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At Clear Water Press, we are all about story-centered learning—which is another way of saying immersive learning.

Every one of our programs is designed as a creative project students can complete in one school year (but you can set your own pace!).

The beauty of creative projects is that young writers have ownership. Creative projects with real applications give meaning to the writing that students do. Assignments in our programs aren’t random. We don’t invent writing assignments to serve concepts; the concepts and techniques we cover in our programs serve the stories students are telling.

We also don’t make students write stories we came up with. Students need creative boundaries—no one is inspired by a blank page!—but they need a lot of room within the guidelines, and that’s what we guarantee.

Every person has something they want to communicate; even if they wouldn’t think to write a magazine, a novel, or a newspaper. Students feel very differently about writing when we show them how to communicate what matters to them. And if they already love to write? They will be thrilled to have a writing instructor who takes their dreams seriously!

We give them the keys to story.


Our Guarantees to You:

We care more about your student’s needs than about getting you to make a purchase. We won’t just tell you what you want to hear.

The materials you receive from us will be high-quality.

All lessons and materials will be compatible with a biblical worldview (Daniel Schwabauer is a Christian) but also eligible for public funding. Our programs are writing instruction not religious instruction, and can be used by any student.

We will be available! We will answer your questions. You will always talk to a real person when you call.

In and out of lessons, we will talk to your student writer-to-writer. We will take them seriously. We remember what it’s like to be a young writer!

We will only ship your curriculum with full tracking information.

If your order is shipping outside of the Unites States, we will automatically cover $20 of the shipping cost if your order is $100 or more.

We will ship your order within two to three business days, but we aim for one! If we can’t keep up with this commitment, we will say so in a message visible during your Checkout.

You will be able to return your purchase for a full refund if you contact us within 30 days of receiving your order. Conditions »

We will always offer our own email subscribers the deepest discounts of the year.

Who We Are

We’re a small team of creative people + Daniel Schwabauer, founder and program instructor!

Our Story

The Cliff Notes? We saw a gap.

There are lots of Language Arts programs for homeschool students, yet far too many students hate to write or find their coursework stifling. Instead of learning how Story works, students learn how to decorate sentences and check off lists. Instead of diving into the creative process and enjoying themselves, they are trained to edit as they go, stunting the growth of new ideas. They are drowning in writing assignments they don’t even care about.

Daniel Schwabauer knew Story itself was the key. And he knew he had to do something about it.

Daniel writes…

“I studied creative writing for eight years in college. I earned my master’s degree, and went on to write award-winning novels, comic books, teleplays, stage plays, radio scripts, and newspaper columns.

“But much of what I learned in college was either irrelevant or unhelpful. My formal writing education ignored the importance of Story principles. Instead, we learned how to say nothing in a beautiful way. I realized if I wanted to know how good stories work, I would have to discover the answers myself.

“The ensuing 20-year quest has been a fascinating journey. What I’ve learned has profoundly impacted my writing. That’s why I created the One Year Adventure Novel program. It’s the course I wish someone would have given me. And I then went on to create two more Story-centered programs for young writers: Cover Story and Byline.

“Your student doesn’t have to wait years like I did. They can start right now.”

Daniel at the One Year Adventure Novel Summer Workshop. Pictured with his wife, Carrol, our Creative Director.

The Timeline

2008 – We started The One Year Adventure Novel 

. . . because Daniel had a dream to give young writers the tools he wished he had been given as a teen. It’s still our flagship program!

2010 – We hosted the first Summer Workshop for One Year Adventure Novel students

. . .  It was only two days! Soon it was a whole week, and we haven’t looked back since!

2013 – We added Cover Story

. . . because families asked for something for younger students. We designed it as a rescue program for all the kids whose love of storytelling gets squashed before they even reach their teens.

2014 – We re-released OYAN with higher quality video and filmed in a new setting. 

. . . and took the opportunity to teach a few of the lessons differently.

2017 – We added Byline

. . . because families asked for a program to transform essay writing. As soon as Daniel started thinking about his journalism training, he knew he had the missing piece!

2022 – We released Other Worlds: Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Expanded and packed full of genre-specific instruction, Other Worlds guides writers through crafting a Fantasy or Science Fiction novel. (Pre-requisite: The One Year Adventure Novel)

We’d love to be part of your story!

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