A weeklong creative writing camp for young writers who dream big, weird, and wonderful

Calling all young writers who love magic portals, space missions, dragons, time travel, epic quests, and evil empires!

This is the summer camp where your wild imagination isn’t just welcome—it’s essential.

Join us for a week of world-building, character-crafting, and plot-twisting fun, where you’ll create your own short story set in a universe of your own making. With two master fantasy and sci-fi writers as your guides, you’ll dream up something amazing—and bring it to life.

By the end of the week, you’ll have a complete story you can be proud of—and a new crew of writer friends who love the same kind of weird stuff you do.

Who’s this camp for?

This camp is perfect for middle school writers (ages 11–14) who love stories and want to write their own—especially if they’re into science fiction, fantasy, or both. Mature younger writers, and writers who’ve attended our monthly Write Club workshops are also welcome to join in.

No experience needed—just curiosity, creativity, and a love of stories that go boom, whoosh, or poof.

What you’ll do

We’ll spend the first part of the week diving into the magical building blocks of story:
-Story structure
-What makes a great beginning (and a satisfying end)
-How to create fascinating characters
-How to design worlds and settings that feel real
-And how to make your plot sing, twist, or explode

Then we’ll spend the second part of the week making your story even better—refining and revising it and polishing it up for a final celebration! By the end of this camp, you should have at least one complete short story!

On the last day, we’ll invite friends and family for a live story reading. Applause and snacks will be provided.

Dates: Mon-Fri, July 13-17, 2026

Times: 10:30 am-2 pm Mon-Thur and 10:30 am-3 pm Fri

Price: $259

Pricing info: Our classes and events are priced at their actual cost to run.

If paying the full price would keep you from joining us, use the code ACCESS at checkout to reduce your registration amount by 20%—no questions asked. If you’re a Wordcrafters member, use code MEMBERACCESS.

If the full price is within your means, please leave the ACCESS code for those who truly need it.

If you’re able, you can add a donation during registration to support our scholarship fund.

A limited number of scholarships are available to young writers with financial need. To apply for a scholarship fill out this application: docs.google.com

Scholarship applications for summer camps close June 15, 2026.

Your instructors
Over the past four decades, Nebula- and Stoker Award-winning writer Nina Kiriki Hoffman (she/they) has sold adult and young adult novels and more than 400 short stories. Her works have been finalists for the World Fantasy, Mythopoeic, Sturgeon, Philip K. Dick, and Endeavour awards.

Nina teaches writing through Fairfield County Writers’ Studio and Wordcrafters in Eugene. She lives in Oregon. For Nina’s publications: ofearna.us/books/hoffman.html

Sarina Dorie (she/her) Sarina Dorie has sold more than 200 short stories to magazines, won humor and romance awards, sold three novels traditionally to publishers, and self-published over 100 novels. She has experience with mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror, young adult, humor and romance.

Sarina Dorie used to work at a digital advertising agency as a copywriter and editor and wrote synopses daily. She now helps clients craft their own blurb and synopsis—and uses this skill for her own writing.