writers workshops for youth and teens
DESCRIPTION
Presentation giving at Illinois Library Association Conference September 24, 2008.TRANSCRIPT
Writers' Groups Writers' Groups for Youth and Teensfor Youth and Teens
Writers' Groups Writers' Groups for Youth and Teensfor Youth and Teens
September 24, 2008September 24, 2008
Writers' Groups for Youth and Teens
• Welcome• Introductions• Treats
You Will Learn:• What we do• Where we do it• Why we do it• How we do it• How you can do it, too
What We DoWhat We DoWhat We DoWhat We Do
Where We Do It
Why We Do ItWhy We Do ItWhy We Do ItWhy We Do It
Plot from a HatPlot from a HatPlot from a HatPlot from a Hat
Begin with an opening line or situation
Something like:
I was home alone doing math homework at the dining room table when I heard the telltale squeak of someone climbing the porch steps. I figured it was Mike since he was supposed to help me with the science project.
Our story cont’d
“You’re late,” I said, flinging open the door before he could ring the bell. But the joke was on me, because Mike wasn’t the one standing there. It was the zombie from the other night. And he was wearing Mike’s jacket.
How We Do ItHow We Do ItHow We Do ItHow We Do It
Typical Meeting(90 min. in length)
• Meet and greet (~10 minutes)
• Icebreaker (10 min.)
• Introduce the day’s theme (10-15 min.)
• Group and/or individual exercise(s) (40 minutes)
• Closing remarks (~5 minutes)
• Open Mic (~10 minutes)
Icebreaker-Collage
Typical Themes
• Getting started• Creating
unforgettable characters
• Dialogue• Writers' block
• Beginnings• Show don’t tell• Plot• Getting published• Poetry• Oct.-ghost stories
About the Exercises• Group and individual• Drawn from variety of
resources• SCBWI-Society of
Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
• www.scbwi-illinois.org• Listservs • Books on the craft of
writing
• Take lead from your kids
• Each group of kids has its own quirks and preferences
• Bring along a couple of different exercises
• Make it simple• Be flexible
Group ExerciseGroup ExerciseGroup ExerciseGroup ExerciseExquisite CorpseExquisite Corpse
How to Begin
• Everyone plays.• Each person starts with a plain
piece of paper (8 1/2x11 works best).
• Break into groups of four.
How to Begin cont’d
Begin with a story opening of two sentences. Write each sentence on a separate line. For example:
One glorious summer day, Little Red Riding Hood was skipping through the forest. From behind a thin pine sprang a purple kangaroo wearing a glittering gold jacket.
Your Exquisite Your Exquisite CorpsesCorpses
Your Exquisite Your Exquisite CorpsesCorpses
Let’s ShareLet’s Share
Individual ExerciseIndividual ExerciseIndividual ExerciseIndividual Exercise
Found PoetryFound Poetry
How to Begin• Take a handful of words (10-15 is an ideal
number).• Arrange your words on a smooth, flat surface
(a table, folder or notebook works well). • Play with your words. • Look for unusual combinations. • Listen for alliteration.• Embrace (and encourage) unexpected
pairings and images.
Found Poetry:10 words
• yap• side• flare• stretch• steel
• esteem• plunge• hurry• star• pond
The Poem
Side yap flarestretch esteem
hurry starplunge steel pond
Workshop Example:11 words
• sleep • death• boil • blow• ship• and
• luscious• sun • moon • summer • mist
The Poem
How to Begin• Take a handful of words (10-15 is an ideal
number)• Arrange your words on a smooth, flat surface
(a table, folder or notebook works well) • Play with your words. • Look for unusual combinations. • Listen for alliteration.• Embrace (and encourage) unexpected
pairings and images
Your Found PoemsYour Found PoemsYour Found PoemsYour Found Poems
Let’s ShareLet’s Share
How You Can Do It, How You Can Do It, TooToo
How You Can Do It, How You Can Do It, TooToo
Nuts and Bolts
• Snacks• Room with door, large work table,
plenty of chairs• White board and markers• Paper and pens• Workshop leaders bring the rest
The Beginning• Orland had a literary arts magazine that
was fairly successful so we knew there was an audience of teen writers
• Contacted Heidi Roemer, a local author who is part Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators of the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators)
• Heidi recommended some authors who work with teens to lead the group
Marketing Writers' Workshops
• Participation is about quality, not quantity. We aren’t looking for a lot of kids. 10 is a high number for participation.
• Advertise anywhere and everywhere.• Publicize internally through newsletters,
flyers, posters, etc. • Cross market with book talks, other teen
events, etc.)• Don’t underestimate word of mouth.
What OPPL Teens Have Taught Us
The typical teen:• lives in the moment (for ex., many
plan activities for that day that day)• wants/needs to be entertained• has a short attention span• needs to be shown how to be
creative (but once they get started, look out)
What that Means for Us
• Keep them active• Surprise them• Don’t lecture• Hands-on
• Keep activities short
• Let them share• Be flexible
Resources toHelp Get You Started
Appelt, Kathi. Just People and other poems for young readers & Paper/Pen/Poem: A Younger Writers’ Way to Begin.
Bauer, Marion Dane. What’s Your Story? A Young Person’s Guide to Fiction.
Koch, Kenneth and Farrell, Kate. Sleeping on the Wing.
Levine, Gail Carson. Writing Magic.
Prelutsky, Jack, Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem.
Wooldridge, Susan Goldsmith. Poem Crazy.
“It’s impossible to teach anyone to write creatively. But we can set up circumstances in which creative
writing is likely to happen. We can create a field in and around us that’s fertile territory for creative writing. Playing with words, we can get to the place where
creative writing comes from. We can write and make discoveries about who we are and who we might
become whether or not we truly commit ourselves to becoming writers.”
Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge, poemcrazy
Kelly LaszczakAssistant Head of Youth Services
Orland Park Public LibraryOrland Park, IL
www.orlandparklibrary.org
