Here’s a snapshot of the grid that some writers plan with at the WNY Young Writer’s Studio. And here’s another of a bulletin board near it, which provides new writers very basic approaches to try as they get acquainted with making writing in this way. These aren’t my ideas. Studio writers shared most of them. And here’s something that’s hard to portray in those photos or in sketchbook shots: the MOVEMENT of the sticky notes.…
It’s important for young writers to share their work with audiences who are truly interested in receiving it, yet time for exhibition is often tight, and when it comes time to let something go, it’s this phase of the process that often falls by the wayside. During my conversations with middle school teachers this spring, someone asked if I could recommend a quick but fabulous approach for organizing a writing celebration. I can, and I’m…
In my work with teachers, and in our fellowship programs at the WNY Young Writer’s Studio, I’ve become closely acquainted with a few kids who absolutely hate writing. What’s worse is that they believe they aren’t capable of it. Why? Well, mostly because they are unable to sit silently before a screen or page and push words out of the end of their fingers in a coherent fashion until every inch of white space is…
Gone are the days when WNY Young Writer’s Studio writers celebrated their accomplishments by participating in readings or showcasing their anthology submissions. We celebrate our published writers to be sure, but our most rewarding events are those that bring family, friends, and other teachers and writers from outside of our community together to learn from one another. Each spring, we host an unconference where writers of all ages facilitate conversations about strategies that work for…