We empower young people to write their own stories. 

An exciting, challenging, and supportive community where young authors thrive

Based in Washington Heights, Uptown Stories offers after-school, weekend, and summer creative writing workshops for children ages 8-18, led by rockstar teachers, who are also professional authors and artists.

Students learn the art and craft of writing, how to revise their work, and how to give and receive constructive feedback. Each workshop ends with a celebratory reading at the WordUp Bookshop in Washington Heights, and the publication of a paperback anthology, so every student leaves our program as a published author.

To ensure our program is accessible to our ethnically and economically diverse community, our tuition is “Pay-What-You-Can.” Uptown Stories creates an exciting, challenging, and supportive community where young authors thrive.

Why Creative Writing?

We believe that writing is an essential tool for:

Developing
Communication Skills

Creative writing helps young people develop their communication skills.
By learning to express their thoughts and ideas in writing, they become better able to articulate their ideas verbally, which is beneficial in all areas of life.

Stimulating Imagination

Creative writing encourages young people to use their imaginations and think creatively. This helps them become more innovative and adaptable in their thinking, which is useful in many different contexts, from problem-solving  to artistic expression.

Enhancing
Self-Expression

Creative writing provides young people with a medium for self-expression. This can be especially important for those who struggle with expressing themselves verbally or who may feel misunderstood or marginalized in other areas of their lives.

Building Confidence

As young people develop their creative writing skills and see their work improve, they gain confidence in their abilities. This translates to other areas of their lives, such as academics or social situations, where confidence and self-assuredness can be valuable assets.

Promoting
Critical Thinking

Writing creatively requires young people to think critically and analyze their own work. This helps them develop their critical thinking skills, which is needed in a wide range of academic and professional pursuits.

I would not be the writer I am today without Uptown Stories.

Elias

Alumnus

I love the teachers, love the community, have made SO many new friends. I feel like I can express myself through writing, and I couldn’t do that before. Everyone should be a part of Uptown Stories!

Isabella

Student

Uptown Stories has helped my writing in the sense that it allowed me to realize that this is my passion and that I want to pursue it as a career. It opened my eyes to the possibilities that creative writing has to offer. I think that anyone can get something out of attending Uptown Stories.

Graydon

Alumnus

The quality of teaching is superb. The teachers have the chance to get to know each child, and due to the small class size, the feedback is very specific. Also, witnessing the other children critique the writing is remarkable - the children are kind and respectful, but very honest.

Lori

Parent

I feel like if I hadn't taken Girls Rising, I wouldn't have become a better writer, and I wouldn't have met some friends who have changed my life.

Xanthe

Student

Thanks to [Uptown Stories], a passing interest has become a passion.

Gerry

Parent

I really appreciate the fact that every every student has a voice in their class. They trust each other and they listen to each other. All of this is happening because Uptown Stories has created a community of learners where everyone learns from each other.

Nina

Parent

I've met a fantastic group of people and become a much better writer. Kate and the rest of the staff are hardworking and fun to work with.

Joseph

Student

Ready to Join a Workshop?

Writing and Drawing Comic Books

Get ready to run faster and jump higher, one frame at a time! Together we’re taking your stories and transforming them into comics. You’ll take an ordinary day (or the wildest story you can imagine) and use comic-book language, illustration, and frames to share with everyone the next super-adventure. You don’t need to be an artist to join us – just bring your best ideas. You’ll learn all the steps to comics illustration and development, including pin-ups, single-frame and multi-frame pages, using pencils, pens, paints, crayons, and other art materials.

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Break a Leg!

In just four short weeks, we’ll become master scene writers, creating our own riveting monologues or two or three person scenes. We will find inspiration for our characters from music, current events, and even the things around us! We’ll be challenged by different exercises that will help us make our characters rich and three-dimensional, including free writing and auto-fiction. If you can’t get enough of certain characters in books, film, or theatre, this is your chance to create your own character and write your own legendary scene! Plus, all our scenes will be performed by professional actors at the WordUp Bookshop!

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The Elements of Fiction

If you can’t wait to turn the page, the writer has succeeded in telling you a great story. What does it take to develop characters, settings, dialogue, and plot elements that have you on the edge of your seat? This workshop answers those questions and more! We’ll breakdown the parts of fiction writing each week and test out what we’ve learned with some on-the-spot writing. You’ll work with your peers, too–giving advice and feedback, while hearing what they have to say about your work. Not only does this workshop make you a better writer, but when you understand the process, it makes you appreciate your favorite writers even more. Don’t leave us on the edge of our seats–register for now for this workshop!

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