Teen Creative Writing Camp Adds 21st Century Twist to Curriculum
Aspiring young writers learn about the changing face of the publishing industry
Saturday Light Brigade
Teen Writer! Program Director, Gina Catanzarite, gives an exclusive preview of the February 25th workshop
BLOGS, REVIEWS, ESSAYS, AND COMMENTARIES --- FOR TEEN WRITERS WITH ATTITUDE
Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011
Time: 9a – 3:00p
Location: WQED Multimedia, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pgh, PA 15213
Target Audience: 8th to 12th graders
Tuition: Workshop Concluded.
Think you've got great taste in movies and music? Original opinions about the best books and coolest concerts? Or maybe you're the person who has strong thoughts about everything from school policies to world politics – and you're ready to share them! Whether you dream of writing entertainment reviews... having your own opinions column in a newspaper or you aspire to write a better blog... whether you want to make your journal entries richer or just hope to write a better personal essay for college applications... this intensive one-day workshop will teach you how to turn your unique observations into thoughtful and thought-provoking writing. Bring paper, pencils, strong opinions and exceptional judgment and discover how to turn attitude and observation into exceptional writing! Limited class size.
POETRY WORKSHOP FOR TEEN WRITERS
Date: Saturday, February 26, 2011
Time: 9a – 3:00p
Location: WQED Multimedia, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pgh, PA 15213
Target Audience: 8th to 12th graders
Tuition: Workshop Concluded.
"Poetry is the art of understanding what it means to be alive." -- Archibald MacLeish, American poet and writer (1892-1982) This exhilarating one-day workshop designed especially for teen writers will introduce you to many forms of poetry and provide you with practical creative writing exercises that will inspire original poems. Whether you've been writing poetry for awhile or simply want to challenge yourself with a new creative writing format, you'll discover techniques for generating poetry with a deeply personal and artistic purpose. Students are encouraged to bring original poetry works-in-progress, which we will "workshop" just as professional writers do – and we'll explore some of the most respected student writing competitions where you can submit your poetry. Limited class size.
FANTASTIC FICTION WRITING: Sweating the Details
Date: Saturday, April 9, 2011
Time: 9a – 3:00p
Location: WQED Multimedia, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pgh, PA 15213
Target Audience: 8th to 12th graders
Tuition: Workshop Concluded.
Author Perry Paxton said, "Give attention to the details and excellence will come." The mark of great writing is great description and in this intensive, one-day workshop designed especially for teens, you'll learn how to make your fiction come alive with powerful, descriptive writing, figurative language, and original and accurate details. In-class exercises and a brief out-of-class excursion will focus on three key areas: How to make characters memorable; how to create distinct settings; and how to describe awesome action sequences. Forget flat, one-dimensional fiction and give your readers a story that will stick with them long after they read the last page! Limited class size.
THE PLOT THICKENS: Making Stories Make Sense
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2011
Time: 9a – 3:00p
Location: WQED Multimedia, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pgh, PA 15213
Target Audience: 8th to 12th graders
Tuition: Workshop Concluded.
Beginners' fiction often fails because the plot is too ordinary or simply disorganized. In this intensive one-day workshop designed especially for teens, learn how to craft a logical storyline; structure scenes for maximum creative impact; and devise realistic conflicts with satisfying resolutions. Learn about characters and motivation, and explore universal themes that will give your writing more depth and meaning. In-class writing exercises and samples from master writers will enrich and develop your story-telling abilities, and students are encouraged to bring excerpts of their own original fiction to "workshop," just as the pros do! By the end of this workshop, you'll have the tools to write fiction so convincing and riveting that readers will be begging for a sequel! Limited class size.
About the Instructor
All sessions will be conducted by Gina Catanzarite, owner/operator of Arania Productions, and an award-winning television producer, author, media consultant and teacher who has worked both nationally and locally in her fields since 1987. She counts six Emmy awards, sixteen Emmy nominations, a Matrix award, two Pennsylvania Broadcaster's Association Awards, three Telly Awards, and a screenwriting grant from the Theatre Association of Pennsylvania, among her many professional honors. She is the co-author of two non-fiction books, Lucille's Car Care and Riding The AirWaves, and has numerous freelance writing credits; and she reviews children's programs and serves as a judge for the prestigious Parents' Choice Foundation. Catanzarite conducts a variety of creative writing workshops designed especially for teen writers; and, since 2005, she has been an adjunct faculty member at Point Park University teaching broadcast writing courses at the college and graduate levels.
Luminari acknowledges WQED for their generous donation of space for the Teen Writer! workshops.
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