Enable Javascript!

Essay Hell Workshops:
Fire Up Your Writing and Storytelling!

This summer, writing coach Janine Robinson will offer narrative writing workshops for both high school students and aspiring writers. The first will teach college-bound students how to power their college application essays with their real-life stories so they stand out from the crowd. The second will work with participants who want to discover their most compelling personal stories and express them using a variety of storytelling writing techniques.

Ready to Escape Essay Hell?

College application essays can be critical in helping students get into their target schools—especially for the most sought-after colleges and universities. The pressure to write them can be unbearable. Former journalist and writing coach Janine Robinson believes anyone can craft personal essays that reveal who they are, what they care about and why it matters. Using her self-discovery framework and storytelling strategies, Janine teaches students how to tap their real-life stories to craft slice-of-life essays that set them apart from the competition.

College Application Essays: A Crash Course in Narrative Writing

In this workshop, Janine Robinson teaches how to write an effective college application essay (for the CommonApp, transfer, scholarship, UC and other admissions essays) and escape Essay Hell. Following her step-by-step writing process, students brainstorm compelling topics and craft them into slice-of-life essays using narrative writing techniques.

1. June 12 and 14
2. June 26 and 28
3. July 10 and 12
*4. July 24 and 26

*This last workshop is free to students who can’t afford the enrollment fee. Contact Janine Robinson at EssayHell@gmail.com and ask how to qualify.

How to Find and Tell Your Best Stories 

Storytelling Jam: For Aspiring Writers of All Ages

We all have stories, but how do we remember and recognize the good ones? And then, how do we tell them in ways that make others want to listen? In this lighthearted workshop, Janine Robinson helps participants discover their real-life stories and teaches narrative writing prompts and techniques to make them engaging and meaningful. All writing levels welcome!

$200 pp (Max 10)

1. June 19 and 21
2. July 17 and 19

Bio: Janine Robinson, a Laguna Beach writing coach, spent the last decade teaching students, parents and teachers how to find their unique stories to power college application essays. Her business is called Essay Hell. Before that, she spent several decades as a journalist, working as a reporter for The Miami Herald and OC Register, as well as the editor of local magazines and Internet companies. She also is a credentialed high school English teacher. In her writing workshops, Janine helps her students conjure their personal stories and share them using narrative writing techniques. Learn more at www.EssayHell.com.

Testimonial: 

“Janine’s fun and light-hearted way of teaching students the essentials of college essay writing has made the process not only stress free but also enjoyable.

I think what has impressed me most about Janine and her books is how she encourages creative thinking using word games and storytelling, which help the students make the best choice for topics and anecdotes.

Janine (and her Essay Hell books) have been an integral part of my counseling program, and my students have definitely gained the confidence to go forward and conquer the college essay.”

--Lynn Fair, college admissions counselor and owner of Square One College Counseling, based in Laguna Beach, California

LBCAC has installed a Patriot Air Purification System to ensure a virus free environment. www.patriotairsystems.com
Grant funding was made possible by the lodging establishments and the City of Laguna Beach.