[ fiction ]

Teens Writing Teens: Coming-of-Age Fiction for High Schoolers, with Veronica Ciastko

  • 4 weeks long = $320 total / person

  • meets thursdays from 7-9pm eastern time

  • virtual (Zoom + Google Docs)

Coming-of-age fiction documents all the complexities of growing up, and who better to write it than the very people who are currently coming of age — teens! In this workshop, we will study fiction from renowned authors whose work centers on the experience of growing up (including Karen Russell, Jonathan Lethem, and Emma Cline) in order to learn about techniques of strong writing and engaging storytelling. Then, we will write. Students will be encouraged to mine their own lives for detail and narrative, and will walk away from this workshop with a highly polished piece of writing under their belt — not to mention a confidence boost for the years of writing ahead!

  • Veronica is an experienced educator, writer, comics-artist, and horticulturist. She has worked with students of all ages, from first graders to Ph.D. candidates, and is passionate about helping her students communicate clearly and effectively through writing.

    Veronica’s teaching experience began with AmeriCorps’ City Year program, where she served sixth graders in a low-income literacy classroom. Following this experience, Veronica continued to serve students often left behind in traditional educational settings. She taught both academic and creative writing with the Boys and Girls Club, the Writer’s Exchange, and Stratford Academy. In each of these roles, Veronica honed her skills for building strong relationships with students and teaching effectively.

    Veronica attended college at the University of British Columbia, where she was the recipient of the International Leader of Tomorrow Award, a prestigious scholarship that fully funded her degree and honored her skills in leadership and community service. At UBC, Veronica studied Education and Creative Writing. She was honored with the TREK Excellence Award for graduating at the top of her class and the Grant McWhirter Poetry Prize for excellence in the Creative Writing program. While at UBC, Veronica also worked as a Writing Peer with the Center for Writing and Scholarly Communication, where she coached college-age students writing across a wide array of disciplines. She loves one-on-one coaching (with both kids and adults!) because she loves when students can critically engage with their own work and recognize their own genius.

    In her free time, Veronica is writing a novel about the Midwest, earning a certificate in horticulture through the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, and making comics on Instagram.