Understanding the Author's Craft by Writing

My school has started a Data Team that is in charge of analyzing the data that we receive from exams and letting us know what we should try to focus more on in our classes. I am not going to lie, this scared me a bit when they started (am I just going to be teaching to the test?), but for the most part, what they have told us are things I focus on anyways, now I just have to add a note to my Haiku saying, "We are focusing on __________ because of _______________."

One of the areas they feel students need more exposure is analyzing the author's craft. I am pretty excited because I have wanted to justify using the National Novel Writing Month's Young Writer's Program, commonly known as NaNoWriMo YWP, in my classroom and now I can.

NaNoWriMo is so easy it is almost hard to explain. Essentially, it is an idea that anyone who wants to write a novel can sit down and do it in a month. For the adult's program, on November 1, participants start writing with the goal of hitting the 50,000-word mark by 11:59 PM on November 30.

NaNoWriMo also has a Young Writer's Program specifically for students!! For students, they can set their own word limit, making it achievable at any age.

My NaNoWriMo

There's a teacher's kit you can buy / get for free (depending on their supply and your location) that comes with

• An awesome poster for your classroom where students can chart their novelling progress
• 35 stickers that say "Contents Extremely Imaginative" (great for laptops or binders)
• 35 "I Novel" NaNoWriMo buttons 
• One Writer's Emergency Kit (Fun for speaking activities and downtime in class)

But that's not all! There are some different workbooks (for different school levels)  you can download for free or purchase for $10. It goes through some fun ways to introduce your students to plot, setting, characters etc. They also have some lesson plans developed for Kindergartners through High School Seniors.

I won't be using these exactly. I'll be adjusting them so that we can use them to discuss the characters we have read about and analyze how the author has used the skills and methods we are learning about (as well as use them on their own).

I contemplated doing this on Haiku, but I think I will be using the website they have set up where my students can sign up, get motivational speeches, and track their word count. I can also give them announcements etc.

The best part, if your students meet the goal, then they get a voucher to get free copies of their book published and mailed to them. AWESOME motivation.

This will be my first year rocking it, but I'll be sure to post any amazing lessons I come up with while this goes on, and expect a post in December about how it went.

If you've ever done this before or have any pointers, comments below! If you're a newbie like me and you also teach high school, maybe our students could Skype or otherwise collaborate?

August Writing Deadlines

For those of you unaware I am a BIG believer in allowing students to do assignments that LEAVE the classroom. The first of every month I try to post some opportunities for your students to show off their writing skills and maybe get some recognition. All of these deadlines are in August! If you start the school year this month, it could be a great way to start off the semester. If you don't start until September, consider including these with your "Welcome Letter" to the parents.

August has some GREAT writing opportunities for your students!!!!

1. Do you teach students between 6 and 14 years old? Have they read any of The Princess Diaries books?  Here's a contest that's perfect for your students! They just need to write an essay (500-1000 words) that answers the question "What would you do if you found out you were royalty?"  The grand prize winner receives a $2,500 Pottery Barn gift card and a signed copy of  From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess. Deadline is August 31st

Guidelines and submission details are available here.

2. How many times have you heard your students talking about their pets? Mine seem to do it all the time! Before August 31st Chicken Soup for the Soul is accepting submissions on the topic of Cats or Dogs. They want to read about stories about people's cats or dogs (up to 12000 words). All tones are appropriate as long as they are inspirational! They are doing two different books, one about cats and one about dogs. Your students can submit to just one, or to both (depending on the furry stories they have to share). If a story is selected and published they will be paid $200 one month after the book is published. Plus, they get ten free copies of the book to show off as well (see if they'll give a signed set to your class library).

Guidelines and submission are details available here

3. The role of women has changed throughout the years and many would argue is still changing! Chatter House Press is holding a Mini-Memoir Essay contest for women called, "Biting the Bullet," about women who define courage. It is only for women who are residents in the US and over the age of 18, so sadly most high school students won't be able to enter, but I wanted to include it in case you teach older students.  Your students' essays should show how a woman (or women) demonstrate(s) courage in daily life, or regarding a specific event. The deadline is August 14th. Prizes include publication and copies of the book.

Guidelines and submission details are available here

The Farmer's Lad via AntiquePrints

4. Do your students ever get depressed because they don't think they can meet the 1,000 word count minimum some contests have? Here's the PERFECT competition for them.  They are looking for a short story told in ONLY 21 words. The theme is, "Backyards and Porch Swings." Chosen authors don't win a cash prize, but they do get bragging rights and possible publication in the literary journal From the Deaths.  This deadline is hard to pinpoint and it stops when they receive 200 submissions, so as soon as possible is best. 

Guidelines and submission details are available here.

A cover of one of the issues of The Blue Earth Review

5. The Blue Earth Review is part of Minnesota State University. From what I can tell this is open to anyone, but please evaluate the guidelines on your own. It has two opportunities to get writing recognized for free. The first is the creative nonfiction contest. The text cannot be over 750 words. Students may submit more than one piece, but they need to have them in the same document.

The  other option is their poetry contest. Students may submit up to three poems (again in a single file).

