Young people across the Midstate with a flair for writing — and a love for reading — are invited to MTSU’s annual Youth Writers’ Camps June 10-20 on the university’s Murfreesboro campus.

Past participants at MTSU’s annual Youth Writers Camp work on their writing projects in a quiet stairwell on campus. (file photo submitted)

Students who’ve finished fourth through 11th grades can spend two weeks learning to “read like writers” and then use their pencils and keyboards to tell stories to others with the help of the Middle Tennessee Writing Project.

The camps — one for younger children and one for teenagers — will be held at MTSU Monday through Thursday, June 10-20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day.

Registration costs are $200 for new campers and $175 for returning participants, and the deadline to register is Wednesday, May 15.

The Youth Writers’ Camps are led by local teachers with the Writing Project who encourage students to explore different writing styles and topics and work with their peers and teachers to become more confident in their own writing, organizers said.

“Campers really enjoy the opportunity to have fun with their writing,” said Dr. Ellen Donovan, director of the Middle Tennessee Writing Project and a professor of English at MTSU.

“Budding poets, novelists, comic book makers and songwriters get a chance to work on projects, try new ideas and strategies and learn the same techniques used by professional writers.”

Candie Moonshower

This year’s campers will enjoy an “Authors’ Celebration” and a special visit with Candie Moonshower, author of the award-winning novel “The Legend of Zoey.”  Each student also will receive a camp T-shirt, a writer’s notebook, a daily morning snack and a writing anthology.

Campers and parents can get more information and find a downloadable application form at www.middletnwritingproject.org/camp-info.

The Middle Tennessee Writing Project serves the greater Middle Tennessee region as one of more than 200 networked sites that form the National Writing Project, a professional development effort for teachers of kindergarten through college-aged students.

The MTWP focuses on improving writing instruction, helping teachers use writing as an effective teaching strategy in other areas, and developing teacher leadership to reform and improve education.