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Dayton Convention center | March 20 – 22 2025

Dayton, OH

Learn how to write great stories from award-winning novelists!

Do you have a teen who enjoys writing fiction? Or maybe one that doesn’t like writing at all? We’re here to help them ignite their love of storytelling.

Many teens fall in love with writing when they can choose their own story ideas and write about concepts that matter to them. In this workshop, students will not only learn how to craft a standout novel from Josiah DeGraaf and award-winning author Kara Swanson, but also receive personal feedback on their story concept.

The class will cover how to craft:

Sympathetic characters
Gripping plot twists
Resonant themes
And more!

In addition to receiving individualized feedback, students will emerge from the workshop with a solid novel concept that carries deeper truths they’re genuinely excited to write.

The Young Writer is a Christian organization that equips young writers in their teens and twenties to change the world with their words. Over the past six years, we’ve taught thousands of writers to write more, improve their craft, and glorify God with their writing.

This workshop is $25 and is on Thursday March 20th from 3:00pm-5:10pm

Learn From These Award-Winning Novelists and Writing Teachers!

Josiah DeGraaf

Josiah DeGraaf taught high school English for several years before becoming the program director of the Young Writer’s Workshop. He loves helping young writers discover how to impact readers and make a difference with their words.

Kara Swanson

Kara Swanson is the Christy-award winning author of Dust, Shadow, and The Girl Who Could See. She is a faculty member of the Young Writer’s Workshop as well as the co-founder of the Author Conservatory. She loves helping young writers unlock their potential and realize how rich their stories can be.

Teen Creative Writing Workshop FAQs

This workshop is designed for students 13-18 years old.

Previous experience writing fiction is a plus, but not required for this program. We love working with beginner writers along with intermediate writers.

Students should bring a laptop or notebook & pencil for this workshop

This class is 2 hours long and only offered once during the convention

Students will gain a deeper knowledge of what makes a story stand out to readers. They’ll also have the opportunity to put this in practice and polish a new story concept with feedback from their instructors.  As a result, we expect students to emerge with renewed motivation for their writing, along with the tools they need to craft stronger stories.

The class will be Thursday March 20th from 3:00pm – 5:10pm.