The workshops have been running for 2 years and continue to go from strength to strength.  Young Writers' Workshops is the only writing 'club' for children in Mid-Sussex. 

  Aims and hopes     

      The workshops aim to provide children with a safe place to write, space to be creative and the chance to make new friends. We write poetry, short stories, T.V. scripts, long stories, films, plays, jokes, riddles. You name it: we write it. One student's just suggested cartoons so we'll be trying some graphic story writing soon. There's no set curriculum. We plan work according to the needs and interests of staff and children. If we have an idea, we can follow it up.  Creative freedom! 

               The teacher writes too and this helps encourage openness and co-operation. Students learn to have confidence in their own ideas. We hope to help children enjoy writing and fulfil their potential, whatever their ability.

              The atmosphere at the workshops is fun and supportive. Children are expected to respect staff and other young writers. They are given feedback about their work in a positive and constructive manner.

                   Co-operation  and social skills are encouraged through language games, drama and co-operative projects.

               The emphasis in the workshops is on the process of writing rather than the finished product. All children are encouraged to develop their own unique 'writer's voice' and to write freely without fear of failure.

              As children mature and gain in confidence, they are given new challenges. In the past year, we have had some success in competitions and published children's work in local magazines. We have also 'performed' work for parents where appropriate.It's all about making sure that each child gains as much as possible from their YWW experience and celebrating the children's incredible energy, hard work and enthusiasm. Students are proud to be members of YWW - even those who are initially reluctant.

This website will also provide opportunities for children to experiment with supervised online publishing. I have recently raised the upper age limit as the possibilities for older students are far-reaching.