I’ve found past threads about creative writing workshops, but no thread was very recent. My daughter is looking at Denison’s Reynolds Young Writers Workshop and we’d appreciate feedback as soon as possible from anyone who has attended in the past few years or from parents of high schoolers who attended.
What did you get out of it? Who did the teaching – graduate students, professors, guest teachers, professional writers? The program is only eight days long; did you feel that the shorter time frame (compared to other summer workshops) meant the workshop was focused and got a lot done, or did you really need more time? Does the workshop tend to devote more time to or be stronger in one particular genre, or do instructors tend to steer students toward particular genres? How was the living situation at Denison, and were students well supervised? Any other details welcome.
For folks who know about writing workshops: Kenyon or Iowa etc. would be great, but the Denison workshop is the only one that fits into my daughter’s summer schedule, so I’d really like to hear specifics about that one.
My daughter attended the Reynolds Young Writers Workshop last summer and loved it. Denison professors did most of the teaching but were assisted by TAs who also led some of their own classes. A couple of guest writers also instructed workshops. She seemed to like the length of time because it was very focused (and she really couldn’t do any longer with her commitment to sports and other things in the summer) . You could pick the genres you focused on…I think my D did poetry and fiction.
She learned a ton and a lot of new ways to approach her writing. They had writing assignments to work on each day and you could meet with professors and TAs to get help or advice. They also did a lot of peer and professor review where they would give their writing to their professor, TA and other students and they would all give feedback.
The campus is beautiful and you are assigned a roommate and live in a Denison dorm and eat in the dining hall. She met some really nice kids who she is still in touch with. While the days were structured there was also free time to swim, work out, go to town, etc. They also did a field trip…I think to a museum.
If you have any other specific questions let me know and I would be happy to ask my D.
Adjaclaw, thank you for the reply! My daughter and I both appreciate your taking the time to post it. Regarding applying for the program, did your daughter feel that they were OK with students who don’t already have a lot of formal or published writing experience under their belts? My daughter has plenty of samples to send but hasn’t published in a school literary magazine or newspaper or anything like that.
It’s great to hear that there is a lot of feedback from both peers and professors. Thanks again!
My daughter did not have anything published. She had won an award from Scholastic for two of her writing pieces that she submitted, but nothing that was formally published anywhere. I think they just want to see the quality of your writing and if you are passionate about it.