Hello, Young Writers out there!
Kids all across the country love to get lost in a world that they create in their own mind and try to articulate that world from their imagination into written words to tell the story that they imagine happening within this make-believe world that they created. Creative Writing and the fun of fictional storytelling is a calling for tons of kids including yours truly—in fact, my summer camp experience was at a Creative Writing Camp when I was little!
Everyone knows that writing has its benefits. But what exactly are they? How does reading help sharpen our minds? Take a look at these four points about the health that reading provides and see what you can expect to get out of the experience if you want to participate at camp.
Sharpened Imagination
From world-building to character development, Creative Writing is all about drawing up outlines of your story and going down potential avenues for storylines to take—plot twists that work together with the story that’s been unraveled. And that’s just the beginning. Decisions must be made about whose perspective to tell the story from, when to reveal information about the story, how things will wind up. Crafting a story stretches your imagination and works your creative muscle!
Being able to express yourself always feels good—especially when you’re able to do in a work of art that other people connect with. Our stories can say so much about us (not in words necessarily but just in the simple fact that we choose to write the stories that we do). Being able to express yourself in a way that’s beyond words is a very freeing experience and builds our self-assurance!
Increased EmpathyWhen you allow yourself to get lost in your own works of fiction, you build your ability to relate to others. In our fictional stories, we relate to our characters by the feelings and problems that the story makes them face. Caring about others transforms you into a more understanding and compassionate person. If you can relate to somebody you entirely made up, you can relate to anybody!
If you’re passionate about Creative Writing, then I recommend you find a summer camp that offers it as an activity to boost your techniques and skills with the written word. If you already have a camp in mind, call them up to ask about their Creative Writing program. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!
- John