Making Book Trailers

This summer I am taking a course through Simmons in creating book trailers. I am learning about tools that are new to me, considering what to include and what to leave out and am newly impressed with how music changes the tone of a video. 

Here is a first try. I am hoping to join with students to make book trailers for the 2014 - 2015 nominees for the Massachusetts Children's Book Awards. 
Making book trailers is fun and rewarding. It's also time consuming. While I hope to create plenty of my own, enlisting students to make them seems like a good idea. 

 

Setting: Creating a Sense of Place in Your Novel

The group of young novelists I have been working with this year have been working independently. It's been amazing to see their enthusiasm. Yet there is never enough time to give all the attention I would like to each novelist, so I decided to create a series of videos for them. Here is the first one - Setting. This is also my Show Me tutorial.

NaNo's Eve

I haven't been posting on any of my blogs lately. I've been completely focused on the work of reconfiguration of schools, serving a wider age range of students and catching up on middle grade reading. Revamping a library to serve a new range of students is certainly time consuming, but very exciting at the same time. 

My writing has been mostly of the school related sort. I was delighted to see that one of the goals of my new school is to foster the writing skills of our students. So I suggested that NaNoWriMo would be a perfect project to have our students not only writing, but also excited about writing. Don't know about NaNoWriMo? It's National Novel Writing Month. If you don't already know this, NaNoWriMo has a curriculum of lessons that align with the Common Core. Sweet. 

I decided to have students have the option to sign up for NaNoWriMo or be critics. Before I left school today there were 142 students signed up and ready to write. 

To figure out word count for each student I assigned them a 10 minute writing test. They wrote story for 10 minutes. Then I developed a formula to calculate the number of words they could write during their library block during the month of November. Lastly, I conferenced with them and allowed them to choose to set their word count higher, lower or exactly the same. I thought it was interesting to note that most students elected to set it higher. 

Tomorrow we start writing our novels. It's going to be a crazy ride. Not only will I be writing my own novel, but I will be cheerleading 142 students as they write their novels. Coordinating extra writing time   before school, during recess and lunch and providing incentives. How I'll juggle it all, I don't know yet. 

As if that isn't enough, I've signed up for PiBoIdMo as well. 

I'm excited for this month. The writing samples students have shared with me are inspiring. I can't wait to see how it will all unfold. 

So tonight is NaNo's Eve and tomorrow I'll wake early to jot down a few words before I have to head off to school. 

Hoping your writing is sweet!

November Writing Challenges

It's almost November, the month of the dueling creative challenges. It is also, the month that I am already overbooked. So I am currently thinking about what I am going to commit to this November and hoping I can spread the word about the opportunities for fun and creating coming up.

Last year I first heard about NaNoWriMo on November 5th through Paula Yoo's blog. I signed up and had truly transformative experience writing my first novel. It has changed not only the way I look at myself, but also has enhanced my practice as a librarian and teacher. All I can say is, if you ever thought about writing a novel, this is a fun, supportive atmosphere to do it in.

If you are a young person, a teacher of young people or a parent of a young person you might want to look at their Young Writers Program. That area of the website has tighter controls. While young writers can friend each other, they cannot friend adults nor can adults friend them. Young writers get to set their own goals and they have a list for reference of suggested word count goals per age. The manual for this program is very helpful. I have read parts of it to get my mind working.

Artists may find their own place in the 30 book covers in 30 days challenge through NaNoWriMo.

Tara Lazar has started an event called PiBoIdMo for writers of picture books. The premise of Picture Book Idea Month is to come up with a solid idea for a picture book every day for 30 days. Pair this event with Paula Yoo's NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) in the first week in May to actually develop and finish off seven of the ideas you gather through Tara Lazar's event.

Whether you are a novelist, a picture book writer or an artist, there are plenty of challenges out there.

One Week Later

My rough draft

One week after I completed the NANOWRIMO challenge of 50,000 words in the month of November, I look back with awe. It changed my thinking about books in general and writing them in particular.

Reading the advice of others is confusing. Some say that after you have written the rough draft you should put your manuscript away. Some say it should be at least a week. Others frame it in terms of months. It is true that some people dive right into the job of revisions. Who is to say which way will yield better results?

