Yale Writers' Workshop

You are here, welcome from the yale writers' workshop director, jotham burrello.

creative writing summer workshop

Director's welcome to the Yale Writers' Workshop!

From First to Final Draft, Find Your Voice at Yale

The Yale Writers’ Workshop brings together the experience and expertise of leading teachers, authors, editors, agents and publishers in a series of panels and workshops for the benefit of writers the world over. We are offering three sessions (one on campus and two remote) that will enhance the writing skills of any serious writer. Our faculty provides unique, tailored, and transformative experiences to all participants.

The Yale Writers' Workshop experience offers:

  • An immersive creative environment
  • An experienced faculty of writers and editors
  • Small workshops limited to 10-12 participants
  • Access to industry professionals
"Sometimes I feel that writing is exactly like breathing to me, but it’s like I’ve been going through life scared to breathe. I never really gave myself a chance, but this week allowed me to do that. I used to get so panicked when people asked me what my book was about and now I’m genuinely excited to talk about it."
"I had a wonderful time and learned so much! This was a fantastic opportunity and I'm so glad to have been a part of it."

Courses & Programs

  • Courses at Yale
  • Yale Summer Online
  • The English Language Institute
  • Conservatory for Actors
  • About the Yale Writers' Workshop
  • Faculty Bios
  • Dates & Costs
  • Alumni Corner
  • Yale Young Writers' Workshop
  • Programs Abroad

ENROLL DONATE

  • Who We Serve
  • Program Logic Model
  • Culture Statement
  • Board of Directors
  • Advisory Council
  • Join the Team!
  • Get Involved

What's Hot?

  • WRITOPIA SPEAKS
  • Creative Writing
  • Essay Writing
  • College Essay
  • Role-Playing Games
  • Debate Team
  • Private Sessions & Workshops
  • Specialty Genres, Events, and More
  • Sleepaway Camps
  • School Year
  • Writopia Publishing Lab
  • Worldwide Plays Festival
  • Scholastic Writing Awards
  • Youth Essay Conference
  • Family Memoir
  • Writopia Lab Salon
  • Teen Intensives
  • Professional Development
  • Upcoming Events
  • Westchester
  • Program Schedules
  • For Students
  • For Parents
  • For Educators

Summer Programs

The summer is an exciting time at Writopia Lab! We offer Half-Day and Full-Day programs that meet Monday through Friday. Our workshops are warmer and more productive than typical writing classes and courses offered for kids and teens online and in person.

Sign up for our mailing list to get the latest updates on upcoming summer programs!

Half-Day Workshops (In-Person and Online)

In both multi-genre and themed workshops, writers in age-based groups work with a published author or produced playwright (highly trained in teaching the form, genre, or topic). Participants discuss, share, develop, and complete their own original works.

Half-Day workshops meet Monday-Friday for 3-hours per day. Workshops are age-based and enroll a maximum of eight writers. Offerings include Creative Writing , Essay Writing , College Essay , Language Play (for ages 4-6), Screenwriting , Dungeons and Dragons , and more!

Click here to see Half-Day Summer workshops on the schedule!

Full-Day Camps (In-Person)

Full-Day Camps are in-person programs that include a three-hour morning workshop, an hour-long lunch break, and a three-hour block of electives or specialized activities. 

Fiction & Fun

In the mornings, writers work with a published author or produced playwright on developing and completing a piece of writing of their choosing, such as a short story, personal essay, poetry collection, or a one-act play. After the morning workshop, writers will head to a nearby park for lunch and fun outdoor activities.

In the afternoon, writers participate in two electives of their choice, ranging from filmmaking, songwriting, Dungeons and Dragons, zinemaking, worldbuilding, graphic novels, and more!

Playwriting & Performance

Young playwrights spend the mornings developing brand new plays or musicals under the guidance of a professional playwright. In the afternoons, they dive into the world of performance, with mini-workshops in character creation, theatrical design, voice and speech, and a look at acting fundamentals as they take on roles in their peers’ plays. The week will culminate in a live performance (that family and friends can watch) of original one-act plays written and performed by these young dramatists of tomorrow.

