What is the Wofford Shared Worlds Creative Writing Experience?
Shared Worlds is an innovative, two-week, residential interdisciplinary program that will run will run from Sunday, July 19, through Saturday, August 1, 2009.
The program, which will feature authors, artists, designers, and scientists, will center on the fictional "shared worlds" participating students create. To build these worlds, participants will have overview classes in many disciplines, including history, religion, and science - many taught by Wofford College professors and instructors, and professionals in the fields of writing and art.
All classes will emphasize problem solving, collaborative learning, and experiential learning. Each group of about a dozen students will apply their created shared world to works of fiction and art. The groups will be exposed to and be able to choose from several speculative fiction genres, including science fiction and fantasy.
Who is eligible to participate?
Rising 8th through rising 12th grade students are invited to register.
Is there a GPA requirement?
All scholars who attend must have achieved a B+ average or above or have an interest in creative writing.How many students will be accepted?
The Wofford Shared Worlds Creative Writing Experience will admit approximately 36-48 students.What does tuition cover?
The tuition includes shared dorms and all meals, as well as instruction, speakers, program materials, supervisory personnel, and all activities throughout the two-week program.Where will students stay?
Students will live in college dorms on the historic campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. The 178-acre campus is recognized as a national arboretum and several of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.News Updates
8/20/08 -- Holly Black is coming to Shared Worlds! The co-creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles has agreed to work with Shared Worlds 2009 as a visiting author!
8/11/08 -- boingboing features a video of Shared Worlds
8/10/08 -- Shared Worlds, Stephanie Meyer, and and Alien Babies on Amazon's Omnivoracious blog.
8/10/08 -- Jeff Vandermeer blogs about Shared Worlds on Tor.com.
8/6/08 -- Shared Worlds 2009! Stay tuned for next summer's creative writing experience like no other! Wofford College will release program dates and details in the next few weeks.
7/29/08 -- sfsignal.com dedicates another Mind Meld to help the Shared Worlds campers complete their world building projects. Contributing authors tell Shared Worlds students which sci-fi/fantasy story is their favorite example of worldbuilding.
7/23/08 -- sfsignal.com features Shared Worlds in a Mind Meld where numerous authors answer the question: What do your readers seem to most appreciate about the worlds you create, and does it usually match up to the elements you had the most fun creating?
6/2/2006 -- Shared Worlds included on io9 website: Mad Pedagogy: Cool Creative Writing Program for Teens Who Want to Build Imaginary Worlds