2026 Summer Camps and Classes
Teens Destroy Speculative Fiction
An introduction to creative writing through science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
This is a ten-day, in-person camp for teens geared toward students 13 – 18 who are interested in creative writing and learning more about writing speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, horror, etc). Participants will explore Seattle art spaces and museums as a means of inspiration while they write.
Camp hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. This is a small-group camp for up to 10 students, highly focused on individual attention and developing friendships! See the full camp schedule below.
Taught by professional author and writing instructor Tara Campbell, this camp will include readings and discussions of published work, as well as prompts and writing time for students to work on their own stories. Writing days will alternate between Hugo House as our base and field trips to art spaces throughout the city, such as the Museum of Popular Culture (MoPop), Seattle Art Museum, and others, drawing upon Seattle as a creative muse. In addition, special guest instructors will join us to discuss other industries that rely on writers!
Participants will be introduced to workshop methods for giving and receiving feedback and hone their presentation skills for a capstone reading with an audience of their peers at the end of the program.
Topics to be covered include worldbuilding, defamiliarization, science fiction, urban fantasy, the supernatural, horror, and hermit crab fiction (stories told in unusual formats like transcripts and reports). Our subject matter will range from the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of space, technological advances, and life beyond death.
