Q: What did you most enjoy about your time in the Penn State Young Writers' Workshop?
A:
That I could write things I wanted to write in an environment that not only supported me, but helped me improve my skills.--Vincent
Being around other people who were interested in writing and wouldn’t say, “Wait, you actually like writing? What’s wrong with you??--Kieryn
The creative energy that jolts through you when you realize you’re not the only weirdo writer in State College. I miss the writing atmosphere, and the other students so much!--Julianne
The people I met and the time I spent with them!--Danielle
A:
That I could write things I wanted to write in an environment that not only supported me, but helped me improve my skills.--Vincent
Being around other people who were interested in writing and wouldn’t say, “Wait, you actually like writing? What’s wrong with you??--Kieryn
The creative energy that jolts through you when you realize you’re not the only weirdo writer in State College. I miss the writing atmosphere, and the other students so much!--Julianne
The people I met and the time I spent with them!--Danielle
"Hi, I'm Danielle and I swim!"
Waiting for class...
Fiction Class with Professor Kellermann
"You have to kill the dog."
--Professor Paul Kellermann
--Professor Paul Kellermann
Q: What did you learn in fiction class?
A:
One piece of advice: “You have to kill the dog.” In other words, the character has to make a decision that will lead to a resolution. If the character doesn’t make this, he doesn’t change, and the story is pointless.—Julianne In fiction I feel I really improved not only my own writing but the ability to critique others’ writing as well.—Kieryn
Q: What did you particularly enjoy about your fiction class?
A:
I liked the feedback that everyone was giving for our workshops – they were highly intelligent and relevant.—Vincent My workshop was fabulous, I really enjoyed it.I enjoyed the discussions about the pieces we read, and being very nitpicky, like we were disassembling the pieces and building them back up the way we think would make them better. --Kieryn
A:
One piece of advice: “You have to kill the dog.” In other words, the character has to make a decision that will lead to a resolution. If the character doesn’t make this, he doesn’t change, and the story is pointless.—Julianne In fiction I feel I really improved not only my own writing but the ability to critique others’ writing as well.—Kieryn
Q: What did you particularly enjoy about your fiction class?
A:
I liked the feedback that everyone was giving for our workshops – they were highly intelligent and relevant.—Vincent My workshop was fabulous, I really enjoyed it.I enjoyed the discussions about the pieces we read, and being very nitpicky, like we were disassembling the pieces and building them back up the way we think would make them better. --Kieryn
Danielle, Kieryn and Julianne in Fiction workshop
Is this what he means by "concrete imagery?"
Q: What did you learn in your two poetry evenings?
A:
Everything. I’d never actually written any poetry, though I’d read some, and I loved learning that a) it’s not that hard, and b) I actually love it. The worksheet on poetry clichés and the ‘bad poem’ about the train really helped me know what to avoid. Honestly, I loved poetry nights (and Webster’s)!--Julianne That poetry shouldn’t be hard to understand, that there are some words we can never use, that poems have to turn somehow. We learned that we can write 10 line poems in 5 minutes, we learned about prose poems, we learned about collage poems. --Danielle
Websters makes very good cookies! --Kieryn
Q: What did you particularly enjoy about the poetry evenings?
A:
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the bookstore and being FORCED to write poems. Otherwise I might not have actually done them or tried as hard. I also liked reading ‘real’ poetry aloud.--Julianne
They were at Websters, and I like Websters a lot. They were also really informal, and it helped to get out of the classroom setting. --Danielle
The professors were funny and informative.--Vincent
I liked that we could discuss our poems with everyone right after we wrote them.--Kieryn
Sci-Fi Writing with Professor Whitney
A:
Everything. I’d never actually written any poetry, though I’d read some, and I loved learning that a) it’s not that hard, and b) I actually love it. The worksheet on poetry clichés and the ‘bad poem’ about the train really helped me know what to avoid. Honestly, I loved poetry nights (and Webster’s)!--Julianne That poetry shouldn’t be hard to understand, that there are some words we can never use, that poems have to turn somehow. We learned that we can write 10 line poems in 5 minutes, we learned about prose poems, we learned about collage poems. --Danielle
Websters makes very good cookies! --Kieryn
Q: What did you particularly enjoy about the poetry evenings?
