At Young Writers' Institute in Cary, a camp day is a writing adventure. Young authors invent whole worlds — their inhabitants, landscapes, histories and conflicts — and sketch them in maps and scenes before imagining the stories that could unfold there. In other camps they send a daring hero on an epic quest, dream up creatures for Monsterology, turn a story into a board game, or walk Downtown Cary tasting treats from local restaurants and bakeries and learning to describe flavors, textures and aromas — and to photograph them — for a food blog. The days mix writing with planning, drawing, playing and sharing with other young authors, each camp built around a specific skill for any writer's toolbox. Kids head home with a world they built, a story they wrote, and a little more confidence in their own voice.