February 6

The Iowa Writers’ Workshop offers a two-week, residential creative writing summer program for 144 high school students from across the country. Once accepted, students will select a course of study from the following options: poetry, fiction, creative writing, playwriting, or TV writing. Students also participate in writing workshops, receive constructive feedback, and star in open mics and talent shows.

The Iowa Young Writers’ studio acceptance rate falls between 15% and 20% . A competitive application to this program will include a polished writing sample, statement of purpose, letter of recommendation, and high school transcript. Students from outside the United States are also welcome to apply. 

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It turns out that Virginia is for writers.

#9: UVA Young Writers Workshop

  • Eligibility: Session 1: rising 9th-12th graders; Session 2: rising 10th graders through rising first-year college students
  • Dates: Session 1: June 19-July 1; Session 2: July 3-July 22  
  • Location: Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA
  • Cost: $2450 for Session 1; $3500 for Session 2
  • Deadlines: Applications due March 1

UVA Young Writers Workshop is a summer program designed to immerse students in a creative writing genre . Students focus on one of the following for the duration of the program: short form creative writing, poetry, songwriting, screen and playwriting, creative nonfiction, or fiction. 

UVA Young Writers Workshop is one of the best summer writing programs for high school students because it offers two program sessions that are geared toward different skill levels . Session 1 is designed for a wider range of skill levels and experience, whereas Session 2 is geared toward more advanced writers. You can apply to both sessions online by submitting several writing samples, a brief autobiography, and a letter of recommendation. 

#10: Smith College Creative Writing Workshop

  • Eligibility: Must be in 9th-12th grades; must be female-identified or gender-nonconforming students
  • Dates: July 9-23
  • Cost: $4,285
  • Deadlines: Applications due May 15

Smith’s Creative Writing Workshop teaches the importance of practice and perseverance by engaging students in a multi-draft writing process in a variety of mediums . Students are taught by real published writers and get the chance to present their work at open mic and improv nights. In the evenings, there are even opportunities to meet with agents and learn how to create an author website!

Students are selected for this writing program based on academic performance, a written essay, and a teacher recommendation. Also, because Smith is a women’s college, this summer writing program is only open to young women, female-identified, or gender-nonconforming students . Students from outside of the U.S. are also encouraged to apply. 

#11: Sarah Lawrence Writer’s Week

  • Eligibility: Must be in 9th-12th grade and 14 years of age or older by the program start date
  • Dates: On-campus session: July 11-15; online session: August 1-5
  • Location: Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY; online
  • Cost: $1,125 for on-campus; $725 for online
  • Deadlines: Unspecified; contact [email protected]​ for more information 

Writer’s Week at Sarah Lawrence is a week-long experience with creative writing and performance arts for high school students. Students attend workshops taught by real writers, artists, and Sarah Lawrence faculty and will get the chance to meet in small groups with workshop leaders. At the end of the week, the program hosts a celebration of student work and faculty and student readings. 

Sarah Lawrence Writer’s Week offers both an on-campus and online session (but note that the on-campus session is a day camp, not residential). Applications and registration must be completed online. 

#12: Alpha Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Workshop for Young Writers

  • Eligibility: Must be aged 14-19
  • Dates: July 20-31
  • Location: University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, PA
  • Cost: $1,200
  • Deadlines: Unspecified; applications open in January 

Alpha is a twelve-day writing workshop for 20 high school students at the University of Pittsburgh’s Greensburg campus. During this program, students are expected to write an original science fiction, fantasy, or horror short story of 2000 words or more. During the writing process, students receive plenty of hands-on guidance. 

The Alpha program is held in-person on the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg campus . To apply, students must fill out an online form and submit an original short story of at least 2000 words. 

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Quiz: Is a Summer Writing Program Right for You?

If you’re still not sure if participating in a summer writing program is right for you, don’t worry–we’re here to help! 

We’ve put together a five-question, yes-or-no response quiz to help you decide if summer writing programs support your interests and goals. Just read the questions below and respond with “yes” or “no.”

  • Is your English class the most exciting part of your school day?  
  • Do you spend free time reading and writing for fun? 
  • Are you looking for new challenges and experiences as a writer? 
  • Are you willing to share your writing with others, including peers you’ve just met and writing professionals and experts? 
  • Are you highly motivated to pursue your interests outside of school and even during your summer vacation? 

If you responded with “yes” to three or more of the questions above, you might consider applying to a summer writing program for high school students! 

At the end of the day, you want your summer activities to support your interests and boost your college applications . If you’re aiming for a future career as a writer or just want to hone your writing hobby, a summer writing program may be the perfect fit for you.

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3 Tips To Impress Colleges With Your Summer Writing Program

Summer writing programs for high school students look great to college admissions teams . But what are the best ways to showcase your writing experience on your applications? 

We’ll show you how to impress colleges with your summer writing program–just check out the tips below !

Tip 1: Work It Into Your College Essays

You want your college essays to tell a vivid story about your interests . Your experiences in a summer writing program provide a great springboard for illustrating your interests and passions on your college applications! 

