Write On! Creative Writing Center

“I observed two of the intro sessions with my boys (9 and 6). The younger session was okay. They focused on writing the date, things they did on Fourth of July, information about themselves and did some coloring and a fine motor activity. In the older kids session the teacher went right into the activity without introducing herself, asking the kids their names or engaging them at all. She seemed to be reading from a script for the lessons. She gave them a brief idea of what they needed to do and then gave them some time to do what was asked. There was no seeing what they wrote, asking if they needed help, engaging with them. At the end the kids were asked if they wanted to share but no one wanted to and to atmosphere wasn’t really conducive to ever making the kids feel comfortable to do so. It appears most of the staff teaching the kids are high school or are still in college. This didn’t feel fun or engaging for the kids. Unfortunately we won’t be pursuing more classes.”

“My son and I met with Dawn to discuss my son’s handwriting . He struggles with penmanship, and his writing is illegible. Dawn was so warm and welcoming during our initial and followup meetings. She brings extensive knowledge and experience in the field of education and, specifically, writing. She was very professional, detailed, and did a great job of outlining my son’s strengths, areas for improvement, and recommendations. She spoke directly to my son, ensuring he understood the assessment results, and spoke so encouragingly. I’m confident that applying the simple practices suggested, my son will build confidence in writing. We look forward to working with Dawn, and the staff, at Write On!”

“I just had the pleasure of taking the Children’s Book Writing for Adults Intensive Workshop at Write On! in Frisco. I almost didn’t sign up because I’ve taken other similar workshops that were more expensive and taught by highly recognizable authors that I just didn’t find all that helpful. I’m so glad I signed up and would encourage anyone thinking about it to just do it. This workshop was my first introduction to Write On! Their physical space felt like a writer’s retreat with big windows and visible greenery to help get your creative juices flowing. The actual course material was so helpful, outlining the ins and outs of the children’s book industry with approachable exercises to help you get started or continue shaping your story. Both Dawn, the owner, and the co-facilitator and local author, Lauren Emerson, were so knowledgeable and generous with their time and advice. It was obvious that they were invested in providing value for my time and money. I’ve already made so much progress on my current project by implementing their resources. Write On! is the salve I’ve been looking for and I can’t wait to take another workshop soon.”

“Disappointing Experience for Older Kids Interested in Creative Writing A couple of years ago, I was searching for a summer writing camp to help spark my 8th-grade son's interest in creative writing. I called the owner to make sure the camp would be age-appropriate. I was upfront about my concern that he might be too old. She reassured me that, although he would be the oldest, there would be several kids close to his age. She even mentioned a "mature 5th grader" and said the content would be suitable for middle schoolers. After the first day, my son came home disappointed. Most of the campers were very young—elementary-aged—and some were just learning to sound out words. The instructor had to spend a lot of time accommodating those younger children. My son found the writing prompts bland and unengaging. I encouraged him to give it another try. When I dropped him off the second day, I saw the setup myself. The room was very small, and the group clearly skewed young. It became obvious that this wasn’t a serious creative writing camp, but more of a general summer day camp with a writing theme—geared toward keeping younger kids occupied rather than truly teaching writing skills. To my surprise, when I raised my concerns with the teacher, she blamed my son for "not engaging." I was stunned. Isn’t it the teacher’s role to inspire, encourage, and work with each student—especially one who clearly felt out of place? Shifting the blame onto a middle schooler rather than acknowledging a mismatch in expectations felt incredibly unprofessional. If you're looking for a program that actively teaches and inspires kids in creative writing, this is not it. I also contacted the owner to explain the situation. She refused to issue a refund and only offered a credit that can be used by a family member. Unfortunately, no one else in my family is interested in creative writing, so I’m now stuck with a $150 credit I can’t use. Overall, it was a disappointing experience and a waste of time and money. In response to the owner's reply: Although the tone remains defensive and somewhat invalidating, with attempts to shift blame, I do appreciate that a teen-only camp was eventually introduced — it shows growth and a willingness to learn from past feedback. I just wish this consideration had been in place from the beginning. When working with youth, it’s important to remember that you are not just writers; you are educators. We expect educators to understand children's developmental stages and tailor their approach to meet those specific needs. I also want to share something that I found particularly troubling: one of the instructors made inappropriate comments about my son. She labeled him as “passive-aggressive” and made a harsh prediction that he would “never achieve anything in life” (not verbatim). These comments were deeply hurtful, unprofessional, and entirely out of line. She had never met my son before and knew nothing about him beyond a brief classroom encounter. In my view, she was in no position to make such sweeping judgments. As mentioned earlier, even though this is a writing camp, the instructors should be educators first — with empathy, professionalism, and compassion. An apology is owed. That said, I truly hope the camp continues to grow and evolve from past experiences. I want to be clear that my intention is not to leave a negative review for its own sake. I’m sharing this as a fellow parent and customer who cares about how children are treated. I believe it’s important to speak up when something doesn’t feel right, and I hope our experience can help others make informed decisions about summer programs for their kids.”