Archive for Robert Young

Opportunity Knocks

Actually, opportunity did not knock. It came in the form of a letter. From a publisher. And not only that, it wasn’t a form letter, the traditional fare of publishers. It was a personal letter with my name at the top. And address.

The letter was written in response to a manuscript I had sent out a while back. So long ago that I had forgotten about it (this is why it’s important not to wait around for responses – move on to other projects). The response was positive: They liked the topic. A lot. They just had some issues with the way in which I addressed the topic. Would I be willing to make revisions and resubmit?

Uhhh…let’s see…YES! Even though my track record for such exercises is quite poor ( = I have never had a manuscript accepted after having made significant changes as requested). My experience has been that if a pub thinks enough of the manuscript, they will offer a contract and THEN work out the revisions. But, times have changed in the biz, and this is what you sometimes get. Hey it’s better than a “Thank you for submitting, but no thanks.”

So, I’m going to give it a try. In fact, I’m in the process of doing it right now (this post is a short break). Notice I haven’t named the topic? It’s not because I’m afraid someone will take the idea, run with it, and get it published before I finish. It’s because I want to focus my energies on doing the work and not telling about the work (other than this!).

Okay, that’s enough about this. Time to get back to the revision.

Take A Break!

It was during one of my frequent breaks from writing – where I push myself away from the computer, get up, stroll around, and stare out the window, hoping that the words I’m searching for will suddenly appear – that I saw something better than words. About twenty yards past my deck, a cougar padded along the field and into the underbrush.

A cougar! Right here! I saw it! Yes, it was fleeting (a few seconds is all), but it was a cougar all right. Or else, one giant housecat. Its motion was so fluid, like a river, and it blended into its background like it was wearing camouflage. If it hadn’t been for the movement, I would have missed it for sure.

Oh, and the break part, let’s not forget about that. At one point in time I used to admonish myself for taking them. Stay with the writing, I’d tell myself. Stick with it, or you’ll never finish what you start. That was the old days, when I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish something. But with experience – I did finish – comes insights. And, the ability to give yourself permission.

Give yourself permission to take breaks from your writing. Look out the window. Who knows what you might see.

Moving Targets

This book, a novel for readers aged 8-11, is a beloved project I have been involved with for many years. The setting – a small town, near a migrating bird sanctuary – was inspired by Hawk Mountain, PA, where I took my seventh graders on field trips while teaching in New Jersey. Over the years, I have returned to Hawk Mt. on several occasions, the last being the fall of 2012 during a cross-country road trip with my son. It’s still an amazing place.

The topic explored in Moving Targets is a universal one: bullying. Bullying happens everywhere and, sadly, is not limited to certain time periods. I experienced it growing up and confronted it during my years as a teacher. It still goes on today, for sure, but it’s reassuring to see the concerted efforts being made to stand up against it (e.g. Project Anti-Bully).

In the book, eleven-year-old David Jennings, moves to a small town (Eagle View, PA) with his mom. He does his best to make friends, but the best he can do is a small group led by the town bully. Paul gets thrills picking on kids and abusing animals. Reluctantly, David follows until events force him to consider actions that could change – or end – his life.

The setting figures heavily in this story, as townspeople debate the future of the sanctuary. Should the town keep it commercial-free, or should they permit businesses to operate there? Finding a balance between commercial interests and nature is a universal theme that is considered in towns and cities throughout the world.

After writing twenty-five books, this is my second work of fiction and my very first novel. It has taken more hours than I care to recount to create this book. Has it been worth it? Only if the story gets readers thinking about their lives and about their own personal responsibilities. That’s a first step in making the world a better place.

Moving Targets is for sale at Amazon or on my website.

CreateSpace, Done!

At last, Moving Targets is complete and looks like I want it to look. There was another issue since the last posting – this one dealing with the cover color – but that has been taken care of so the project is complete. I’ll be giving my first reading today in a 4th grade classroom. Can’t wait!

This has been my first experience using CreateSpace, and the experience has been mostly positive. So positive, in fact, that I will this service again. Soon.

For those of you are are considering a print-on-demand publishing experience, highly recommend this option. It’s fairly easy, affordable, and the quality is good. If you have questions, feel fre to e-mail them to me.

Happy writing!

Update

Lots going on these days. Talked writing and authoring earlier this week at McCornack Elementary School in Eugene. Yesterday celebrated the joys of learning and bubble gum with the 4th graders of Lundy Elementary School in Lowell. We did writing, science, and math in addition to chewing, chewing, chewing, and bubble-blowing. It was a “popping” good time!

Tomorrow heading to the Pleasant Hill Elementary School Writing Festival where I’ll be conducting workshops on personal his-story and her-story. Everyone’s got stories, and we’re going to dig them out.

