Teen Writers And Artists Project

Teen Writers and Artists Project has a new electronic home

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:26:00 +0000

Hey all!

As you can tell by the stale posts, Teen Writers And Artists Project has a new home here. One day soon the TWAAP URL's will lead directly to this bright, vibrant and most definitely alive page. But I just wanted to give you a heads up.

Sorry it has take so long, but we wanted to make sure that the page is actually working before we opened it up to everyone. And the page has certainly grown into a really fine place to create art and meet with other creators.

Please come and join us there to catch up on the news and the work that our members have been doing. If you become a member, you can even join in on some great conversations about writing and art as well as post or discuss your own work.

Remember, if you are between the ages of 14-19, please come and join yourself. We are quickly developing and 2009 looks like our best year yet.

Here is a link to a great article that might interest you

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:27:00 +0000

While looking though my e-mail today, I found a link to an article giving very sound advice to young people looking to become professional writers. It is by Leo Babauta, a blogger who currently writes one of my favorite blogs, Zen Habits.

This article comes from his writing blog called Write to Done. This article is called "A Guide to Becoming a Writer for Kids and Teens." Click on the link and enjoy.

I will also be adding Write to Done to my blog roll.

TWAAP to Create a Social Networking Site

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:15:00 +0000

I just found a website that allows users to create their own Social Networking Site like MySpace or FaceBook, but the one TWAAP creates will be just for creative teens who are interested in getting to know each other and talk about their art.

Stay tuned for more information, or click the comments button below and let me know what you think.

Artist Trading Cards are Here

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:23:00 +0000

Click on the picture to view Artist Trading Cards from the Yorkville Fourth of July Celebration.

TWAAP explodes on the Scene at Yorkville's Fourth of July festival

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:26:00 +0000

TWAAP arrived in Yorkville in style this Fourth of July weekend.

The morning started early with a long trip into Yorkville for some of our far western members, but Kitty, Qoca, and Sam made it with time enough to get in line for the parade. They looked mighty stylish in their newly designed, TWAAP T-shirts.

However . . . We also set up a booth where we introduced people of all ages to Artist Trading Cards, and our organization. At our booth we met (and heard about) a bunch of great and very talented people who we would be very excited to add to our membership.

The folks that were able to make it out to Yorkville, represented us very well, explaining the group and everything that we are trying to accomplish quite eloquently. For those of you who had to work, don't worry there will be many more events like this in the future.

Here are some pictures of our booth in action:

Trading Cards for Yorkville Fourth of July Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:46:00 +0000

We are in the process of uploading the trading cards from the Yorkville festival.

We collected more than 80 cards so it will take a few days for all to hit the website. Please be patient. If yours does not show up, that means that someone at the festival enjoyed it so much that they took it home with them Your art is already out in circulation!

If you see one you like, and you want it. Follow the instructions on the Trading Cards page. Have fun!

YORKVILLE ARTIST TRADING CARDS

Fourth of July Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:41:00 +0000

More info on the Fourth of July Parade in Yorkville. It kicks off at 9:00 a.m. and follows a route that begins on Game Farm Road to Somonauk, to King Street, to West Main Street then to Church Street.

For complete info on the festivities click here.

If you want to participate, contact me at my e-mail address: TeenWritersAndArtistsProject@gmail.com.

TWAAP will be in Yorkville, IL on the 4th of July

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:30:00 +0000

If you writers and artists are looking for something fun and exciting to do on the Fourth of July, come visit us in Yorkville.

In an effort to get our faces known, representatives of Teen Writers and Artists Project will be walking in the Yorkville Fourth of July Parade, and we will be running an Artist's Trading Cards Booth in the Town Square Park, at Rt. 47 and Main Street.

Click here to see what Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) can look like. The only rule is that they have to be 2.5 by 3.5 inches (about the size of a regular trading card.) Artist' Trading Cards are meant to be created then swapped among artists at a gathering or on line; they create a way for artists to socialize over their work. We are hoping people will come and make a few, then leave a few to swap with later participants.

We are providing the materials, all you have to provide is the imagination. Don't consider yourself a visual artist? Why not come, make some backgrounds and write some of your poetry on the cards to share.

