For Young People

How to Be a Writer

HOW TO BE A BOOK DRAGON

Why is writing so hard? You know what you want to say, but when you try to write down your ideas, your brain starts to hurt. Maybe you've been staring at a blank page for so long that you begin to doze off. Or perhaps you've been toiling away, trying to capture your idea, only to realize your paragraph seems horribly dull. Most writers wrestle with these issues but learn ways to make the writing process less painful. Join the class to pick up a few tricks of the trade, so you too don't have to suffer (as much).

Working with both fiction and non-fiction texts, you learn how to take notes, make outlines, give presentations, craft clear sentences, compose focused paragraphs, draft stories and essays, and edit assignments. The next time you are faced with a writing assignment, you'll know the little steps you need to take for the task to be much more manageable.

As you master new tools, you first practice together with the whole class. Only when you feel confident, you start working independently. If you suddenly feel stuck or frustrated, we will work through the confusion together.

This class is based on the method from the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) where I am an accredited instructor.

HOW TO BE A BOOK DRAGON

Have you ever wondered how writers weave their stories? Is there a secret formula that all stories share? Do writers bury clues so curious and clever readers can uncover what lies beneath the surface of their story?

During class, we explore these questions. You learn how to think about literature and how to engage in the “Great Conversation” that has inspired writers, readers, and philosophers for millennia to ponder what it means to be human and what makes a good life. What gives us purpose and meaning? We engage with challenging ideas to figure out where we stand and what we believe.

You also learn to recognise and analyse story elements, literary devices, symbols, themes, character archetypes, and plot structure. This class was previously called Crash Course in Literature Analysis, but the name evolved.

We're not practicing to be bookworms – we are training to be book dragons!

Classes Starting in September

How to Be a Writer + Book Dragon

This class combines two classes: How to Be a Writer and How to Be a Book Dragon.

See above for class descriptions.

Where: Online

When: Wednesdays, 1-2 pm

Who: Teens

How to Be a Writer

See above for class description.

Where: American School of the Hague - Rijksstraatweg 200, Wassenaar

When: Tuesdays, 4-5 pm

Who: Middle School, Ages 10-14

How To Be a Writer: For Kids

Have you ever had a nightmare where the only way to save the planet from total destruction was to speedily write a report? No? Well, I'm sorry to have put such a thought in your head. But in case this sort of situation arises in real life, you might want to enroll in this potentially planet-saving class.

During our time together, you will write short stories and mini-reports. Learning how to take notes, make outlines, craft clear sentences, compose focused paragraphs, and edit assignments, you will surely be doing everything in your power to prevent a catastrophe from befalling our world.

As you acquire new skills, you will first practice them together with the whole class. Only when you feel confident will you start independently writing your weekly assignment. If you suddenly feel stuck or frustrated, we will work through the confusion together.

After finishing the course, you might even want to form a superhero team called "The League of Extraordinary Writers," tasked with saving humanity.

Warning: This class has homework. It’s not much because we start every assignment in class, but still… Homework. Therefore, it's probably best if we just thought of homework as superhero training. Also, the infamous excuse, “The dog ate my assignment,” will only be accepted once.

Where: American School of the Hague - Rijksstraatweg 200, Wassenaar

When: Tuesdays, 4-5 pm

Who: Upper Elementary, Ages 8-10

Custom Classes

Past classes include:

How to Be a Writer: For Kids

How to Be a Book Dragon – Leveled Up

StoryWriters' Workshop

Tumbleweed Writers' Workshop

Crash Course in Public Speaking

How to Write an Essay

Class descriptions sent on request.

Writing + Reading Coach/Tutoring

For help with reading, writing, researching, and presenting.

Tuition:

One-on-one: 30 minutes, €25

Small group: 1 hour, €25

Available in Leiden or online, Central European Standard Time (CET)

Leiden Location: BplusC Bibliotheek (Library)

Nieuwstraat 4, 2312 KB

Closest parking: Hoogvliet supermarket, Kaardesteeg 11, 2311 KN From there, it's about a five-minute walk to the library.