Colleges want to accept students who are creative, courageous, and motivated to pursue their dreams. Writing about how you stretched and grew during your summer writing program will show colleges that you’re up for a challenge…and that you won’t give up, no matter how many revisions your draft needs. 

Tip 2: Connect It to Your Major

If you’re already certain you want to major in a writing-related field in college, your summer writing program will be especially helpful. Many elite schools ask students to apply directly to their chosen major. So if you’re applying to an arts or humanities major, there’s a good chance you’ll have to submit a writing sample as part of your college application . 

The good news is that most summer writing programs give you the chance to produce original writing and receive critiques from professional writers. By taking the writing you produce during your summer writing program and continuing to revise it, you’ll have a top-notch writing sample to include with your application.

Tip 3: Ask a Program Instructor for a Recommendation

Creative writing summer programs for high school students give you the opportunity to connect with writing faculty at elite colleges and real-life writers, journalists, poets, and more. These professionals provide feedback on your writing during your summer program…which means they’ll have unique insights into your potential as a college student ! 

In fact, several summer writing programs offer students the chance to receive a college recommendation from program faculty . For instance, the New York Times Summer Academy says this about recommendations from program faculty:

As a pre-college program, [NYT] Summer Academy gives students the opportunity to get a glimpse of the college experience while also exploring possible topics of study. Typically, college admissions officers look favorably on students who continue to enhance their academic portfolio during the summer months. Students will also benefit from receiving a narrative evaluation from their instructor which can be included as part of their college applications.

If you build strong rapport with an instructor at your summer writing program, consider staying in touch and asking them to write you a letter of recommendation for your college applications. Having a recommendation from someone outside of your high school will show colleges that you’re already building real-world connections with people in your future career field . 

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What’s Next? 

Writing programs can prepare you for writing your college admissions essays . Our expert guide breaks down the whole admissions essay writing process , step by step.

One popular college essay format is the “why this school?” prompt. We’ll show you how to write an amazing “why this college” essay that will wow admissions counselors.  

If you’re not sure what a great college essay looks like, that’s okay. We’ve compiled a list of over 140 college essays that can inspire you as you’re writing yours! 

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Yale Young Writers' Workshop

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About the Yale Young Writers' Workshop 

Virtual high school program: july 7 - 12, 2024.

Yale is excited to offer a one-week online summer writing workshop for 16 - 18 year old rising high school juniors, and seniors. We’re seeking bookish wordsmiths interested in adding to their writerly toolbox! Writers will generate and share their work in an intimate, non-competitive, online community.

Writers choose from one of three genres: fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. We have capped the workshops at twelve writers per genre to ensure all voices are heard. Participants attend talks on the craft of writing, open mics, faculty and visiting author readings, student readings, and learn about careers in writing.

Each day starts with a craft talk from a visiting writer followed by a small group workshop for three hours in the afternoon. The craft talks expose writers to genres outside of their own. The workshop is a safe creative space to experiment, play, and develop storytelling skills. Students will generate new material and then read it back to the group for feedback with an eye for revision.

Participants will read one assigned book from a visiting writer prior to the start of the workshop. This will create a shared literature and allow students to investigate writing techniques from published work, and then have the opportunity to ask the author about their creative process.

Our faculty are gifted teachers and published writers. They will meet writers where they are and teach them skills to help them write their next story, essay, or poem. Our faculty may be the closest readers you’ve ever had. They will challenge writers to produce their best work.

Before You Begin the Program:

  • Your instructor will assign a short exercise for you to complete before the first workshop.
  • You’ll be assigned one book to read by a visiting writer. The writer will present and then visit with your genre group. Book assignments below.
  • Start writing now in your journal. Activate your muse in preparation for your workshop.

Guest Authors . Writers are required to read the book for their workshop but are welcome to read all visiting authors’ work.

Poetry Guest Author - Allison Joseph  Assigned Reading Confessions of a Barefaced Woman  (For Sean Forbes and Catherine Pierce’s workshops)

Fiction Guest Author - Jennifer McCauley  Assigned Reading When Trying to Return Home  (For Jotham Burrello, Kristin Bair, and Lara Ehrlich's workshops)

Graphic Forms Guest Author - Trung Le Capecchi-Nguyen  Assigned Reading The Magic Fish  (For Anne Thalheimer's workshop)

Non-Fiction Guest Author - Jane Wong Assigned Reading This Is the Place: Women Writing About Home  (For Catina Bacote’s workshop)

  • Application Opens: January 16, 2024
  • Application Deadline: April 1, 2024
  • Decisions Released: will be released on a Rolling Amissions Basis Every Week
  • Payment Due (to secure your spot): Within 2 weeks of Admission

Eligibility:

  • Applicants must be between 16 - 18 years old and a rising high school junior or senior.

