tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88481735418791059712013-05-18T13:20:31.219-07:0012Writing - Workshops for Creative Writers and TeachersOnline Resources for Writers and Teachers in Fiction, Poetry, and Memoir.Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with Live.com1-2-Writing: Inspiration for Creative Writers and Teachers.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-43887678828645156582012-11-16T13:26:00.001-08:002012-11-16T13:26:28.960-08:00Life Writing: A Bridge Between Writers and Researchers<div align="left">Hello, writers.<br /><br />If you check this website often, you will undoubtedly noticed a lack in activity. Ryan, Emily and I have been tangled in work and personal obligations, but hopefully as the semester winds down we'll be making more regular posts here.<br /><br />Anway, on to the post!<br /><br />As a rhetoric studies person (the only one at 12Writing), I spend most of my time looking at other people's writing instead of creating my own texts. I tend to think less about aesthetics and more the work that writing does in the world. If you think it seems strange that I am working on a creative writing website, you wouldn't be wrong.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Traditionally, the was an invisible wall between rhetoric studies and creative writing studies in the academic world and often this wall extended outside of the university to artist and researchers outside of academia. This wall has been breaking down in recent years as interdisciplinary studies and hybrid writing gains popularity, but old habits die hard, as the saying goes. This habit is the reason for my post today. <br /><a name='more'></a></div><div align="left">Boundaries between disciplines create limits on the knowledge we can gain from each other. Seeing another group as an adversary accomplishes nothing productive. As people who have dedicated their lives to the English language, through research and textual production, we should be working together.<br /><br />And through my research of genre and my experience of the creative writing world, I am of the opinion that life writing can finally dismantle the lingering animosity between the different academic schools of writing. Because it is a creative genre, it appeals to creative writers and because it depends so heavily on personal narrative and recollection, it also appeals to rhetoricians. It is also an easily accessible genre which can appeal to many different people, as poetry and fiction can seem intimidating. <br /><br />If people from many different situations and writing abilities attempt life writing and share their writing expereince, we can learn valuable information about how the mind works when it creates a text. So I encourage you to try out life writing if you haven't already and to share the results of your effort with the world. <br /><br />Try checking out <a href="http://www.lifewritersforum.com/">Life Writers Forum</a>, a forum specifically for life writing. You can post stories, read other people's stories, ask questions, and share your writing experiences. There are also links to several blogs dedicated to the art of life writing. Share your writing experiences with others. You could possibly advance our knowledge of how and why people write which could do wonders for how we teach and learn to craft a world with words.<br /><br /><div align="left"><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a> </div></div></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/7aUZ-7OBzUg" height="1" width="1"/>Jessica Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541534361669646982noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/11/life-writing-bridge-between-writers-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-9015007079215164442012-08-08T17:50:00.002-07:002012-08-08T17:50:07.846-07:00Writing Workshops: The How-To of Sharing Your Work<div align="left">Hey there, Fellow Writers!</div><div align="left">Here's a list of blog posts describing the writing workshop process and what to look for as you seek your own workshop.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><a name='more'></a><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2011/05/traditional-workshops-vs-freewriting.html"><b>Traditional Workshops, Freewriting, and the Amherst Method</b></a></div><div>Writing workshops have evolved a great deal over the past eighty years. Here's a look at the different formats currently used as well as their pros and cons.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2010/03/writing-workshop-feedback-positive.html">Progressive Workshop Feedback</a></b></div><div>Progressive feedback will help you improve while encouraging you to keep writing. This is the kind of feedback we strive for at <a href="http://www.12writing.com/"><b>12Writing</b></a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2008/02/make-most-of-writing-workshops.html">How to Make the Most of Workshop Feedback</a></b></div><div>Offering your work to workshop critique is a major step toward becoming a better writer. Here's some advice on how to accept feedback - both positive and negative - as you develop as a writer.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2010/04/choosing-right-online-writing-workshop.html">Choosing the Right Online Workshop</a></b></div><div>There are so many online workshops out there that it can hard to choose "the one" to help you succeed. Factors such as price, time commitment, and your personal writing goals are all important considerations.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2008/02/inspiration-for-creative-writing.html">Inspiration to Keep You Writing</a></b></div><div>Any writing workshop you take should foster the inspiration which fuels your writing.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2008/02/beginning-writer-workshop.html">Why I Teach Workshops</a></b></div><div>I have long dreamed of becoming a writer, and writing workshops have played a major role in my progress. Here's a look back at why I began offering workshops of my own.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/search/label/workshop">More Posts on Writing Workshops</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/s36xGeQ6AmY" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/writing-workshops-how-to-of-sharing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-77251743829758593482012-08-08T17:37:00.002-07:002012-08-08T17:37:19.193-07:00General Writing Advice and Tips<div align="left"><b>(Coming Soon!) </b></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Looking for ways to improve your writing? We have compiled some websites that offer you tips and tricks to make your writing life more productive.</div><a name='more'></a>This is below the break <div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/f1fyFoN_9No" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/general-writing-advice-and-tips.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-22435736669186189382012-08-08T17:26:00.001-07:002012-08-08T17:26:31.439-07:00Your Writing: Tips for Getting Started<div align="left"></div>Hello Writers!<br /><br />Here are some links to pages with advice for getting started. There is all kinds of different advice from what to eat to be more creative to different writing prompts to get your creativity flowing. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><a href="http://creativebits.org/toolbox/what_eat_be_creative">What to Eat to be Creative</a><br />Eating junk food not only makes your body sluggish, but it makes your mind sluggish too. If you are looking to boost your creativity, look here for some advice.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.whatmakesthemclick.net/2009/04/20/5-steps-to-more-creativity-using-brain-science/">Five Steps to More Creativity Using Brain Science</a><br />Use the tips in the article to work with, instead of against, your brain to become more creative.<br /><br /><a href="http://tunkuhalim.wordpress.com/2007/04/13/creative-writing-where-do-i-start/">Creative Writing: Where Do I Start?</a><br />Getting started is often the hardest part about writing. That's why we've dedicated an entire page to it. Here Tunku Halim shows us how a simple moment, like a man putting a box down inside a coffee shop, can turn into a murder mystery or a romance.<br /><br /><a href="http://theblob.org/raina/prompts/">Creative Writing Prompts</a><br />Feeling less than inspired? This website has 70 writing prompts to spur your creative side.<br /><br /><a href="http://stacienaczelnik.hubpages.com/hub/Five-Poetry-Writing-Exercises">Five Poetry Writing Prompts</a><br />These writing prompts are tailored toward poetry, though you could use them to inspire a short story.<br /><br /><a href="http://goinswriter.com/writing-prompts/">The Last Writing Prompt You Will Ever Need</a><br />Writer, Jeff Goins, claims that you don't need a writing prompt. He claims that prompts are just practice and you don't need to practice anymore. You don't have to agree with him, but he does make a few good points.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.writerlylife.com/2010/02/why-that-writing-improvement-book-wont-help-you/">Why That Writing Improvement Book Won't Help You</a><br />This isn't bashing all writing books and websites, just ones that don't help. This article gives you the knowledge to identify a book or website that is giving you bad or worthless advice.<br /><br /><a href="http://harrywolff.com/2011/09/writers-jujitsu-how-to-write-when-you-dont-want-to-write/">How to Write When You Don't Want to Write</a><br />Being unmotivated about your writing is a problem everyone faces. Read this blog post by Harry Wolff (yes, that's his name).<br /><br /><a href="http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-journal-writing/journal-writing-%E2%80%94-11-tips-to-stay-motivated-in-2011/">11 Tips to Stay Motivated</a><br />Here are eleven more ways to motivate yourself if the previous tips didn't work for you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chrisg.com/too-busy-blog/">Seven Ways to Blog More Productively</a><br />Whether you blog or not, these tips will help you write more productively when you do sit down to write.<br /><br /><a href="http://naturewriting.com/frideas.htm">Ideas for Nature Writing</a><br />Interested in nature writing but don't know where to begin? This website has several prompts and advice about nature writing.<br /><br />Keep checking back here and to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/12Writing">Facebook page</a> for more writing tips and advice. Happy writing!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/OGBZscqjZOA" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/your-writing-tips-for-getting-started.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-63845651576551224832012-08-08T17:24:00.003-07:002012-08-08T17:25:12.625-07:00Publishing Your Work<div align="left"></div>Hello Writers!<br /><br />This page is dedicated to information about getting published. These links will help you get ready to publish, how to find a publisher, and how to avoid literary scams. Publishing can be a drawn out, ugly process. Let these links be your guide.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><br /><a name='more'></a><a href="http://janefriedman.com/2012/04/18/writing-publishing-terminology-101/"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Writing and Publishing Terminology</a><br />Here is a great beginner's guide to getting published. Former publisher and current university professor, Jane Friedman, provides definitions for popular publishing terms and tips for how to find the publishing information you are looking for.<br /><br /><a href="http://warren-wilson.edu/~creativewriting/coverletter.php">How to Write a Cover Letter</a><br />Most literary journals require that you send a cover letter in with your submissions. A poorly written cover letter can sometimes cause your submissions to be less desirable. Check out this guide before sending in your work and have a better chance at getting published.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.underdown.org/covlettr.htm#1">Rites of Submission: Cover Letters and Query Letters</a><br />This guide, written by the editor of a literary magazine, may help ease some of your anxiety about submitting your work to a publisher. There are several examples of bad letters broken down to show you what makes that letter bad.