Summer camps for 2020 have finished. Check back here or sign up for our newsletter to learn when we announce our 2021 lineup!
Austin Bat Cave hosts a number of free, half-day creative writing summer camps all over the city.
Summer camps explore genres like Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Poetry Writing, Horror Writing, Magical Realism, and more. Whatever your interests, we have a camp for you!
For the young writer who craves a deeper intensive and wants to discover their writing community, our week-long Overnight Writing Retreat for Young Authors at St. Edward’s University is the perfect getaway. Scholarships for eligible students are available.
Half-Day Summer Camps
Our 2020 summer camps are complete. Stay tuned for our 2021 camps!
6th – 10th Grade
Post-Apocalyptic
July 9th – July 13th
1pm–4pm
Zoom interface
Get ready to explore a post-apocalyptic Austin! This camp is for kids ages 11-14 who want to write apocalyptic, dystopian, or futuristic fiction (Think Hunger Games. Think Divergent. Think Uglies). Campers will re-imagine their city and neighborhoods in post-apocalyptic terms and bringing these worlds to life on the page. Guest speakers will provide information about futuristic energy, food, governments, and technology. Over the course of the workshop, students will complete one short story and do a public reading.
5th – 9th Grade
Dungeons & Dragons Writing Camp
Friday July 20th–24th
1pm–3pm each day
Zoom interface
In this camp, students will create a fantasy character, designing everything from their physical traits to their backstory. Campers will work together in small groups to solve problems, defeat monsters, and save the day as they discover their stories and keep a journal of their daily adventures.
6th – 10th Grade
Screenwriting Camp
Friday July 20th–24th
1pm–3pm each day
Zoom interface
Have an idea for a TV show or movie? This camp is for aspiring screenwriters and directors. We’ll learn the elements of a good pitch, how to write a logline, what goes into a beat sheet, and how to begin writing your first script. The camp will make time for brainstorming in small groups and writing. Students will get a chance to try out their pitch on a Hollywood producer on the last day of camp.
Overnight Retreat
Stay tuned for our 2021 retreat.
6th – 9th Grade
2020 Summer Writing Retreat for Young Authors
July 13th — 17th, 2020
St. Edward’s University
Join Austin Bat Cave for our week-long overnight writer’s retreat dedicated to fiction, poetry, and autobiographical storytelling. Perfect for young authors who want to immerse themselves in their craft! Campers will engage in daily creative writing workshops taught by local Austin writers, guest speakers, and educators, all while experiencing the lifestyle of a university campus. Past ABC instructors and guest speakers have included Karen Russell, Natalia Sylvester, and Carrie Johnson, Naomi Shihab Nye, and more!
Our interactive workshops will encourage students to delve into their imaginations while learning forms and structures of literary genres and subgenres. As students develop poems and stories, they will learn to critique and receive feedback, edit and revise, working closely with instructors and fellow campers to develop pieces they are proud to share and publish. As a culminating project, students will work together to prepare for a public reading (parents invited!) on the final evening of camp!
Following a full day of writing, students will spend evenings engaging in art and leisure activities guided by camp counselors, along with team-building and relationship-building games and adventures. Opportunities for one-on-one mentorship and feedback on writing will be provided each evening as well. Each camper will stay in a private, single-bed dorm room in St. Ed’s residence halls, chaperoned by program staff, and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the university cafeteria.
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