SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA—Shared Worlds, a science fiction/fantasy teen writing camp, resumes this summer in a new format—virtual.
The camp, which has taken place on the Wofford College campus since 2008, will be held July 11-17. It’s for rising eighth through 12th-graders and connects students with professional novelists to discuss the writing process. Students receive opportunities to have their writing critiqued and experience collaborating with other camp participants to write stories.
“We’re preserving the best attributes of the program and providing supervision and an inclusive environment to connect socially,” said Dr. Tim Schmitz, Wofford’s director of summer programs, a professor of history and associate provost for administration.
Camp participants are divided into creative groups that collaborate to tell stories while engaging in “world building.” The exercises allow students to hone compromising and negotiating skills while imagining a shared setting for their individual stories.
“I’m curious to see what sorts of worlds the kids design this year after experiencing all the changes to their lives caused by the global pandemic,” Schmitz said of this year’s campers after Shared Worlds didn’t take place last summer.
Tuition for Shared Worlds is $1,000. Students can register or get more information about the camp at sharedworldscamp.com. A few spots remain open, and the program will place applicants on a waiting list if the program fills.
“Ideal candidates are students who love to read speculative fiction and are interested in becoming better writers and meeting other kids who share their interests,” Schmitz said.
The camp often draws students from around the United States and internationally. This year’s participants include students from Chicago, Ontario and China. Shared Worlds has been featured in The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post.
The program plans to resume with an in-person camp on Wofford’s campus in the summer of 2022.