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aboutus.org/Learn/9-Common-Title-Tag-Mistakes-and-How-To-Avoid-Them">9 Common Tag Title Mistakes</a><br />If you put your work online, you need to be able to correctly tag your work so that it shows up at the top of a search engine. This article will help you avoid dooming your work to the bottom of the page.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/">Cheap Business Cards</a><br />If you are meeting with publishers in person or are doing a public reading of your work, you may want to have business cards to hand out. Go here to order professional-looking cards of your own design.<br /><br /><a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CRWROPPS-B/messages/6461">Listserv for Creative Writing Submissions</a><br />Use this Yahoo group to sign up for e-mail notifications of calls for submissions, contests, and journals accepting work. Be warned that this group sends out lots of e-mails. It is advisable to direct these e-mails to a special folder or to set up a whole new e-mail address just for the alerts.<br /><br /><a href="http://windpub.com/smallpress.htm">Writing for Small Press Publication</a><br />Trying to get published through a small press is different than trying to get published through a larger publishing company. As the article explains, small presses have to be extremely choosy about what they accept as they cannot swallow loss as well as a bigger company. If you want to get published by a small press, use this guide to help make your work more appealing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.backhandstories.com/">Backhand Stories: A Publishing Blog</a><br />This blog publishes short stories, flash fiction, non-fiction, and essays from unpublished or new writers. they publish just on their blog, so this is a good way to get your name out there and also a great place to read the work of other new writers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.everywritersresource.com/bestonlineliterarymagazines.html">The Best Online Literary Magazines</a><br />This page ranks the top 20 online literary magazines according to several criteria including what they do for writers, what they have done for writing, and what they do for readers.<br /><br /><a href="https://duotrope.com/">Duotrope: The Online Publishing Resource</a><br />This is a free searchable database of publishers all over the world. They currently offer information on 4,200 active publishers who publish all kinds of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. You can search for publishers based on response times, acceptance/rejection ratios, genre, or sub-genre. Check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/advice-for-writers.php">Advice from Salmon Poetry on Publishing</a><br />The Irish publishing house, Salmon Poetry, has put together a tips about how to get your work published both through their company and others. While you're there, check out the books written by two poets we know personally: <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=220&a=192">Drucilla Wall</a> and <a href="http://www.salmonpoetry.com/details.php?ID=248&a=149">Eamonn Wall</a>!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newpages.com/">New Pages Writer Resources</a><br />This website is a haven to writers with information and guides to bookstores, publishers, literary magazines, periodicals, record labels, and more.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pw.org/content/network_how_to_use_twitter_to_connect_with_readers">Network: How to Use Twitter to Connect With Readers</a><br />Getting published is only half the battle. If your work is published in a journal or book that costs money to own, you need to attract people willing to pay to own it. Let's face the reality: popularity and money often go hand in hand.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.write-thing.com/2011/02/01/11-reasons-you-wont-get-published/#11">11 Reasons You Won’t Get Published</a><br />Everyone wants to get published. Some succeed and some fail. Make sure you look at this list of mistakes made by writers trying to get published and give yourself a better chance at succeeding.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/avoid/av_avoid.php">Literary Scams and Dishonest Publishers</a><br />Not all advertised publishers are legitimate. This website lists scams and dishonest publishers as well as provides resources for you to report an organization if you feel they have not delivered.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/xAy5SF9DBZw" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com1http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/publishing-your-work.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-66427903927255484822012-08-08T17:23:00.000-07:002012-08-08T17:23:14.672-07:00Just for Fun<div align="left"></div>Hello Writers!<br /><br />Writing is serious business, but sometimes you just want to have fun. Fun is what this page is for! We've collected several quirky, silly, funny, and interesting links about writing and literature. These websites and videos make for quick diversions that not only entertain, but may just stoke your creativity. Enjoy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><br /><a name='more'></a><a href="http://htmlgiant.com/roundup/things-ive-been-thinking-about-promotion-links-salter-soap-operas-etc/#more-85990"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />A Blog Post from Writer Roxanne Gay</a><br />Writer and editor of HTML Giant, Roxanne Gay, muses about multiple writing related things in this amusing blog post.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=journal&view_type=gallery&ship_to=ZZ&min=0&max=0">Handmade Journals</a><br />Looking for a new journal? Here is a link to a collection of journals made by artists or small producers for a range of different prices. There are many different different styles and colors so you're sure to find one that you like.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UnfyoTSZZw&feature=related">Neil Gaiman Reading Instructions</a><br />Here is a good example of how to do a successful reading. This video is both fun and educational in that way. Neil shows you how to entertain the audience both with your stage presence and your writing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-realizations-that-will-ruin-science-fiction-you/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fanpage&utm_campaign=new+article&wa_ibsrc=fanpage">Four Realizations that will Ruin Science Fiction</a><br />Cracked.com ruins science fiction for you by exposing four major plot components that all science fiction seems to have.<br /><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/NP74VM1Itdc">B*tches in Bookshops</a><br />Two women riff off of "N*ggas in Paris" by Jay-z and Kanye and make their own literary parody. Explicit lyric warning.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuZSfvHHMr4">Song: I Like Big Books</a><br />A middle school in Texas, USA does a literary parody of Sir Mix-a-Lot's song "Baby Got Back."<br /><br /><a href="http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar">The Oatmeal: Grammar Comics</a><br />Here are some witty and silly comics explaining commonly misused words, punctuation, and literary elements. If you roll your eyes every time someone used the word literally incorrectly or when when you see a comma splice, these snippy comic strips should make you laugh.<br /><br /><a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html">The Alot is Better Than You at Everything</a><br />If you hate it when people make a lot into one word, you'll enjoy this comic filled blog post from Allie Brosh. She takes a normally irritating grammatical mistake and creates a way to laugh about it instead.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/yBbB199Kqgs" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/just-for-fun.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-46250448041211047952012-08-08T17:21:00.001-07:002012-08-08T17:21:06.571-07:00Revising Your Writing<div align="left"></div>Hello Writers!<br /><br />Revision can sometimes be a difficult and confusing process. Fortunately, we have compiled a list of guides and articles about revising and workshopping. Now matter how difficult the process is for you, remember that revising is just a way of making your work better.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><br /><a name='more'></a><a href="http://cynthia-jones-shoeman.suite101.com/creative-writingrevision-matters-a146268"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Revision Matters: Techniques to Polish a Novel or Short Story</a><br />Here is a step by step guide about revising your work before taking it to workshop. This guide offers specific examples of things to look for such as "deadly" adverbs or how to notice if you are telling instead of showing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.freelancewriting.com/articles/steps-to-become-your-own-best-editor.php">5 Easy Steps to Become Your Own Best Editor</a><br />Revising and editing your own work can seem daunting, but use these five simple steps to help make sense of the madness. Once you've learned how to clean up your own writing, you're not only better prepared to improve your own writing, but you will also be a better member of your workshopping group.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.infideas.com/leisure/creative-writing/editing.asp">Techniques for Editing Your Own Work</a><br />Here is another good article about editing your own work. The author includes a list of things that may be damaging the quality of your work and it also has some suggestions about how to edit. The author cleverly suggests using different color pens to correct different problems such as using green only to correct dialogue.<br /><br /><a href="http://clichesite.com/alpha_list.asp?which=lett+1">The Largest Collection of Cliches and Overused Phrases/Sayings</a><br />We want to avoid cliches in our writing, but sometimes it hard to know whether something is cliche or not. This site offers an extensive list of phrases in alphabetical order. If you find something on this list in your writing, you don't necessarily need to get rid of it, but try to put a fresh spin on it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gvsu.edu/cms3/assets/C7078FCF-E2C3-F3DD-7F8E1630561E3F3E/creative_writing_revision_strategies_gg_final.pdf">Revision Strategies from the Fred Meijer Center for Writing</a><br />Here are a few quick steps to take when you don't know where to start revising.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.writingforward.com/writing-tips/tips-for-critiquing-other-writers-work">Tips for Critiquing Other Writers’ Work</a><br />Working with other writers is a great way to get feedback from people who understand the creative process, but there are a few things to consider when giving others criticism. Follow the guidelines set out by this article and you may find yourself a group of writing friends that will last a lifetime.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2154461_give-feedback-writing-workshop.html">How to Give Feedback at a Writing Workshop</a><br />Here is some more advice about how to give feedback about other people's writing. When you try hard to help others, they will try hard to help you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2011/12/13/how-to-take-criticism/">How To Take Criticism</a><br />If you want to be a published writer, you have to learn to accept criticism. Everyone has an opinion and they are going to share it with you whether or not you ask for it. This article will help you cope with having your work criticized and give you steps to better yourself.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.protagonize.com/">Protagonize: An Online Writing Community</a><br />If you are looking for an online writing community, check out this website. Originally, this site was used by writers wanting to create collaborative pieces but is has expanded to allow you to write traditionally and share you work with other writes. You can post here or join up just to read the work of other current writers. Seems like a lot of fun.<br /><br /><a href="http://voices.yahoo.com/critical-analysis-creative-writing-6386320.html?cat=10">Critical Analysis in Creative Writing Workshops</a><br />This article is about the pros and cons of writing workshops (both online and in-person). This link focuses on fiction/prose workshops but it does mention word choice, which should be of interest to you poets out there. Also, the article includes a list of workshop forums that are available online. Some on the list have membership fees while others are free. Check it out.