Niwot bookstore holds first teen writing workshop
Local young writers came together Saturday for an evening of creativity and collaboration, courtesy of the first teen writing workshop held at The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop in Niwot.
The bookstore is a relatively recent addition to downtown Niwot, opening in the summer of 2021. Co-owners Carissa Mina and Jerilyn Patterson said they’ve hosted events for writers in the past, but none aimed specifically at teens. After meeting and working with the host of Saturday’s workshop, Denver-based author Ellen O’Clover, that idea became a reality.
“The community of Niwot has been so incredibly warm and supportive,” Patterson said. “It’s a dream come true. And it’s the same with our author community. They’ve been so happy that we started this (shop).”
O’Clover is the author of the new young adult novel “Seven Percent of Ro Devereux,” which follows a high schooler who creates an app capable of predicting the future. It’s set in the fictional mountain town of Switchback Ridge, which O’Clover said is based on Evergreen.
“It was so fun to write about an area that I actually know and love so much,” she said.
O’Clover visited Boulder Book Store on Friday and has more promotional events planned in towns like Fort Collins and Littleton. She appreciates the opportunity to work with kids and teens; in Ohio where she grew up, O’Clover attended weekly writing workshops throughout high school.
“I feel like it was so formative for me to be able to talk with other writers, hone my craft and have adults that were taking my writing seriously when I was that age,” she said. “I know how important that was to me, and I would love to create that space for other teenagers.”
Standing in front of the bookstore’s “Early Tween and Teen Reads” section, O’Clover more than 20 participants in creating a character and premise for a story. She encouraged the young writers to use a “beat sheet” to plan key story beats like the inciting incident, climax and resolution.
“It really made me think about the middle of my story,” said Layna Longseth, 12.
Willing participants were able to share their story ideas — many of which incorporated fantasy elements like magic and parallel dimensions — with the entire group. Later, O’Clover got to thank many of the participants individually as she signed copies of her new book.
“We’re here to build each other up and be excited about writing,” she said to the group. “I hope that you guys make writing friends here and that you can keep working on your stuff together.”
Pippy Davis, 11, said the workshop helped her learn more about the writing process, especially through the “beat sheet” model. She said she loves the variety of books that The Wandering Jellyfish offers as well as the nice atmosphere.
“It’s like my safe haven,” she said. “I love how welcoming it is.”
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