Workshop at Bloomindale Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:40:00 +0000

We have been invited to run a workshop at the Bloomingdale Public Library in Bloomingdale, Illinois on Wednesday, June 18 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. If you don't mind traveling, we would love to see you out there.

Two of our poets, Kitty and Qoca, will be on hand to lead the workshop (along with Ms. Z, of course. But who wants to hear from her when Kitty and Qoca are so much more interesting?)

The agenda will go something like this:

We will have a getting to know you exercise (nothing too scary or embarrassing). Then we will discuss various techniques for the technical aspects of poetry (That's where our poets come in). Next we will offer you a couple of formal forms you can try. As a group we will endeavor to create a poem that will go down in history. Finally we hope that by the time you are done you will create something on your own that you would be glad to publish in our e-zine or some other publication.

I can't wait to see you there.

Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:07:00 +0000

Just a note to those of you who belong to Teen Writers and Artists Project (And membership is simple: be between the ages of 13 and 19, write, and sign up for free right here:

Here at TWAAP we are all about dreams and making them come true.

What are your dreams? The Wildest and Craziest ones. Maybe they are not as far away as you think.

Do you want to publish a book of poetry? Write a screenplay and submit it to producers? Find an agent?

Some of our members have written plays and seen them performed for the public. One member is working on his own poetry book, hoping to get it published.

TWAAP wants to be an avenue to your dreams, individually and collectively. Tell us what they are. It won't cost you anything, and maybe we can help.

Something that may interest the screenwriters among us

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:42:00 +0000

I found this link for an online script writing site: Plotbot. Looks like it has some possibilities.

You can write in a browser. It formats for you. If you have a collaborator, you can both work remotely.

I have not worked with it myself, but it seems interesting.

Anyway, check it out.

A Very Cool Website and a Way to Keep Your Mind Tuned Up

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:19:00 +0000

Words are a writer's tools. To make your prose strong, you need to know words (and a lot of them). How else can you pick the right one?

A friend of mine told me about this link, and I love it. Not only do I get to keep my mind sharp and add to my toolbox of words, but I also do something to feed the hungry as well.

When you click on this link, you will be taken to a vocabulary game whose sponsors donate grains of rice to humanitarian aid efforts to feed the hungry. I love this link. Truly, play a little bit. Tell your friends to play too. Feed some people.

Really Cool Way to Find the Right Word

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:49:00 +0000

You guys have to look at this site. You type in a word and it gives you the definition and shows it linked in a word web to various derivations. If you click on another word in the web, it makes an offshoot in the direction you would like to head. It is essentially brainstorming for that perfect word when you don't have another writer in sight. It seems like it has endless possibilities.

End of Year ReCap

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:53:00 +0000

It is hard to believe that TWAP has been alive and growing for a year already.

We have come so far since last January when we formed a board and decided to make this dream into a reality. But with perseverance, we find ourselves much further along than it seemed that we were.

Since last January we have:

Become a recognized Illinois NonProfit Corporation.
Partnered with the Chicago Writer's Association.
Helped Indian Creek Creative Writing Club publish their first literary journal.
Created our own online literary journal.
Formed a teen advisory board to guide us.
Created a Web presence.
Begun to offer classes in other communities.
Joined with the Chattercube Project to begin to teach about responsible online journalism through blogging.
Rocked another NaNoWriMo.
Seen two of our members mount an original work on the public stage in front of a paying audience. And we watched several more build that play into a living work of art.

Wow! What a Year!

Celebrate the Holidays and Successes of TWAP's Members-

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:29:00 +0000

Several members of Teen Writers and Artists Project have a lot to celebrate this month.

Two of them, April and Holly, wrote and original holiday play called Crystal Saves Christmas Spirit, and it was performed by the Indian Creek High School's Theater Department as the annual Toys For Tots Fundraiser. Moore than 200 people attended Opening Night.

For greater detail, see the feature article published in the DeKalb Chronicle.

Many of TWAP's Indian Creek members were involved on stage and off in making the play the success it turned out to be.

Those people who shall not be forgotten include: Elise (who played Elfreeda), Dria (the Polar Bear),Cody (who ran Follow Spot), Megan and Lizzie (Goblins), Heather (Crystal), Vannia (A Reindeer), and Josh (who played Santa).

