An Elite Creative Writing Course For High School Students
From the creators of The Author Conservatory & The Young Writer's Workshop
(Only 20 slots remaining for 2025-26)
FROM THE CREATORS OF RESOURCES LIKE:
Feeling Stuck With Your Writing?
As a serious high school writer, there are a few problems staring you in the face. And they won't go away by ignoring them.
1. You're not sure what comes next.
You've been writing for awhile and you're pretty good. You've outgrown most high school creative writing classes, but you don't feel ready to jump straight into publishing novels.
2. You don't get regular feedback.
Your friends and family think your writing is great, but you've never had regular feedback and you know there are higher levels you could reach with the right support.
3. You wonder if you're good enough.
You'd like some outside confirmation that you're actually good at this writing thing, but the idea of entering contests or even figuring out which contests are legitimate is intimidating.
What you need is...
- High-level craft training
- In-depth personal feedback
- Opportunities to publish your writing
- Curated writing contests & award programs
Introducing The Honors Academy...
Craft powerful short stories you can submit for publication and enter into reputable writing contests & award programs.
Writing short stories has long been one of the best ways to develop as a young writer and break into the world of publishing.
Short stories...
- Force you to make every word count, elevating your craft
- Are great for practicing story structure and complete storytelling
- Are ideal for receiving professional feedback (without breaking the bank)
- Allow for faster experimentation and discovery of who you are as a writer
- Provide more immediate publication opportunities than novel-writing
- Are eligible for additional writing contests and award programs
“A short story is the perfect place to begin your writing career. The biggest mistake you could make as a new writer would be to start your career with a novel. You'll progress much faster if you start with short stories.”
— JERRY JENKINS, "How To Write A Short Story"
What You'll Do In This Program
Craft Short Fiction
Hone your craft with what Truman Capote called "the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing."
Get In-Depth Feedback
Receive live training and in-depth feedback every week to help you become a stronger writer.
Submit To Contests
Submit polished work into reputable contests, giving you chances to earn recognition and even scholarships.
In-Depth Training & Feedback
Each Honors Academy student will study under a Head Instructor who teaches weekly lessons, oversees the class, and grades their assignments. They will also be assigned a Junior Instructor, who provides weekly writing feedback and personal support throughout the program.
Kara Swanson Matsumoto
Program Director
Christy Award-winning author of Dust, Shadow, and Ignite — and co-founder of The Author Conservatory.
Jennifer Lindsay
Head Instructor
Head Fiction Editor for The Author Conservatory and former Managing Editor for Lamplight Publishing.
Brianna Tibbets
Junior Instructor
Author of Head Over Tails and A Knight In Battered Armor, as well as numerous short story anthologies.
Charis Rae Mace
Junior Instructor
Founding Graduate of The Author Conservatory and Assistant Instructor for Kids Write Novels.
Sarina White
Junior Instructor
Founding Graduate of The Author Conservatory and finalist in The Storyteller's 1st Page Writing Contest.
Graduate In One Year With...
- 3-5 micro fiction pieces
- 3-4 polished short stories
- A curated list of contests, programs, and publications to submit these pieces to
- A stronger grasp on the craft of storytelling
- A $1,500 scholarship to the Author Conservatory*
- 1 creative writing high school credit
* Students must complete the Honors Academy to earn the $1,500 scholarship. Completing the Honors Academy does not guarantee acceptance into the Author Conservatory, but will strengthen your application. This scholarship offer is only available for students who sign up during this inaugural enrollment period. Limited to the first 30 students.
Program Curriculum
The Young Writer Honors Academy revolves around studying, drafting, and polishing micro-fiction and short stories over the course of the school year.
Phase 1 | Sep 15, 2025 - Dec 17, 2025
In Phase 1, students are introduced to the world of Short Fiction, looking at micro-fiction, flash fiction, and the short story. They will dive into deep study of these works, using selected pieces from various classic short story and micro-fiction collections. By the end of this phase, students will have completed 3-5 micro and flash fiction stories of their own.
Phase 2 | Jan 6, 2026 - Mar 23, 2026
Phase 2 focuses on writing & polishing short stories. Building on the principles introduced in Phase 1, students will further hone their drafting and revision skills. By the end of this phase, students will have each completed 2-3 short stories.
Phase 3 | Mar 31, 2026 - Jun 2, 2026
Phase 3 focuses on helping students prepare personal projects for submission to magazines, anthologies, and award contests. Students will prepare one final short story and finalize their student portfolio, which will be composed of projects completed throughout the year.
“When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing. Whatever control and technique I may have I owe entirely to my training in this medium.”
— TRUMAN CAPOTE, author of Breakfast At Tiffany's
How Does This Work?
Fill Out An Application
Answer a few questions as part of our initial screening process.
Get Accepted
Our admissions team will let you know if this seems like a good fit.
Claim Your Spot
If you are accepted, reserve one of our 30 spots with a $250 deposit.
Only 20 Slots Remaining...
Space is very limited. Apply today to get started.
QUESTIONS?
[email protected]
FAQ
What makes this different than the Young Writer's Workshop or Author Conservatory?
The Young Writer Honors Academy is designed for high school students who need more writing support than our Workshop, but aren’t quite ready for the Author Conservatory.
Unlike the Workshop, it offers weekly live writing classes, in-depth feedback on your writing, and graded assignments -- and it is limited to only 30 students.
Unlike the Conservatory, it focuses on short stories instead of novels, doesn’t include business and marketing training, and is a high school class, not a full college-alternative.
How much time does it take?
Students should be prepared to commit to at least six hours per week. This includes roughly three hours of live interaction with instructors and three hours for completing assignments each week.
How much does the Honors Academy cost?
The Young Writer Honors Academy is $1,980 for the year.
A $250 deposit is required to reserve your spot in the program. We also offer an eight-month payment plan starting in September 2025 for $250/month.
As a special offer for the first year of the program, every student who completes the Honors Academy will also receive a $1,500 ($500/year) scholarship to the Author Conservatory, our three-year college-alternative program for career-minded writers.
Acceptance to the Author Conservatory is not guaranteed by completing the Honors Academy. Students must still apply, interview, and be accepted through the normal process.
Why are there only 30 slots available?
The Honors Academy is an elite creative writing course where students receive 3+ hours of live interaction with instructors each week. To give each student in our inaugural class the best possible experience, we are limiting the number of students we accept into this program.
In addition, students who join as Founding Members during this inaugural enrollment period will receive a $1,500 Author Conservatory scholarship upon completing the program. We can only offer a limited number of these scholarships.
What can I expect to accomplish?
Students who complete assigned coursework will graduate with:
- 3-5 micro fiction pieces
- 3-4 polished short stories
- A curated list of contests, programs, and publications to submit these pieces to
- A stronger grasp on the craft of storytelling
- A $1,500 scholarship to the Author Conservatory*
- 1 creative writing high school credit
* Students must complete the Honors Academy to earn the $1,500 scholarship. Completing the Honors Academy does not guarantee acceptance into the Author Conservatory, but will strengthen your application. This scholarship offer is only available for students who sign up during this inaugural enrollment period. Limited to the first 30 students.