The Adventurer’s Writing Portfolio: A Year-Long Writing Class Through D&D

Dungeons and Dragons Writing Workshop: Play, Write, Build a Real Portfolio and Receive Real Feedback

Most kids would rather pull a tooth than sit down to write. But ask them to write a letter from their half-elf rogue to the family she left behind — and suddenly they have a lot to say.

This class is two of the best things at once: a real Dungeons and Dragons campaign with an experienced Dungeon Master, and a structured 39-week creative writing curriculum. Every 110-minute session blends both. Students adventure together, then turn that adventure into writing — fiction, journalism, reflection, and the practical pieces they’ll need for real life.

How a typical session works:

Each week, students play part of the campaign and write part of the campaign. Some weeks the writing comes first — drafting a wanted poster before the party hunts the villain it describes. Other weeks the play comes first — and the writing reflects on what just happened. Either way, the campaign generates the material, and the writing makes it real.

What your student will build:

A genuine year-long writing portfolio rooted in the world they helped create. Not a binder full of busywork — a body of work they’ll be proud of, with practical real-world pieces sitting alongside their creative writing.

Across the year, students write:

• Character sketches, tavern scenes, and dialogue exercises
• Journals, letters home, and reflective pieces in their character’s voice
• News articles, op-eds, and reviews from inside the campaign world
• A resume, cover letter, college application essay, and personal statement — framed through their character first, then translated to real life
• Speeches, eulogies, apologies, and thank-you notes
• Poems, myths, and unreliable-narrator pieces

The D&D frame lowers the wall. It’s easier to write a college application essay about a character applying to a magical academy than about yourself — and the skills transfer fully when the time comes to write the real one.

A class built for real life:

Four major practical pieces are scattered throughout the year — the resume, college essay, cover letter, and personal statement — so students who join mid-year still catch them. Around ten additional practical pieces (real letters, real reviews, real interview transcripts, real thank-you notes) are woven throughout. By the end of the year, your student has a working template for the writing they’ll actually need to do.

Drop in any week:

Every session stands alone. No assignment depends on a previous one. A student who joins in week 12 can do week 12. Miss a few weeks? Jump right back in. Skills revisit at deeper levels across the year, so regular attendees still see real progression.

Built for both middle school and high school:

Same prompts, different expectations. Every week is assessed using a 4-trait rubric drawn from the 6+1 Traits framework used in U.S. schools — Ideas & Content, Organization, Voice & Word Choice, and Conventions & Fluency. Middle school and high school students receive level-appropriate feedback on the same assignment, so siblings or mixed-age groups can work side by side.

Levels are named Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master — fitting the adventure — and map cleanly to traditional grades for parents who want them.

Your character, your way:

New to D&D? No problem — we’ll have a ready-to-go character waiting for your student on day one. Already have a character they love? Bring them along. We can also build or adjust one together in class. The Dungeon Master will reach out before your student’s first session to get them set up.

For parents:

This is a writing class with the rigor of a real curriculum, taught inside a hobby your student already loves (or is about to). Each week comes with clear feedback against a consistent rubric, so you can see exactly where their writing is growing — voice, structure, ideas, mechanics — and where to focus next. The portfolio they build is something they can actually use.

The Adventurer’s Code

This is a cooperative class. Success is not determined by an individual feat but rather the group as a whole.

1. Be respectful to your party members
2. Don’t argue with the Dungeon Master
3. Don’t argue if your character dies — it’s part of the story
4. Do not harm fellow members or purposely create scenarios that will “accidentally” harm them
5. Keep your character’s actions and writing age-appropriate
6. Don’t steal from other members
7. Try to resurrect members of your party who have died
8. Listen to each other
9. Don’t lie about your rolls
10. Bring your honest writing — share work that’s genuinely yours
11. Critique with care — build each other up as writers
12. Be friendly and have fun

By enrolling in this class you agree to The Adventurer’s Code. Any rule breaking may result in removal from the session to review the Code.

Recommended Knowledge

None — all experience levels welcome, from complete beginners to advanced players. No prior D&D experience required, and no prior writing experience required. Comfort with reading and writing at grade level is the only prerequisite.