Red Oak Writing (we, us, our)

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from P. Djeli Clark: “I figured everybody gets their ideas from somewhere, mine just happen to be something I've studied or read.”

What feeds your need to write? #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Zaina Arafat: “The act of remembering feels like the starting point for the writing process.”

Our experiences don’t just shape who we are – they shape how we write. #writers #writing #writingcommunity

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Audrey Niffenegger: “I think it would be very freeing for all writers to be able to reclaim the territories that have been ceded to the genres.”

Often, our stories are too wide-reaching to be crammed into a category, genre, or trope. Who is your favorite genre-bending author? #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #booktropes

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from George Saunders: “To my way of thinking, the (happy, liberating) point is that the writer doesn’t have to decide; she has to discover.”

Sometimes, we don’t know what we’re writing about until we put pen to paper. Sometimes, the story writes us. #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Laurie Halse Anderson: “I write from anger, I write from curiosity, and I write from confusion.”

Writing gives voice to the parts of ourselves that are heavy to bear. How has writing been cathartic for you? #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Sara Pennypacker: “I like to imagine my readers holding up my books to their adults and saying, ‘This is how I feel. This is what it’s like for me.’”

Books provide us with an entirely new way to communicate how we feel. What books have resonated deeply with you? #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #yanovels #yafiction

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Clive Barker: "I was rewarded by the incredible intellgience of the younger people responding to the books, incredible clarity of thinking and humanity."

The kids are alright. What children’s or YA authors do you or your kids love? #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #yanovels #yafiction

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Alice Oseman: "There are so many people who want queer stories, especially young people. There is absolutely a market for those stories in mainstream media."

As the author of “Heartstopper,” Oseman knows – readers want queer stories that exist outside of tragedy. What queer authors have inspired you? #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #heartstopper

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Sonora Reyes: "There is no right or wrong way to create something."

Every author’s process is unique. How will you go about creating your masterpiece? #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #writingprocess

5 Writerly Things, 8.8.25 Resources to support your writing life

Some writerly resources for those who like words. open.substack.com/pub/kimsuhr/...

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Xiran Jay Zhao: "I think a lot of us writers of color grew up thinking that we're not allowed to put ourselves in our books ... Now we're finally writing the books that our younger selves would have died to read."

The value of seeing yourself in the pages of your favorite stories cannot be overstated. #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #representation

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Rupi Kaur: "We're seeing so much more diversity within the writing scene and there's so much room for it. But you can't wait to be let into the door, you just have to find a way to sneak in."

Diverse stories deserve to be told. #writingcommunity #bookstagram #reading #representation #rupikaur

A red stopwatch framed by red oak leaves with the text: "Time's running out! Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp."

Today is the LAST DAY to register for our summer writing camp. Head over to redoakwriting.com to secure your spot! #writer #writing #writingcommunity

A black and red quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Leigh Bardugo: "Sometimes, the only way to get a draft finished is to just write, no looking back."

We want to help you finish your draft. Join us at our youth writing camp this summer! Registration ends Friday. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Graphic that reads: "Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp. What will you write about this summer?"

We want to hear from you. If you were to join us at our youth writing camp this summer, what would you choose to write about? #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Red and black quote card framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Roxane Gay: "Reading and writing have always pulled me out of the darkest experiences in my life. ... They have allowed me to imagine different endings and better possible worlds."

Never underestimate the power of a story. What books have brought you hope or comfort? #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Graphic showing red heart sunglasses, sun rays, and the words: "It's finally 'writing outside' season."

Come to Red Oak's youth writing camp this summer and spend some sacred writing time outside at Mount Mary University. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Red and black quote card framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Kaveh Akbar: "There's no difference between a poem and a telephone. You're just talking to one other person."

What author's writing speaks to you? Let us know in the comments. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Image of an open book with plants growing from it. Text reads: Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp. Grow with a community dedicated to writing. Camp for grades 6-8 is from July 21 to July 25. Camp for grades 9-12 is from July 28 to August 1. Camp is hosted at Mount Mary University. Register at redoakwriting.com.

There’s still time! Join us at our youth writing camp this summer and grow as a writer. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leave. This week's quote is from Rivers Solomon: "I try to be daring with every piece I write. If I’m not feeling vulnerable, a little embarrassed, and deeply worried about how people will respond, then what I’ve written is probably not something that’s true to my experiences."

Your best work comes from being true to yourself and writing what’s important to you. Join us at our youth camp this summer to get started. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

A red stopwatch framed by red oak leaves with the text: "Time's running out! Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp."

We have just two months left before we kick off our 2025 summer writing camps! Join the fun and register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

A black and red quote card framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Viet Thanh Nguyen: "I don't think that I would've been the writer that I am if there hadn't been more than a century's worth of Asian American writers who had been writing before me."

This #aapiheritagemonth, we celebrate the writers who use their words to challenge dominant narratives, give voice to their communities, and bring essential perspectives to the genres we love. Tell us your favorite story, poem or essay by an Asian American or Pacific Islander author in the comments.

Graphic including a drawing of a typewriter framed by red oak leaves with the following text: "Yours is a story worth writing. Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp." Camp will take place at Mount Mary University during the following dates: July 21-25 for writers entering grades 6-8 and July 28 – August 1 for writers entering grades 9-12. Register at redoakwriting.com.

Have you signed up for our youth writing camp yet? Summer is coming up fast, and we'd love to have you join us for a week at Mount Mary University. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

A red and black quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Amy Tan: "That is, I think, what a writer tries to achieve -- truth, genuine emotion, and the discovery of that emotion."

What truth are you trying to communicate in your writing? Let us know in the comments. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Drawing of a luggage bag with stickers including red oak leaves, pencils, planes, books, and globes with a stamp that says, "Red Oak Youth Writing Camp." Text reads: "Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp. There's a whole world out there to write about."

Summer vacation is right around the corner. Consider spending yours at our youth writing camp. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Black and red quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Margaret Atwood: "You become a writer by writing. There is no other way. So do it. Do it more. Do it again. Do it better. Fail. Fail better."

Flex your writing muscles at our youth writing camp this summer. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Image of an open book with plants growing from it. Text reads: Register today for Red Oak's Youth Writing Camp. Grow with a community dedicated to writing. Camp for grades 6-8 is from July 21 to July 25. Camp for grades 9-12 is from July 28 to August 1. Camp is hosted at Mount Mary University. Register at redoakwriting.com.

Writing doesn't have to be a solo adventure. Come to camp this summer and join a circle of young writers who care about helping each other grow. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

Black and red quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from Tracy Deonn: "I always write for myself first and foremost, and I believe that is what readers respond to -- that authenticity and emotional engagement from the author."

Good writing comes from the heart. Tap into your best writing at our youth camp this summer. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity

A fake Wordle-style puzzle with the prompt: What can our camp give you time to do every day? The first guess is "MEDIA." The second guess is "KITES." The third guess is "IRATE." The final and correct guess is "WRITE."

Writing is always the right answer. Join us this summer at our youth writing camp at Mount Mary University. Register at redoakwriting.com. #writer #writing #writingcommunity #wordle

A black and red quote graphic framed by red oak leaves. This week's quote is from George R.R. Martin: "The most important thing for any aspiring writer, I think, is to read."

What we read changes how we write. Tell us the last book you read in the comments. #writer #writing #writingcommunity