Admission Process:

  • A writing sample is required. It needs to accompany your application for admission and must be uploaded electronically. Submit your writing sample as a Word document: 500 words, double-spaced in Times Roman, 12-point font, one-inch margins. Each page must include your name. Note genre of the submission: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry or Graphic Forms.
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation 

Refund Policy:

  • We will refund 75% for cancellation requests received by April 26, 2024, and 50% for cancellation requests received by May 3, 2024.   We will be unable to honor refund requests received after May 3, 2024.

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21 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students in 2024

What’s covered:, 21 summer writing programs for high school students, how impressive are summer programs in college admissions, other ways to spend your summer.

Summer programs offer high school students an excellent opportunity to explore subjects that interest them, build valuable skills, get a taste of college life, and meet like-minded peers. They also look awesome on a college application! If you’re interested in writing, you’ll want to check out these 20 summer writing programs for high school students. 

1. Princeton Summer Journalism Program 

Dates: Classes begin mid July, residential portion is July 26th to August 5th, 2024

Location: Online and in Princeton, NJ

Application deadline: February 15th, 2024

The Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP) selects 40 high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds to participate in its revered program. In the PSJP, students explore current events, listen to lectures, and participate in workshops led by professional journalists and Princeton professors. The program culminates with the publication of a student-produced newspaper, the Princeton Summer Journal . To qualify for the PSJP you must: 

  • Be a junior in high school
  • Live in the United States and intend to attend college in the U.S.
  • Have a minimum GPA of 3.5 
  • Have an interest in journalism
  • The combined income of custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, must not exceed $60,000
  • Qualify for free or reduced-price lunch 
  • Qualify for an SAT or ACT fee waiver

Dates: August 3rd to August 9th, 2024

Location: Austin, Texas

Application deadline: March 1st, 2024

JCamp is a free six-day program put on by the Asian American Journalist Association that brings together a culturally diverse group of students from across the U.S. Under the eye of veteran journalists and leading media executives, students take part in workshops to sharpen their journalistic skills and gain hands-on experience producing multi-platform news packages for the program’s website. JCamp is not limited to Asian American students; any student with an interest in journalism—like writing for a newspaper or magazine—is encouraged to apply. 

3. Iowa Young Writers’ Studio 2 Week Residential Program

Dates: Session 1: June 16th to 29th, 2024; Session 2: July 14th to 27th, 2024

Location: In-person in Iowa City, IA, or virtual

Application deadline: February 4th, 2024

Cost: In-person: $2,500; virtual: $575

The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio provides high schoolers the incredible opportunity to have a residential experience and study with graduates of one of the most renowned writing programs in the nation: the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Participants in this program choose a focus—either poetry, fiction, creative writing, playwriting, or television writing—and share their work, practice their craft, and improve their writing while working alongside other high school writers from across the U.S. 

4. Sarah Lawerence Writers’ Week 

Dates: Virtual: July 15th to 19th, 2024; In-person: August 5th to 9th, 2024

Location: Virtual or Bronxville NY

Application deadline: TBD. Registration opens in February

Cost: Virtual: $1025; In-person: $1,550

During Sarah Lawerence Writers’ Week, participants (the program welcomes students entering the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades) explore the creative process led by esteemed Sarah Lawrence faculty and alumni. Sarah Lawerence Writing Week celebrates the risk and adventure of the creative process, fosters a non-competitive and non-judgmental environment, and keeps with the Sarah Lawrence tradition of individualized attention—groups are limited to 18 students with two faculty members per workshop. The program ends with a celebration that includes both faculty and student readings.  

5. California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) Writing Program

Dates: July 6th to August 2nd, 2024

Location: Sacramento, CA

Application deadline: February 29th, 2024

Cost: CA State Residents: $4,600; Out-of-state: $7,000

This summer program for high school students in California is a unique public-private partnership that was founded by the California State legislature in 1987. Approximately 70 students are selected to participate in this program led by professional writers and educators who guide them through work in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and dramatic writing. The program prides itself on its creative environment and looks for young writers who love language, reading, and are ready to share their own stories. 

6. Juniper Young Writers Online Writing Lab 

Dates: One-week program: July 29–August 2, 2024; Two-week program: July 29–August 9, 2024

Location: Amherst, MA

Application deadline: March 7th, 2024

Cost: $2,600 for one week; $4,950 for two weeks

Students in the Juniper Young Writers Online Writing Lab participate in writing sessions, share questions, and discuss their work and writing-related topics over the course of this program. Led by professional teachers, published authors, and graduate students at UMass Amherst, Writing Lab participants gain insight into the creative process, find inspiration for work, learn tips to improve their writing and develop relationships with other young writers. Students will be provided a written summary of their work, an evaluation toward writing goals, and future considerations for their writing.

7. Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement (AYA) 

Dates: June 17th to July 19th, 2024

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Application deadline: March 22nd, 2024

AYA is a free, immersive experience for talented high school students from the area surrounding USC. The program allows participants to explore USC Annenberg’s undergraduate programs, gain insight into careers in media and journalism, and meet the people advancing issues of race, gender, and ethnicity in communication and journalism. Over the course of this program, students build a variety of skills, including writing and critical thinking. 

