W.I.N.D.

Writers In Need of Direction is a program designed for young and new adults ages 17-35 (though we aren’t strict on this. We’ve had both younger and older join us. It’s more about the person, than the age.) This “camp” is personally run by Youth Programs director John Eric Vona. Modeled after Peter Elbow’s Writing Without Teachers, WIND is almost entirely feedback based with participants sharing their writings and providing constructive responses to their peers so, as Elbow says, to help each other know “which parts of [his or her] own writing to keep and which to throw away.”

W.I.N.D. meets on the USF campus twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 8 in the evening, and lasts all summer (that’s every Tuesday and Thursday in June and July). For those still in High School, this camp will give a taste of what a good college creative writing class is like. For all ages, and people of all backgrounds writing all sorts of things, this camp will provide what all writers need: readers. People to react and tell you what they think.

Past guest speakers include:

• YA Author Kelly Coon
• Poet Amarilys Rassler
• Children’s Book Author and Editor Jen Arena
• Educator and Writer Josh Palange
• Author and Activist Julie Sondra Decker

Participating during the summer also opens the opportunity to take part in the informal during-the-school-year optional meet-up and feedback sessions. You are not just joining a group, you are becoming a member of a writing community.

Summer Workshop: Tuition is $300. Partial scholarships (reducing tuition to $100) available to college students receiving financial aid.

For 2020, we plan a special year-long course where we invite and challenge participants to write several drafts of a longer work over the course of the year. We cordially invite new members to join us for free for monthly spring meetings.