Overview

Underneath the surface, we’re all full of stories just waiting to be told. Whether your story is a sci-fi epic set in a never-before-imagined world, a detective tale full of twists and turns, or the true adventures of your real life, Write After School will help you figure out how to tell it.  Over the course of the year, students turbo-charge their writing toolkits to explore imaginary realms and unpack the stories of our daily lives.

Write After School’s two days per week — Book Club and Workshop — go together, and students get the most out of attending both! Additionally, students who enroll in both days get priority when space is limited.

Write After School: Book Club (Tuesdays): Throughout the year we explore and discuss everything from graphic novels to poetry, plus some non-book bonuses like movie clips. In small groups, we discuss plot, characters, and use of language, exploring how authors build the worlds we love to read about. Often, our reading and viewing selections will connect directly with the topics we’re writing about in the Thursday workshops, to deepen our understanding of the genre.

Write After School: Workshop (Thursdays): This year, workshop topics will include spooky stories, weird fiction, songwriting, advice and how-tos, and fantasy stories. We’ll uncover the building blocks of each genre, from descriptive language to world-building, with plenty of opportunities to go off-book and capture new ideas.  Twice a year, student authors publish their work in a bilingual chapbook they can share with friends and family.

Class Schedule

This program meets throughout the school year, and is cancelled on all days when New York City public schools are cancelled. Extended day is available! Students may arrive as early as 3:30 PM to read, work on homework, or finish 826NYC writing projects.

Registration

Write After School is a free program for students in grades 2–8 whose families meet our income qualifications, in keeping with 826NYC’s commitment to make programs available for young writers who might not otherwise have access. Students whose family income does not qualify may apply separately for our weekend classes, Write Away Workshops or Dungeons & Dragons & Writers, for a low enrollment fee.

Our current income cap for enrollment is 80% of area median income, or about $124,000/year for a family of four.

Applications for winter and spring 2025 are open — fill out this form to apply for 826NYC’s Write After School program. Questions? Email programs@826nyc.org or call 718-499-9884.