8. Reynolds Young Writers Workshop 

Dates: June 22nd to 29th, 2024

Location: Granville, OH

Application deadline: March 1st, 2024 

Cost: $1,500

For more than a quarter of a century, Denison University has welcomed talented high school writers to its acclaimed Reynolds Young Writers Workshop. Led by Denison’s creative writing faculty and notable visiting writers, participants take part in small creative writing workshops and group sessions to explore a variety of writing techniques in an intimate and relaxed atmosphere.

9. Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Dates: June 23rd to June 28, 2024

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Application deadline: April 1, 2024

The Camp Cronkite program is a summer media enrichment camp allowing high schoolers to dive into the world of media. Led by Cronkite faculty, staff, and students, campers learn about digital journalism, broadcast journalism, or sports media. They will work on reporting, pitching, storytelling, and editing, and receive hands-on instruction in video editing, photography, reporting and writing, script development, and more. There are several scholarships available for students who demonstrate financial need. 

10. Alpha Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Workshop for Young Writers

Dates: July 24th to August 4th, 2024

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Application deadline: March 10th, 2024

Over Alpha’s 12 days, students with an interest in science fiction, fantasy, or horror learn how to generate ideas, turn those ideas into drafts, critique each other’s work, make revisions, and submit their work to paying markets. The program also provides students with an introduction to college life and allows them to explore a career as a professional writer. 

11. 92Y Unterberg Poetry Center Young Writers Workshop

Dates: July 8th to 25th, 2024

Location: New York, NY

Application deadline: May 28th, 2024

Cost: $2,600

The Unterberg Poetry Center has been home to established and up-and-coming poets since it was founded in 1939. Students at its Young Writers Workshop receive coaching from some of New York’s best writing teachers and explore a variety of forms, styles, and voices in a warm and supportive environment. Participants learn to look critically at their own work and will leave the workshop with a clearer understanding of their goals as a writer and what it takes to make a career in the literary world. 

12. Shared Worlds    

Dates: July 14th to 27th, 2024

Location: Spartanburg, SC

Application deadline: Rolling

This fun writing program is for high school students with an interest in speculative fiction—for example, science fiction, fantasy, and steampunk. Shared Worlds is a residential program for rising 8th-12th grade students to work under the guidance of renowned fantasy and science fiction writers. Over the course of the workshop, students imagine, build, and write their own stories and have their enthusiasm for writing encouraged. 

13. Bard College at Simon’s Rock Young Writers Workshop

Dates: July 7th to 27th, 2024

Location: Great Barrington, MA

Cost: $3,500

This program is modeled on the well-known Language and Thinking Workshop all students entering Bard College are required to take. Unlike other creative writing workshops, leaders of this young writers workshop encourage informal, playful, and expressive writing and lean on peer response to develop polished pieces of writing. Students will live, eat, and work on campus, gaining firsthand experience living and learning in a college atmosphere while producing pieces ranging from short stories and poems to brief dramatic works and experiments in creative nonfiction.

14. Kenyon Review Summer Residential Young Writers Workshops

Dates:   Session 1: June 23rd to July 6th, 2024; Session 2: July 14th to 27th, 2024

Location: Gambier, OH

Cost: $2,575

Every summer, talented writers from across the U.S. come to the picturesque campus of Kenyon College to participate in its Young Writers Workshop. In this multi-genre program, students experience what it’s like to be part of the literary community while bolstering their talents, discovering new strengths, and challenging themselves in the company of similarly interested peers. 

15. Kenyon Review Summer Online Young Writers Workshop

Dates: June 16th to 21st, 2024

Location: Online

Application deadline: April 15th, 2024

For students who can’t make it to Ohio for two weeks, the online workshop is a great alternative. With writing workshops for three and a half hours every day, it’s possible to take advantage of the program without relocating. In the evening, students will attend virtual open mics, social gatherings, and talks and readings by authors. 

16. BYU Young Authors Academy

Dates: July 8th to 13th, 2024

Location: Provo, UT

At BYU’s Young Authors Academy, students speak with local and nationally-recognized authors, review each others’ writing, work with faculty in the BYU English department, stay in campus housing, take small-group writing courses, and meet other, like-minded peers. Students can choose from two electives over the program, including Creating Believable Tales and Villains, Flash Fiction, and Breaking News. 

17. Fir Acres Writing Workshop

Dates: June 23rd to July 6th, 2024

Location: Portland, OR

Application deadline: March 8th, 2024

Cost: $3,700

Fir Acres writing program takes sixty rising 10th-12th graders from around the country and forms a community of enthusiastic writers on the campus of Lewis and Clark College. Students participate in daily workshops studying and writing under the guidance of Lewis and Clark’s faculty. They also meet and hear from visiting writers and work on their own poetry, fiction, and other writings. 

