To the YWP community,

It's been sad to me to see that this site has had some small tension over the last few days. A few things got said. A few things got said a bit too harshly. And a few things got misunderstood. Hmmmm. That ever happen in your house?

What's unusual is that it's happening on this Web site. I have been struck over these last two years at the amazing civility and positive spirit that has marked most discourse here. You have created a safe, civil site that is built on trust.

So now that the dust has settled a bit, I just want to say, not to worry. This will pass. Those who have departed for now will be back, or will be checking in from time to time. I'm sure of that. Too much of their souls have been put onto these pages. They care too much.

And that's, maybe, what some of you newer folks may not have understood completely. People really place a stake on this site; they care about it, they put a lot into it. They are proud of what they've done to build it.

There is no one person at fault here. Really. Fact is it's a high-stress, hectic time of year and everyone is probably feeling a bit tired. And pressed for time. Just keep this in mind: YWP is different. Write with emotion but do not REACT with emotion, at least not with anger. Be supportive. Be respectful. Be considerate. Remember your words sound harsher than you intend them; always. Remember, too, this site is about helping each other become better writers.

So hang in there. Keep on writin'.

cheers
gg

In my seemingly ceaseless journey to the new, a friend of YWP turned me onto a group in California called VUVOX.com which is a free Web service that allows you to easily create multi-media presentations to embed in Web sites. This is kind of a visual journalist's dream. I have taken a stab at it with material created by musicians with the Vermont Youth Orchestra when they went to China last year. Click on the little icons for slide shows and audio.

The service and site is not full operational; YWP is a Beta tester and we're doing several projects with it to test things out. I'm interested because I'd like to find ways to more easily incorporate visual art, audio and video into writing projects.

So what do you think? I'm looking for folks who would like to work with us over the summer to create multi-media writing collages. One idea is to do something focused on your impressions of your community, your work or Vermont. Or perhaps a journey you are taking. Interested? Let me know.

gg

Check out Zoe Senecal's blog on the upcoming Vermont Youth Orchestra/Vermont Symphony Orchestra concert. CLICK HERE.
gg

RevealersYWP is beginning an exciting new Author Forums series and is starting with Doug Wilhelm -- noted author of The Revealers and Falling. He will be checking into the forums from time to time for the next three weeks. Have questions or comments for Doug? Go to the forums listed below. And please participate. YWP would like to have regular Author Forums, but we can't -- and won't -- if you don't participate. This is a great opportunity to talk with professionals about how they think of ideas, how they write, what problems they face. Click "Read More" for additional info and links.
Links to Forums: The Revealers FORUM .... Falling FORUM

To all of you:

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Geoff Gevalt, a.k.a. gg. I am director of the YWP or, more accurately, YWP runs me. And I love it. I love working with all of you; I love learning something new every day; and I am continually blown away by the great writing you do. I am also heartened by how much this Web site and this project does to help some of you unsort your complicated lives and learn to write better....

For those of you who don't know, I'm busy: I build and maintain this and several other Web sites -- pilot sites used in several schools -- (with a little help from YWP part-timer Kevin Ohashi.) I oversee the selection and publication of work (with much help from two YWP part-timers Lee McIsaac and Modi Kwanza.) I work with a variety of partners to publish your work elsewhere. I do in-school workshops. And I toodle around the site trying to develop new things for you. For instance, we are going to have some interactive forums starting next week with two great Vermont Authors: Doug Wilhelm and Erik Eskilsen. I also do mundane things like pay bills and raise money.

On the latter point, I am spending a lot of my time these days trying to find money to continue what we are doing. The Vermont Business Roundtable has been our generous supporter for two years and their grant and support is running out. We would love your financial help, but we know that kids are broke. If you want to convince your parents to give, please be my guest and send them to the info in "SUPPORT US" above right or have them give me a ring (860-0570).

But that is the context; now to the point: I have to say no to two things that I really want to do:

• I can't organize and put on the Spring Writing Conference in Rutland in May. Your original date -- May 17 -- became out of the question, and I thought the 10th would work, but it won't. I simply have to say no. I am sorry and hope you understand. I will be happy to organize one in the fall, and hopefully we can either get Squeejay to attend (if he's in the neighborhood) or we can talk him into staying with YWP as a mentor.
• I also have to postpone the printing of the Anthology of the Best of 07/08. Judges have been hard at work so we're going to honor the 175 or so pieces that have been selected (out of 5,000) on this WEBSITE. Again, time and money are the issues.