<br /><br /><a href="http://stancarey.wordpress.com/2010/06/22/the-red-pen-effect/">The Red Pen Effect</a><br />How do you feel when you see red marks on your work? If red ink makes you feel more upset than blue, you are not alone. The color red is associated with anger, aggressiveness, and critiques.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0036042">Font Size Matters</a><br />This is a research paper about the psychological effect of text. According to the article, larger sized fonts elicit more of a reaction than small sized fonts. This is an important thing to think about when polishing your work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/_0KwfgVzcq4" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/revising-your-writing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-2998226725311052902012-08-08T17:12:00.000-07:002012-08-08T17:12:59.195-07:00Genre and Literary Elements<div align="left"></div>Hello Writers!<br /><br />This page is dedicated to information about genre and literary elements. Not sure how to write a love poem? Or maybe you're struggling to put dialogue in your story. Check out the links below for all sorts of tips and how to's.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><br /><a name='more'></a><a href="http://www.publetariat.com/write/writing-different-genres-writers-tool-belt"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Writing in Different Genres</a><br />We use ideas of genre to distinguish between different kinds of writing. As a writer it is good to know the differences and similarities of two styles of writing, such as poetry and narrative writing.<br /><br /><a href="http://mindworkscoaching.com/coaching/2011/08/playing-with-words-ekphrasis/">Ekphrasis: Literary Representation of Visual Art</a><br />It is not uncommon for writers to be inspired by visual art (painting, sculpture, photography, etc.) and to use this in their own writing. John Keats, Williams Carlos Williams, and W.H. Auden all found inspiration in visual art. This article will give you ideas on how to start using works of art as your inspiration.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cthreepo.com/writing/laws.shtml">10 Laws of Good Science Fiction</a><br />While most of these "laws" can be broken (and frequently are) the author brings up good points to think about if you are interested in writing science fiction. "Law" number four is especially important to look at and is applicable to all genres of fiction.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.creative-writing-now.com/memoir-writing-interview.html">Memoir Writing Tips</a><br />A published memoir writer shares some tips on how to write a memoir that succeeds.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thetrendsetter.org/2007/09/24/creative-nonfiction-memoir-how-to-write-a-memoir/">How to Write a Memoir</a><br />This is a good introduction to memoir writing. Memoir and other forms of creative non-fiction are growing in popularity. This article discusses the main tenants of memoir and how it is different from autobiography. It also introduces the idea of conventional life writing and experimental.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ghostwriter-needed.com/tips-on-writing-memoirs.html">12 Tips on Writing Memoirs</a><br />Here is yet another link discussing memoir writing. While the article is aimed at memoir writers, there is good advice for all genres here.<br /><br /><a href="http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/">How a Poem Happens</a><br />Several poets share their poems and talk about how they created their poems including where the inspiration came from and how they revised the initial draft.<br /><br /><a href="http://poetry.org/termsin.htm">Terms in Poetry</a><br />Do you know what anacrusis means? You can use this page from Poetry.org to find out the definition to anacrusis and many other poetry terms. The list also has definitions for different schools and styles of poetry so if you are interested in finding and author who writes differently from you, try clicking on a style you've never heard of before.<br /><br /><a href="http://transanthology.com/thoughts-on-the-poetic-statement/">Thoughts on the Poetic Statement</a><br />If you've never written a statement of poetics, or even if you have, take a look at this article. This link is a nice discussion of what a good statement of poetics contains and at the end there are some questions to ask yourself when you are drafting your statement. No matter what stage you see your writing in, writing a statement of poetics can help you focus your thoughts and your work toward a goal.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.writersbeat.com/showthread.php?t=4454">The Basics of Free Verse Poetry</a><br />This is a great link for beginner tips on how to write free verse poetry. It has explanations for abstractions, imagery, syntax, and formatting. It also has little nots on grammatical errors, cliches, and alliteration.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/article/182917">How to Write Love Poetry</a><br />How do you write a heartfelt poem to a loved one without sounding like a lovesick teenager spewing cliches? Four poets share examples of their love poetry and give advice at how to create beautiful and creative love poetry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.creative-writing-now.com/how-to-write-a-haiku.html">How to Write a Haiku Poem</a><br />Have you ever written a haiku? They are traditional Japanese poems that can often be quite beautiful and may lead you to experiment with leaving verbs, adverbs, and adjectives out of your lines of poetry. This succinct article gives you the basics of haikus, a few examples, a step-by-step creation guide. Check out the reader haikus in the comments at the bottom of the page.<br /><br /><a href="http://poetrynprogress.com/2011/02/10/a-verbal-aesthetic-notes-on-spoken-word-poetry/">Notes on Spoken Word Poetry</a><br />Unlike other forms of poetry, spoken word poetry really only exists when being performed in front of a live audience. Therefore, it has different conventions from written poetry. In this article the author explores her experiences with and observations of spoken work poetry. Its a good starting position if you are interested in poetry slams or performing your poetry in public.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scriptshark.com/script-journal?detail%2FC17%2Fwhat-i-took-from-taken-how-tim-earnheart-wrote-his-buzz-worthy-script-in-7-">Writing a Script in Seven Days</a><br />Tim Earnheart, a screenwriter, shares his story on how he wrote an a noteworthy television script in just seven days.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.webcontentcafe.com/2010/10/10-ways-in-which-social-media-writing-is-different-from-traditional-web-writing/#axzz1uErNjEn8">10 Ways in Which Social Media Writing is Different from Traditional Web Writing</a><br />A look at how different social media writing is from traditional web writing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.songlyricist.com/lyricorpoem.htm">The Difference Between Song Lyrics and Poetry</a><br /><div style="margin: 0px;">It has been said that a song is just a poem set to music, but that is untrue. They are two very different genres and often can't be substituted for each other. Let this article show you the differences.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/portal/854485p1.html">Integrating Narrative into Game Design: A Portal Post-Mortem</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Here is analysis of the narrative writing done for the game <i>Portal</i>. Sometimes it's hard to think about video games from a writer's view, especially when you're busy blowing off the heads of zombies, but most <b>good</b> video games do have a story to them and are not all guns, blood, and guts. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">More Tips for Writers</span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/xW6Z8pHZOqQ" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/genre-and-literary-elements.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-77969020918478622132012-08-08T17:10:00.000-07:002012-08-08T17:10:15.236-07:00How to Teach Creative Writing<div align="left"></div>Hello Writers and Teachers!<br /><br />We have collected a few links to provide you with help and inspiration when creating your creative writing curriculum.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/writing-links-tips-on-getting-started.html">More Tips for Writers</a></b></div><a name='more'></a><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9652000/9652745.stm"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Can great writing be taught?</a><br />In this article from BBC news, several professors in the United Kingdom give their opinions on whether creative writing can be taught. In a time where there are thousands of creative writing degree programs and courses offered in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, this is an important question to ask.<br /><br /><a href="http://goodwriterbadwriter.com/2011/08/13/can-writing-be-taught/">Can writing be taught?</a><br />Here is a similar article written about the teaching of writing. The author is a writing consultant at a university in the Midwestern United States who changes the conversation about writing by asking us to change our attitudes about teaching.<br /><br /><a href="http://talkingwriting.com/?p=22530">A Teacher's Opinion on Teaching Writing</a><br />Kate Geiselman, a freshman composition teacher in Ohio, gives her opinion on whether writing can be taught. Like most others, she gives it a definite "sort of." Her thoughtfully constructed reflection offers some good insight for those of you still working on your teaching philosophy.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150519539443917.400366.350631238916&type=1">Classroom Management: Managing Multiple Discussions</a><br />Our web administrator, Ryan, has created a comical slideshow about managing a creative writing classroom using a collection of plastic animals and a Darth Vader keychain. Laugh and learn (and maybe sigh) as you click through the pictures.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150521871958917.400675.350631238916&type=1">Conducting Small-Group Workshops</a><br />Another plastic animal slideshow by Ryan. This one deals with how to break students up into groups to do workshops.<br /><br /><a href="http://catlintucker.com/2011/10/digital-storytelling-funky-fairytaales/">Digital Storytelling: Funky Fairytales</a><br />English Honors teacher, Catlin Tucker, shares her experience using technology to teach collaborative creative writing. She gives details of how she used technology to get the students to work together and gives examples of the writing the students accomplished together.<br /><br /><div align="center"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/writing-links-tips-on-getting-started.html">More Tips for Writers</a></b><br /><br /><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com">12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</a></i></div><br /><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/VAj9BEzq8RQ" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/08/how-to-teach-creative-writing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-13152384248387350612012-07-19T20:12:00.000-07:002012-07-19T20:12:01.674-07:00Link Review: A.D. Jameson's Teaching Creative Writing<div align="left"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This link review covers an extremely level-headed perspective on teaching creative writing while adding one significant detail that could further this link's useful breakdown analysis a touch beyond its already wonderful quality of discussion.</span></div><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Link:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p> </o:p><a ;"="" href="http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/teaching-creative-writing/">http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/teaching-creative-writing/</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Why This Link Was Featured:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because Jameson makes a straightforward explanation of how creative writing <i>can </i>be taught.