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What we can do together...
Hi,
Many of you know me, many of you don't. I am gg; I founded this place. Before this I was a journalist -- a writer and editor, sometimes both -- and towards the end of my 33-year career, I was the human dart board in charge of getting the newspaper out each day. It was fun stuff. I got to ask people lots of questions. My specialty was the long story, the one that took weeks or months to put together. Usually it involved several or dozens of other journalists.
I love working for you here at Young Writers Project, too. And I have not forgotten how to question. Lately I've had a lot of them: 'How we can make this site more vibrant -- a massively enthusiastic exchange of comments and feedback and creativity bouncing off each other?' 'How we can challenge you more to go deeper with your ideas? How we can wrench a little time from your wanderings on FB and Tumblr and other virtual hangouts so you can build a stronger community here?
I was recently in Chicago at a three-day conference with some of the best and brightest in the country in the field of digital media, learning and activism. Another question emerged: How we can connect you to youths around the country, youths whose experiences are so different, you can easily say they live in a different world? Want to see just how different their worlds are? GO HERE to listen to This American Life podcasts. (Warning: Very powerful radio news story. Very much worth listening to.)
My conversations in Chicago with youths and activists and digital media experts from San Francisco, Seattle, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit ... has spurred me to take action here, in this community. We have begun conversations on how we best to connect you with them. We are opening our Burlington headquarters for Drop-In Hours during the weekdays (translation: random creative fun and sharing after school). We are planning workshops and online challenges/tutorials. We plan a Commenting Blitz and a few temporary changes to help gently persuade you to help out your creative peers. We plan some challenges -- with or without M&M rewards.
But to do all this, we need you. We always need your suggestions on how to make this site better. We need you to react, or to oblige or to lead on some upcoming initiatives. If you are interested in helping us help you help the creative risk takers on this site, comment below. Or send me an email or launch a carrier pigeon our way. But REACT!
Thanks,
GG
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connections
First thing that comes to mind for me is, connect this to Facebook. I use a software pak called Hootsuite that lets me put things onto FB, Twitter, websites, wherever, all at once. I bet this site could have its own Facebook page and have posts show up there automatically, or at least notifications of posts if they need to be more privatee. A Facebook page can be restricted membership, though, very different from a Facebook newsfeed. That way, when we're on Facebook we'll also be scanning material for here ...
Also, just want to mention, I've got tips on revision, as well as experience earning a living from writing and related skills. Ask if you want any of this stuff. Happily writing, here on the mountain.
Beth Kanell
bkannell...
Thanks for the advice... We do have a FB connection: http://www.facebook.com/youngwritersproject ... I think what we are after with kids around the country is to connect kids in deeper ways. What we spent a good deal of time out in Chicago discussing is about motivation, about the desire for audience, about the very divergent sense of what's possible.
and on tips for revision, feel free to pass them along as you go to some of these writers here -- particularly those who don't have any comments on their work.
thanks so much,
gg
I know I've said this before, but...
Would it be possible to have a few workshops/events outside of Burlington/Winooski? I know that you guys have most of your stuff up at HQ for a reason, but I've been dying to attend one of your slams or workshops and I've never been able to, because its somewhere around a 2 hour drive for me. Perhaps you guys could host a slam somewhere a bit south-er, someday?
I know in terms of site changes this doesn't really apply, but I thought I'd make my pleading request here anyways. :)
Cheers!
~ DNMC
ある所に、小さな夢がありました。誰が見たのかわからない、それは小さな夢でした -------> "Somewhere, there was a tiny dream. It was such a tiny dream that no one knew who had dreamt it..."
Death Note...
We really understand your plight. Really. And we are a small outfit and it is hard for us to organize things outside our immediate area. That said, what we are looking to do in the not to distant future is:
If you have any other ideas on how we might connect folks, I'm all ears.
gg