If you haven't figured it out already, it's hard for me to say no to all of you. But I hope you understand. And forgive. Feel free to tell me how you feel, as you always do, in the comments below.

cheers and keep on writin'!

gg

(Revision II)
So MixedMusic got me going on this when she posted a dead link to a very cool YouTube video. So I poked around and figured out a way for you (and me) to embed YouTube and Google videos in your work on this site. NOW PLEASE REMEMBER what this site's all about -- writing, words, expression. Don't clutter all your fine word work with a bunch of goofy videos. Ask yourself: Does this enhance the art of writing?

I asked myself the same question and have started to glean some other videos for you on writing. To see them click here or click on the keyword "video" above. Feel free to add some of your own and put video and author in the keywords. Let's see if we can build a cool library of writers talking about writing or reading their own words, etc.

Here's how to embed video into ANYTHING you post (including comments): I AM PURPOSELY misspelling the word VIDEO so that it doesn't loop to a broken link. ...

• 1. Copy the exact link to YouTube or Googletube video you want to show.
• 2. Post it this way (making sure you spell video correctly and you have brackets at either end): [vidoe:http://www.youtube.com/gobbledygookurlhere] and bingo. Submit and watch.

By the way, below is the link MixedMusic posted; it is great. (And if you click "Read More" before you start it, you'll see the real lyrics to this song by the group The Books.)

Publishing your six-word stories, PART 1
OK, so we've been busy plotting how and when we are going to publish the best of your Six-word Stories (which are still coming in.) Our first project is very cool: Six stories, in six words, presented in six minutes by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and the six young writers....

The following six-word stories were selected by the VSO and have been passed along to a young composer who will create one-minute musical interpretations of each. The plan is to have each of the writers get up on stage, read the words and then have the VSO follow by playing the musical interpretation of the story... Then the next author will read, and so on. Concert will be in early December.

Here are the selections. If each of those named would please give me a call (860-0570) so I can explain further....

Before the light hit the earth. Mango
The aliens transported the cow away. Pineapple_babbitt32
People finally stopped reading the newspapers. imagine
No sir, it's a bird shop. greenie1138
I knew I should have walked. squeejay
Her ghost restlessly haunts the castle. schila

We are pursuing other ways to publish the best of the other entries. We have so many great entries to choose from!... stay tuned.
gg

WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. The YWP has received its support from the Vermont Business Roundtable, but that money runs out in July 2008. Please help us extend our work. If you have appreciated our work, please make a donation to keep going.

The Young Writers Project is a nonprofit that engages students to write, helps them improve and publishes their best work in newspapers, on radio and on stage. The YWP maintains this Web site and builds customized Online Learning Centers for schools and after-school groups. We recruit college mentors and professionals for online feedback and workshops.

Folks...

Time, money and commitments are forcing a slight change. We are very grateful to everyone who has and is helping us select Best Work. We are postponing a printing of the work and will, this spring, be rolling out a Virtual Anthology on this site. This is a great honor to be selected, given that students, mentors and volunteers are choosing work from upwards of 5,000 pieces -- blogs and entries. We are whittling down the selections to about 175.

We are nearing the end of the selction process and in early May we will announce and publish the pieces on this site. And we also will probably print many of these in an anthology this fall.

THANKS

gg

Time for a reminder about commenting:

• Respect. One of the main rules of this site is to treat each other with respect. It is not respectful to talk about folks behind their backs and it presents a real dilemma for this site if you name them. Please do not name people in your writing. Please. And if you don't understand what I'm saying, just imagine if you came upon your name in a conversation on a Web site.
  
• Civility. Keep in mind that writing is about tone -- be in control of the tone, use a tone that is stripped of emotion when you are angry about something someone wrote or you disagree or you really don't like it. Be constructive and supportive. Thanks.

Thanks to all of you who were able to attend our first Writers' Conference. We had 28 students there from all over. Many thanks for our energy and active participation. I learned a lot and I really enjoyed Rusty and Doug.

