Spring Workshops 2023

Spring 2023 Writing Workshops

Research shows us that creative writing is one of the most powerful tools we have to support a young person’s academic, social, and emotional well-being. For example, there’s evidence that writing helps students excel in every subject, not just ELA. It also helps process emotions and can reduce symptoms of depression. And let’s not forget that more than 70% of employers look for staff with strong writing skills.

What’s a lesser known fact is 9 out of 10 medical amateurs say creative writing is the perfect antidote to the raging childhood epidemic known as “I’m bored.” If this is a problem you or a loved one has encountered, registering for one (or more!) of our Spring Workshops is the perfect solution!

As always, our tuition is Pay-What-You-Can (seriously!), and all our young writers will be published in and receive a free copy of our Spring 2023 Anthology. Don’t wait – register now before our workshops are sold out!

If you’re not ready to register but would like to stay in touch, join our mailing list! Be in the know about new workshops and Uptown Stories news, plus once a month you’ll get the best student writing in NYC, delivered right to your inbox. 

Please note, students must have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start date. We are following state and federal guidelines for COVID-19. All of our teachers are vaccinated; masks are optional. If you have questions, please email us at info@uptownstories.org.

Loading...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/17, Mondays, 4-6PM
8-12
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...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/18, Tuesdays, 3:30-5:30PM
10-14
We’re calling on the brave and bold for a writing adventure! This semester we’ll be writing stories that have multiple choices for the reader - different storylines lead them down alternative paths or to alternative endings. We’ll take inspiration from a few examples like Jason Shiga’s Meanwhile and Ryan North’s To be or not to be, then we’ll build worlds of our own. We’ll dig into key writing techniques and learn some new approaches while we forge...
PS187 Schoolyard, Fort Tryon
Starts 4/18, Tuesdays, 4-6PM
8-10
Tired of being inside? 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 and grabbing our pens, then meeting at the PS187 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...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/18, Tuesdays, 5:30-7:30PM
12-18
Let’s journey into the deepest, darkest corners of our minds, where our imaginations make us shiver, squirm, and silently scream. Yes, we’ll be writing our own page-turning horror stories and screenplays, the kind that make your pulse raise and your hair stand on end. We’ll visit works by masters of the genre, like Edgar Allen Poe, Shirley Jackson, and Stephen King, while discovering newer voices like Steven Graham...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/19, Wednesdays, 4-6PM
Middle School
Girls, we’re facing challenges we haven’t seen in more than two generations. Our roles as women – in the home, at work, as citizens – is all at once advancing and retracting, driven by forces that may seem beyond our control. In the face of all that is going on around us, we can say this with all certainty: your voice is the answer to what comes next.
600 W 168th St (@Broadway)
Starts 4/20, Thursdays 3:45-5:15PM
High School
Girls, it’s time to let your voice be heard! Come write, discuss, and revel in what you love, in what inspires you, and discover how you’re going to change the world. From politics to body image to #metoo, we’ll be tackling what it means to be an empowered young woman right now. Any and all kinds of writing are welcome - from real-life to poems to fiction...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/20, Thursdays, 4-6PM
8-11
For many of us, picture books are what first sparked a lifelong joy for reading and crafting stories. From Max's wild rumpus to Sam-I-am's obsession with green eggs and ham, these books stay in our hearts long after the last page has been read. In this bilingual workshop, we'll revisit our favorite children's books through the eyes of a writer and illustrator, getting to the bottom of what makes some books so memorable. Then we'll develop and write...
PS187 Schoolyard, Fort Tryon
Starts 4/21, Fridays, 4-6PM
11-13
Tired of being inside? 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 and grabbing our pens, then meeting at the PS187 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...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/22, Saturdays, 12-2PM
8-13
If you can’t get enough of shows like Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, and Sweeney Todd, this is the workshop for you. Come unite your stories and songs into an amazing, must-see miniature musical  - performed by professional actors (jazz hands included!) Once we write the outlines for our stories, we’ll learn how to break down those stories into scenes, and how to choose a genre of music that sets the mood for your story.
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/22, Saturdays, 2-4PM
14-16
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...
178 Bennett Avenue
Starts 4/22, Saturdays, 1-3PM
10-14
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...