Upcoming classes

VIRTUAL

Intro to Writing Young Adult Literature

March 5, 2026 from 6:30-7:30 pm CST

Location: Online through StoryStudio Chicago

Writing for young adults can be tricky, especially when we’re new to crafting stories for young readers. How do you avoid teen angst stereotypes? How can you guide the reader without unintentionally imposing morals on a story? How do you prevent the adult characters from solving all the problems? These and other pitfalls can turn readers off, preventing them from reading more than a few chapters before putting the book down.

This workshop will provide a better understanding of the essential elements and challenges that go into crafting young adult characters and writing YA. We’ll explore how to craft authentic young adult characters and will dig into several YA-specific considerations authors need to manage when writing YA. Through generative writing exercises, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of writing for young adults and leave with a better sense of how these elements apply to their stories.

Critique 101

March 10, 2026 from 7-8:15 pm CST

Location: Online through Northbrook Library

**THIS EVENT IS FREE!

In this workshop, Denise Santomauro uses a common feedback process to explore how to give and receive feedback in a way that's helpful and supportive to the writing process. This program is in partnership with StoryStudio Chicago.

Plot Your Novel with the Three-Act Structure

From March 23, 2026 through April 27, 2026

Zoom meetings Mondays 6:00-7:30 pm CST

Location: Online through Writers.com

Plotting a novel can be a daunting task, one that makes our hands go sweaty and makes us reconsider why we chose to write one in the first place. By studying the classic three-act structure and its use throughout storytelling forms, we can make that task a little lighter and find new ways to bring our stories to life.

In this class, we will explore the acts of the three-act structure in detail. Each week, we will cover an act from the three-act structure in-depth, providing the opportunity to learn about and discuss the structure one act at a time. In between classes, you will apply the lesson to your own story and build your outline in stages, sharing your work in the online forum for review. You will also learn about how the main points of the three-act structure are connected and intertwined with your protagonist’s character or emotional arc and how to up the stakes at each stage of the plot arc.

Open to writers at any stage in the drafting process.

IN PERSON

Critique 101: Techniques for Giving and Receiving Feedback

May 27, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 pm CST

Location: StoryStudio Chicago

The right feedback at the right time can help a writer take a piece to the next level. But how do we know what feedback to ask for? Once we get that feedback, how do we align those notes with our vision of our story? On the other hand, how can we craft helpful remarks when giving feedback? What makes a critique specific, generous, and actionable?

This workshop demystifies the critique process on both sides of the table by examining why getting feedback can be so difficult, and what type of feedback is most useful at various points in the writing process. Participants will take a look at Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process to gain strategies that can be used in workshops, classrooms, and writing groups of any genre, and then try them out in real time with a fellow classmate.

Participants will walk away with a clear critique framework to put into action, a personal checklist for giving and receiving feedback, and tools for asking for the kind of responses their work needs. The session will include guided exercises, sharing of short excerpts, and a short Q&A to address questions about workshop dynamics and revision challenges.

**Students should bring 2 pages of a work in progress to be critiqued by a fellow student.

Open to writers at any stage in the drafting process.

YOUTH PROGRAMMING

2026 Youth Summer Camp: 6-8th Grade (Fiction)

June 22, 2026 through June 26, 2026 from 1-4 pm CST

Location: StoryStudio Chicago

Do you love reading or listening to stories? Has something in real life made you think of an imaginary world? Do you have story, world, or character ideas but don’t know what to do with them? If so, this creative writing summer camp is for you!

In this week-long camp focused on fiction, campers will explore their creativity and imagination by creating new pieces of fiction. They’ll work closely with a dedicated writing mentor who will help guide their process and answer their questions about writing, the writing life, and more.

Throughout the week, writers will craft flash fiction, short stories, and the beginnings of a longer work, and present one of their pieces at our Friday showcase for family and friends. Best of all, campers will meet other writers who are serious and excited about their stories!

2026 Youth Summer Camp: 4-5th Grade (Fiction)

July 6, 2026 through July 10, 2026 from 9 am-12 pm CST

Location: StoryStudio Chicago

teaching artistry and Program Coordination

Using my experience in non-profit arts and outreach programming coordination and as an arts education teaching artist, I specialize in building programming that includes the following:

arts integration (with a specific focus on literature curriculum)
arts education
aesthetic education
social and emotional learning
Common Core Standards
partner teaching
community arts programming
partnerships between community and arts organizations

Interested in working with me to create a curriculum or consult on an arts-based or outreach program? Contact me for more details.