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His broken down pedagogical areas do well at demystifying creative writing as a process and as a field. His emphasis on discipline is down-to-earth in conveying that writing is work as much as it is play. His attitude is supportive of students and liberating for instructors. I don’t know about you, but “What creative writing programs should offer is access to a wide and varied body of knowledge, as well as the time and space to study, experiment, and practice.” relieved so much stress from my green teacher shoulders that I put it on a Post-It note so I could read it every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jameson is fair in putting appropriate responsibilities on instructors and their students. Students are responsible for how much they want to get out of a class. Teachers are responsible for providing the space, support, and guiding knowledge that directs students towards various methods of creating writing. Even under the heading “It’s Perfectly OK for Student Writers to Suck Horribly”, there’s still the conviction that anyone can improve their writing through relevant lessons and practice. As Jameson convincingly shows in this post, creative writing isn’t just for some gifted few, but for anyone with an interest and dedication to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Grains of Salt:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There isn’t much attention given to teaching the content side of creative writing. True, teachers can’t make students care, but teachers can guide students towards discovering what topics and ideas draw personal investment into their creative work. For instance, asking students a list of ten things that really piss them off will evoke emotional investment in a social topic that students can use to fuel their writing. As important as craft and process are, it’s equally important to investigate the subject matter that the process and craft are applied to.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This post on teaching creative writing stands up, makes it point, and could probably use the space for an encore. I’d love to hear more about these five pedagogical areas if A.D. Jameson ever decided to write further on them. It would be nice to see content included with craft, but the fact that Jameson recognizes writing processes as malleable and about knowing various techniques to use as the time calls for them puts him miles ahead of straight workshop or rigid process pedagogies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/FgTJ3B_2LsQ" height="1" width="1"/>emoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13201974360629183541noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/07/link-review-ad-jamesons-teaching.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-43985670655785058732012-07-15T21:27:00.000-07:002012-07-15T21:27:08.560-07:00What Can Creative Writing Learn From Web Comic Communities?<div align="left"></div>As of late I’ve been exploring the web comic world. Why? Because there is an artwork being provided to an audience for free and it seems to do well enough to stay afloat. My main resources for this reading and speculation have been from <a href="http://pvponline.com/" target="_blank">PVP</a>, <a href="http://penny-arcade.com/" target="_blank">Penny Arcade</a>, and <a href="http://www.questionablecontent.net/" target="_blank">Questionable Content</a>. The following are three observations that creative writers can note from these web comic communities.<br /><table cellpadding="5"><tbody></tbody></table><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Content is crucial.</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As Jeph Jacques of QC says repeatedly in <a href="http://questionablecontent.net/about.php" target="_blank">his About page</a>, “Don’t suck.” The comic is central. It has to be good. If we’re creating something, especially if we want to share that something with an audience or maybe even possibly make enough money to eat, sleep, and make more somethings, then the something that we offer up has to be good enough to keep an audience interested.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Besides, if you’re putting all that effort into an art, wouldn’t you want to produce something worth the time, energy, and care you give to it?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Advertising, merchandising, or crowdfunding.</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">How do you manage to make any sort of living from a web comic? Some comics or corporations charge their audience for access to the comic itself. What I love about PVP, QC, and PA is that the content is free. Let’s face it: if you’re a nobody and you’re trying to make a living off your art of choice, it’s going to be downright exasperating trying to get people to buy your work when they have no idea what your work is like or why they should support you.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is why free content seems preferable. Let the audience see what you can do, because if you’re making a comic or a story that people enjoy, they’ll come back to read more. If they come back, then there are a couple options for making money that doesn’t cut off potential audience members from becoming a fan of your work.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">First, if you establish a steady flow of sizeable traffic to your site, you can monetize by putting up advertisements. Maybe this isn’t the prettiest option, but it’s a more stable way of ensuring income. Plus, you can always orient your page design to minimize the intrusiveness of the ads as best you can. Advertising is a balancing game of deciding how much money for you is worth how much ad space your audience has to navigate through (and there is a point where ads will sink your ship rather than keep the waters steady).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The other option I’ve seen is merchandise sales. Put an iconic picture on a T-shirt, write a quippy phrase on a tote bag, or make a plushy animal and all of a sudden you have a way for the audience to help contribute to creative production. Merchandise also serves as a way for more people to become introduced to your work through exposure to those labeled products. This isn’t a guaranteed paycheck every month, but it is a way to allow an audience to become a dedicated community that more directly supports the artist.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Find your audience.</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">You don’t need to reach everyone in the world or have 100% approval ratings. You need a niche. Whatever your subject or genre or common cause is, you need to find the community that is interested in what you’re providing. This generally means being an involved community member yourself. If you expect people to come to your story site or your web comic page, then you need to be out participating on other people’s sites too. It’s not just a supply and demand chain in this system. You can’t be the mysterious stranger walking into town and expect everyone to come running. It’s a community so you'd better slap on a “Hello, My Name Is:” badge and start shaking hands.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This isn’t an easy task, and in all honesty, I’m not quite sure how to do it. The hope is that I’m producing this content and you’re enjoying it. That’s really it for this stage in the game. Hopefully you’ll come back and check out the site now and then, maybe leave a comment, but you have the choice of whether or not to support the site because you're the one deciding if it’s a site worth supporting.<br /><br />See you around the interwebs,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Emily<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/FPiwxBSCJkE" height="1" width="1"/>emoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13201974360629183541noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/07/what-can-creative-writing-learn-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-31761053322555318682012-07-14T13:13:00.000-07:002012-07-14T13:13:40.044-07:00Link Review: Five Winning Habits of Successful Writers<div align="left"></div>12Writing frequently features links on our Facebook fan page, but why? This is the first of hopefully many future reviews to come that explain what we find so interesting about the pages we share and how we approach these writing resources for ourselves as writers. Not every page is perfect, but many pages are providing amazing information. We hope these reviews will help you get the most out of our featured Facebook posts and be a site for continuing discussion on the writerly subjects that matter most to you.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.writingforward.com/news-announcements/guest-posts/five-winning-habits-of-successful-writers" target="_blank">First of all, click here for the featured link!</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why This Link Was Featured</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Because it’s good advice. Simple as that.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Giving yourself permission to write trash ensues that at the very least, you’re persistently writing. The more you write, the more experience you’ll gain in discovering what you want your writing to be and how to get the words just the way you want them. Give yourself the freedom and go with it!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Watching soap operas or scifi movie marathons isn’t a waste of time; it’s research. You’ll begin implicitly recognizing genre tropes and craft patterns that you can try in your own work. It’s important to remember that, while watching actors can give you an idea of how people move and speak, it’s also another artist doing their interpretation of a character and not the characters themselves being "real people".<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This brings us to the eavesdropping habit. Again, this is very similar to suggestion two, only you’re going right to the source for observations and you probably won't find genre tropes. Do this considerately. Observing people in public and copying down bits of conversation seem to be acceptable practices, but be wary of violating someone’s personal privacy by using real names or sensitive information.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The five minute timeouts suggestion was some of the best advice I’ve read recently. I don’t know about you, but I put off writing so I can attend to issues of the moment all too often. This step proved to me that excuses are excuses and any five minutes can be five minutes more writing than I was getting done before.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And of course, rewriting is a fact of an engaged writing lifestyle. If trash writing is the first step, revision is all the steps you take up until you call a piece finished. Revision generally takes even longer than initial writing does and so I'm glad that this crucial habit of rewrites made the list.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Grains of Salt</b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Something to consider with this article is the emphasis on success and winning. Success is a term to be defined on a personal level. My success might mean publishing a book of poems. Your success might mean writing 350 daily for the rest of your life. The goals are different, so the paths to winning those successes will differ too.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Also, habit helps, but the creative writing market is a competitive one. Factors such as networking, publisher selection, and funding will affect whether or not great writing is a success. Additionally, <i>great writing </i>is a term that publishers and editors define differently, much like writers should define success for themselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>End Notes</b></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This article offers some fantastic habits that will mold you into a further developed writer if you stick with them, but it is not the end-all plan for monetary or recognized success. Read this article for the betterment of yourself as a writer, but don’t email Dr. John Yeoman when your chapbook doesn’t sell. It’s good advice, but it’s up to you to make the most of it.