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 Word Up 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.

Being able to expand my mind in a loving and supportive environment has shaped my mind in so many wonderful ways, and I'm eternally grateful for it. I've come a long way, and it's all thanks to the community at Uptown Stories.

Susannah

Student

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

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

Writing used to be something that was just work; something we have to do at school. However, now it's a way for me to express different things, and it's much more enjoyable now that there is a place where everyone has the same passion for writing that I do.

Anna

Student

My daughter’s writing has improved tremendously. She loves writing now. She can sit for hours and let her imagination fly.

Annie

Parent

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

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

Ready to Join a Workshop?

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 now for this workshop!

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Poetry Outside

Do you want to be wild and break out of the limitations that are always being set? Poetry is the answer. We’re strapping on our shoes, grabbing our pens, and meeting at the P.S. 187 school yard to go on a poet’s adventure! Poetry is a way of seeing things outside the boxes they are always being put in. We'll be rejuvenated by the nature of Ft. Tryon park and emboldened by our resilient neighborhood. We'll explore the wilds of language out in the world, allowing a stream of poetry to flow from the river of possibility.

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Snobby Poetry

We welcome you to Snobby Poetry, should you be up for the challenge. We’re a self-motivated, uber-supportive band of misfits who read, write, and share poems. We love words, rhyme (only when used sparely, thank you), observation, and Walt Whitman (obviously). Poetry is an illogical measuring device, filled with seemingly impossible comparisons and instructions; that is why we are called to write it. We are the liars who tell the truth. If this sounds like you, or if you’ve already taken a class with Jane LeCroy and want more, Snobby Poetry is the workshop for you.

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