Blog Post
Introducing Judge #1 for Teen Short Story Writing Contest
by Bertha
Rita Williams-Garcia’s work has been recognized by the Coretta Scott King Award Committee, PEN Norma Klein, American Library Association, and Parents’ Choice, among others. She recently served on the National Book Award Committee for Young People’s Literature and is on faculty at Vermont College MFA Writing for Children and Young People.
Winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King Award AND the Newbery Honor Book, One Crazy Summer is the story of three girls from Brooklyn who head out to California to stay with their mother, a poet, who ran off years before; the year is 1968.
She is also a Judge for this year's It's All Write Teen short story writing contest. The panel of 10 judges will look at the finalists in three grade categories of 6-7-8 (Middle School), 9-10 (High School) and 11-12 (High School) and select the winners who will be announced at an Awards Ceremony on May 12, 2012. For guidelines to the contest, click here. Send your stories to allwrite@aadl.org
Good Luck! The deadline is March 16th.
Blog Post
Comics Are Great! Wednesday with Brianne Drouhard and Dan Mishkin
by jerzydrozd@gmail.com
This Wednesday at 12:30 pm we hope you'll join us for the live Comics Are Great! show, produced in the AADL Netcast Studio!
We will be joined by Brianne Drouhard, storyboard artist, character designer, and animator whose credits include Teen Titans, Transformers: Animated, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Also on the roundtable we'll have Dan Mishkin, co-creator of Blue Devil and Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld.
Together we'll tackle the topic of writing adventure fiction for girls. What are the special considerations one must face when creating an action-oriented story for girls? Is it important to refer to current styles and technology, or does that make your story less "timeless"? How is writing adventure fiction for girls different than writing the same for boys? Or are they essentially the same?
You can join us in the chat live at Comicsaregreat.tv, participate via the #comicsaregreat Twitter hashtag, or by posting some comments here. What are some of your favorite adventure stories made for girls? What, if anything, made them different from similar stories made for boys?
Blog Post
Teen Short Story Contest - March 16th Last Day for Submissions
by Bertha
You still have time to put the finishing touches on your SHORT STORY. The deadline for turning in stories is March 16, Friday. Submit to: allwrite@aadl.org
Prizes are awarded for 1st Place ($250), 2nd Place ($150), and 3rd Place ($100) in three different grade categories of 6-7-8, 9-10, and 11-12. Check here for complete guidelines.
You will receive an email verifying that we have received your story, and then the process begins of screening the stories and having the final judges select the winners. All stories are judged anonymously and finalists will be notified. Winners will be announced at an Awards Program on Saturday, May 12, from 1:30 - 3 pm. Caitlin Horrocks a winner of the 1997 short story contest, will be speaking and signing copies of This Is Not Your City her first collection of published stories.
You can check here to see some of the previous winning stories.
Good Luck!
Blog Post
Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Event: An Evening With Author Stephen G. Bloom: Making Sense Of The World
by hillary dorwart
Wednesday February 15, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
The theme for Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Reads 2012 is "Language: How We Communicate." Award-winning journalist Stephen G. Bloom, the UM Howard R. Marsh Visiting Professor of Journalism, will discuss how he communicates through non-fiction writing - including his December piece "Observations From 20 Years of Iowa Life" in The Atlantic which set off a firestorm of controversy placing him in the national spotlight. Bloom will also discuss the role of journalists today, touching on the future of journalism and nonfiction writing.
Since 1993, Bloom has been on the faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa, where he is Professor and the Bessie Dutton Murray Professional Scholar.
Blog Post
826michigan Hosts Writing Workshop with Author V.V. Ganeshananthan
by karaelise
Are you a fiction writer? Have you ever wondered about the writing techniques of a journalist? Well, now is your chance to get your questions about journalism answered! 826michigan’s “How to Write Like I Do” writing workshops presents: The Reported Imagination: Journalism Techniques for Fiction Writers. Heading up this workshop is none other than V.V. Ganeshananthan, Zell Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Michigan and author of the critically acclaimed 2008 novel, Love Marriage. Topics of discussion will include how fiction writers can use journalism techniques, such as interviewing and arduous editing, in their craft.
This fun event is for adults only, and takes place on Saturday, February 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 826michigan. Participants will be treated to Zingerman’s coffee and pastries.
Cost for this event is $25 per participant. However, 826Michigan is running a Bring-a-Friend special that allows you to purchase two tickets for $40! All proceeds from the event go to support 826michigan’s free creative writing program for youth ages 6-18 in Washtenaw County. So, get out your pen and paper or computer, and come join V.V. Ganeshananthan in a discussion about incorporating journalism techniques in your fiction writing!
Date: February 4, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Place: 826michigan
115 East Liberty Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Cost: $25 for 1 person
$40 for 2 people (the Bring-a-Friend special)
Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com
Blog Post
Teen Short Story Writing Contest-It's All Write!
by Bertha
The Teen Short Story Contest officially begins today and runs through March 16, 2012.
You’ll have seven weeks to perfect that short story you’ve had this idea for, but just have never finished. Guidelines are easy to follow and when you’re ready, just send your story to allwrite@aadl.org
AADL’s short story writing contest just hit it’s 20 year.
You can read previous winning stories here or check out writing resources that might be helpful.
1st Place Winners receive ($250), 2nd Place ($150) and 3rd Place ($100) in these three categories: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12
A panel of published authors will judge the stories. The Awards Ceremony, featuring author Caitlin Horrocks, a winner of the 1997 short story contest, will be held Saturday, May 12, 2012, at the Downtown Library.
‘It’s All Write!” is cosponsored by the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library and AADL.
Good Luck!
Blog Post
Writers' Resources on the Web
by Stewart
Tuesday January 24, 2012: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm -- Traverwood Branch: Training Center
Are you an aspiring writer? Learn about online resources for writing contests, periodical submissions, and support groups.
Registration is not required. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for the complete class schedule.
Blog Post
'Letters About Literature' Contest
by Bertha
What is this contest all about? Well, the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in cooperation with state centers for the book and in partnership with Target Stores, invites readers in grades 4 through 12 to enter Letters About Literature, a national reading-writing contest.
To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre--fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, contemporary or classic--explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves.
There are three competition levels:
Level I for children in grades 4 through 6;
Level II for grades 7 and 8,
Level III, grades 9 - 12.
Click here for the Entry Form. The contest deadline is Friday, January 6, 2012, so take the writing challenge. Read here some of the winning letters from 2011. Good Luck!
Blog Post
Wow, I Wrote That!: Early Story Writing with Young Readers
by OneillT
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Children love stories, reading them, hearing them, telling them. Stories help children experiment with language while practicing their ability to both imagine and describe their world.
Before your child is ready to write themselves, but when they are old enough to read and listen to stories, combine their love of your stories with your literacy to help them create their own book. Dictating stories for your child is an excellent way to practice their Vocabulary and Narrative Skills, both identified as Key Early Literacy Skills.
Staple together a couple of pieces of paper with their favorite crayons and markers nearby. Ask your child to tell you a story, which you then write down onto the paper. Don't worry too much about editing, since it is important that the child see that the story is their writing from their words.
After you’ve written down their story, have the child illustrate their story. They may want to have some of their favorite books nearby, so that they can emulate the style of those works. Be ready to read for them bits of their story from each page so that they can more closely match the picture to the part of the story.
After the story has been illustrated, take the time to have one or both of you read the story aloud, giving extra attention to the accompanying artwork and allowing the child to further embellish and explain that artwork and their story.
When finished, make sure to keep your child’s work, to be used as both a reading resource and as a memory of their writing life.