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Until next time, warms regards and write on,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Emily</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/JUeZ6IGCH_s" height="1" width="1"/>emoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13201974360629183541noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/07/link-review-five-winning-habits-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-55744495200816011342012-07-11T16:47:00.003-07:002012-07-11T16:47:40.804-07:00And The Big Question Is...<br />Can good writing be taught? It's a pretty simple question. I mean, it is only five words long. It shouldn't be that complicated right? Unfortunately, there is no simple yes or no answer to this question.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />I've spent this past week reading countless newspaper articles, blog posts, and scientific studies (some of which you may have seen posted in our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/12writing">Facebook</a> group) all in an attempt to capture an answer to this question only to find that answer is a disappointing "sort of."<br /><br />Interestingly, no one whole-heartedly supported the idea that writing could be taught. Most experts agreed that techniques and writing tools could be taught, but no one seemed sure that teaching these tools would improve the quality of student's writing. Some, mostly published authors, thought that even the teaching of technique could not form a writer from a person without talent. There were so many interesting opinions on this subject that I've decided to share a post that makes the most sense to me and conveys a view that I find interesting.<br /><br />This post comes from composition professor, Kate Geiselman, on her blog <a href="http://talkingwriting.com/?p=22530">Talking Writing</a>. Because she teaches Freshman composition instead of creative writing, she is less focused on creating published creative authors out of her students and more focused on turning her students into people who can successful write for whatever professional position they want to have after college. This makes her opinion of teaching "good writing" more universal.<br /><br />But, the most important part of her blog entry - the part I want to share with you most - is the exercise she uses with her students at the beginning of the semester. She asks them to draw a picture of their shoes. She gives no other instruction nor does she provide them with any materials. After about two minutes of watching them frantically scribble she asks them to hold up their creations and explain why they are unhappy about their work. This is the metaphor she uses to explain her views on teaching writing.<br /><br />She can give the students the the paper, pencils, and more time to work, but ultimately how well they accomplished their task was directly proportional to their innate talent and previous practice with the task. This is perfect evidence of how the creative arts live in a strange realm between what can be taught and what is natural ability.<br /> <br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a> </div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/r9FXZB227Xg" height="1" width="1"/>Jessica Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541534361669646982noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/07/and-big-question-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-75441533337204940052012-06-08T00:41:00.000-07:002012-06-08T00:45:14.460-07:00Free Online Feedback! This Week Only!<div align="left"></div>Do you have a story or poem in need of feedback? Would you like to share your work online? Then submit your work for <b>Online Review</b>. The first five writers to submit their work by June 15, 2012 will receive comprehensive feedback (totally free of charge) to be shared on the 12Writing homepage. <i>Read On</i> to send us your work!<br /><a name='more'></a><br />We're very excited to offer this - we're hoping you'll enjoy our feedback. Just note our terms of service. All authors will retain copyright over their pieces, and we hope you'll continue to find more venues for your work.<br /><br />Very important to remember: once we post your work online with comments, however, 12Writing will retain online publication rights to the piece. This means that our website will count as publishing your work, so don't send us a story or poem that you plan to submit to journals or magazines. But if you have a piece in need of readers and helpful feedback, we can give you a good idea of how your writing is progressing, and then give ideas for how to start your revisions. (Naturally, you'll be able to revise your work to submit for publication - and since you maintain your copyright, you'll be totally free to share your work anywhere online you like.)<br /><iframe frameborder="0" height="790" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dFB2MzU2YVl3M1NGTUl2aWR1YW0xS1E6MQ" width="500">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Thanks again for taking part! We look forward to reading your work!</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com">12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</a></i></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/1Tbjve5_5ug" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/06/free-online-feedback-this-week-only.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-31889096848955482802012-06-05T22:39:00.002-07:002012-06-05T22:39:40.499-07:00Jessica Young<div align="left"></div>Jess has been organizing and arranging 12Writing.com to bring some order to the chaos that is online writing. You should take a look at the <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/writing-links-tips-on-getting-started.html">Tips for Writers</a></b> tab she's been putting together - it's a growing reference guide to the helpful links we're finding online. If you yourself have a link you'd like us to feature, <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">Drop Us a Line</a></b>. And don't forget to read on more more about Jess.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/our-team.html">The 12Writing Team</a></b></div><a name='more'></a>Jess moved to the Bloomington-Normal area last June. She is currently working for 12Writing as an instructor and website administrator. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and is currently applying to master’s degree programs in rhetoric and composition. Previously, Jessica taught English to children whose first language was Arabic. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/our-team.html">The 12Writing Team</a></b></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/64vdG4dTAwQ" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/06/jessica-young.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-71754211213608897622012-06-05T22:32:00.002-07:002012-06-05T22:40:23.415-07:00Emily Moody<div align="left"></div>If you've visited <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/12Writing">Our Facebook Page</a></b> lately, then you've already met Emily. She goes through the internet to find most of the awesome links we have on the page. But there's way more to Emily than faceless hyperlinks on the Facebook - be sure to Read More!<br /><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/our-team.html">The 12Writing Team</a></b></div><a name='more'></a><br />Emily is just finishing her first year as a Creative Writing Master's student and Sutherland Fellow at Illinois State University. She's spent this past year working at the English Department's Publications Unit learning loads about putting together journals and books, all the way from cleaning text to proofreading to interior book design. She's also been prepping to teach Introduction to Creative Writing for the 2012-2013 school year, and she makes a point of bouncing around the various genres.<br /><br />Emily earned her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing from North Park University in Chicago, and while there studied poetry, fiction, storytelling, performative literature, and dramatic writing. As of late, she's been learning about poetry and experimental autobiography. She's also excited to for next semester, where she'll be again focusing on prose, storytelling, and screenplays.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/our-team.html">The 12Writing Team</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/PhnmOGok31E" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/06/emily-moody.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-80439987251326830402012-06-05T22:27:00.004-07:002012-06-05T22:46:23.007-07:00Ryan Edel<div align="left"></div>So what is it that really goes on inside Ryan's mind? No one really knows. He writes fiction, and he seems to speak it, too. We aren't entirely certain when he is serious, or when he is trying to convince us of stories that simply aren't true.*<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/our-team.html">The 12Writing Team</a></b></div><a name='more'></a><i><br /></i><br /><i>* Yeah, you can tell that Ryan wrote this part. We actually know when he's making stuff up. --Emily and Jess </i><br /><table cellpadding="5"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvI-lVbh6sE/Tegsp1cRHKI/AAAAAAAAAMA/D5pZDwkg5XQ/s1600/You+Like+Us.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cvI-lVbh6sE/Tegsp1cRHKI/AAAAAAAAAMA/D5pZDwkg5XQ/s200/You+Like+Us.png" width="200" /></a></td><td>Ryan's Dream: A Platonic Union of Dinosaurs, Writing, and Pure Awesome.</td></tr></tbody></table>Ryan is a Ph.D. student in Creative Writing and Rhetoric at Illinois State University. He also earned his MFA (with a concentration in fiction) from Johns Hopkins in May 2010. So far, he's spent four years teaching undergraduate writing courses, and he's looking forward to many, many more. Assuming, of course, the university hiring committees never figures out that he writes science fiction in his spare time.<br /><br />He started 12Writing in February of 2008 as a way to gain some teaching experience and to share some of what he knew about writing. But that was before grad school. He didn't know it then, but he barely knew anything about writing, and even less about teaching. Which is why 12Writing has been such a fun project - taking something you love and then sharing it with others while you're still experiencing that newness of it every day, that creates and odd sense of unbalance. And that's exactly what you need in writing - a constant exploration of what's new, of what you can express, of what you can feel. <i>(At least, this is what he is telling you in the third person. Because you know darn well that he's writing his own bio...)</i><br /><br />Ryan has previously published in the <i>Writer's Digest Short Short Story</i> competition, and upcoming works will appear in the <i>Grassroots Writing Research Journal</i> and <i>Eunoia Review</i>. He also spent some time as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.<br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/our-team.html">The 12Writing Team</a></b><br /><br /><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com">12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</a></i></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/1eKO6UziXR0" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/06/ryan-edel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-35019481828195924402012-05-31T19:46:00.000-07:002012-06-03T01:22:17.247-07:00When You Don't Know Craft...<div align="left">How important are craft skills when it comes to creative writing? I'm Emily of the 12Writing crew and in this post I'm discussing the value of craft and how much emphasis writers place upon it. Come and join in this conversation by sharing your stories about craft and content and your experiences with what has mattered more to you as a writer.<br /><br /></div><a name='more'></a><br />I’ve been lectured a lot of opinions about the importance of craft, some of which you’ve probably heard before. They often sound something like:<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i>“You need it. It’s what makes a solid writer.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i> “It’s not that important; what matters is the story!”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i> “Craft will make or break you.”<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />After fifteen years of writing, I’m not sure that the question <b>How important is craft?</b> is what needs to be asked. I grew up learning how to write mostly by playing around and experimenting tons on my own time. It wasn’t until I went for my bachelor’s degree that I thought I’d be receiving “real training” to write.