The Sarah Lawrence College Writer's Workshop for High School Students offers young writers an opportunity to explore the creative process with skilled writers and artists, and to experience the joys of writing in a supportive environment. No previous creative writing experience is necessary—only a commitment to learning, a fascination with words, and a desire to be part of a community that values art and experimentation.

The Program

The Sarah Lawrence College Summer Writer's Workshop for High School Students is a unique collaboration between writers and other artists. Directed by distinguished faculty members, the program gives high school students the experience of writing in a non-competitive, nonjudgmental environment that values the risks and adventure of the creative process. Each day participants attend writing and theatre workshops led by prose writers, poets, and theatre artists. Included in the week are miniworkshops taught by program faculty and guest artists. Rooted in the Sarah Lawrence College tradition of one-to-one interaction, the program offers students the opportunity to meet individually with workshop leaders. In addition to workshops, the program includes faculty and student readings, film screenings, and a celebration of student work on the last day.

The Writer's Workshop

The day's work begins with a creative writing workshop, giving students the chance to ask "What makes a poem a poem? A story a story?" and "What is the best way to say what I want to say?" The Writer's Workshop is a place for students to write, to read one another's work, to learn to observe what is familiar and what is not, to transform what the writer sees into poems and stories. Members work as writers do: generating material, collaborating and talking, revising and rewriting.

The Writer's Theatre

While the work of the writer and theatre professional are similar—"How do I show what I see? At what point do I begin and end the story?"—in theatre the one telling the story often is the story. In the writer's theatre workshops the creative process is explored in an intuitive and spontaneous fashion through improvisation, group projects, and games. Faculty and students participate together to give form and shape to both individual and collective expression. No prior theatre experience is necessary.