In Y-WE Write, we explore multi-genre writing independently and as a community. As with all Y-WE programs, Write is free to attend and open to young women, trans, non-binary, and gender expansive youth ages 13-19. Write is offered as a school-year cohort as well as a week-long summer camp.
Write Summer Camp 2024: August 5-11
Apply today!
10:30AM-4:00PM daily at the Seattle Public Library (1000 4th Ave)
Calling all writers! Be prepared to be encouraged, inspired, challenged and committed to your writing practice. Whether you write daily or this is your first time picking up a pen, if you love storytelling and have a willingness to learn, this camp is for you. Join us at the Seattle Public Library downtown for a week long day camp that will strengthen your writing, allow you to explore different genres and get to know some amazing professional writers.
Youth will choose one of three tracks to explore during the week:
Screenwriting: Write It Down, Act It Up
Facilitated by Rose McAleese
Screenwriting is a kind of magic. It’s a very special way of telling stories so that they will come alive through the words and actions of actors. As a beginning screenwriter, you will need a basic understanding of all the skills that go into making a film. That’s why this class will not just be about sitting down and taking notes. You will write, cast, and direct your one-act short scenes. But as you learn about the rules and formats of screenplay writing, you will also collaborate with other students to explore improv performance, staging, and other skills that will help you improve your writing, build your confidence, and expand your imagination.
Memoir Comix
Facilitated by Mita Mahato
What makes the medium of comix so dynamic is its hybrid wiliness—bringing together and reflecting on the multiple ways we can represent the world. Mixing word and image, or different kinds of images, comix can echo our layered and complicated lives, ideas, and the issues we care about—as well as help us see in new ways, ask questions, and be surprised.
In this class, we will experiment with nonfiction forms (essay, memoir, poetry) through the medium of comix. We will think about what makes comix storytelling work, as well as practice the foundational elements of the comix page (panels, gutters, speech bubbles, etc.) with a variety of nondigital drawing tools. Our activities will encourage experimentation so each participant can find the style and form to suit the story they want to share. Over the week, participants will each conceptualize and complete a mini comic of their own.
Spoken Word Poetry
Facilitated by Ebo Barton
Spoken word poetry is a powerful art form that allows us to tell our stories, and those stories deserve the power and visibility of the stage, with a captivated audience. Through watching and analyzing performances from renowned slam poets, engaging in writing prompts, and practicing performance techniques, you’ll develop both your writing and performance skills. You’ll not only have written your own spoken word poems but also gained the confidence and skills to perform them effectively, bringing your words to life on stage.
24-25 School-Year Cohort: October 16 – June 4
Apply today!
Schedule: Weekly on Wednesdays, 4:30-7:30pm, plus an MLK weekend retreat
Location: Young Women Empowered (5623 Rainier Ave S)
Y-WE Write is made up of three 8-week sessions that encourage, inspire, and challenge participant’s writing practices. Whether you write daily or this is your first time picking up a pen, if you love storytelling and have a willingness to learn, this program is for you. Youth will have the opportunity to strengthen their writing, explore different genres, and get to know some amazing professional writers.
This year’s schedule includes:
Fall: Podcasting
October 16 – December 11
Facilitated by Jini Palmer
Create your own podcast short! We will learn how to write, record, edit and publish our podcasts, from concept to completion.
Winter: Love Poems for the Future
MLK Weekend Kickoff Retreat, January 18-20 at Mineral School
January 22 – March 19 (no session on February 19 for midwinter break)
Facilitated by Jessica Rae Bergamino
There are so many reasons to be afraid right now, but there are even more reasons to be in love. In this track, we’re going to dive into love and community as an antidote to…well, everything. By approaching a variety of forms (sonnets, anyone?) and drawing from sources ranging from politics to astrology, we’ll write poems and spells against the apocalypse and celebrate the power of joy and connection.
Spring: Playwriting/Monologue
April 23 – June 4
Facilitated by Aviona Brown
More info to come!
Questions?
Please reach out to our Program Manager, Aya Zouhri, at aya@y-we.org