Both contests include publication in the Blue Earth Review and a $500 cash prize. The deadline to submit is August 14, 2015.

Guidelines and submission details are available here.

There you are five ways to get your students motivated to write for more than just a grade, get a chance to experience writing for a different audience, and see that writing isn't just for the classroom. If you know of any others or your students really have fun with one let me know in the comments. If you find one of these doesn't work, also let me know so I can update this list.

July Writing Deadlines

Get your students writing!

Last month I shared writing competitions to share with your students over the summer. Here are some more for July!  I won't blab too much, I just want to restate that I really believe giving students a chance to get their words out of the classroom is an amazing way to gets students excited and motivated. I sifted through and most of these should be appropriate for your students, but please check the guidelines yourself to be sure. None of these have entrance fees, so students should be able to enter regardless of their family's income.

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL Have you ever read a Chicken Soup for the Soul book? They seem to have a bundle! Before July 31st they are accepting submissions on the topic of Random Acts of Kindness. They want to read about stories of people being kind to others, or times when others were kind to them. All tones are appropriate as long as they are inspirational! If a student's story is published it will garner $200 ($100 for devotionals) one month after publication of the book and they will receive ten free copies of the book

Guidelines and submission are details available here

STAGE OF LIFE Are your students like mine with an app for almost everything? Stage of Life wants to hear their thoughts in an essay (500 words or less) about a mobile app that stands out, in a good way or bad way. What apps do they love? What apps do they think changed the world? What app should be invented?  How are apps degrading society? Students can answer any of these questions in 500 words or less and each student may submit up to two essays before July 31st.  If they win they get gift certificates to Papa John's Pizza and IHOP!

Guidelines and submission details are available here.

This deadline is technically August 1st, but I won't post August contests until August 1st, so I am including it here to give your budding students a chance to respond.

SLICE This literary magazine focuses on a different cultural theme each volume. All contributors of Slice receive a monetary award for their work ($100 for stories and essays and $25 for poems)submissions from June 1st to August 1st are for Issue 18 whose theme is Enemies. All work should be previously unpublished.

Guidelines and submission details are available here.

Try them out, and let me know if your students submit anything :)

 

June Writing Contests

Looking for a way to keep students excited about writing despite the fact all they want to do is start their vacations? Or do you want to keep them writing over Summer Vacation?

Consider having them write some contest entries. The fact that they will be writing for something that has a chance to win prizes should keep them focused and make them take it seriously.

For the sake of space I did not include all rules related to contests. Please go to the links provided to be sure you meet all requirements and can follow the directions. I only selected free contests, but if you (or your students) are willing to pay a little, you can find many more opportunities.

Know of a contest I missed? Let me know in the comments and I'll add them here :)

DUE JUNE 15th  ~Write about the best invention
Students create a short essay, 150-250 words explaining to the Edison Innovation Foundation which of inventor's invention has impacted the world the most! They can choose from: Thomas Edison - Light Bulb, Albert Einstein- Theory of relativity, or Orville Wright- The airplane.

That's all there is to it! You can read the full description here. When you are ready to enter e-mail info@thomasedison.org by 5pm on the 15th.

First Place gets $100, Second Place $50 and Third Place $25


DUE JUNE 30th  ~Write a short story
All students can participate! Students younger than ten years old can submit their story, and will receive a participation gift. Students 11-21 may submit their stories for prizes! The only requirements I can see is that the story needs to be under 1,000 words. The topic, style, characters are all up to the writer.

The rules and prizes change a bit depending on the age, so check out the site for full details


DUE JUNE 30th  ~Write a funny short story
Any student in school (from Kindergarten to 12th grade) are invited to submit up to 2,500 words to the Young Voices of America Make Us Laugh. There are winners selected in the three different age categories Pre-K-2nd grade wins $30 for first place, $25 for second place, and $20 for third. 3rd-6th wins $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third. 7th-12th also wins $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third.

Alula - Great Creative Writing App

There's always that great go-to assignment whenever you need a no prep activity. You have one student say/write the start of a story, "Once upon a time there were three beautiful butterflies."Then the next student would continue the story, "They wanted to be explore the world, but they were afraid their wings wouldn't fly."

I am going to discuss three reasons I love this app for my students, and a few ways I think you can use it, and include a video showing you how it works.

1. I hate to say it, but the app is free. When you use as many different apps as I do in class it can be tough to charge students all the time. So, when you find a great free app, it kinda feels like you won the lottery.

2. It is offered on iTune and Google Play. My classes are about equally divided between Mac lovers and Mac haters, so having an app that works on both devices is great.

3. It is ridiculously user friendly. A fast sign up and voila, you're ready to get creative. Also, because the stories are so short, students shouldn't get overwhelmed.

As far as how to use it:
1. Have students collaborate to make stories. Then vote on the best.
2. Have students select their favorite quotes from a text that you are reading in class to start an Alula. See how others change the meaning from the original text.
3. Have students pick a story that they like and make it longer on their own.
4. Choose a story that has some errors and have students correct it.
5. And more!

What's it look like? Check out: