You’re not like all the other kids.
And that’s why we like you.

Logo with shield featuring cartoon owl for "A Novel Idea" with text "NOVEL CAMP, SHORT CAMP."

These are the camps we wish we had when we were kids.

It seems like everybody else gets to play, doesn’t it? Some kids play sports. Some play an instrument. Some kids play… in a play. But writers? We write alone.

Is it any wonder so many of us wrote moody, misunderstood teenage poetry? (Okay, maybe just me.) But what if writing didn’t have to be a solo act? What if writing could be fun — like laugh-until-your-face-hurts, run-around-outside-after-a-breakthrough kind of fun? What if there were a writer’s banquet at the end of the summer, with cake and applause and giant trophies, and maybe even your name in the paper?

Well guess what, bucko. This is your lucky day.

At A Novel Idea, we believe Word Nerds deserve all that and more. This summer (2025!), you’ve got two amazing options to get writing:

  • Novel Camp: The Jumpstart (2 Weeks)
    A focused, high-energy camp to help you kick off your novel, build your story’s foundation, and write your heart out. Perfect for first-timers or anyone who needs a creative spark and a solid launchpad.

  • Shorts Camp (1 Week)
    Wild, imaginative, everything-but-a-novel creativity. From songs and spooky stories to epic haiku and flash fiction, you’ll write short pieces that pack a punch. At the end of camp, we’ll gather the best of everyone’s work into a beautifully printed anthology — a collective keepsake of your creative summer.

☀️ Coming Summer 2026: Our full, four-week Novel Camp experience returns! Stay tuned...

And the best part about this summer? We’ll publish what you write. In a for-real book. Look, if you don’t want to share it with the world, that’s totally cool. But you’ll know you did it. And honestly? That’s what matters most.

Come find your people.
Let’s write. Together.

A woman speaking to an audience in a bookstore, surrounded by stacked books and balloons.

Conferring Ceremony with Author Bren McClain at Parnassus Books. Authors received their printed novels before family, friends, local elected officials, and the press. It’s a big deal. :)

Short Camp 2025

Short stories. Short songs.
Short poems.

A short time together can leave a big impact, and grow some massive confidence with your writing skills. Short Camp is a versatile one-week “Whitman’s Sampler” of wordplay. You’ll learn how to have fun with language, fear no comma splice, and become the grammar hero or gonzo journalist you always knew you were deep down.

Want to come more than one week? Absolutely yes. Every week is different.
20% off total if you register for all 3 weeks

Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Dates
May 26 - May 30
June 2 - June 6
June 9 - June 13

Location:
1025 Mount Vernon Hwy
Sandy Springs, GA 30327

$50 off additional sibling
$50 returning ANI author

$350

Full day camps.
One week of awesomeness.

Includes 1 copy of our professionally published anthology and +2 tickets to our grand Conferring Ceremony Gala in December to celebrate your achievement!

Novel camp : The Jumpstart

You can do this.

And it’s going to be fun. Want to know how we know? Because we’ve helped over 1,500 kids write novels during their summer breaks. And it’s always been fun. Plus it looks amazing on your resume and whatever else your mom wants to hear. More than anything else? Bragging rights for life. Plus we think it makes you stand a little taller. You’re a novelist now, baby.

May 26 - June 6

9:00 am - 3:00 pm
1025 Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30327

Tier 1

$1,058

Standard tuition


Includes 60 hours of instruction
2 weeks of fun
Visits from authors
Guest lectures
Crossing off a bucket list item
1 copy of your novel
+2 tickets to our Conferring Ceremony Gala
The respect of your friends and/or family

$50 off additional sibling
$50 returning ANI author

Tier 2

$1,287

Premium Package


Includes Standard Tuition plus
Book Cover
Professional formatting
10 copies of your novel
+4 tickets to the Conferring Ceremony Gala
Online bookstore
2 one-on-one coaching sessions after this summer


$50 off additional sibling
$50 returning ANI author

Tier 3

Scholars

Limited

We are deeply committed to making the arts accessible to every writer who has a story to tell. If you believe you’re that person, please apply for our Wordy Scholars program. Each year, we award scholarship funding to talented writers.


FAQs

  • Yes. They can.

    We’ve built this experience to meet students where they are—whether they’re bursting with story ideas or barely know where to start.

    In Novel Camp, we give students structure, encouragement, and momentum—not pressure. We’re not grading them. We’re helping them make progress. We move through planning, world-building, writing sprints, and support for when they get stuck.

    In Shorts Camp, students explore multiple styles—monologues, flash fiction, spoken word, spooky stories—and walk away surprised by what they’re capable of.

    Every student is supported, challenged, and celebrated. This isn’t about being “the best writer.” It’s about discovering your voice and using it.

  • We could not agree more—which is why our camps are fun on purpose.

    We’ve designed these sessions to feel like creative adventure zones:

    • Writing games and challenges

    • Collaborative brainstorming

    • Free writes with music, movement, and play

    • Guest artists and live readings

    • Outdoor story walks, writing sprints, and celebration rituals

    This isn’t school. It’s story camp.
    Students leave tired—in the best way. Energized, proud, and part of a creative community.

  • Hi. I’m Kristen House. I’m a Sandy Springs mom (Heards Ferry, Ridgeview, and. Riverwood), a former college professor, and a longtime content leader at Google, PayPal, and Salesforce. For 15+ years, I’ve also been helping students find their voice through storytelling.

    I created A Novel Idea after realizing how many smart, creative, sensitive students needed a space that was structured and soul-filled. Since then, we’ve helped over 1,500 students write and publish their work—with support from authors like Ann Patchett, Bren McClain, Mary Laura Philpott, and more.

    This is the Atlanta debut of our camp—and the first chapter in a much bigger story.

  • We hear you. Summer programming is a real investment, and we take that seriously.

    Here’s the thing: our pricing reflects the actual cost of delivering truly extraordinary teaching—not just childcare, not just filler. Every student receives:

    • Daily, personalized instruction from experienced educators and authors

    • Guest lectures, author visits, and live readings from working professionals

    • A professionally printed and published book of their own writing

    • A small class size (15 max) with high-touch coaching, feedback, and support

    And there’s lasting value, too:
    Students leave with a publication credit—a powerful line on any creative résumé or college application—and a deep sense of pride in something they made from scratch.

    P.S. If you really want to be a Word Nerd with us but tuition is prohibitive, reach out to kristen@anicreative.com. We are committed to making our programming accessible to everyone. 💛

  • A finished story or an anthology feature, new confidence, and a serious dose of “I did this.” We celebrate the process as much as the product. Later in the year, we’ll have a big old party called a “Conferring Ceremony” where your child will be presented with a for-real book. If they write a novel - it’ll be their very own novel. If they’re in shorts camp, they’ll get a copy of our camp anthology with their work included.

  • Just a notebook and a curious mind. If they have a favorite pen, great. If they don’t, we’ll supply the magic.

    Oh, and their lunch. Brains don’t work well when they’re hungry.

  • Yes. This program was designed by an educator and tech exec who specializes in adaptive and assistive writing environments. We meet students where they are—and lift them up. These are the camps we wish we had as kids.