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I did get training. I got used to the trials of inexperienced workshops and groupthink and wonderfully brave first drafts. I began learning how to let others talk about my work without getting defensive and how to phrase my own comments to provide hope as well as advice (my goal was always to have the writer wanting to get back at their draft for round two).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />But I didn’t learn craft, at least, not to the point where I could analyze a sentence and copy the structure of it for myself. I learned some basic craft terminology, but my classes didn’t dwell on the subject. As a result, I felt like I was floundering a bit when I came to grad school and was asked not only, “What do you write?”, but “What style of that do you write in?” I knew enough to tell you that I used irregular white space and what the voice of my individual speakers was supposed to be like, but I didn’t know what category I fit into and I think that’s a good place for a writer to rest. At least in the early years.<br /><br />Getting that craft terminology was important in my growth as a writer; it just wasn’t the most important. I will openly say that I believe some craft vocabulary needs to be taught to young writers, and that will be an element of what I teach in my own classes. Writers need to be able to label the components of a work so they can have productively engaging discussions with others about those writings. Writers should know POV, rhythm, setting, plot, story, musicality, protagonist, antagonist, voice, stanza, line, speaker/narrator. Even knowing these twelve terms will greatly aid a writer in critically revising and structuring their work.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />The advantage of not dwelling on the craft is that it allows for due attention on content. What I wrote was what I wanted to say, not a fill-in-the-blank formula that would come out sounding peachy keen every time. I have some really confusing pieces of work in my closet because I wasn’t narrowing my sights on the amount of foreshadowing or repetition I was using, but those pieces have also been some of my most exciting first drafts.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />So yes, learn craft, but don’t make it the most important priority. Everyone can learn craft at any time because it’s terminology shared by the larger writing community. Learning content is a whole other matter. The writer needs to figure out what subject matters enough to them that they earnestly care about their writing, but also how to relate to that content so critique doesn’t feel like a brass knuckled punch in the gut.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can find lots of advice on <i>how </i>to say something, but finding <i>what</i> to say takes personal questioning and exploration. Why else do so many cheap writing prompts give you something to say and let you run away with the form of it?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">So how do you feel about what you know of craft? My story is only one, and I know the views on the value of craft are numerous. How confident do you feel in critically commenting on a piece of writing? How do you relate to the writing you do? I’d love to have a discussion grow here and so, in keeping with the theme of this message, what matters enough for you to say it, and say it well?</span></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/hdWpAMletAc" height="1" width="1"/>emoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13201974360629183541noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/when-you-dont-know-craft.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-42871683496871862532012-05-22T19:25:00.001-07:002012-05-22T19:25:14.591-07:00Write Setting that Matters: Revealing Character and Tone through PlaceDo you ever get bored writing? Ever feel as if rodents are chewing through your eyeballs with each word you write? Then maybe it's time to spice up your setting.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />Believe it or not, setting is a great place to begin a story. By establishing the place of your story, it develops the tone and reveals your characters. Like if you're writing a fantasy about a brave knight who fights an evil dragon - you'll need a castle in there just to prove it's bona-fide fantasy. But what kind of castle? And what does this castle tell us about your story? And - most importantly - how will it help maintain reader interest?<br /><br />This is where setting is important. First, think about your audience. Myself, I'm an army veteran - when I read stories, I want to know about the guns. (No! Not those guns [muscles]! The other kind! No, they didn't have machine guns in the middle ages!!) And castles are great places for catalogues of weaponry. But what if your readers are mostly teenagers? They'll probably want to know where the teens in the castle hang out. Do they have a schoolhouse? Is the Friar a kindhearted old teacher? Or are the kids mostly employed as wage-slaves at the local Sword Mart? And if your catering to a specific audience - like if your readers are stay-at-home moms who read your romantic castles blog when their kids are at school - then you might want to outfit your castle with some of the things a stay-at-home mom will relate to: laundry service, the kitchen, maybe even a minivan.<br /><br />Once you know what your audience will care about, think about the complexity of what you're describing. Weapons are a great example because many writers like to fill their stories with weapons. Guns, swords, battleaxes, catapults, helicoptor gunships, plasma cannons, neural defibrilators, transdimensional battle cruisers...you get the idea. The goal, though, is to avoid throwing in a detail just for the sake of the cliche. If your brave knight does carry a sword, talk about which type. Why <em>this</em> sword as opposed to another kind? And what does he think about it? Is he happy with the weapon? Does he polish it often? Or is it one of those things he just lugs around because he's a knight, and that's what knights do?<br /><br />Now, a single sword might not seem integral to your setting, but remember that everything in your story has <em>context.</em> Who manufactures these swords? Is it the middle-school wage-slaves hard at work at Swords R Us who are making all these weapons? Well, where do they work? Presumably there's a factory inside the castle - probably near the courtyard, where there might be a breeze. Does our heroic knight walk past? Does he see those lines of shiny blades hanging from the rack, each pommel grip simply calling for a hero's steel-fingered grasp? Or does he instead notice the rags draped over the malnourished children? Does he smell the noxious fumes of smelter? Does he taste the foul ash hanging in the air? Maybe he pets the little piglet running around as the factory mascot, and he feels the sweat running down the little pigs back from spending it's whole sad life in the oppressive heat of an industrial crucible.<br /><br />The real goal is to present reality - or, at least, a realistic possibility. Writing isn't about glorifying the happy workers or showing off the awesome power of weaponry - it's about revealing human experience. One reason so many stories fail is that the writer loses track of the humanity in the quest to share the "story." Yes, it's easy to write about a knight who goes out and slays a dragon - we see this in the movies all the time. But it's much, much harder to write about a sweat-shop worker who steals a sword off the conveyor belt and then pretends to be a famous knight in order to avoid a trip to the dungeon. But it would explain why he fights dragons - after working eighteen hours a day next to an iron smelter, dragon flame isn't nearly so impressive.<br /><br />As you can see, setting allows us an entry into this story. When our brave knight sees a iron smelter, we see what he sees - and he isn't looking through the eyes of a noble prince born to rule. He's looking out through the eyes of a boy who has singed his fingers while brushing the cinders from his clothes. The setting details allow the character to recall memories of his past, and those memories give us an intimate portrait of this man's life.<br /><br />Your setting, then, develops not only in terms of audience interest, but in terms of your character's unique perspective. Clearly, we're talking about a knight who knows his way around the industrial hell known as a factory floor. But how does he handle the rest of the castle? I mentioned the stay-at-home mom audience earlier - I'm sure they'd be interested in a tour of the kitchen. What would our knight see as he walks past the rows of woodstoves? Would he taste the dream of sourdough as the baker walks past with her basket of rolls for the feast table? Or does he even know what sourdough tastes like? I mean, growing up in a factory, he's probably only eaten the unleavened crusts of barley toast tossed from the back of a farm wagon. And this makes a difference for him later, when he's crossing the plains in search of this deadly dragon, stomach growling, hungry after three days with no food and little water. Will he give up? Maybe turn back to share another meal with the king and queen?<br /><br />Doubtful. This isn't a knight we're talking about - it's a pissed-off little boy who stole a sword and ran away. When he goes hunting this evil dragon, he spends his lonely days on the trail thinking about that little girl who was given over to the dragon as part of the King's Bargain. You know, the twelve-year-old girl who shovels sourdough from the ovens. The one who's been trapped in her own sweatshop hell since the day she was born. The one who was handed over as dragon meal simply because working-class kitchen girls are cheaper (and tastier) than armored knights, so the king and queen gave her up for this year's annual contribution to the "we don't want dragons to eat the castle" fund. You know - the castle that's built with tall white walls, guarded with tight rows of heroic knights, and served by legions of loyal servants.<br /><br />This, then, is what setting does: it reveals in the innards of a place, it lets us see the essence of it. And in doing so, setting provides not only the tone of the story, but also the thoughts and attitudes of your characters.<br /><br />(Now, you'll probably never read a story about the sword factories of Middle Earth. But that's only because our capitalist overloads prefer stories about knights and dragons to stories about angry workers and their lack of health care...)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://ifp.12writing.com/">English 101 / Intro to Fiction and Poetry</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.12writing.com/">12Writing: Write Your Inspiration!</a><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/QasHebQ4aKQ" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com1http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/write-setting-that-matters-revealing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-59194973771960978722012-05-02T17:37:00.001-07:002012-05-15T06:24:16.302-07:00Young Writers Workshop Information<div align="left"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starting Saturday, May 19, we'll be offering a summer writing workshop for young writers in the Bloomington-Normal area. Students from 6th-10th grade are welcome to join us for a couple hours of writing and inspiration. <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/young-writers-workshop-information_02.html">Read On</a></b> for more details.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HijqPKvWUTY/T7Hzda6I18I/AAAAAAAAAQU/QWqqItiKXgQ/s1600/12writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HijqPKvWUTY/T7Hzda6I18I/AAAAAAAAAQU/QWqqItiKXgQ/s320/12writing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a more in-depth look at our in-person workshop for the young writers of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. If you have any questions, please feel free to </span><span style="color: #0018e1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">contact us.