18. LMU’s Beginning Screenwriting Program 

Dates: June 23rd to July 6th; July 14th to 27th, 2024

Application deadline: March 15th, 2024

Cost: $5,800 and a $65 application fee

LMU’s School of Film and Television offers this program to students looking to enhance their writing skills and learn the elements of screenwriting. Students will work on structure, character development, dialogue, formatting, and genre while analyzing both classic and contemporary popular movies. They will learn from faculty members who are also professional screenwriters and leave the program with a short script. 

19. Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Writing and Culture Program 

Dates: June 22nd to July 20th, 2024

Cost: $6,800- $8,995

Over the weeks of the program, students at CMU will examine film, writing, design, art, and culture through various lenses. Learning will take place both on CMU’s campus and around the city of Pittsburgh. Students will produce a body of work perfect for a portfolio during the program under the tutelage of highly distinguished faculty members of the Department of English. Classes are held Monday through Friday, and students emerge with individualized feedback and guidance to enhance their creative pursuits. 

20. Boston University Summer Journalism Academy

Dates: On Campus: June 24 to July 12, 2024; Virtual: June 17 to 28, 2024; July 1 to 12, 2024; or July 15 to 26, 2024 

Application deadline: April 19th, 2024 for in person, May 10th, 2024 for remote

Location: Virtual or Boston, MA

Cost: $1500 to $6200

Taught by working journalists, BU’s Summer Journalism Academy gives high school students actual reporting assignments to give them a jump-start into the world of journalism. With both virtual and in-person options, there is something for everyone. There are scholarships and financial aid available for students demonstrating financial need. Students must be a rising 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grader in high school to attend. For applicants who get their materials in by March 8th, there is a $400 discount for in-person, and a $200 discount for virtual learning. 

21. The School of The New York Times’ Summer Academy

Dates: Term 1: June 9th to 21st; Term 2: June 23rd to July 5th; Term 3: July 7th to July 19th; Term 4: July 21st to August 2nd, 2024

Location: New York City

Application deadline: April 1st, 2024

Cost: $5,935 to $7,220

From DIY Filmmaking to A Million Lives in the Law and Pop Music as Art & Business, The School of the New York Times offers a wide range of fascinating classes to students interested in journalism. In the heart of New York City, students can spend several weeks learning from experienced journalists working in the field. Scholarship applications are only available until the end of February, so interested students should apply ASAP. 

Summer programs—and other extracurricular activities—can help set you apart, particularly at highly selective schools. CollegeVine’s free admissions calculator can tell you how colleges value your extracurricular activities and uses factors like grades and test scores (along with extracurriculars) to estimate your odds of acceptance at hundreds of schools across the country. It even provides insight into how you can improve your profile!

Though summer break provides you with the most time to explore your passions, it is not the only time. Colleges want to see that you are curious about the world around you and are constantly seeking new learning opportunities. 

Instead of participating in a program, you could create your own. Writing a book or mobilizing a team to solve an issue in your local community are examples of independent efforts that look impressive to colleges. 

You can show further initiative by taking on internships and paying jobs. Both demonstrate initiative, a career direction, and key life skills like time management and responsibility. Since most internships are reserved for college students and graduates, it can be a challenge to find opportunities for high school students. To help with the search, here is a list of summer internships for high school students. Looking for more summer programs? Take a look at this list of virtual opportunities for high school students.

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Creative Writing

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The Summer Creative Writing Institute offers students opportunities to write and share poetry and fiction under the guidance of a highly accomplished faculty member. At the same time, students will enjoy Paris life and culture while becoming steeped in some of its great literary legacy.

Throughout its history, Paris has inspired writers from France and around the world, often providing a refuge from the intolerance, censorship, or the parochialism of their home countries. Paris is, and always has been, a place of literary salons and lively gatherings of artists and writers in cafés. Amid social and political upheaval, revolutionary approaches to literary form and subject matter have emerged more often from Paris than from any other metropolis, reflecting life in the throes of a modernizing world. The towering figures of French literature such as Hugo, Zola, Balzac, Baudelaire, and Apollinaire all took Paris as their subject, and the preeminence of the written word and the artistic spirit of Paris attracted foreign writers including Stein, Joyce, Hemingway, Beckett, Miller, Baldwin, Rhys, and Wright, to name a few.

Visiting students enrolled in the Summer Creative Writing Institute select a single writing workshop in Poetry, Fiction, or Creative Nonfiction. The three creative writing workshops are designed to help students to read their own work objectively, develop a critical vocabulary, and work deeply on issues of craft. Workshops meet three and a half hours per day, four days a week, allowing three-day weekends for writing, travel, and tourism. 

One evening per week, students will attend readings and question-and-answer sessions with inspiring authors. The event evenings also unite the full group of creative writing students to enjoy informal discussion and refreshments. The combination of workshops and evening events make up four transferable academic credits for those who are coming from other universities. For AUP students, these courses can be applied to the B.A. in Creative Writing or the Creative Writing minor. Lower fees are available to auditors.

During the day, students benefit from the University’s library, common spaces, student café and, of course, the richness of the surrounding 7th arrondissement. Bordered by the Seine to the north, the Eiffel Tower to the west, and Les Invalides to the east, the  septième  is among the most enchanting and elegant of Paris neighborhoods, offering a rich array of restaurants, cafés, stores, and public spaces that, in the height of summer, show Paris at its best.

