“First things first I’m a Realist.”

No. Like seriously, I write nonfiction. #writerjokes

If there were to be a place at my moment in life as of right now where you’d describe “Utopian”   (I’d say utopian if the bathrooms weren’t as sketchy or better WiFi) happy  place the Young Writers Workshop, I am currently at, would be it.

The girl in the dorm next to me? She’s my age & has published two (soon to be three) books. (I’ll totally talk a ton about her later, her slam poetry: unbelievable). The two girls I sat next to during writing exercises? One has a secret fairly famous typography Instagram which I’ve seen a few popping around Tumblr. The other is incredibly genuine with a oddly soothing reading voice (it’s a thing ok?). Or the incredibly enthusiastic ginger? She’s cool.

My #hipsterchic room mate who has terrible writers block late at night, currently reading me her zombie apocalypse romance? Yes, her, she’s two years older than me but we weirdly click. Some have nicknamed us: “The Prepster & The Hipster”, if that doesn’t sound like a bad Disney sitcom, I don’t know what does. Lastly, Gene, the guy with a mustache, in charge of the chips & cookies at the dining hall? He’s the man.

All 45 of us teen writers at Young Writers Workshop (at a fairly local college) have energy feeding off one and other. Something I never felt 24/7 at school was the same passion I had to “become better”, which is what these people are here for. We’re all here to challenge ourselves as fairly dedicated writers and frankly we’ve all done some kick-butt stuff. It’s a place where yes not everyone gets along perfectly but we’re passionate, some handle criticism better than others.

Here, I don’t have to worry about that “Hannah Montana wig” that I’ve put over myself in the “real world”. There’s none of the “Nobody in real life, Somebody on the Internet”, because here I can be that “Somebody” everyday. It’s a judgement free zone where the moments of “cliche teenage girl discovery” are cool. I’m able to talk about social media/blogging/journalism nonchalantly, not worrying about teenage girls ulterior motives.

This is the place where putting book quotes in your Instagram bio is cool, where we can geek out about slam poetry (a new obsession), where no one judges you for the amount of cookies you’ve eaten. Everyone has a story & everyone wants to write it no matter who they are.

I could go on & on about this which you all will probably hear…#getexcited.

xoxo

Maggie