Howdy,

Some reminders and clarifications about the site:

• NEW USERS: "Your email has been used by another account" Some of you have been getting this message; IGNORE it. Just a minor bug in the software and we can assure you that your email is NOT being used by another account.
• If you are younger than 13 you need to have your parents fill out and mail to us the "permission form" under the "CREATE" above before we can activate the account. Federal law requires all Web sites to get such permission before we can approve your account. Sorry for the inconvenience.

  cheers
  geoff gevalt

Anyone participate in this week's Day of Silence?
Anyone feel like writing about what that experience was like?
Feel free. Put ... day of silence ... in the keywords.
cheers
gg

Some of you may remember our Young Writers Project collaborative writing experiment -- Book Pages!

Technical difficulties last spring forced us to halt this fun experiment but now it's back. Thanks to one of our users who asked if she could add to a story that was posted. I've managed to find some of the old stories that were just getting started. But feel free to start your own new story or narrative poem. Here's how the "Group books" works:

• To create a new story or Book Page: Click "create content" (or link below) and click on "Book Page." It behaves just like your blog. Make sure you put Group books in the keywords (exactly like that: Capital "G" space and small "b" and plural).
  • Create a new Book Page.
• To add to someone else's story or Book Page: Click on the following links and "Add a child page" to the story once it's opened. You can see other pages in a title link below each story.
  • Index of student books
  • Longer list of books

Have fun.
gg

As some of you know, I used to have a blog. I wrote about this project, about writing, about Vermont life, even about chickens. I liked having a place to write. I miss it. So I have decided to resume it on this site. I am going to resurrect a few of the pieces that I particularly liked and send the rest to hyperspace, where they belong.

A podcast is, simply, an audio story or essay. Click here for samples. Below are some instructions on how to write and then record your audio piece. And we also discuss ways to get your piece considered for broadcast on Vermont Public Radio. IMPORTANT: When you create a podcast, put the word ... podcasts ... in the keywords so everyone can find them.

The activity on this site is exciting. We have lots of energy and each day many new entries and comments.

Enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of some of you, and I thought it time to remind folks the goals for this site and our suggestions on COMMENTING: Try to stay on topic (the writing) and be respectful -- and considerate -- of others reading this site.

We have more news feeds! Sports, Entertainment, Vermont News and more U.S. News have been added!

This project aims to give you voice. And we want to encourage you to voice your thoughts on news -- on events in your community, around the state or nation or in the world. On this site you can blog on major news stories provided by NYTimes, Burlington Free Press, Reuters, AP, BBC, ESPN, NASA.

All you have to do is go to Blog on the news (you can also find it above by going to CONNECT>>Blog on the News.) and you will see in the right sidebar some news headlines. (You must be logged in to see them.) Click on the link, read the piece, and then click on your browser's "go back" button. Then click the blue "b" box to the right of the news headline. A new submission form opens with a headline and the story link all set up. In the body, write your peace, er, piece.

IMPORTANT: Put the word newsblog in the keywords. Again, you have to be signed in to take part in this feature.

Remember, be civil and be respectful.

The China Project, is a multi-media chronicle of the Vermont Youth Orchestra's performing tour of China in the summer of 2007. Young Writers Project held workshops, created and maintained a multi-media blog and got student work published in newspapers, on Vermont Public Radio and Vermont Public Television and on stage at First Night/Burlington. Here are all the links to the project:

• The original multi-media blog of the VYO trip to China.
• Vermont Public Radio's two-part series, with narration and student clips, and an interview with YWP Founder Geoffrey Gevalt.
• Text of the students' Aug. 12 story in Vermont Today, the Sunday magazine of the Rutland Herald/Times Argus.
• Musicians talk about what they learned by doing The China Project with YWP.
• To obtain a copy of the China Project Video, edited by YWP Mentor Daniel Houghton and YWP Founder Geoffrey Gevalt, go to the VYO's homepage.

Many thanks to the China Project's sponsors: Vermont Business Roundtable, Physician's Computer Company, Advance Music, Johnson State College and the Vermont Youth Orchestra.

Some of the earlier news stories about the trip:

We are pleased to announce a new feature at youngwritersproject.org: The 2007-08 Green Mountain Book Award Forum. Here's the link to find out more. The pages have book summaries, study guides, links and additional resources.

Click here to read the bios of some of the 2007-08 YWP College Writing Mentors.

The Young Writers Project is fortunate to have several dozen top students from the University of Vermont, Saint Michael's College, Middlebury College and Castleton State College who are providing feedback on each student submission to YWP's newspaper series.