Sports Writing

Writers spend the morning in a sports-themed writing workshop where they can explore and write every form of sports writing, from reviews, to features, op-eds, and personal essays. In the afternoon, camper eat lunch in the park, participate sports and active electives, and join creative arts electives with our Fiction & Fun campers. There will also be opportunities to go on field trips to live sports events, interview athletes, and meet professional sports editors and writers.

Click here to see Full-Day Summer workshops on the schedule!

Advanced Writing Seminar (In-Person and Online)

Advanced Writing Seminar sessions are immersive, application-only programs for dedicated rising juniors, seniors, and college freshmen. Workshops are led by professional published writers and include master classes with guest instructors who are experts in their specialized field. This program is designed for teens to build up their writing portfolios and/or complete long-form projects such as novels.

Half-Day Sessions (Online)

Online half-day sessions are two-week programs that specialize in either portfolio-building or outlining and completing novels.

Full-Day Sessions (In-Person)

Full-Day sessions are one-week programs that focus on helping teens expand their writing portfolios.

The Residency in NYC

Advanced Writing Seminar: The Residency in NYC is an immersive pre-college program in partnership with Pratt Institute. Teen writers will spend the mornings in writing workshops, the afternoons in Master Classes, and the evenings in excursions and activities around New York City!

Click here to learn more about Advanced Writing Seminar!

WriCampia is our annual two-week sleepaway camp in the Berkshires. At WriCampia, writers spend their mornings in intimate writing workshops led by published authors and produced playwrights, their afternoons participating in their choice of over 20 artistic and active electives, and their evenings at campfires, scavenger hunts, readings, and more.

Click here to learn more about WriCampia!

creative writing summer workshop

  • Half-Day Workshops
  • Full-Day Camps
  • Application-Only Teen Seminar

The summer is an exciting time at Writopia Lab! We offer full programs that meet Monday through Friday. Students sign up by week, and many students choose to attend for multiple weeks. Our workshops are warmer and more productive than typical writing classes and courses offered for kids and teens online and in-person.

Schedule and Registration

Half-Day workshops meet Monday-Friday for 3-hours per day. Workshops are age-based and enroll a maximum of eight writers. Offerings include Creative Writing, Essay Writing, Comedy, Screenwriting, Dungeons and Dragons, and more!

Full-Day camps are offered in-person at our Manhattan, Brooklyn, and DC labs.

In the mornings, writers ages 9 to 16 work in age-based groups with a published author or produced playwright on developing and completing a short story, poetry collection, or a one-act play. After the morning workshop, writers will head to a nearby park for lunch and fun outdoor activities.

Writers will spend the afternoon in two exciting electives of their choice, ranging from filmmaking, songwriting, sketch comedy, zinemaking, worldbuilding, poetry, photo journalism, graphic novels, and more!

In age-based groups, young playwrights spend the mornings developing brand new plays or musicals under the guidance of a professional playwright. In the afternoons, they dive into the world of performance, with mini-workshops in character creation, theatrical design, voice and speech, and a look at acting fundamentals as they take on roles in their peers’ plays. The week will culminate in a live performance (that family and friends can watch over Zoom) of original one-act plays written and performed by these young dramatists of tomorrow.

Schedule and Application

Advanced Writing Seminar sessions are immersive-two-week experiences for dedicated rising juniors, seniors, and college freshmen.

Writers will delve into their craft with published authors, and will meet and share their work with literary agents and editors. Each day will begin with a small author-led fiction workshop (8-10 participants) from 10 AM to 1 PM Eastern Time. During workshop, writers will have time to develop their own creative pieces, participate in creative writing exercises, and receive feedback on their work from the instructor and their peers. In the afternoons, writers will have the opportunity to take electives in poetry, memoir, ekphrastic writing, and more. Writers will also take part in evening readings, salons, and craft talks, as well as unstructured time to connect as a community of writers.

Advanced Writing Seminar sessions are offered online, in-person at our Manhattan and DC labs, and one special session will be offered as an overnight camp in NYC .

The summer is an exciting time at Writopia Lab! We offer full programs that meet Monday through Friday. Students sign up by week, and many students choose to attend for multiple weeks.

--> mailing list to get the latest updates on upcoming summer programs!-->