A large variety of AUP’s own cultural excursions  provides students with organized opportunities to experience Paris and France. Students wishing to travel independently will find a wealth of advice available through the Cultural Programs Office .

Creative Writing Institute 2024 Travel Stipend Competition

  • A sample of your creative writing: for fiction and nonfiction writers please include between 5 and 10 pages of your work, and for poets, between 3 and 5 poems      
  • A paragraph explaining how this three-week intensive course in Paris might help you develop as a writer

All students who wish to be considered for the travel stipends must submit their applications by  March 29, 2024 . Winners will be announced in early May.

Travel stipends must be used for legitimate travel expenses that students incur in reaching Paris and will be disbursed only after students have completed their travel. Travel stipend recipients  must retain and furnish  all original receipts, boarding passes, train tickets, etc for their stipend to be processed.

COURSES STARTING IN JULY

Click on the course you would like to take, to view the individual dates and times under the header "schedule."  Pick from any of the courses below. Your choice is not limited to one category. 

3-week classes:

  • The Poetic Experience
  • Fiction Writing Workshop
  • Creative Nonfiction: Crafting Personal Narratives

Past AUP Summer School Readers and Guest Speakers:

Samantha Chang, Cyrus Cassells, Siân Melangell Dafydd (faculty), Stuart Dischell, Stacey D’Erasmo (faculty), Heather Hartley, Ellen Hinsey, Michael Hudson, Diane Johnson, Jake Lamar, Debora Landau, Megan O’Rourke, Nahid Raclin, Lisa Robertson, Darcey Steinke (faculty/co-founder), Daren Strauss, Ryan Van Winkle and Cecila Woloch.   

  • Mentions Légales

Shield

Creative Writing Camp

Helpful links.

Simon Fraser University Engaging the World

Student services, summer calendar.

  • A-Z directory

Please note:

To view the Spring 2024 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2024/spring.html .

Creative Writing

Admission to this program has been suspended effective Fall 2021.

This certificate allows students to investigate the theory and practice of creative writing from a variety of approaches, including creative practice in poetry, fiction, and screen writing, and aspects of material production/publishing.

Admission Requirements

Normal requirements for admission to Simon Fraser University apply. Prior to formal program admission, students must complete two of

  • CMNS 110-3 Introduction to Communication Studies
  • ENGL 208-3 Twenty-First Century Literatures in English
  • CA (or FPA) 136-3 The History and Aesthetics of Cinema I (or CA (or FPA) 137)

Program Requirements

Students successfully complete a minimum total of 20 units, including one of

A seminar-workshop in the theory and practice of creative writing with specific emphasis on poetry. Prerequisite: 30 units; or two 200-division English courses; or formal declaration in the creative writing minor and ENGL 272 .

A seminar-workshop in the theory and practice of creative writing with specific emphasis on prose fiction. Prerequisite: 30 units; or two 200-division English courses; or formal declaration in the creative writing minor and ENGL 272 .

and at least two of

This course introduces the methodologies of writing for the screen in various styles, including dramatic, documentary and experimental forms, with an emphasis on structure and the creative expression of visual ideas. Students will perform a variety of writing assignments and each will be expected to complete one or more short original scripts. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 136, 137 or 253 and prior approval. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 332 or 238 for credit may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 238W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

A study of different historical methods of measuring poetry in English, with practice in scanning and analyzing poems using different methods of quantitative analysis (e.g. Syllabic, rhythmic, alliterative). Prerequisite: 12 units or one 100-division English course. Students with credit for ENGL 212 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

Students will engage in theoretically informed practice of writing in various non-academic genres. Emphasis will be placed on the kinds of writing that students are likely to use after graduation. Prerequisite: 30 units or two 200-division English courses. Recommended: One of English 199, 199W, or 214. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught, though students who obtained credit for English 371 prior to Summer 2015 may not take this couse for further credit.

An analysis of the various facets of the book publishing industry in Canada including ownership patterns, legal foundations, criteria for book selection and marketing. Includes examination of both commercial and educational publishing. The industry will be analysed within the framework of Canadian cultural and other government policies affecting the industry. Prerequisite: 60 units. Students with credit for CMNS 371 may not take this course for further credit.

Students will follow the book-publishing process from the acquisition and editing of manuscripts through to production, promotion and distribution. Each topic proceeds from basic concepts and precepts to case studies of particular kinds of publishing companies (e.g., literary, regional and general trade) and particular types of books (e.g., children's, genre, fiction and poetry). The publishing decision-to-publish process is simulated. Required readings focus on the history of book publishing, as well as on current developments. Prerequisite: 60 units. Students with credit for CMNS 372 may not take this course for further credit.

A project course covering core issues in magazine media publishing whether it is in print, online, video, audio, or interactive media. The course covers best practices for team work, publishing, editorial, design marketing and distribution. Prerequisite: 60 units. Students with credit for CMNS 375 may not take this course for further credit.

