Young Writers Wanted for Conference at St. Matthew's Parish School

Calling all young aspiring writers!

St. Matthew's Parish School hosts its first Young Writers' Conference this weekend, and it's open to all third through sixth graders interested in learning writing techniques from professional writers. It begins Saturday, Nov. 3 at 8 a.m. and includes a keynote address, three workshops, a conference T-shirt and all writing materials.

Click here for the cost and event details.

According to Michelle Clark of St. Matthew's School, they have many students signed up for Saturday but want the greater Pacific Palisades community to know about the opportunity for their student. 

The Redondo Beach-based program has conducted annual conferences at schools for years and it sees the same students for several years in a row, according to Young Writers' Conference spokesperson Beth Hinckley.

"They are always so excited to see us again, to see the writers they have worked with before," she said. "And they often bring in pieces they have been working on for us to read. They see us as a partner.

Hinckley said a major piece of the mission of the Youth Writers' Conference is to instill the passion for writing and self expression in young people.

"Our experience has shown that if there is that passion — that interest in writing — when a young person realized that they have something to say, then they will want to learn more about the process," she said. "We don't start with the rules of writing. We start with the joy."

Saturday's conference includes a keynote address from New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale, as well as two workshops with accomplished writer/producer/performer Louise Palanker and Torrance Unified School District English/language arts teacher David Robertson. Palanker hosts "Expressive and Creative Journaling" and Robertson hosts "Building Character - A Picture Says a Thousand Words" in the conference. 

Hinckley said they developed the model of bringing in professional writers to lead the workshops to show students that writing is part of life and an important part of many careers.

"Young people have so many great ideas and are so creative and full of imagination," she said. "We want to excite them by having professionals show them the 'tricks of the trade.'"  

For more information on Young Writers' Conference, visit their website.