YWP Announcements

YWP community,

Expecting a big crowd Saturday, November 22 at Champlain Mill in Winooski (our future home) to celebrate the release of our first Anthology. Workshops begin at 2 p.m. (Sorry they're full; if you are coming with a friend who did get in, we can squeeze you in) and Celebration begins at 5 p.m. sharp. The Anthology is gorgeous and whether you're in it or not, it's a great read and displays how brilliant you all are.

ALL STUDENTS (parents, friends, teachers, etc.) ARE WELCOME. If you haven't let us know you're coming, please send email Lee McIsaac right away. Or fill out this form.

PARKING: Google Map (new verb) the location (downtown Winooski) and you can park nearby on the street or in the garage across the street. (You have to enter garage from side street.) Constabularies have been alerted and will not ticket you for overtime. If you come early, there's plenty of space and chairs to converse...

Ganderize the art then click READ MORE below:

Thought this was amusing: Andy Borowitz wrote this on huffingtonpost.com To see and comment yourself on Obama's election speech, click here.

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

Still interested in responses ... And we've added video to Obama's speech link below. (gg)

History was made on Nov. 4, 2008: Sen. Barack Obama was elected as our nation's first African-American president. In a generation we have traveled from segregation and open bigotry to a black president. Remarkable. Extraordinary.

What do you think? Create a blog and use the keyword: Obama. To get your thoughts focused, read or join the YWP discussion that began election night. Or ost an audio essay or podcast on how you feel.

• To read and listen to Obama's victory speech, CLICK HERE.
• To read and listen to McCain's concession speech, CLICK HERE

How did you feel as the election results came in? Describe what it was like when Obama's victory was announced? What do you hope happens because of this election? And what did you think of Obama's speech? Of McCain's speech?
gg

We have several threads on the site about what you'd like to see. This one began when I switched the sidebar to the left side for a day. Most of you, it turned out, DID think I'd lost my mind. (As you can see below.)

We are beginning to toy around with cleaning this site up. We may go a little wider, perhaps even with three columns. Any suggestions are welcome.

We also are always interested in any new features you'd like.

If any of you are into design, Web design, graphic design and want to help create a fresher look and make changes on this site ... HOLLER. Really really loud so I can hear you.

cheers
gg

YWP participants,

The Online Writing Challenges have begun.... We are resuming what we began this summer...

PODCAST DAY 5 A rush of sound! Tuesday Dec. 5 will be our next Podcast Day. Assignment: Record the sounds of Vermont. Or write a letter to a deaf person describing what Vermont sounds like. (To record yourself reading, you won't need an audio recorder; CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.

To create a "podcast" just 1) create a blog entry and upload the audio file (mp3 preferred) in the box near the top of the entry. use KEYWORD: podcasts
DATE: Nov. 4 (Begin earlier if you want. And post on Wednesday, too.)

CLICK HERE for instructions on how to create a podcast if you do NOT have any equipment.

PROSE WEEK 4 ... Let's have a week in which all that you write in your blogs are stories and essays and vignettes and anecdotes and podcasts ONLY IN PROSE. No poetry. No free verse. Full sentences. And paragraphs. Create a blog entry and use KEYWORD: prose week
FALL WEEK: DECEMBER 8 -- 12.

MY STORY ... Pick a memorable moment from your life. Something that happened, something you did, something you witnessed. Tell a story about it that will tell us about you. 400 WORDS. NO REAL NAMES PLEASE. Try to focus on something very specific, give us detail. Create a blog entry and use KEYWORD: my story
Ongoing

ONE SENTENCE ... Tell a story in one sentence. Only one. (For some ideas, take a look at the keyword link. Or go to onesentence.org) Create a blog entry and use KEYWORD: one sentence
ONGOING

MY TOWN ... Write about your town or city. Tell us one story or one anecdote that reveals something about your community -- why you like it (or don't), what it stands for, what it's known for. You can tell a historical story. You can base it on an interview. YOU CAN DO A PODCAST in which you capture the sounds and voices of your community to complement your writing. Create a blog entry and use KEYWORD: my town
DUE: DECEMBER 10

SEVEN-WORD STORIES ... Try your hand at creating a short story in seven words. Stories need to have basic elements of a story -- character, conflict, resolution -- and have fun. Click here and put your ideas as a comment.

