Creator School
The Writing Salon
Eight Mondays:
September 28–November 16, 2026
4:00pm - 5:30pm
for current 6th, 7th, and 8th graders
LOCATION: Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School, Palo Alto
Tuition: $500
The Writing Salon is designed for students with an interest in creative writing, although no experience is required. For reluctant writers, or for those who want support in academic writing, Creator School recommends 21st Century Learning.
NEW OFFERING! In this 8-week afterschool middle school course, writers will explore a variety of short story-telling forms, including micro-fiction, blackout poetry, scene writing, fragmented stories, and choose-your-own adventure. Students will learn various aspects of writing craft, including visual pacing, tension, dialogue mechanics, in medias res, juxtaposition, subtext, and more.
The instructor will provide personal feedback. We will also participate in structured peer feedback, with guidelines and protocols for how to evaluate our peers' writing and give each other constructive feedback in a supportive environment.
The class is capped at 16, so students will receive personal attention and build a strong sense of community.
Meet Your Instructor
Danielle Sunshine is an educator, author coach, editor, and writer. She has taught writing, poetry, American Culture, and ESL to middle school, high school, and college students and is a frequent guest lecturer at Stanford University. Danielle is affiliated with Angelella Editorial and Reedsy, an online platform that helps writers connect with professionals with extensive experience in publishing. She has worked as a Managing Editor, Copy Editor, Line Editor, and Proofreader for NGOs focused on building literacy around the world, and spent five years as the Regional Advisor of the San Francisco South chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Most recently, she was awarded first prize in the children’s literature category at the 2025 San Francisco Writer’s Conference, as well as the Karen Cushman Late Bloomer Award by the SCBWI, in recognition of her middle-grade novel and work in progress, Guys Like Us. She was also chosen as a 2024 Scholar in Residence by the SF South chapter of the SCBWI. Danielle holds a BA from UC Berkeley, an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a TESL Certificate from the University of Cambridge.
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