"Write On!" Summer Writing Camp

Calling all young writers! I am teaching a summer writing camp for youth ages 8-18. The workshops will be held on consecutive weekends, August 9, 10 and 17, from 2 to 4 p.m., in the conference room at Jensen Design and Survey at 1672 Donlon Street in Ventura.

Students will not only have FUN, they will also learn how to improve central components of their writing, including dialogue, characterization, plot and setting, through various creativity-inducing writing exercises. Poets, playwrights, short-story writers, novelists – all are encouraged and welcome to join!

The cost is $125 per student, but I am offering a SPECIAL discounted rate of $100 to the first ten kids to register. A portion of the money raised will go towards my nonprofit literacy organization “Write On!” (www.zest.net/writeon.)

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Here’s what teachers and students have to say:

“Thank you so much for sharing your story with our students. My fifth graders came back to my room just bursting with enthusiasm. It was wonderful for them to hear from a young adult about her joy of writing. Thank you for encouraging our kids.”

-- Lisa Harvill, Poinsettia Elementary School, 5th grade Language Arts teacher

“What you said really inspired me. I love to write and think that it's really amazing how you published your first book.”

-- Ashleigh, 7th grade student

“Hi Dallas, I'm Bianca. You came to my school today, and let me tell you me and my friends were talking about how much you inspired us to write so I wanted to thank you so much for inspiring us to write.”

-- Bianca Rodriguez, 6th grade student

“Thanks again for taking the time to share your passions and inspire the next generation! I love the connection you make with kids by just being yourself!”

-- Stacy Eckstrom, Poinsettia Elementary School, 3rd grade teacher

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My teaching experience: workshop instructor and coordinator of the Young Writers Program of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference for the past three years; guest speaker at the Jack London Writers Camp in San Jose; online workshop instructor at http://absynthemuse.com; speaker at dozens of schools, ranging from elementary school to high school; teacher of private writing workshops for the past four years.

My writing experience: I recently signed a contract with the highly regarded agency Foundry + Media to represent my novel, The Identity Theft of Dani Norhall. I am also the author of two self-published collections of short stories. My first, There’s a Huge Pimple On My Nose, was published when I was ten years old and has now sold more than 1,100 copies; and my latest, 3 a.m., was featured on the nationally syndicated PBS book talk show Between the Lines. I have also written for numerous national publications, including Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, The Writer, Cicada, Justine, Listen, and my work has appeared in four Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.

To register or get more information, call me at 805-889-5570 or e-mail me at dallaswoodburn@aol.com.