NOTES: YWP is a nonprofit, meaning we are always looking for money. Click "Support" above if you want to find out more about how you, your family or friends can help support this project.

cheers
gg

Howdy guys,
We are trying to reach you but your emails are either rejecting us (misilover) or wrong (blondBlondie)

Can you get in touch with me? Please?

And can you fix your profiles so we have working or accepting email addresses?

cheers
gg

Grand total, 11.21.08, of 7-word stories: 1897 including 360 in comments below.

11.21.08: Have taken the front page box down several times when some kids came in and used it as a chat room. gg

This December 5, at the Flynn Center, a few of last year's six-word stories will be performed -- Six students will each read their stories and then the Vermont Symphony Orchestra will perform a one-minute musical interpretation of each. Very cool. Six Pieces in Six Words in Six Minutes. We also will be publishing in the weekly YWP Newspaper Series some others from last year's amazing collection of six-word stories.

So now we have a new challenge: Seven Word Stories

Tell a story in seven words -- not more, not less, just seven, words. Follow the standard requirements for a short story -- character, conflict, resolution; if you can get friggin' place in there, you're a genius.

Good morning,

Step two of the Great youngwritersproject.org Site Migration was completed at 2 a.m. Saturday morning, meaning that I've now had two days in a row where I've gotten to bed at around 3ish. Weird being in an office building all alone with the air conditioner... (Comment below if you have any problems...)

Folks,

Recently we had to remove several posts and comments that were totally inappropriate. Interestingly, other young writers using this site brought these posts to our attention almost immediately. We have been proud of the way students have respected each other on this site. We are pleased that both adults and students brought the posts to our attention -- quickly. And we took care of them.

It's time, I guess, for a reminder that this site is based on treating each other with respect and civility. This is not the place for profanity, violence or threats. It is not a place for intolerance or uncivil discourse.

We never like the prospect of unpublishing someone, but it is important that we all work on maintaining an atmosphere of trust and civility. If you feel like you will be treated with respect, if you feel the participants treat each other with respect, you will be more apt to share.

Not to say you can't write about edgy topics, but just keep it civil.

Thanks,
gg

The Young Writers Project has several special projects planned for the coming year AND special opportunities for interested students. Here's a listing of what's coming and a few of the best of what we've done.

Special writing projects in 2008/09:

Vermont's Future. This is a special prompt in partnership with the Council on Vermont’s Future. Five essays will be selected for $50 awards and special presentation and publication of the work. Write a 500-750 word essay that answers any, some or all of these questions:

1. What does it mean to be a Vermonter?
2. What is the one thing you would change about Vermont?
3. If you could live here in 10 years, would you? Why or why not?
4. What is the most important thing to you about life in Vermont?
5. How has growing up in Vermont affected your life/your outlook?

UPDATE, Sept. 1, ....

Thanks for all of your prompt ideas. We have incorporated many of them into our 2008/09 prompt list which includes several special prompts that have cash prizes and special presentations. Have at it!
gg

Do you like writing and reading? YWP is looking for skilled young writers who would like to help choose the best student submissions for publication in newspapers and on the Web site. All work is done online and takes an hour or two each time. We rotate the judges so that you don’t judge more than a half dozen times during the year – unless you’d like to do more.

It’s fun and interesting and will help improve your writing too!

The YWP will have Judging in the Classroom again this year. We will happily come to your class sometime during the year to conduct final selections with your classmates.

If you’re interested in judging or arranging a classroom visit, contact Lee McIsaac, the YWP content coordinator, or call 802-860-0570.

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.

Howdy,

Wanted to let you know that we are beginning to bring adult mentors onto the site. These are folks who are professional writers or teachers or regular old adults who can write their way out of a paper bag. They will not be monitoring or censoring you. They will be offering their ideas on your writing.

We are doing this -- and we'll continue to have college mentors when college is in session -- because there is so much writing going on and we want to develop this site's methods for feedback. We think receiving -- and giving -- feedback is an important part of writing.

Sarah Bartlett, who runs a Web site and program devoted to helping women and young women writers, is a new mentor who will be on the site, from time to time, commenting on the writing in your blogs. For more about Sarah and her program, go to womenwritingvt.com

CHEERS,
gg