Summer is here! Hear from our first campers in SF

While yesterday marked the first official day of summer, some of our young writers have been out of school for weeks and have already experienced the joy that is SUMMER CAMP! Our first on-demand camp this year explored poetry, portraits and personification in San Francisco with teacher Jenny. Enjoy some of their pieces from their week-long camp.

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Each camper proudly read her work aloud - this is one of our favorite moments of each "Take My Word For It!" session. Thank you for sharing your work, girls!

Does TMWFI offer camps?

Yes! We offer summer and holiday On Demand Camps. Submit an interest form here. (We have been doing camps through the Bay Area for years!)

Calling All Campers! Summer 2014 Registration is Open

    We are delighted to offer three different camp  options this summer. Parents can team up to form their own camps using our on-demand camps format. Interested? Please fill out an"On-Demand" Camp Inquiry interest form here.

We are proud to be offering our unique brand of creative writing excursions to campers during 4 different weeks of the popular East Bay camp, Girls on the Go!

  New this summer! Camp 510 has invited us to bring our creative writing to their summer party during the week of July 7th.

To register for Camp510's "Process is Everything" Week featuring Take My Word for It! (July 7-11, 2014), click here.

"Take My Word For It!" Partners with Girls on the Go for Summer Camp!

This summer we're thrilled to collaborate with Girls on the Go to bring a "Take My Word For It!" creative writing focus to 3 Berkeley camp sessions in July and August! Campers will be travelling with pencils in hand drawing their writing inspiration from their adventures.

• Register Now

Make sure to register for one of the following dates!

• July 8–12 (FULL)
• July 15–19 (LIMITED SPACE LEFT!)
• August 19–23 (FULL)

Ages: 9-13 Location: Berkeley Times: Basic Day: 8:00-4:00, Extended Care: 4:00-6:00 Prices: Basic Day: $360/week, Extended Care: $420/week

- Schedule for the week of July 15-19 -

Monday July 15:  We will begin our morning with a writing workshop in Oakland. Afterward get ready to rock climb at the Great Western Power Company.

Tuesday July 16:  First we’ll take a Precita Eyes Mural Tour in San Francisco. After we work up an appetite, we’ll enjoy some Papusas.

Wednesday July 17: Our second writing workshop for the week will take place in Berkeley then we’re off to San Franisco where we will eat lunch and have some ice-skating fun.

Thursday July 18: Swim Day at Lake Anza, Tilden Park, Berkeley. We will take an incredible hike from the bus stop down into the park.

Friday July 19:  We will head to Playland-Not-At-The-Beach in El Cerrito for some carnival and arcade games. Then we will have our last writing workshop for the week in Berkeley.

Girls on the Go offers field trip camps in the Bay Area camp where girls can explore, learn, and share in a fun, respectful environment. Campers learn about travelling by bus and BART and see a variety of Bay Area locations!

• Register Now

Words from Our Young Authors at Beach Elementary

This session at Beach we are exploring the elements of a good mystery. Our students have been crafting mystery stories and learning all about creative writing techniques, from character and plot development to using concrete details and the five senses to tell a story. We’ve been having a great time! Here are some teasers...

From: Describe a setting with the five senses.

In the woods

The woods smelled of bark. The sun shone through the trees. Birds chirped and flew from tree to tree. Squirrels ran among the leaves on the ground and ran from branch to branch. A small creek twisted between trees. Freshly fallen leaves flowed down the stream. A woodpecker pecked at a tree. Slick wet rocks poked above the water.

-Phoebe

From: A free write with the prompt “This is one story I’ve never told anyone.” 

Bang! Thunder crashed outside the house. The house shook as if made of paper. The foundation rattled and creaked. It didn’t sound like the old place could sustain anymore wear. Drip. Drip. Drip, drop, drip. Drip, drop, drip, drop. There was a leak directly above my bed. I rolled over and tried to sleep but I couldn’t.

-Calla

From: A free write with the prompt “I thought it was just a glitch in my computer...” 

I thought it was just a glitch in my computer. But that was yesterday, before I discovered that I was in a newspaper that said I was the most wanted man in the world. I went downstairs to talk to my parents, when they shrieked and called 9-1-1. I said, ‘I’m your son, not a fugitive.” They ran out of the house. What had I done?

-Rohan

From: How to organize a mystery around "Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?" using the prompt “It was missing.” 

Leah Weavin Mysteries Book 2 The Clue in the Note-Clock-Private-Book 

The mysterious object started floating in the air. Nobody knew what it was except me. I knew it was a note-clock-private-book. That is a notebook with a built-in automatic clock and a fold out thingy so you can write privately. People from all around town were gathering to see it. I’m Leah. Leah Weavin. I called my two best friends, Jane and Derik. I told them where I was and that they needed to get over here.

-Maria

From: Change or add a twist ending to a common fairytale. 

Little Blue Riding Hood

One sunny morning Little Blue Riding went skipping through the forest all the way to her grampa’s house. On the way there she met a sly mean looking fox that acted suspiciously nice to her. Little Bue Riding Hood ran away from the fox as fast as her dainty legs could carry her. Once she arrived she quickly tossed the wine bottle to her grampa and was halfway out the door when she noticed something very weird about her grandpa. She rushed back inside.

-Helena

From: Describe a setting using the five senses. 

In a damp bright place that smells like rain and dew, that has birds that chirp so soft. Your mouth is dry and sticky. You see trees and vines and really pretty flowers. You touch the flowers. They feel really soft and silky, practically perfect.

 -Olivia

From: A suspenseful mystery

There he was the evil scientist, James P. Beciss. When I went in, I saw my six friends in clear glass tubes in animal form.

"Oh my," I said.

"I knew you would come!" said James and he put his hand out and pulled me in to his black scarred hands." (To be continued...)

-Mingxin