Here’s a quick shout-out to the fellows of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio who are participating in NaNoWriMo this year and posting updates in our ning each day! We’re at 13, 542 words as a group and on track to hit our target word counts for this month. What’s NaNoWriMo? How can you or your students participate? Drop by their home page for young writers and check it out. There are some great resources available…
Where do great writing ideas come from? They’re often inspired by our own experiences, the things we read or hear or see, or the thoughts and feelings that are stirred up in response to those we connect with each day. Still, defining an idea worth investing yourself in can be challenging, and that’s why it’s often important to connect the things we love to do beyond writing to our writing. When I’m conferring with…
The 6+1 Traits of Writing gained momentum in the field and a respected place within many classrooms because it provides a framework through which writers (and teachers) might begin to define craft. We rely on the Traits in Studio, and I work in a number of schools who have made the Traits a part of their core curricula, but becoming a powerful writer requires expertise in far more than this, and great writing teachers know…
The Beginning of a Writing Process, WNY Young Writers’ Studio 2010 It happens every year. “We’re only here because our moms made us come,” they told me. “We hate writing. Seriously.” Seriously? I wonder if most kids are given much of a chance to consider what writing really is anymore or why they would even want to do it outside of the classroom. And so I suggest that writing isn’t just about linear text. It…
She’s been a fellow of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio for three years now. Every August, she devotes a week of her life to the study of what learning communities are and how she’s grown as a result of her participation in ours. She comes back every other month throughout the school year. She visits our ning almost daily. She connects herself to those who can help her, and she reaches out to do the…
Two years ago, a writer I know showed up to one of our Studio sessions looking pretty glum. As one of the editors of her high school’s literary magazine, she was nothing short of disgusted by the behavior that some of her fellow editors were exhibiting. Having crowned themselves the school’s elite writers, they had taken it upon themselves to stand in harsh judgment of their peers, mocking the work that others submitted, and making…
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.” –Winston Churchill This is one of my favorite pictures from last week’s Studio sessions. It was just one small moment that tucked itself into a flurry of other activity, but this visual speaks volumes. One of the interns in our program, Nate, is conferencing with two writers in our community about their vision and their goals while a local school administrator listens in. As…
Photo Credit: Laura Stockman Summer is a time unto itself. In our family, we draw deep boundaries around the months of June, July, and August. The rhythm of our life together changes, and while the pace never seems to slow, the content of our days becomes distinctly different. It’s a disruption I long for every year–one that seems to slow me down and wake me up simultaneously. Sometimes, this feels unsettling. Over the course of…
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been plowed over by all that is June. This month saw the end of the 2009-2010 season of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio, highlighted by our Celebration of Writing and the publication of our first anthology (featuring 20 of this year’s 60 writers)! It’s also the end of our school year here in Western New York, which marks all sorts of endings and new beginnings. Earlier…
Just hopping online quickly to share the images captured at last week’s Celebration of Writing! Congratulations to the fellows of the WNY Young Writers’ Studio for a year AND a day well spent. Thanks for sharing all that you’ve learned and helping make the day a success. See you soon!