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.

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

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

Elias

Alumnus

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

Uptown Stories redefined "after school enrichment" for me. The kids were learning the fundamentals of good writing, but in a way that felt like a fun romp, rather than a two-hour slog through rules and thesis statements.

HK

Parent

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

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 me come out of my shell and explore my imagination. My writing has become more complex and descriptive over the years. It is helpful and fun to anyone who is interested in writing or not!

Kayla

Student

When it's Monday, I'm so excited for class to start! Favorite time of the week! Uptown Stories made me like writing even more.

Tallulah

Student

Ready to Join a Workshop?

World Building, Poetry Edition

Why should fiction writers have all the fun of building new (or old) realities? In this class, we will use found poetry, black out poems, acrostic poems, character development, respons poems, and more. We will analyze and critique the world we live in and its rules, and then work to construct our own - how we want things to be.

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Three Acts and a Plot Twist

Ever wonder what makes a great film script? Is it the characters? The scene creation? What about the major plot twist that makes you go: ‘Woah, I didn’t see that coming’? For four weeks we’ll be the writers and producers of our own mini scripts. Together, we'll brainstorm ideas, and before we start writing, we’ll have them pressure-tested by a group of critics—helping us understand the structure of a screenplay and why each part matters. Then we’ll craft our first drafts, cast them, and hold a table reading. We’ll take notes, rewrite, and finish with a three-act script we can table read for family and friends.

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The Art of Me

How many ways can we tell a story about ourselves? Through mixed media, drawing, creative writing activities, and collaging, each week we'll explore a new approach to making self-portraits that get to the heart of who we are. We will take inspiration from artists including Frida Kahlo, Faith Ringgold, and Andy Warhol as we dive into rediscovering what makes us unique—our quirks, feelings, interests, dreams, and everything in between. At the end, each of our self-portraits will showcase who we are in a new light. 

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