For those looking to sharpen their skills and find a writing community. Summer writing programs are the way to go. Last summer I went to the Emerging Writers Institute and it was a rewarding experience. I had the chance to experience college life by staying in the dorms (I was at UCLA, one of my dream schools). It’s silly but one of the things I distinctly remember was the cafeteria. Yes, I know what you're thinking, “the cafeteria? A whole campus and that’s what you remember.” I know but this wasn’t some rinky dink mystery meat school cafeteria. UCLA’s cafeteria was giant. There was every food available (and for a foodie like me that’s important). More than that though there was a sort of hustle and bustle to it all. Different people from different places all moving about. It was exciting. Like I was one of them, a college student! Really it was the hub of the campus. I also met two great friends of mine, Avy and Sage. They were just as excited to be there as me and though we wrote in different genres we shared a love of writing. We were able to help each other by editing and brainstorming. Even now that we’re all back home we text all the time and continue to write together. 

Part of the experience is meeting new people and personalities but one thing did surprise me. I just expected that anyone going to a writing program would be interested in writing. WRONGO. Almost half the class had been forced to come by their parents who wanted them to  better themselves or to get them out of the house. So here I was totally fangirling, barely containing myself and I literally saw someone asleep next to me. It was a little annoying. I was all excited and there they were sitting there complaining. But you know you can’t control others so I didn’t let it get under my skin. 

As for the instructor I had a great one named Patrick. He was very patient and seemed knowledgeable. I was in a fairly small group so I got a lot of one on one time. We analyzed different writing skills and he mostly helped us through our different stories. The objective was to finish a couple page piece and then present it in front of the parents on the last day of class. With my piece I had trouble choosing and wrote three then chose one. It paid off because later on I was able to publish it. The presentation was informal but still I was a bit nervous. My classmates had written these long essays on serious topics, tragedies, and romances while mine was a short comedy. But after that presentation I learned something. I learned to feel the audience. I had never felt prouder than when I began to hear the chuckles and laughter (there’s nothing better than making people laugh). Most of all I learned to take pride in my work. I’m glad I chose to pick the piece that felt right rather than go with the crowd and create something that I didn’t really care about.
If you're interested in attending or just want to learn more about Emerging writers institute here’s a link: https://www.educationunlimited.com/camp-sessions/display/camp/emerging-writers-institute-7-9.  The program I attended was for rising 7 to 9th graders but there’s also the high school version for anyone interested.