I had the fortitude to leave the manuscript alone for 5 week days, but yesterday I peeked at it. Suddenly, I had a new idea which will make many changes neccesary, but has really invigorated me and I'm ready to dive back into the story. Should I or shouldn't I start right back in on it? I haven't decided yet.

NANOWRIMO Write In

Last Sunday I attended a NANOWRIMO Write In. The concept of writing socially was intriguing. I am so glad I went for a number of reasons:

1. I met new people who had interesting things to say about the process.

2. New plot twists appeared unbidden as did a new character. This happened naturally without even dipping into the many and varied challenges that are available at a write in.

3. The numbers on the word count increased dramatically.

4. They gave me presents.

Take a look at these presents:

Plot ninja – for new plots and Skull and cross bones eraser – a reminder not to erase

Emergency plot elements  and Emergency new character – just open and add water

NANOWRIMO pocket guide

NANOWRIMO sticker and teabag – for relaxation and to keep me awake!

Is it worth the time to go to a write in or would it make more sense to stay home, use the travel time to write and concentrate without interruptions? I will definitely attend another write in. The inspiration and companionship is well worth the time traded.

NANOWRIMO day 21

I read this morning that I should be up to 36,000 words by the end of tomorrow to be on track! Oh my. Well, I pumped out a little more than 1,000 words after reading that, so I’m up to 19,000 words now. I’ve been to Starbuck’s and I am caffeinated and ready to get to work.

I know some people hold to the idea that you shouldn’t go back and read. The idea is to just get it all on paper. I am at the point, however, when I need to go back and see the whole so I can understand where I am going. I have to find the places which need filling out. This is my task today. I don’t know if it will help me pump out word count today, but I find that I can produce a decent amount of work if I know where to start. It is very similar to cooking. If I have a menu plan, I have little difficulty in coming home and preparing it. If, however, I have to root around the kitchen hoping an idea will pop out and grab me, that is when I find it difficult to succeed.

I have a plan. Now I hope for inspiration and concentration.

NANOWRIMO Day 13

NANOWRIMO has been a truly awe inspiring experience. For some time I have thought that it would be interesting to try my hand at writing a novel. Those thoughts stayed up in my head. Occasionally there would be someone with whom I could share those unexplored thoughts. Did I ever sit down and test the dream? Not really. I found I enjoyed writing for publication and the research process had a grip on me, but actually working on a novel, it just never happened.

NANOWRIMO has changed everything about this dream. I started out with an idea. I came up with the idea on my morning commute. It was an idea born of duress. The commitment had been made to the process...I had to find something to write about. That evening I came home and started pounding the keys. It was shocking to find that the characters were recalcitrant. They did not stay in the boxes I had created for them. They became living, breathing entities with minds of their own. I cannot imagine where they came from. That this book could be written is something I do not doubt. That it is being written by me is nothing less than astounding.

I find that as I have embraced this process I feel more lively and alive. I get more excited about things. I'm having fun.

More than that, I find the way I approach teaching students about the books we read in the library has dramatically changed. I have always stressed that they may some day write a book which will be in our library, the committment to viewing ourselves as authors and illustrators has deepened. I find that students seem to be connecting more deeply with the material and I do too. This process has enhanced my library program in unexpected ways.

I am using my SONY IC Recorder to take snapshots of my ideas on my commute. Least you think I'm holding it while driving, let me tell you my technique. I do not talk on my cell phone while driving, so I had to find a technique for this. I either pull over and make the recording before resuming driving or, I tuck the recorder into my safety belt near my neck. I reach out and touch the red button and can talk for quite a while. Then I press the button again. If I miss, it's no big deal. I know I have succeeded when I hear the beep. Upon arriving home it is easy to replay the tape player and type it into my work.

All in all, NANOWRIMO is an event I would highly recommend to anyone who has an interest in writing a novel. It's not easy to keep at it, but it is a transformation experience which I am glad I embraced.

NANOWRIMO 2009

Reading Paula Yoo's blog a couple of days ago I found out about NANOWRIMO. Short for National Novel Writing Month, NANOWRIMO encourages folks to write a novel in the month of November. The focus is not on perfection or editing, rather the point is to write intensively. Despite all the other things I am doing and the fact that I really don't have time, I decided to sign up and give it a go. I may not meet the goal of completing a 50,000word novel, but I'm pretty sure that I will write more than I would otherwise.