Stuck@Home
Writing Camp
A fun week of writing for kids ages 8-18.
June 29 - July 3
Do you have any young writers in your life who are stuck at home this summer? Sign them up for a week of fun writing prompts and constructive feedback from a professional writer and editor. Kids ages 8-18 will get specific writing assignments tailored to their interests and abilities, and will receive daily coaching about their work. At the end of the week, the campers will have the opportunity to share their best writing with others.
What to Expect from Stuck@Home Writing Camp
June 29 - July 3
When you sign up for Stuck@Home Writing Camp, you will start with a survey, asking you about your age and writing interests. Then, during camp week, you will start every day with an email that includes instructions for the day. There will be some short warm-up exercises and then a longer writing assignment. The email will include writing tips and advice. Every day will have a theme that all campers follow, but the specific writing prompts will be tailored to individual campers.
The prompts will be designed to challenge and excite young writers who want to improve their skills while stuck at home. No two campers will get the same assignments! Kids ages 8-10 should expect to write about 1-2 hours a day. Those ages 11-18 should plan on 2-4 hours daily, depending on their goals. If they want to put in less or more time, that is OK, too!
Writing Prompts
Break through writer's block
Once you sign up, you will be sent a survey to fill out about your interests and abilities. When camp starts, you will receive daily emails with writing prompts tailored to you based on survey responses. These writing assignments are designed to help you break through writer's block and start putting words to the page right away.
Daily Feedback
Get daily comments and edits
After handing in daily assignments by the given deadlines, you will receive immediate feedback about your work from a professional writer. This personalized response will include encouraging notes about what you did well as well as friendly suggestions for improvement. This is a safe space with no grades, so young writers can freely enjoy the art of composition without the traditional pressures of school.
Published Work
Post to the camp blog
At the end of the week, participants will have the opportunity to submit their favorite work to the camp blog. Your best writing will be published online so you can invite friends and family members to read your material and see the finished results of your hard work. Everybody will have the option to be featured on this shareable website.
Meet the team
Hillary Speed is a writer, editor and journalism professor in Tallahassee, Florida. Throughout her varied two-decade career, she has written and edited for the Associated Press, the Quad-City Times, "A Prairie Home Companion," WhatToExpect.com, New Harbor Group public relations agency, and more. She has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism, and a bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College.
She is passionate about teaching and loves helping young writers find their voice.
Jacob Jackson, Intern
Jacob Jackson is a recent graduate from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication and an English minor. He enjoys a wide variety of writing styles and his work can be found in publications such as The O’Colly and Frontier Mosaic. Jacob is passionate about sharing the stories of underrepresented groups and using narrative as a form of education. He is helping this summer to come up with fun, creative writing prompts for campers.