A creative writing workshop focusing on students' production of original works, translingual writing, and/or literary translation. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

An advanced seminar-workshop in the theory and practice of poetry or fiction. Genre varies from term to term. Prerequisite: ENGL 372 or 374 . Students with credit for ENGL 472 prior to fall 2015 may not complete this course for further credit. Otherwise, course may be repeated for credit when the genre varies. Writing.

Examines aspects of critical writing associated with the historical and contemporary arts and encourages students to participate as writers in the artistic and cultural debates of their day. Forms examined will include but not be limited to reviews, articles, descriptive synopses for exhibition and festival programs, curatorial essays, project proposals and artists' statements. Prerequisite: 60 units including at least six units in CA (or FPA) history/theory courses. Students with credit for CA (or FPA) 319 may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for FPA 319W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

This course will present advanced theory and techniques for writing dramatic, experimental and documentary film and video scripts. Additional topics covered include script analysis, production breakdown, and the writing of treatments and proposals. Prerequisite: One of CA (or FPA) 238 or 353 or 457 and prior approval. Strongly recommended for all students developing projects for production in CA (or FPA) 430. Students with credit for FPA 338W may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

Advanced seminar in linguistic, pragmatic, historical and social theories of the English language. Prerequisite: 45 units including at least one upper division English course, or permission of instructor. Reserved for English honours, major, joint major and minor students. The course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught, though students who obtained credit for English 470W prior to Summer 2015 may not take this course for further credit. Students with credit for ENGL 470 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

Advanced seminar on selected works of North American poets and/or poetry theorists. May be organized by author, genre, or critical approach. This course may be repeated for credit if a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units or two 300-division English courses. Writing.

An in-depth study of the design methods fundamental to books in print and digital media. Students evaluate, and engage in the design and repurposing of publications, exploring current practices of content delivery online and through mobile devices. Emphasis is placed on innovative methods and design practices for screen-based publishing. Prerequisite: PUB 231 .

An exploration and application of marketing concepts to book publishing. Concepts and skills taught focus on differentiation of product categories and markets, and the creation of a marketing strategy for existing or new publications. Consideration of reading trends for all publication forms is included. Prerequisite: 60 units. Students with credit for CMNS 472 may not take this course for further credit.

This course examines business practices within book publishing firms. It emphasizes financial planning and operations, acquisitions, marketing and promotion. Prerequisite: 75 units. Students with credit for CMNS 474 may not take this course for further credit. Quantitative.

Of the six required courses, no more than four may be in any one department, while a minimum of two must be in the Department of English. Substitutions may be approved on a case-by-case basis by the student advisor. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required in the courses used for the certificate.

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Meet the 2024 Writing Freedom Fellows

By Jim Plank / February 13 2024

creative writing about summer

IMAGES

  1. 12 Summer Creative Writing Prompts ☀️

    creative writing about summer

  2. 72+ Summer Writing Prompts For Kids ☀️

    creative writing about summer

  3. Summer Theme Writing Paper

    creative writing about summer

  4. 20 Summer Writing Prompts for Kids

    creative writing about summer

  5. Celebrate SUMMER in your classroom and engage students with writing

    creative writing about summer

  6. Summer Journal Writing Prompts for Kids

    creative writing about summer

COMMENTS

  1. 33 Creative Prompts for Summer Season Writing

    33 Creative Summer Season Writing Prompts Use these summer writing prompts to inspire you to keep writing this summer. Get ideas for journaling, short stories, fiction, poetry, and more! Write about your favorite summer vacation memory. What did you do? What made it special?

  2. Best Summer Writing Prompts of 2023

    Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts. Showing 22 prompts reset What was meant to be a great bonding vacation turns sour when an uninvited guest tags along. Summer - 43 stories Write a story about a character who returns home changed by someone they met on a trip. Summer - 41 stories The cicadas came early this summer.

  3. Summer Writing Prompts: 35+ Ideas to Get You Started

    Boost your creative writing skills with these summer story prompts. 1. Write about a whirlwind romance that only takes place over the summer months. 2. Write a story in which a group of teenagers working at an amusement park must solve the murder of a mysterious Jane Doe that wound up dead in the food court. 3.

  4. 50 Summer Writing Prompts!

    What are the sights, sounds, and smells? 5. Come up with a conversation that takes place around a campfire. 6. Write about a teenager at their summer job. It could be a normal one, or something unusual. 7. Write a scene that includes a waterfall. 8. Describe lightning striking something — or someone — along with what happens next. 9.

  5. Creative Writing Prompts Inspired by the Seasons

    These prompts are an accessible way to jump-start a writing session when you're fresh out of ideas. Use these creative writing prompts to write a poem or a story, jot down a few thoughts in your journal, or compose a blog post. Summer. A woman is walking alone on a beach in the summer twilight (or at dawn) when something happens that ...