</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each class period will begin with a writing exercise tailored to the lesson of the day to stimulate creativity and to provide your student with other material to work with at their leisure outside of class. Students will then be guided through the provided worksheets, which will teach them about important tenants of fiction writing. At the end of each class, students will have the opportunity to ask questions and share what they have created that day. I will also collect work that the students wish to share with me at the end of class and return the work with personalized feedback at the beginning of the next class period.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The stand alone workshop scheduled for May 19, 2012 will meet for two hours, starting at 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The eight week long course will consist of 90 minute sessions (one hour and a half) from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. every Saturday starting May 26, 2012. Both workshops will meet at The Coffeehouse & Deli in Uptown Normal, 114 E. Beaufort Street. Your son or daughter is welcome to purchase food or drink to enjoy while working.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we are not licensed as child-care providers, a parent or other responsible adult will need to remain at the Coffeehouse through the duration of our two-hour program. We hope that parents will sit together and enjoy each other's company while enjoying Coffeehouse hospitality. On days when we have two instructors available, we'd be happy to discuss ways that you can encourage your young writer to continue writing and applying this talent to additional academic fields.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To register, simply check out through our shopping cart here (and be sure to enter your e-mail so we can contact you). Or, if you're not sure you'd like to register, but would like to keep up with more information on local courses, simply </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">contact us</a></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to be added to our e-mail list. We plan on offering a variety of free and low-cost workshops throughout Bloomington-Normal, so let us know if you'd like to receive updates from us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><script src="https://www-sgw-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/ifr?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstoregadgetwizard.appspot.com%2Fservlets%2FgadgetServlet%3Fkey%3D0AsFeI9sVi8LKdElCaWpBZXVEU2cxZk83cE1SbEJWaXc%26mid%3D815359620440485%26currency%3DUSD%26sandbox%3Dfalse%26gadget%3DLARGE&container=storegadgetwizard&w=500&h=225&title=&brand=none&output=js"></script></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Schedule:<o:p></o:p></b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>May 19</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Due to the number high school and college graduations in the area, this day will serve as a stand-alone workshop and is a great opportunity to test out our class. I will direct the students through several writing exercises that they will be able to use any time they need a creativity boost.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>May 26</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the first day of the 8-week course, the students will receive their folders and name badges then we will work on writing in detail.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 2</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students will learn techniques for creating a realistic setting for their stories.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 9</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students will learn about narrative point of view and how it makes (or breaks) a story.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b>June 16</b><br />Students will learn how to create realistic characters using real life people.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b>June 23</b><br />Students will practice taking a real-life experience and using it as inspiration for a fictional story.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b>June 30</b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Students will spend this class period drafting a full-length story with the support of myself and the other students.<o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b>July 7</b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">This class period will focus on how and when to revise using the draft they produced last class. The students will also learn about workshopping (writers sharing their work with each other in order to get feed back). Students will turn in their drafts to me.<o:p></o:p><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b>July 14</b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">For the final class, students will read copies of each other’s work (the drafts submitted during the previous class) and will be allowed to give each other comments.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">The schedule above is subject to change depending on time constraints and/or the progress of the students. Online registration for this workshop is forthcoming. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b>About the Instructor:<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Jessica Young moved to the Bloomington-Normal area last June. She is currently working for 12Writing as an instructor and website administrator. Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and is currently applying to master’s degree programs in the area of rhetoric and composition. Previously, Jessica taught English to children whose first language was Arabic.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></span><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.12writing.com/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</span></i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/cn754A0KXe8" height="1" width="1"/>Jessica Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07541534361669646982noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/young-writers-workshop-information_02.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-22731977831978994112012-05-02T10:55:00.000-07:002012-05-02T11:17:25.099-07:00Meet Emily, the Bivalve Books InstructorHey everybody!<br /><br />So Ryan and I were talking and it's kind of weird to sign up for a writing workshop put together someone you don't know, so I thought I'd take a post to introduce myself. Read on to learn more about me and my interest in Bivalve Books! (BiBo for short) Or click the links below to learn more about the course and register.<br /><br />Emily<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-happily-presents.html">Bivalve Book Club</a> - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-schedule-here-are.html">Bivalve Books and Schedule</a> - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/register-for-bivalve-book-club-for.html">Register</a> - Meet Emily!</b></div><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />On the formal end, I'm just finishing my first year as a Creative Writing Master's student and Sutherland Fellow at Illinois State University. I've spent this past year working at the English Department's Publications Unit learning loads about putting together journals and books, all the way from cleaning text to proofreading to interior book design. I've also been prepping to teach Introduction to Creative Writing for the 2012-2013 school year. I always make sure to bounce around the various genres. I earned my undergraduate degree in Creative Writing from North Park University in Chicago, and while there I studied poetry, fiction, storytelling, performative literature, and dramatic writing. As of late, I've been learning about poetry and experimental autobiography. I'm excited to for next semester where I will be again focusing on prose, storytelling, and screenplays.<br /><br />I wanted to talk about Bivalve Books and why I hope that I'll get to write and discuss these four books with you. Bivalve started when Ryan and I were imagining what would be fun for us to do as writers over the summer. An online writer's book club seemed perfect because you rarely had to be tied to a computer, you widened your repertoire of influences, you got to read some great books, and - best of all - you got to write!<br /><br />Now, maybe you're way better at this than I am, but I find that deadlines often kick me in the butt and really get me going on my creative projects. For my experimental autobiography final, I managed to write 10 pages of prose a night just because I was given permission to do something big and creative and messy. Putting together the Bivalve Books course has been exciting for me because I hope it'll be engaging for you.<br /><br />So why a book club for writers instead of offering an "Intro" course? Because if you're looking at 12Writing, you're already interested in writing, which means you've probably tried to pen a thing or two. Instead of assuming a ground zero starting point, Bivalve Books has the potential to challenge you at your level while simultaneously challenging someone else at their level. Because of our focus on outside literature, you'll have something to share no matter how long you've been writing. We've set up the Bivalve discussion community so you can form new and lasting connections (and I'll start calling it BiBo now). If you're fairly fresh, you can talk about what you're learning. If you're not learning these ideas for the first time, you can talk about how you utilization of reading and writing techniques has developed and changed during your time as a writer.<br /><br />This course, like any other, will give you as much as you put into it. The writing directives and discussions are offered as structures for you to leap from. Take that risk with the writing prompt and literally cut your story to pieces for nonlinear narrative! Go ahead and say that weird insight you had about the reading that no one has mentioned yet! That's part of what's great about this course: you don't need to come into this course certain of yourself; you can just say "Hey, this is what I saw, and why I thought I saw it."<br /><br />I also chose these books because I remember how they were not only good reads, but that they made an impression on my writing before I was even conscious that I was trying to read like a writer. That level of impact impresses me, and that's what I want to share in your reading experience of these books. You don't have to love them, like them, or hate them, but you can most certainly explore them and interrogate what they're doing.<br /><br /><i>The Metamorphosis</i> is a short book. That means you can slide into a habit of reading for this 10 week course without me throwing <i>War and Peace</i> at you. I also like Kafka to begin with because it's a pretty accessible but still hard-hitting story. It's also one of those classics that we're all told everyone should read. If nothing else, you can look all fancy-pantsy when you tell people what you did over the summer: you analyzed Kafka.<br /><br /><i>Madwomen</i> was a book I actually got by completely random happenstance. My boyfriend had been searching for a gift for me a few years ago, and he gave me this book because, as he said, "She sounds like how you write," which roughly translated into more feeling and less technical knowledge. I was taken with that connection, and so I read the book. I loved it. Some of these poems have stayed with me for the past three years after my initial reading. Books of poetry can sometimes be hard to teach (or at least, a lot of people seem to be afraid of teaching poetry), but this book is insightful, engaging, and multifaceted. Overall, it's simply a lovely lovely book that I would love to see more discussions about.<br /><br /><i>The Hours</i> was one of the books I was tested on for my Bachelor's degree, so I know it's a postmodern work and renowned, etc. etc. However,I wanted to include this book because I was blown away by the connections Cunningham makes by the end of the book. As a writer, it was always fun to see the links between the narratives, but wow. The ending literally made me gasp. "No Way!" I wanted to be able to pull off a story like that myself, and that reaction put the book at the forefront of my mind as I was preparing BiBo.