Yale Young Writers' Workshop

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, Sarah Darer Littman 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)

Dates:

• 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

Cost:

• $950

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.
• Transcript
• 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.