A semester-long online class for ages 11-14

Intermediate Middle School
Creative Writing

This course is a thoughtful, imagination-fueled next step for middle schoolers who are ready to level up their storytelling skills.

With weekly lessons on subtext, character growth, pacing, voice, and more, students dive deeper into the craft of writing while creating original scenes and stories. The focus? Bold creativity, not boring formulaic writing.

Class Details

Your child can become a confident, creative storyteller— this class will show them how!

  • Ages: 11–14

  • Length: 12 weeks

  • Time Commitment: ~1–2 hours/week

  • Format: Asynchronous online course

  • Cost: $357

  • Start Date: Fall Semester runs September 8, 2025-November 30, 2025

What’s covered in class:

Each week includes:

  • A focused mini-lesson on a deeper storytelling technique

  • A guided activity to explore examples and spark ideas

  • A creative writing prompt (fully individual—no peer editing required!)

  • Personalized teacher feedback to help students grow

Over 12 weeks, students will:

  • Deepen their understanding of scene structure, conflict, and subtext

  • Create multi-layered characters and emotional arcs

  • Use setting and voice to shape tone and meaning

  • Experiment with pacing, openings, and revision strategies

  • Complete a polished short story that reflects advanced storytelling skills!

Who it’s for:

This class is a perfect fit for:

  • Middle schoolers (typically ages 11–14) ready for the next creative writing challenge

  • Writers who already understand story basics and want to go deeper

  • Students eager to explore more advanced concepts like subtext, pacing, and character arcs

  • Kids who enjoy working independently and benefit from thoughtful, personalized feedback

Perfect for graduates of our beginner class—or anyone with some writing experience under their belt!

How it works

Log in to our Google Classroom each week to read a short, friendly lesson on a key writing skill (like character, dialogue, or theme).

  1. Do a quick, creative activity to explore that skill.

  2. Write your story with help from a fun, focused prompt.

  3. Get encouraging feedback from a real author who’s on your side.

By the end of 12 weeks, your child will have written several short pieces and one polished final story—and they'll want to keep writing.

And hey— does your learner need some face to face time each week, or extra support with a lesson? No problem! The teacher offers Zoom office hours once weekly, where students can drop in to chat in person.

What parents are saying about WordPlay…

  • “This is an absolutely fantastic class. My daughter is a very reluctant writer - until we found this class! She loves this class and is always is so excited to show me her writings after class."

    Celine G.

  • “This was a fantastic class. My son had a great time, and it challenged him to make strong progress from week to week. He's had Jackson as an instructor for other classes for quite some time, and the quality of the instruction is top notch. Highly recommend!"

    Kathryn W.

  • "My teen has taken many WordPlay Writing Co. classes and has always had positive experiences. In this class, he finds Saundra's feedback to be helpful and describes her as kind and inclusive."

    Sabrina P.

  • "You can’t go wrong with a Jackson Pearce-led class. I have zero doubts that Ms. Pearce has helped my child go from a kid who LOVED reading, but HATED writing to a kid who now finds writing to be a need."

    Janet C.

  • "Saundra Mitchell has been an incredible teacher for my children. She’s patient, supportive, and always brings such a positive energy to her classes. My kids said she was very enthusiastic—they felt truly encouraged and motivated to keep improving their writing."

    Pamela G.

Weekly Schedule

Week one:
Scene Purpose & Conflict
Students learn how strong scenes serve the story by advancing plot, deepening theme, or revealing character—and practice writing their own conflict-driven scene.

Week two:
Internal vs. External Conflict
This week explores the difference between emotional and physical challenges, helping students craft scenes where characters wrestle with both kinds of conflict at once.

Week three:
Dialogue That Builds Character
Students study how dialogue reveals personality and relationships, then write a conversation that shows admiration and hidden tension.

Week four:
Subtext in Dialogue
Writers practice crafting dialogue where characters say one thing but mean another—introducing the power of subtlety and unspoken emotion.

Week five:
Setting That Feels Alive
This week focuses on turning setting into a storytelling tool, helping students write scenes where the environment supports mood and meaning.

Week six:
Mood Through Setting
Students learn to shift how a place feels based on tone and emotion, practicing how to reflect or contrast a character’s feelings with the world around them.

Week seven:
Static vs. Dynamic Characters
Writers explore what it means for a character to grow—or not—and brainstorm changes that feel real and meaningful across a story.

Week eight:
Showing Character Growth
Students show a character’s transformation through action, learning how belief and behavior evolve over time.

Week nine:
Using Voice
This week dives into narrative voice, guiding students to experiment with tone, personality, and point of view in their storytelling.

Week ten:
Story Openings
Writers analyze strong openings and create their own, learning how to hook readers with mood, conflict, and compelling first lines.

Week eleven:
Pacing Techniques
Students explore how to speed up or slow down a scene, using tension and timing to shape how a story feels to the reader.

Week twelve:
Final Story Project
In this culminating week, writers expand a past assignment into a polished short story, applying several techniques from earlier lessons.

Plus, access to weekly teacher office hours, where the teacher is available to meet with your child live via Zoom for additional support!

Ready to write?

Click below to enroll for Fall 2025 in the Intermediate Middle School Creative Writing class—your writer’s next adventure starts here!