April and Holly also played parts in the show. April played Wicked Wanda and Holly played Young Wanda.

Annually, this production is performed once for the community at large and the next day for all the grade schools in the district. In all previous years, rights to a published play had been purchased, but this year no play could be found that filled the theater department's needs. That's where our members stepped in, and the results were a triumph.

Congratulations to all.

NaNoWriMo 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:35:00 +0000

Well, another November has come and gone. We have survived another National Novel Writing Month.

Many congratulations to the folks over at The Office of Letters and Light. I think the month went by without a hitch for me and the rest of the TWAP membership who participated.

I do have a few suggestions for next year however:

Put more hours into each day. That way we can do all the things we normally do and write our novels and sleep too.
Talk all our teachers and bosses and parents into giving us a break from the normal expectations and just let us write our novels alone. (Maybe it could be something like a doctor's note.)
Get caffeine listed as a food group (strictly for creative people).
Hire maids to do our chores for us all.
Convince our bosses to pay us to stay home and write.

I think that should do it. If anybody else has suggestions, add a comment and we will share.

Congratulations go out to the writers at Indian Creek High School. As a group of students they produced 48, 321 woords. If we add my own 6,609 words (double last year's output, and this novel is intriging enough that I may continue writing it outside the contest) we have 54,930. We do have something to celebrate! I also have a suspicion that a few novels were written there that were not reported to me.

I'll keep you posted. The TGIO (Thank Goodness Its Over) party is in the works.

Welcome to a new Author

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:53:00 +0000

Teen Writers And Artists Project is happy to announce that we have yet another author submitting work to our journal.

Her name is Erin E., and she comes from Plainfield, IL. We are pleased to be able to publish two of her poems, and we hope to see more work from her in the future.

You can read her poetry at the Literary Journal's link above. Or read it by clicking here for "Special" or here for "Behind the Door."

Millikin Update

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:23:00 +0000

We have survived and come back freshly invigorated from another trip to Millikin University's annual Literary Festival!

What impressed me most about the trip this year was how unabashedly serious we were about representing ourselves as the writers that we are. TWAP and members of the Indian Creek High School Creative Writing Club truly seized opportunity with both hands when it presented itself this year.

From reading poetry and short fiction at the Festival's Open Mic on Friday to actively participating in poetry and fiction workshops on Saturday, and then talking personally to the presenters about their craft, Indian Creek students really made the most of every moment.

The authors presenting work at the Festival included Rebecca Barry and Wayne Miller.

Barry read an amusing excerpt from her book on Friday night that left us chuckling and quoting various passages well into the next day. She also taught a workshop on scene writing that emphasized the importance of specific details and concise description.

Miller taught a poetry workshop that impressed students with how enjoyable analyzing a poem can be, and they began to seriously consider his later advice about the importance of time and revision when writing a poem. After his reading on Sunday night, a few stopped to chat about his book.

My favorite part of the weekend was watching students write and revise at every opportunity they could get. They didn't care if it was in the van, in the cafeteria, or while they were waiting for the next even to begin. It was inspirational to me.

And from what I've heard, we'll probably need to find a bigger van for next year.

NaNoWriMo Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:40:00 +0000

So it is the 3rd of November and those members involved in NaNoWriMo should have been writing for about three days now. You guys should be writing about 500 words a day to stay on your 15,000 word schedule.

Here are your links for the Young Writers Program. Be patient the website is running slowly due to high traffic volume.

I like the website because you all have your own individual pages and there are all kinds of forums where you can discuss writing with young writers from all over the country.

If you want to post your novel in progress so that people can take a look, I'm sure I can fix up a page for you here. Let me know. I will also be fixing up the MySpace page

Call for Submissions

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:29:00 +0000

Due to recent events in the news and certain events in our lives, the Advisory Board of Teen Writers and Artists Project has decided that the time has come to take action and respond to an issue that never seems to disappear.

We are talking about the issues of racism, sexism, ageism, and social status. All the different ways that people can find to separate and exclude each other from sharing in the opportunities of a peaceful life. We believe it is time to give voice to teens' experiences with these topics. All of us have been discriminated against, or judged before all the facts were in, at one time or another. All of us have felt the pain of being shut out.