<br /><br />Finally, last but not least, is <i>The God of Small Things</i>. Again I was taken with the narrative play as I was with <i>The Hours</i>,but Roy does narrative in a totally different way. She also addresses characterization more intimately than I've seen in most other books. The characters here truly inform how the story is told. Roy is one of the few authors who, even if you know where the ending is going, there's still no force on the earth that would made you put her book down. It's that riveting - it felt that real to me when I read it. This book also had a fantastically wonderful way of giving me hope even though so much of what happens is sad and dark and complicated. I have rarely felt so sincerely and acutely affected as when I read this book<the god="" i="" of="" small="" things<="">.<br /><br />Anyway, that's my elaboration on myself and the Bivalve Books course. I really hope that I get to work with you for this course. I'm excited to see not only how you'll grow as a writer, but how you'll surprise me in return with your work, your comments, and your participation in a community. With Bivalve, we have the opportunity to come together online, getting to know writers who we might otherwise never meet.<br /><br />I hope this has been informative and engaging for you and, whether or not you take this course, that you'll always keep reading widely and writing diversely.<br /><br />Toodles!<br />-Emily (emoody) </the><br /><the god="" i="" of="" small="" things<=""><br /></the><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-happily-presents.html">Bivalve Book Club</a> - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-schedule-here-are.html">Bivalve Books and Schedule</a> - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/register-for-bivalve-book-club-for.html">Register</a> - Meet Emily! </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.12writing.com/"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/BDUFIm7NBsE" height="1" width="1"/>emoodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13201974360629183541noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/meet-emily-bivalve-books-instructor.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-21568535689388428852012-04-27T21:56:00.001-07:002012-04-27T21:56:21.517-07:00Shipping Policy<div align="left"></div>As a primarily online enterprise, it's very unlikely we will ship anything to you. However, we do have a shipping policy regarding purchases made through our website using third-party vendors such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble. In case of questions, please <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">Contact Us</a></b>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />Currently, the majority of our courses are provided online, and any additional materials provided by 12Writing will be available through digital download - no shipping fees apply. In the event that we provide physical materials, appropriate shipping fees and sales tax will be applied to your order.<br /><br />For your convenience, links are provided for you to purchase books and other materials from third-party vendors. 12Writing holds no responsibility for the shipping fees or schedules of third-party sources, including Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or their affiliates.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">Contact 12Writing</a></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com">12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</a></i></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/ZONNODIsZR4" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/shipping-policy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-12168792822568644822012-04-27T21:49:00.000-07:002012-04-27T21:49:37.100-07:00Terms of UseHere at 12Writing, we're committed to offered a healthy atmosphere for all writers. Our Terms of Use describe our expectations of all participants in our programs. In case of any questions, please <a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html"><b>Contact Us</b></a>.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b>Terms of Service</b>12Writing is an equal-opportunity resource for writers of all levels and interests, and we welcome everyone who is interested in our courses. However, we do require that all participants treat their classmates and instructors with respect, and we will strive to do the same. If at any time you feel uncomfortable with the course, please let us know right away. We want to do everything we can to make your experience with us as rewarding and productive as possible. In the event that any participant provides feedback or commentary which is mean-spirited, derogatory, or threatening, we reserve the right to remove that participant from the course without a refund. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">Contact 12Writing</a></b></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/5LbFazye2UU" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/terms-of-use.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-41396821003500713632012-04-27T21:41:00.001-07:002012-04-27T22:08:36.357-07:00Return/Cancellation Policies<div align="left"></div>We hope you'll be satisfied with the products and services we offer. However, in case you do need to cancel, please review our policies<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html"><br />Contact Support</a></b></div><a name='more'></a><br />In all cases, we want to make sure you're happy with our programs. In case of any questions or confusion, please contact us - we're happy to assist you. For our own protection, we've specified the following policies regarding cancellations and our satisfaction guarantee. This is primarily to ensure that we don't have individuals who sign up for our courses, take advantage of our services, and then refuse to pay simply because they want to save their money. There are very, very few people like this, but we still reserve the right to refuse service to individuals suspected of abusing our refund policies.<br /><br />That said, if you must withdraw from a course or you are dissatisfied, let us know. We will do what we can to make things right.<br /><br /><b>Cancellation Policy</b><br /><br />Unless stated otherwise, you may cancel your course registration for a full refund no later than 72 hours before the course start date. Course cancellations after this time may be refunded in full or part at the sole discretion of 12Writing. Individual courses may also specify withdrawal deadlines and refund dates - students choosing to withdraw from a course will be be subject the withdrawal terms for the individual course.<br /><br /><b>Satisfaction Guarantee</b><br /><br />12Writing maintains a 100% satisfaction guarantee for our creative writing workshops - if you are not satisfied with a workshop, your money may be refunded in full. To qualify for this guarantee, you must complete all assignments in full as specified on the information page for that course. All required assignments will be listed before a course is opened for registration, and no additional assignments will be required for the satisfaction guarantee.<br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Please Note:</b> This guarantee only applies to full workshops, and it does not apply to seminars, book clubs, or other activities which do not require the submission of assignments for instructor feedback.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">Contact Support</a></b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/su7H1PNiVK8" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/returncancellation-policies.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8848173541879105971.post-7838549669291492552012-04-27T18:01:00.002-07:002012-05-02T11:17:48.819-07:00Register for Bivalve, The Book Club for Writers<div align="left"></div>Starting May 12, Emily will be leading Bivalve, our Book Club for Writers.<br /><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/register-for-bivalve-book-club-for.html">Click Here to Register in Three Easy Steps!</a></b><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-happily-presents.html">Bivalve Book Club</a> - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-schedule-here-are.html">Bivalve Books and Schedule</a> - Register - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/meet-emily-bivalve-books-instructor.html">Meet Emily!</a></b></div><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><div align="left"><br /><b>Step 1: Payment</b><br />Yes, it's an ugly fact of life: writers also need to eat. Please use the form below to pay for the course you prefer. Payment is through Google Merchant, so please don't be alarmed if they ask you to sign up for Google Wallet. All payment will be handled through their secure servers. 12Writing will not have access to your credit card or other payment information. But if you have any questions about refunds, please see our <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/register-for-bivalve-book-club-for.html#refund_policy">Refund Policy</a></b> below.<br /><br /><br /><script src="https://www-sgw-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/ifr?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstoregadgetwizard.appspot.com%2Fservlets%2FgadgetServlet%3Fkey%3D0AsFeI9sVi8LKdGxUTEpBV1VjOWVZYjhTTHBHaVg2RFE%26mid%3D815359620440485%26currency%3DUSD%26sandbox%3Dfalse%26gadget%3DLARGE&container=storegadgetwizard&w=450&h=275&title=&brand=none&output=js"></script><br /><b>Please Note:</b> Registration is first-come, first-serve. If the payment buttons state that we're Sold Out, then I'm afraid we no additional slots are available for this course. <br /><br /><br /><b>Step 2: Register Your Name!</b><br />There's nothing worse than registering for a class, and then the teachers don't know your name. Or they don't know that you've registered. So please match up your <i>billing name</i> (the one you'll use to pay us through Google), your Facebook name, and your e-mail. <br /><br /></div><div align="center"><iframe frameborder="10" height="860" marginheight="10" marginwidth="10" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dEs5ejhyeGtJSzI3b1l6NGk2WUdIWXc6MQ" width="470">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><b>Step 3: Watch Your E-mail!</b><br />Thanks for registering! Please allow a day or two for us to e-mail your confirmation. And don't forget to <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-schedule-here-are.html">Purchase Your Books</a></b>.<br /><br />If you don't hear from us within three days, please <b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/p/contact-us.html">Contact Us</a></b> to verify your registration went through all right. And rest assured - we will not charge your credit card until we've gotten you registered for the course.<br /><div id="refund_policy"></div><br /><br /><b>Refund Policy</b><br />Registration is first-come, first-serve. For the Bivalve Reading Group ($10), there will be no refunds after the start on class on May 12th. For the Bivalve Writing Workshop ($75), you may withdraw from the course by May 26th for a full refund, or by June 9th for a half-tuition refund. No refunds after June 10th.<br /><br /><b>Terms of Service</b><br />12Writing is an equal-opportunity resource for writers of all levels and interests, and we welcome everyone who is interested in our courses. However, we do require that all participants treat their classmates and instructors with respect, and we will strive to do the same. If at any time you feel uncomfortable with the course, please let us know right away. We want to do everything we can to make your experience with us as rewarding and productive as possible. In the event that any participant provides feedback or commentary which is mean-spirited, derogatory, or threatening, we reserve the right to remove that participant from the course without a refund. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-happily-presents.html">Bivalve Book Club</a> - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/bivalve-book-club-schedule-here-are.html">Bivalve Books and Schedule</a> - Register - <a href="http://www.12writing.com/2012/05/meet-emily-bivalve-books-instructor.html">Meet Emily!</a></b></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.12writing.com"><i>12Writing: Write Your Inspiration</i></a></div></div><div class="feedflare">
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</div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/12writing/blog/~4/MrcYHxWZNwo" height="1" width="1"/>Ryan Edelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03758241690217530997noreply@blogger.com0http://www.12writing.com/2012/04/register-for-bivalve-book-club-for.html