We empower young people to write their own stories. 

An exciting, challenging, and supportive community where young authors thrive

Based in Washington Heights, Uptown Stories offers after-school, weekend, and summer creative writing workshops for children ages 8-18, led by rockstar teachers, who are also professional authors and artists.

Students learn the art and craft of writing, how to revise their work, and how to give and receive constructive feedback. Each workshop ends with a celebratory reading at the Word Up Bookshop in Washington Heights, and the publication of a paperback anthology, so every student leaves our program as a published author.

To ensure our program is accessible to our ethnically and economically diverse community, our tuition is “Pay-What-You-Can.” Uptown Stories creates an exciting, challenging, and supportive community where young authors thrive.

Why Creative Writing?

We believe that writing is an essential tool for:

Developing
Communication Skills

Creative writing helps young people develop their communication skills.
By learning to express their thoughts and ideas in writing, they become better able to articulate their ideas verbally, which is beneficial in all areas of life.

Stimulating Imagination

Creative writing encourages young people to use their imaginations and think creatively. This helps them become more innovative and adaptable in their thinking, which is useful in many different contexts, from problem-solving  to artistic expression.

Enhancing
Self-Expression

Creative writing provides young people with a medium for self-expression. This can be especially important for those who struggle with expressing themselves verbally or who may feel misunderstood or marginalized in other areas of their lives.

Building Confidence

As young people develop their creative writing skills and see their work improve, they gain confidence in their abilities. This translates to other areas of their lives, such as academics or social situations, where confidence and self-assuredness can be valuable assets.

Promoting
Critical Thinking

Writing creatively requires young people to think critically and analyze their own work. This helps them develop their critical thinking skills, which is needed in a wide range of academic and professional pursuits.

Writing used to be something that was just work; something we have to do at school. However, now it's a way for me to express different things, and it's much more enjoyable now that there is a place where everyone has the same passion for writing that I do.

Anna

Student

My daughter’s writing has improved tremendously. She loves writing now. She can sit for hours and let her imagination fly.

Annie

Parent

I really appreciate the fact that every every student has a voice in their class. They trust each other and they listen to each other. All of this is happening because Uptown Stories has created a community of learners where everyone learns from each other.

Nina

Parent

When it's Monday, I'm so excited for class to start! Favorite time of the week! Uptown Stories made me like writing even more.

Tallulah

Student

Uptown Stories has helped me come out of my shell and explore my imagination. My writing has become more complex and descriptive over the years. It is helpful and fun to anyone who is interested in writing or not!

Kayla

Student

Thanks to [Uptown Stories], a passing interest has become a passion.

Gerry

Parent

Being able to expand my mind in a loving and supportive environment has shaped my mind in so many wonderful ways, and I'm eternally grateful for it. I've come a long way, and it's all thanks to the community at Uptown Stories.

Susannah

Student

I love the teachers, love the community, have made SO many new friends. I feel like I can express myself through writing, and I couldn’t do that before. Everyone should be a part of Uptown Stories!

Isabella

Student

Ready to Join a Workshop?

Poetry at The Met Cloisters

Want to spend time with unicorns, jewels, tombs, and all things medieval? Ever look at a painting and find yourself spinning an epic story behind it? If that’s you, join us in our Poetry at The Met Cloisters workshop! In this special workshop in collaboration with the Met Cloisters, we’ll be creating our own ekphrastic poetry. This big word is simpler than it looks. Ekphrastic means “description” in Greek, and so our ekphrastic poetry will be vivid descriptions of paintings, statues, tapestries, and other works of art at this iconic site. Every week we’ll make our way through the park to The Met Cloisters, taking in our surroundings, sketching, looking closely at art, and expressing all it sparks in our imaginations through writing. The class will end with a super exciting reading at The Met Cloisters!

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Drawing a Map of Me

In this 4-week workshop, we’ll design amazing maps that tell our own unique, personal stories. These aren’t just any old neighborhood maps – they are the key to who you are. Through painting, collage, drawing, and writing, you’ll merge your favorite places, memories, and daily routes into a layered visual story of what makes you, you.

Inspired by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and other artists who use maps to explore identity, we’ll turn maps of New York City into expressive, narrated self-portraits. At the end of the workshop, our maps will collectively show us just how many stories, cultures, and memories shape our community.

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Fairytales, Myths, & Fables

If you like fairies and monsters, epic battles and poisoned apples, there is no doubt you will LOVE Fairytales, Myths, and Fables. We're unraveling the stories we all know, learning about their origins, alt versions, and why they seem to have everlasting staying power in readers' minds.

We'll write our own original or adapted magical tales, add to spine-tingling myths, and put a new twist on fantastical fables. If you want to live happily ever after, this is the workshop for you!

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