TWAP would like your stories or your responses to these events. Submissions can be poetry, or prose of 500-1000 words. Tell us your funny stories as well as your sad ones. We are especially interested at this time in stories about teens with Hispanic Heritage, girls, and people who have been judged and shut out because of the cliques they belong to. If you have been guilty of intolerance (or accused of it unjustly) we would like to hear your side of the story too.

If accepted, these stories and poems will be compiled into a group of monologues to be performed on stage in front of high school audience as part of diversity programs.

If you have any questions or comments, email us at TeenWritersAndArtistsProject@gmail.com. Submissions should be included in the body of the email.

Teen Writers and Artists Project Members Will Beta Test Chattercube

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:28:00 +0000

At Teen Writers And Artists Project, we believe that all kinds of writing serves a purpose. Since I come from a journalistic background (I was a staff reporter for a community weekly and a freelance correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and the Joliet Herald News), I believe that an ability to write non-fiction and be a responsible journalism can mean the difference between having your writing pay you or not. I am in no way putting down art. I love art. But this is a skill that can be artistic and feed you too.

This is why I am so pleased to announce that we have begun a Journalism Initiative along with our other projects. So with great fanfare and less introductory prose . . .

Teen Writers and Artists Project is happy to announce its involvement with the teen weblog, Chattercube, as part of its own teen Journalism Initiative.

NOTE: Chattercube is currently preparing for beta testing and is waiting for your incredible words to fill its pages, so if you feel like jumping to negative conclusions about what you see at the above link . . .please don't. You guys will make it great, and the creators will help you.

I like the opportunity Chattercube offers for you all to blog about subjects larger than your own social life and family matters. This allows you and the rest of the world to take your ideas and views about the world seriously. I also want to help you learn about responsible journalism while you grow as fiction writers and poets.

Chattercube's creators seem to share this vision, and they believe that people should be treated like professionals for the work they do, so they offer a cash incentive program to their writers. Personally, I feel like the value lays more with learning the skills of journalism and marketing along with gaining experience in New Media, but the possibility of some cash is kind of nice too.

When done responsibly, this kind of blog demonstrates a degree of confidence in oneself and an ability to think and problem solve that not every applicant to a University of for a job will possess. Employers are looking for people who can communicate and gather and synthesize information. This kind of experience will be an appealing asset for your future, not detrimental.

Millikin Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:15:00 +0000

Teen Writers and Artists Project, along with members of the Indian Creek High School Creative Writing Club, will be attending the Millikin Literary Festival on Nov. 9 and 10th.

This promises to be an exciting event. Can't wait to bring back all that we've learned.

Teaser

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:41:00 +0000

TWAP has been approached with a very interesting opportunity for those of you who wish to be published for expressing your opinion on your favorite topics. There is even the possibility of making a little money for your efforts. Contact me at TeenWritersAndArtistsProject@gmail.com for more information. Get your name in first.

Midwest Literary Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:14:00 +0000

The Midwest Literary Festival last week was truly enjoyable, and it has come along way in the past 5 years.

For those of you unable to attend, I will be publishing accounts of some of the information that was shared by authors at the various panel discussions that I attended. These accounts will be appearing in the upcoming days. So stay tuned.

Next year we will try to make our presence more clearly known by setting up a booth of our own at the event.

Where can I be found on Saturday?

noreply@blogger.com (Teen Writers And Artists Project) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:10:00 +0000

10:00 a.m. From Best Selling Book to Blockbuster Movie (Meyer B/C)
11:30 a.m. The Conference on Beautiful Moments (Meyer D)
1:00 p.m. How to Write and Sell Your magazine Articles (Meyer D)
2:30 p.m. How I Hit the Bestseller List (Meyer B/C)
4:00 p.m. Psychic in Literature and Society (Meyer A)

I would be happy to meet anybody from our group who is attending the Festival for Lunch in the break between 11:30 and 1:00 p.m.

Come see me before Saturday and I will give you my cell phone number so that we can contact each other.

Here is a link to the map of the festival.