SANDPOINT — Have a teenager who wants to be the next Jane Austen or Nathaniel Hawthorne? Sandpoint Writers on the Lake is putting on a free creative writing workshop for tweens and teens to learn new skills that will enhance their writing.

Next Friday from 3 to 5 p.m., kids between the ages of 12 and 18 can join in on the free class. The program will be taught by author Tom Reppert as “a prelude and inspiration for” the annual community writing contest March 23.

No registration is necessary for the writing workshop and children of all skill levels are encouraged to attend.

“In these youth-focused workshops, writers will plunge into a playground of prompts to inspire their creative expression,” Writers on the Lake staff said. “In a series of exercises, we’ll explore concepts from character development to scene and setting, from momentum to tension, and guide our young writers to the limitless potential of their minds.”

The workshop will be held at the East Bonner County Library in Sandpoint. For more information, email sandpointwriters@gmail.com.