A:
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the bookstore and being FORCED to write poems. Otherwise I might not have actually done them or tried as hard. I also liked reading ‘real’ poetry aloud.--Julianne
They were at Websters, and I like Websters a lot. They were also really informal, and it helped to get out of the classroom setting. --Danielle
The professors were funny and informative.--Vincent
I liked that we could discuss our poems with everyone right after we wrote them.--Kieryn
Sci-Fi Writing with Professor Whitney
Q: What did you learn in your Sci-Fi Writing class?
A:
That sci-fi isn’t all about robots and monsters and outer space, but social commentaries.--Vincent
We learned about different types of science fiction, we read a bunch of excerpts, we talked a little bit about whether or not to choose first or third person. --Danielle
That I need to read Philip K. Dick--Julianne
A:
That sci-fi isn’t all about robots and monsters and outer space, but social commentaries.--Vincent
We learned about different types of science fiction, we read a bunch of excerpts, we talked a little bit about whether or not to choose first or third person. --Danielle
That I need to read Philip K. Dick--Julianne
Vincent and Nicole work on their draftsQ: What did you particularly enjoy about your sci-fi class?
A:
A:
The amount of in-class writing time.--Danielle
I loved writing a sci-fi story…or at least starting one!--Kieryn
I loved writing a sci-fi story…or at least starting one!--Kieryn
Vincent gets some feedback from Professor WhitneyQ: What did you like about the interns?
A:
I loved the interns! I felt like they were my parents by the end of it.—Julianne
What didn’t I enjoy? I loved Lauren and Jason!!--Kieryn
Q: What did you like about the cafeteria?
A:
The wide variety of choices, the option to have healthy food like salad and fruit, the creamery ice cream, the cappuccino machines.-Danielle
The cafeteria rocked. I’m starving now, and ice cream without 13 ounces of M&Ms is naked. --Julianne
Q: How did you feel about writing nights?
A:
I would love more writing nights! They were great chances to get out the words my fingers had been itching to type all day.--Kieryn
Q: What did you think about living in the dorms?
A:
The dorms were nice, and my roommate and other campers were awesome, and I loved my intern! So the dorms were fun!--Kieryn
Q: How did you feel about your public reading?
A:
I enjoyed it. One of the things I loved about the camp was I had to toughen up. By the end of the week, I was eager to share my work, and it felt like one big family party when we gathered with the parents.--Julianne
A:
I loved the interns! I felt like they were my parents by the end of it.—Julianne
What didn’t I enjoy? I loved Lauren and Jason!!--Kieryn
Q: What did you like about the cafeteria?
A:
The wide variety of choices, the option to have healthy food like salad and fruit, the creamery ice cream, the cappuccino machines.-Danielle
The cafeteria rocked. I’m starving now, and ice cream without 13 ounces of M&Ms is naked. --Julianne
Q: How did you feel about writing nights?
A:
I would love more writing nights! They were great chances to get out the words my fingers had been itching to type all day.--Kieryn
Q: What did you think about living in the dorms?
A:
The dorms were nice, and my roommate and other campers were awesome, and I loved my intern! So the dorms were fun!--Kieryn
Q: How did you feel about your public reading?
A:
I enjoyed it. One of the things I loved about the camp was I had to toughen up. By the end of the week, I was eager to share my work, and it felt like one big family party when we gathered with the parents.--Julianne
.JPG)
celebrating after the final reading!left to right:
Lauren Wheeler & Jason Sears (interns), Vincent Holden, Danielle Feffer, Nicole Soll,
Julianne McCobin, Kieryn Zeigler
back row: Camille-Yvette Welsch & Sheila Squillante, program directors
Lauren Wheeler & Jason Sears (interns), Vincent Holden, Danielle Feffer, Nicole Soll,
Julianne McCobin, Kieryn Zeigler
back row: Camille-Yvette Welsch & Sheila Squillante, program directors
Any final comments?
I’m so glad this camp was offered, I really had a great time!--Danielle
I’m so glad this camp was offered, I really had a great time!--Danielle
When we refer to "killing the dog," we are, of course, speaking metaphorically. We at the Penn State Young Writers Workshop do not condone animal cruelty in any form.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Paul
Cool Blog! I hope you guys are doing really well! Speaking of killing the dog, I just read "Trial by Hunger," about the Donner Expedition in Tahoe. I recommend, but both dogs and humans were most assuredly harmed during the making of that story.
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