Teen Summer Writing Intensive
Grades 10 - Rising College Freshmen
Join us for a transformative two-week adventure into the art of writing! Designed for rising 10th grade students to rising college freshmen, the Teen Summer Writing Intensive offers a blend of informative instruction and creative exploration. Whether you're a budding novelist, a future journalist, or simply love playing with words, this camp will sharpen your skills, broaden your perspective, and boost your confidence as a writer.
Led by experienced educators and professionals in the field, each day is packed with engaging workshops, peer feedback sessions, and out-of-the-box activities to grow your skills in fun new ways. We will explore a variety of genres—including fiction, poetry, memoir, and even humor—and explore what you can do with your passion for writing outside of school (hint: there’s a lot)!
But it’s not all pens and paper! With creative prompts, writing games, guest speakers, and collaborative projects, the camp becomes a supportive community where ideas and friendships grow (and laughter abounds). By the end, you will have a portfolio of new works and ideas plus a deeper appreciation for the power of your own voice.
Spaces are limited. Bring your imagination—and get ready to write your story.
Registration deadline is July 6.
Intensive Overview
Who: 10th Grade - Rising College Freshmen
Dates: Two-week long camp, Monday-Friday, July 20-31
Registration Deadline: Monday, July 6, 2026
Location: Carriage House, 65 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215. We will also walk over and use Thurber House (77 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215).
Time: 10:00 am–4:00 pm
Cost: $825 (includes all fees, snacks, journal, and t-shirt)
Payment plans are available upon request. Email Meg Brown at megbrown@thurberhouse.org.
A very limited number of scholarships are available through a lottery; please fill out the online registration and click on “applying for a scholarship.” You will pay the $25 registration fee and nothing else at that time. We will announce scholarships by July 4.
All supplies and a mid-afternoon snack will be provided. You only need to bring a sack lunch.
Full payment must be received to confirm each registration. We will be confirming receipt of online registrations via email. If you are unable to register online, please contact Meg Brown at megbrown@thurberhouse.org to register.
Questions? Please contact Meg Brown at megbrown@thurberhouse.org.
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Here is just a small sampling of our teacher roster for the two weeks:
Linda Baird (she/her): Linda is a writer and educator who works as the Features Editor at Columbus Monthly magazine. She has lived in Boston and New York and written for outlets including U.S. News and MUTHA. She was a Thurber House summer camp counselor when she was in college many years ago and is always excited to come back to camp.
Diane Callahan (she/her): Diane is a writer, editor, and YouTuber who also happens to work at an art gallery as a marketing manager. On her YouTube channel, Quotidian Writer, she provides practical tips for aspiring authors. Her debut poetry collection, The Ship and the Storm, was released in September 2025 with Story Garden Publishing. Visit her: website: https://www.quotidianwriter.com; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/quotidianwriter; and Instagram: @quotidianwriter
Lyn Ford (she/her): Lyn is a teller of folktales, haunted tales and personal stories rooted in her family's Black Appalachian storytelling traditions. She is an award-winning author and published poet, an Ohio Arts Council teaching artist and workshop facilitator, and a certified laughter yoga teacher, a certified laughter wellness ambassador. Lyn’s poetry has appeared in “Callaloo: Black Appalachia Issue,” and on the Poets Against Racism and Hate USA website. Lyn is also a Black Appalachian Storytelling Fellow and the recipient of a National Association of Black Storytellers Zora Neale Hurston Award.
Trudy Krisher: Trudy is an award-winning writer of novels for young adults and picture books for children (11 published works). She’s a retired professor of English and creates a safe, nurturing atmosphere in the classroom. She’s been teaching The Art of Writing Memoir at the Bob Crane Community Center in Upper Arlington for three years now. Visit Trudy’s website: www.trudykrisher.com.
Shelley Mann Hite (she/her): Shelley is a Columbus-based writer and editor. Her work has been published in the New York Times, The Rumpus, HuffPost, Motherwell, Stonecrop Review, and more, and she is working on a memoir manuscript. She is a prose editor for Typehouse Literary Magazine, and co-founder of the Columbus Women’s Writing Group. She got her start in journalism, and previously was an editor at Columbus Crave and Columbus Alive. Visit her website: shelleymannhite.com.
Mindy McGinnis (she/her): Mindy is a returning favorite. She is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy. While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. Visit her website: www.mindymcginnis.com.
Brooke Preston (she/her): Brooke is returning this year after a riotously funny writing activity last summer! Her work has been published in The New York Times, Real Simple, The Cut, McSweeney’s, Reductress, Men's Health, and many fine crumpled napkins. Brooke is a co-founder of The Belladonna Comedy. She has taught satire and writing to everyone from high school students to multiple Emmy winners for The Second City, and more. She is currently developing her first solo collection of comedic essays.
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We encourage the involvement of all students and will do our best to make accommodations. Contact Meg Brown at megbrown@thurberhouse.org to discuss any accessibility needs.
The first floor of Thurber Center is handicap/wheelchair accessible, including the first floor restrooms.
How to reach the wheelchair ramp:
—If you park on Jefferson Avenue: There is a slight curb (some wheelchairs can navigate this). The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here). Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber Center front gate. Take the sidewalk around the porch on the right side of the building. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp will appear on your left, past the porch.
—If you park in the Thurber House rear parking lot: Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center. The ramp will appear on your right and leads up to the front porch.
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The registration cost includes a non-refundable administration fee of $25. If the intensive is full or is canceled by Thurber House, a full refund minus the administration fee will be given. Tuition is 70% refundable for cancelations received no later than June 30, 2026.
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Disclaimer: Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.
