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Draft and revise an original short story in this 3-week creative writing program for middle school students at UCLA.
Course Description
A character, a problem, a detail that makes a scene feel real: a short story can grow from a small idea.
In this course your student will read short fiction and discuss podcasts to find techniques worth trying. Character, plot, setting, dialogue, point of view, voice, conflict, and metaphor all shape what a reader experiences.
Their own flash-fiction story of about 1,000 words develops through drafting and revision. They’ll try an outline, sharpen dialogue, use active verbs, and cut words that slow a scene. A one-minute pitch helps clarify the idea; humor, simile, and metaphor offer other ways to tell it.
Individual notes on a first draft guide the next changes. Students prepare their finished story to read and discuss with the class and learn where writers can submit work. There’s time to try an idea, change it, and find a voice that feels their own.
This three-week course for middle school students takes place at UCLA in Los Angeles, California. The program is developed by UCLA and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery. Residential and commuter options are available.
What You Will Do
• Read short fiction to find techniques worth trying
• Develop a character, setting, conflict, and narrative voice
• Experiment with dialogue, imagery, humor, simile, and metaphor
• Pitch your story idea in about one minute
• Draft and revise roughly 1,000 words of flash fiction
• Share your finished story for class discussion
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Use fiction techniques to develop an original story
• Revise writing for stronger verbs, clearer dialogue, and purposeful detail
• Explain how writing choices shape a reader’s experience
You’ll leave with your revised flash-fiction story and a certificate of completion.
Why Creative Writing Skills Matter
Creative writing teaches students to make deliberate choices about what a reader knows, sees, and feels. Building a character or scene requires close observation. Shaping a plot requires cause and effect. Revising a paragraph requires deciding which words carry the story and which ones get in the way.
Those habits support communication well beyond fiction. Students learn to organize ideas, listen to feedback, explain creative decisions, and improve a draft instead of treating the first attempt as final. Reading like a writer also strengthens their ability to notice how language creates tone, perspective, and meaning.
Who Should Attend?
For students who have completed 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.
For students who invent worlds, collect interesting words, or wonder what a character will do next, this course offers time to develop a story. Experienced young writers and those looking for a way to begin can participate. Regular writing, short readings, sharing work, and revising after feedback are part of the experience; a polished style is not the starting point.
Your Summer at UCLA
UCLA gives middle-school students an energetic place to learn, have fun, and experience campus life in Los Angeles. The setting brings together science, technology, creativity, entertainment, and culture, helping new subjects feel connected to a wider world of ideas.
The program combines hands-on academics with friendships, campus activities, clear routines, and support as students become comfortable in a large university environment. Students can try new challenges, share interests with peers, and build confidence through participation without needing to decide where those interests will lead. For families, UCLA offers a structured middle-school experience that balances substantive learning with fun, community, and age-appropriate independence. Students leave with new memories and a clearer sense of what they may want to explore next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification of completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive