Join us for a free, collaborative, supportive writing community every Saturday. Facilitated by Jessica L. Pavia, our writing group is focused on encouragement, guidance, generosity, and accountability. Drop in weekly, monthly, or as the spirit moves. Writers at all levels and in all genres are invited to share work, receive respectful feedback, try out new […]
Rochester is known as the cultural capital of Western New York because of its world class museums, music, and more. 100 Things to Do in Rochester before You Die is a local’s lowdown on what makes this place so remarkable no matter the month or the weather. With insider tips and suggested itineraries by subject […]
Stop by for tea and pastries, bucolic vistas, and a chance to view extensive renovations at Gell Cottage, Gleason Lodge, and our tree house. Hear about opportunities for writing residencies, enrichment activities, and daylong retreats for individuals and area organizations and businesses. Gell: Writers & Books’ Finger Lakes Creative Retreat 6581 West Hollow Road, Naples, NY 14512 […]
In and through literary experiments with word and sound, utterance and song, Vox Humana considers the different ways a body can assert, recount, and proclaim. Born from the polyphonic phenomenon of the author’s multilingual upbringing, these poems are autobiographical and alchemical, singular and plural, but, above all, a celebration of the (breath) work required for […]
Sara Zavacki-Moore’s debut novel Choosing Charity was released in 2022, followed by Tiny House of God (Wild Rose Press, June 21, 2023). Tiny House of God teaser: When an abandoned baby is left on the front step of Willow’s tiny house, she must decide if she can get away with raising the child as her […]
Do you love theater? Do you have a big imagination? Have you always wished you could see the characters and stories in your head come to life in front of you? Then this camp is for you! Through acting games, writing exercises, and reader’s theater, we’ll learn the basics of playwriting, including character, conflict, and […]
Do you love telling stories? Are you entertained by listening to a good story? Then you probably already are a natural storyteller! In this camp you will practice voice, body language, and facial expressions to make a story come alive. You’ll learn first person storytelling by becoming a character that tells their own story. Then […]
Are stories constantly running through your imagination? Get your ideas out of your head and onto paper! In this camp we will learn what makes a story interesting by exploring such elements as character, plot, setting, conflict, and more. In this welcoming and friendly environment, we’ll learn, write, and share. Come with an armful of […]
Calling all quest seekers! What do collaborative role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and writing have to do with each other? Quite a lot, as you’ll discover. In this camp, we’ll explore rich, fantastical worlds; create complex characters; and learn how to hone our plot points into stories that the bards will sing of for […]
Percy Jackson is mighty with his sword; his creator, Rick Riordan, is mighty with his pen. Experiment with the writing methods Riordan uses to weave a siren spell. You will need to prepare by reading the first book of the series, The Lightning Thief. In class, we will mine it for models of how to […]
Have you ever wondered what it’s like living in magical worlds, such as those described in the Harry Potter series, Chronicles of Narnia, and The Borrowers? How do we leave everyday routines and leap into fantastical realms? Better yet, how do we create our own? Come explore surprising worlds of all shapes and sizes and […]
Think of this as a book club where, instead of discussing novels, we discuss musicals. From Sondheim to Six, musical theater can be more than just jazz hands and smiles; many musicals are rich with social commentary and brilliant uses of language. We’ll learn about the history of musical theater and talk about recent trends […]
Gell: A Finger Lakes Creative Retreat, Writers & Books’ retreat center in Naples, NY. Busing will be provided for an additional charge of $250 from 740 University Avenue, departing at 8:00 am and returning at 5:00 pm. Scholarships Available. If your scholarship application is declined or the award does not meet your need, please email […]
Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA) has long been home to expression and creativity. Businesses and organizations that engage with art through painting, photography, food, and language abound. There are theatres and sculpture gardens bursting with feeling and meaning. There are hidden walkways and parks perfect for exploring. This camp will take you inside the […]
Write, write, write! We will spend the first part of this camp producing poems, stories, journal entries, and creative essays through imaginative writing prompts. You will be encouraged to try all genres, but will focus on the one(s) you feel most passionately about. You will learn to make the most of your writing by sharpening […]
Attention time travelers! Do you want to learn more about significant events, such as the sinking of the Titanic, Hurricane Katrina, or 9/11? We'll spend the week exploring what makes historical fiction so compelling by engaging with a selection of Lauren Tarshis' popular, age-appropriate I Survived novels. We will focus on the historical significance of […]
Join us as we read mysteries and detective stories and get to know problem -solvers from a variety of backgrounds. Over the course of the week, we will learn about the importance of paying attention to details, thinking creatively, communicating effectively, and overcoming fear and frustration as we learn from literary sleuths, follow clues, and […]
Summertime, sunshine, green rolling hills, nature, and you! Spend five days communing with the writer within you at our retreat in the Bristol Hills. Explore with professional writers and naturalists along the Finger Lakes Trail as you learn the art of observation. Visit nearby Cumming Nature Center where you’ll create field journals in which to […]
