library
Podcasts and Guidelines
Submitted by ggevalt on July 2, 2008 - 10:54.A podcast is, simply, an audio story or essay. Click here for samples. Below are instructions on how to write a podcast and then TECHNICAL STUFF to record your audio piece. You do NOT need any equipment other than a computer and telephone. Also below are ways to get your piece considered for broadcast on Vermont Public Radio. IMPORTANT: You can now create a podcast in two ways -- upload a podcast file to your blog entry -- or create a podcast; either way, put the KEYWORD: podcasts in the keywords section of your entry so everyone can find them.
Rusty DeWees on writing funny
Submitted by ggevalt on December 26, 2007 - 00:40.UPDATED LINK! Audio of Rusty telling Craig & Liddle story, click here.
By Rusty DeWees
When folks ask me how I come up with the story ideas, situations and characters I use in my show, I tell them about one of my favorites characters, Craig.
While driving along one day, a buddy of mine and I saw a three-legged dog running along the side of the road. My buddy said, “Hey, look at that one-leggid dog.”
He meant three-legged dog of course, but his Freudian slip made me think, a one-legged dog, hmmm. I thought about how interesting and unusual a one-legged dog’s life would be. I imagined a one-legged dog doing dog things like playing fetch, chasing cars and even sitting the way dogs do, propped up by their front legs. I thought if a dog’s remaining leg was one of it’s front legs, and you did that “shake-your-paw” thing, the dog would fall forward on its face.
Writing without rules: how to start a poem
Submitted by aanderson on August 14, 2007 - 10:47.By Liz Matthews
If you have trouble writing poetry, try freewriting using Natalie Goldberg’s rules from her wonderful book, Writing Down the Bones. Write for ten minutes without stopping, crossing out, or looking over what you’ve written. Use a timer and write whatever comes to mind during this exercise. Do not worry if you repeat yourself. The idea is to let go of your rational, orderly voice and to reach deep into your imagination. Remember that this is just the freewriting stage; you will have plenty of time later on to rearrange, add on, delete, or substitute words. Here are a few more ways to tap your creativity.
Some basic tips
Submitted by aanderson on July 24, 2007 - 12:14.By Geoffrey Gevalt
YWP Editor
Here are a few ideas and tips to keep in mind while writing:
Noodle. What do you want to say? What do you want to write? What’s your opening line? Know those things before you begin; it’s like traveling with a road map.
Audience. You are not writing for the world; even on this blog. Pick one person you trust and love and respect. Imagine her; or him. Imagine that you are writing to that person, talking to that person. Forget about everyone else.
Creating words that beg for music -- Young songWriters Project
Submitted by ggevalt on October 16, 2006 - 14:26.
Jon Gailmor
By Jon Gailmor
My songwriting history doesn’t even vaguely resemble that of Paul Simon, Smokey Robinson or Carole King. Would that it did. My first complete lyrics were “I wanna take a bath with Cath” composed in kindergarten, where we were on a first-name basis with our teachers and were encouraged to express our feelings. I was quite the child prodigy, except for the fact my next lyrics didn’t take shape until I was 23, out of college and hitchhiking through Europe.
Writing a strong essay
Submitted by ggevalt on August 14, 2007 - 15:49.“I don’t know what I think until I see what I say.” -- E.M. Forster
By William Mares
Teacher, writer
What is persuasive writing? It’s about real issues in which you are using words (not clubs or looks) to get people to change their minds or actions. This is no mean feat when most people are set in their ways and opinions. Writing is about caring. Here are some thoughts on how to best write persuasively.
Grammar is fun
Submitted by ggevalt on August 14, 2007 - 11:05.Why grammar matters
By Liz Matthews & Amanda Anderson
Once you’ve revised your story, now you’re ready to edit. During the revision process, pay attention to the content – what you’ve written – and during editing, pay attention to the mechanics of the language — how you’ve written it. You don’t want the reader to be distracted by poor grammar – incorrect tenses, missing commas or misplaced modifiers.
The turn in fiction: creating conflict
Submitted by aanderson on August 14, 2007 - 10:43.By Liz Matthews
“‘The king died and then the queen died,’ is a story. ‘The king died and then the queen died of grief,’ is a plot.” –E.M. Forster
The conflict in a story is what makes your reader want to keep reading. In order to write a successful story, your characters need to desire something, and that desire needs to motivate them to act. For example, in The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wants to get home. This desire compels her to follow the yellow brick road. As you develop your characters through action, you will inevitably create conflict. Conflict is a struggle or ongoing battle between your character and some outside force.
Building characters in 3 simple steps
Submitted by aanderson on August 14, 2007 - 10:39.By Liz Matthews
“A writer should know how much change a character has in his pocket.” – James Joyce
Getting started: prompts and beginnings
Submitted by aanderson on August 1, 2007 - 15:34.By Liz Matthews
Prompts
Do you have trouble deciding what to write about? Does the blank page or screen make your mind go blank? Here are a few ways to jumpstart your writing:
Elements of a story
Submitted by ggevalt on July 24, 2007 - 17:11.By Geoffrey Gevalt
YWP Editor
All of us are storytellers. We tell stories in the halls to our friends in the morning after a long weekend. We tell our teachers great yarns as to why the assignment wasn't completed. We tell our parents or their friends something memorable to keep them from asking so many darned questions.
But for some reason many of us have trouble putting those stories onto paper; somehow we never think they're good enough, or we can't find that conversational tone or we just don't feel like it.
This piece is aimed at offering you some guideposts for writing a short story that is both memorable AND fun to write.
Setting
Submitted by aanderson on July 24, 2007 - 14:06.Establishing setting is an important part of any writing process. The author must decide where and when the events will unfold before starting the piece. Setting helps the reader understand the characters and their actions, and can add another layer to the story. Here are a few things to keep in mind when developing the setting for your piece:
Some ways to revise poetry
Submitted by aanderson on July 24, 2007 - 14:03.By Liz Matthews
“Poetry is the best words in their best order.” –Samuel Coleridge
So now you have either a very rough draft of a poem—maybe even just a freewrite—and you need to revise it, either for class or to submit it to The Young Writer’s Project. Here are a few surefire ways to improve the quality of your drafts:
How to find and use quotations to support your thesis statement
Submitted by aanderson on July 24, 2007 - 14:01.By Liz Matthews
You may have written a great thesis statement for your paper, but now your teacher tells you that you need to use examples — direct quotations from the book — to support your point. If this task seems overwhelming, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind.
Publish your own work in anthologies, class publications, and Web sites
Submitted by aanderson on July 24, 2007 - 13:58.By Liz Matthews
Do you enjoy submitting to the Young Writer’s Project? Do you wish you could see your work in print more often? Here are some more ways to publish your writing.