  6. 74 Summer Writing Prompts for Students to Keep Them Engaged and Creative

    Summer Is a Good Time to Practice Writing. Here are some ideas for making the most of your summer writing prompts: First, you can use them to encourage creativity in your students. Summer is when kids aren't in school and not learning as much as they normally do. You can help them take advantage of this downtime by giving them summer writing ...

  7. A Look Into Creative Writing

    Creative writing, as taught at Oxford Summer Courses, is the process of crafting original and imaginative works of literature, poetry, prose, or scripts. It transcends conventional writing, encouraging individuals to explore language, structure, and narrative.

  8. 10 Summer Writing Tips to Keep You Engaged

    Company 10 Summer Writing Tips to Keep You Engaged Kelly Konya Updated on June 13, 2022 Lifestyle Writing Tips It's officially summertime, and that means it's time to kick back, relax, and take a break from the routines we rely on to get us through those colder, grayer months.

  9. Top Summer Creative Writing Programs for High Schoolers

    Summer is a terrific time for aspiring writers to focus on creative writing. Immersive programs give high schoolers the opportunity to develop writing skills, meet like-minded students, and gain an impressive line on their activities resumé.

  10. Creative Writing Summer School

    Programme Fees Teaching Application Overview Summary Immerse yourself in your writing over three intensive weeks spent in Oxford. This unique summer school offers opportunities for writers at both intermediate and advanced levels to work under the guidance of experienced tutors.

  11. Online Courses: Creative Writing

    The Online Creative Writing Program makes it easy to take courses taught by instructors from Stanford's writing community. Thanks to the flexibility of the online format, these courses can be taken anywhere, anytime—a plus for students who lead busy lives or for whom regular travel to the Stanford campus is not possible.

  12. Summer Programs & Courses

    Summer Writing Intensive students choose to focus on poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, and attend daily writing workshops, craft seminars, and literary readings and events. Read more Writers in Florence Four Weeks, 8 Undergraduate Credits

  13. Creative Writing Academy

    Creative Writing Academy. Transform your dreams, ideas, and stories into organized, compelling, creative written works with dynamic lectures in craft topics, workshop sessions with graduate student instructors, and insightful, productive feedback from your peers. This combination of instructional approaches will help you generate and polish a ...

  14. Summer Creative Writing Workshops

    Enroll at summer.berkeley.edu ColWrit N131, The Craft of Creative Nonfiction This course in creative writing focuses on the craft of reading and writing creative nonfiction.

  15. 20 Elementary Summer Writing Prompts

    These 20 summer writing prompts will help your students close out the year in a way that keeps their developing skills top of mind as they head out into their summer vacation and the new academic year beyond. With your encouragement and gentle guidance, there's a good chance your students will continue their education in a more leisurely ...

  16. Creative Writing

    Creative Writing. Culture. Hone writing skills and explore contemporary creative works as readers and writers, using New York and its rich, cultural universe as a habitat. Developing their critical reading and thinking skills, students will survey a wide body of work to understand the past, present and potential futures of creative writing.

  17. 12 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students (2022 -2023)

    The Iowa Writers' Workshop offers a two-week, residential creative writing summer program for 144 high school students from across the country. Once accepted, students will select a course of study from the following options: poetry, fiction, creative writing, playwriting, or TV writing. Students also participate in writing workshops, receive ...

  18. Yale Young Writers' Workshop

    Yale is excited to offer a one-week online summer writing workshop for 16 - 18 year old rising high school juniors, and seniors. We're seeking bookish wordsmiths interested in adding to their writerly toolbox! Writers will generate and share their work in an intimate, non-competitive, online community.

  19. 21 Summer Writing Programs for High School Students in 2024

    Application deadline: April 19th, 2024 for in person, May 10th, 2024 for remote. Location: Virtual or Boston, MA. Cost: $1500 to $6200. Taught by working journalists, BU's Summer Journalism Academy gives high school students actual reporting assignments to give them a jump-start into the world of journalism.

  20. Creative Writing Institute

    The Summer Creative Writing Institute offers students opportunities to write and share poetry and fiction under the guidance of a highly accomplished faculty member. At the same time, students will enjoy Paris life and culture while becoming steeped in some of its great literary legacy. Throughout its history, Paris has inspired writers from ...

  21. Creative Writing Camp

    Visiting Students Programs Rice Online. 713-348-0000 | |. Located in an urban environment on a 300-acre tree-lined campus, Rice University seizes its advantageous position to pursue pathbreaking research and create innovative collaboration opportunities that contribute to the betterment of our world.

  22. Creative Writing

    This certificate allows students to investigate the theory and practice of creative writing from a variety of approaches, including creative practice in poetry, fiction, and screen writing, and aspects of material production/publishing. ... though students who obtained credit for English 371 prior to Summer 2015 may not take this couse for ...

  23. Meet the 2024 Writing Freedom Fellows

    Haymarket Books and the Mellon Foundation are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of the Writing Freedom Fellowship, an opportunity to support emerging and established poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers impacted by carceral systems. The Writing Freedom Fellowship aims to recognize and elevate the voices of system-impacted writers. The fellowship's first cohort ...