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Local Voices

Have Fun Writing This Summer at JC Writing Studio

As a mom of three children (ages 13, 11, and 9), I understand the summer dilemma. How much do we engage our children in more "academic" pursuits? After all, our kids just want to play, relax, go to the beach, hang with friends — much like we do. They've worked hard all year. They deserve a break.

And yet summer offers the perfect opportunity to give kids the freedom to stretch their imaginations and explore their ideas. To tap into their creativity and discover just what they are capable of.

At JC Writing Studio, we want kids to go crazy with their writing. We want them to bring to life colorful characters. Imagine magical places. Invent captivating stories. Play around with language. And discover things they never knew about themselves.

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There are no rules on what they have to write about or how they have to write it.

It's all about opening up, expressing their ideas, and having fun. Believe me, nothing beats the energy and excitement in a room when kids are being creative together. (You can read more about "Why Every Kid Should Take a Writing Workshop" here.)

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As one student described her experience in our writing workshop: "It was so great to meet and work with other kids who share the same passion as me. ... They really helped inspire me to write better. The class was very fun and relaxed, but I learned a lot and my writing dramatically improved."

This student came back the following summer and is one of the founding editors of Verve, our online literary magazine that we will be launching this year. (She is also in the creative writing program at Red Bank Regional High School.)

Other kids agree:

"It was great learning how to write creatively! My favorite prompts were writing stories about pictures."

"It was cool to connect with kids like me who love to write."

"I liked getting prompts and trying new things with my writing."

"I loved being able to write about what I really want to write about."

"I liked how open everyone was to listening to my inane rambling."

Kids can get a taste of the writing workshop experience this June, when JC Writing Studio offers several one-day “Summer Sampler” classes. Students in grades 4 through 8 can try our "Fiction & Poetry" class or our "Personal Narratives, Blogs & More" class. And high school students can begin writing for our online literary magazine, Verve.

For a full description of workshops and dates/times, please visit our website: www.jcwritingstudio.com.

And did I mention we have an awesome new space in Red Bank? With wood floors, exposed brick, and a loft stuffed with all of our favorite books, it's the quintessential writing environment. We're located right next to the Two River Theater, across the street from The Galleria.

Come by and check it out. Or feel free to call me at (908) 675-0879. I’d love to talk to you about how we can inspire a love of writing in your child. 

Jennifer Chauhan, Director

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