In this exciting collaboration between Writers & Books and the Creative Workshop at the Memorial Art Gallery, you’ll create your own fantastically illustrated and imaginatively written story. You’ll learn how to illustrate an idea, choose a fitting style, and draw things you thought you didn’t know how to draw. You will learn the basics of […]
Calling young thespians! We’ll spend the week walking into the world of William Shakespeare, with a special focus on his use of the supernatural in his plays. We’ll explore his life and times and unlock the secrets to his use of language. We’ll play theater games, peek into some of his otherworldly plots and characters, […]
Do you enjoy a good mystery? Do you enjoy the creative writing process? Do you want to know whodunnit? If your answer is “yes,” join us for Mystery Writing 101. We will read short mysteries, solve riddles, and write tales of intrigue. You will learn about the elements of a mystery, participate in shared inquiry […]
Journaling is a way to organize, record and reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Campers will design and keep a journal that is uniquely their own as they engage with a variety of daily prompts and inspirational activities that jumpstart creativity. From freewriting to goal tracking, scrapbooking to dream logging, a journal […]
Calling all young authors and illustrators with a love for reading and writing! Do you enjoy telling your own stories through pictures or words? We’ll take a journey together through the world of picture books, exploring innovative art styles, one-of-a-kind stories, and favorite classics. We’ll experiment with different writing techniques,and various mediums for illustrations, and […]
Immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter when Writers & Books’ three-story building is transformed into Hogwarts! Throughout the week, students will attend Herbology, Transfiguration, Divination, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and other classes. Hands-on activities will be accompanied by creative writing exercises to spur the imagination. You will be […]
Learn the essentials of voice, character, conflict, and dialogue to build a story and keep it going. Whatever kind of fiction you write, we’ll hone in on the elements of craft that make a story shine and keep readers excitedly turning pages. We’ll examine diverse examples from across cultures, genres, and styles. Ample writing time, […]
“One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world.” –Malala Yousafzai Are you passionate about justice? Do you have something to say about what you see happening in the news, or in your neighborhood or school? Do you want to gain insights and tools for turning your creativity into activism? Come […]
This collaboration between Writers & Books and the Flower City Arts Center provides a unique opportunity merging visual arts with creative writing. You will work with artists to handbuild a ceramic book,on which you will inscribe your own poem;make paper; learn to make different kinds of books; and use letterpress printing techniques to decorate them. […]
So you want to write a book, but you need a plan. Join our community of writers to learn how to plot a book chapter by chapter, taking your great idea and turning it into a juicy plot. We’ll access resources from a variety of arts and cultural organizations and learn how thoughtful observation of […]
Why do we write? Because as writers, we have to. This upper-level teen workshop dives into the questions authors ask themselves during the drafting process. Why does this matter? Why today? Why am I the person to tell this story? Join a community of teen writers as we work from generative writing prompts and undertake […]
Whether you aspire to write fantasy, science fiction, historical, or contemporary realist novels, you’ll want to develop the skills and discover the tools that successful fiction writers use to bring their stories to life. We will focus on examples and exercises that help develop characters, setting, and atmosphere; choosing point of view; and creating and […]
Flash fiction is a very short form of story writing. Every word is essential. These stories have all the elements of a longer story: character, setting, and plot– but in a nutshell. We’ll learn to hook our readers and, then, through an unexpected twist, leave them wanting more. In writing our own pieces, we’ll analyze […]
Do you know how to build a satisfying system of magic in a fantasy world? Do you love books that include dictionaries of their own fictional languages? Do you daydream of space shuttles charting planetary constellations? In this camp, we will explore how to build worlds that live, breathe, and spark off the page! Every […]
The word photography means “writing with light.” Using a 35mm film camera (provided) and a pen and notebook, we will explore the uniqueness of the Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA). There will be opportunities to photograph and write about such outdoor art as wall murals and sculptures, the interior and exterior details of historic buildings, […]
Have you ever wondered how your favorite TV show got to the screen? Want to try your hand at writing a script made for TV? In this camp you will learn to write your own screenplay as well as collaborate on a pilot episode for a TV Series. We will generate ideas, learn to use […]
Have you ever seen a comedy improv show or the television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and thought, “That looks like fun!” It is fun, and here is your chance to see for yourself. Comedy improvisation is the art of acting without a script. The results are always entertaining and often hilarious. In this […]
Do you ever think about where music comes from? In this skit-building camp we will explore a variety of sources that influence and inspire music from different cultures and time periods. We’ll examine how nature influences music, like birds creating melody and the tides of the sea creating rhythm. We’ll also study musical innovators such […]
