The program runs two weeks from July 20-31. Applications open March 9 and close at midnight on May 18.
The Common Young Writers Program welcomes high school students passionate about creative writing to join us for a two week intensive on the craft of fiction. This virtual course includes daily synchronous and asynchronous work for students excited to learn the building blocks of fiction (scene, character, plot, image) and write and revise their own stories in a short period of time. Students will learn to read like a writer, by closely examining short stories published in The Common, and engage with their peers. By the end of this jam-packed program, students will emerge with original pieces of writing, more confident in their skills and connected to a supportive writing community.
Taught by the editors and editorial assistants of Amherst College’s literary magazine, the summer courses (Level I and Level II) run Monday-Friday, for two weeks. We will prioritize high school applicants, rising 9-12 grades (or the equivalent if home-schooled), but will accept applications for Level II from former participants entering college if they are no older than 18.
