Our Summer Writing Program: Joy, Friendship, and Inspiration.

As this summer’s sun-kissed days near their end, I Am Aria wanted to share a bit about our remarkable summer internship program that is just coming to a close. The program did not disappoint as participants not only discovered the magic of words but also uncovered just what it takes to get a story to the finish line of being published.

That’s right! This summer our young authors are getting published in an anthology of their stories that we hope to have ready in just a few short months! And just like the great stories of our summer participants, we had the most delightful plot twist in one of our sessions; an exceptional surprise guest!

This being the fourth year of the Summer Writing Internship Program sponsored by I Am Aria, we decided to shake things up by creating a specific focus for the work of our youth authors. Students were given a theme: Friendship gets us through good times and bad. They could then take that theme in any direction they wanted. We had stories that were fantasy, dystopian, and realistic. We had several poems, and even a historical fiction piece centered around King Edward VI of England. The avenue they took was entirely up to each of them, as long as the theme of friendship was conveyed through their story.

We hoped that furthering the process would validate the efforts of these youth authors while boosting their confidence and encouraging them to continue writing. We wanted to provide them with a tangible achievement and a sense of accomplishment, while also fostering a deeper appreciation for the publishing process.

Now, for that special guest plot twist! About a year ago, L.B. Anne, author and founder of I Am Aria, had the privilege of meeting a certain renowned author known for his captivating children's horror series, "Goosebumps." Yes, none other than Mr. R.L. Stine! About midway through the summer program, Ms. Anne reached out to Mr. Stine hoping he might consider joining in one of our sessions via Zoom to talk with our budding authors about his work. We were incredibly honored and excited when he accepted the invitation. Can you imagine the faces of the kids when the R.L. Stine appeared on our Zoom screen? It was a very special session that night as he delighted us all with his humor, insights, and stories about his journey to becoming the unequivocal author he is today. Such an invaluable experience for our aspiring authors to receive his unique perspective on the craft of storytelling!

Special thanks to our weekly guest speakers. Author Moriah Chavis, Brudders Books, fourteen-year-old published author, Zandria Bastain, and Editor Michaela Bush.

In just a few short weeks, the stories will be polished and ready for publishing in our anthology; Tales of Friendship. The Summer Writing Internship Program is so proud of the dedication and work of our youth authors this summer. We hope that each of them will continue to grow as writers and be inspired to continue their creative adventures!