A community-based literary art nonprofit held a Winter Writing Camp on Saturday at Youngstown's Main Library, helping writers of all skill levels learn more about the craft.

LIT Youngstown's 9th Annual Winter Writing Camp helped guests learn how to write haikus and letters while talking about getting their work published if they decided to do so. 

The all-ages workshop and writing sessions were led by regional writers, with dedicated tracks for youth and adults.

"This is really a friendly event. A lot of people who come here are just getting started with their writing, or they just write for fun," Executive Director of LIT Youngstown Karen Schubert said. "They don't have any big career goals, it's just a lovely thing to do."

While some may aim for professional writing credentials in the future, Schubert emphasized the importance of writing for the sake of writing.

"This is one of our favorite events, it's so high energy, and people make friends," Schubert said.

Schubert also talked about how much writing plays a role in how we view ourselves and the world around us.

This year's workshop leaders are Christopher Barzak, John Burroughs, Russell Brickey, JRW Case, Meghan Cliffel, Makenna Liller Dahman, Bella Davis, Teresa Leone, Isabella Moreno, Trennae Roe, Abby Vandiver, Shaunda Yancey and Kara M. Zone.

The day-long camp was free to the public and took place on Wick Avenue in Youngstown.