Writing Instruction Class – Graduate Credit

WRITING ROCKS!

WRITING ROCKS and teaching writing double rocks! There is no better way to engage students in their own lives and the world around them than through writing. Doing so is an energizing and fulfilling experience for students and teachers alike. We’ll begin with a solid foundation of structures (especially writers’ workshop), process (with an emphasis on revision), and a common language (Six Traits). Then, we’ll add evidence-based strategies and practical activities to transform your K-8 classroom into a dynamic and supportive community where every student finds success, whatever the standards may be.

The instructor is Robert Young, experienced classroom teacher (25 years), curriculum specialist (10 years), writing consultant (13 years), and children’s book author (26 books). Robert has worked in schools as near as his neighborhood school and as far as Argentina. He has taught many classes focusing on writing instruction at the University of Oregon, Portland State University, and on-site at schools.

Hybrid class – One day workshop + online work
One graduate credit from Portland State University
Cost – $180 (= $125 class fee + $55 credit fee)

Offered in two locations:

When: Monday June 17, 2013 from 8:30 to 3:30
Where: Lane Education Service District, 1200 Highway 99 North, Eugene OR, 97402

Or

When: Thursday June 20, 2013 from 8:30 to 3:30
Where: Southwest Charter School, 0640 SW Bancroft St, Portland, OR 97239

Class size limited – Register Today

To register, e-mail Robert Young for directions.

PPP = Pope Pius Pics

Here’s some photos from my recent Author Visit to Pope Pius X School in Portland, Oregon. It was a blast!

Working with fellow writers

Great audience questions!

Bear is NOT happy.

Got gum art?

Winner of the Chicken Challenge

Got MOOC?

Just wrapped up my first MOOC experience. That’s Massive Open Online Course for those out of the loop. Which, of course, I was until I entered the fray. Now I’m an experienced MOOCer. Well, sort of.

I don’t recall how I learned about the phenomenon of massive online courses. It might have been a tech-savvy friend, of which I only have a handful. Maybe it was in the newspaper or on the news. Oh, I know, it was a story on public radio. It was an interesting story, engaging and compelling (note to self: donate more money to NPR next year).

The narrator of the story mentioned several online sites that offer college level courses. Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ was the one that stuck with me. I like the name. It’s smooth and carries a feeling of striving and achieving. So, I checked out their website. WOW! My mouth hung open as I scrolled through the class options: art, history, math, science, music, they have it all. And they’re not from schools run out of the second story of strip malls, either. The classes come from places like Stanford and Harvard and the Berklee College of Music (not that they necessarily have better instructors than other schools, but at least they are known quantities). And, here’s the icing on the cake: no cost! That’s right, not a penny to take one of this classes. Okay, some of the classes had book suggestions, but I felt no obligation. Heck, I only bought about half the books required during my undergraduate days!

Choosing a class was not easy when you have such varied interests as I have. After much mind-wrestling I decided to take Songwriting offered by the Berklee School of Music. It started out good, too, learning about basic song structure, prosody, stability, line lengths, and rhyming patterns. Each week you listen to video lectures, take quizzes, and complete an assignment that gets evaluated by several of your 65,000 classmates. There’s lots of support available through discussion forums, it’s easy to interact with other students, although not the instructor (which makes sense given the student/teacher ratio). You can easily find whining threads and complaints as well as assistance and motivation. You choose.

Okay, so we got to the midway point and things started breaking down for me. Part of it was the increasing detail and complexity of the topic, which included more musical elements, with which I had little background. I was a little concerned about the formulaic nature of the songwriting process being promoted, feeling it to be a bit stifling to creativity.

The biggest issue I had, however, had more to do with process than content. Each week’s assignments were distributed to classmates, who applied scores to various aspects of the assignments. Comments were an option, but not required. Mostly, the feedback was in the form of numbers. Bad. And double bad that those numbers would actually become a large portion of the

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against numbers per se. They’re quite important in life. Where would multiplication be without them? And our monetary system? How could you weight yourself, or communicate the temperature? Yes, numbers have their place, but NOT in meaningful feedback. That requires thoughtful consideration that is then communicated clearly with words. But that’s not what I got. What I got was numbers, some of which were gratifying (the high ones), some not so much (well, you know). And, I got those numbers from people like me, who were students because we didn’t have much songwriting knowledge or skills. How valid is that?

The trouble was, I wanted to improve my skills, not get a good grade. So, I continued with the class, with less interest and less motivated since I wasn’t getting the feedback I needed. Had I quit the class I would have succumbed to “great grade trap” that I believe is responsible for so many kids dropping out of school. When grades are used, students think less deeply, take fewer risks, and lose interest in learning (see Alfie Kohn’s work).

The class ended. I learned some, but could have learned a whole lot more if the class had been structured differently. Will I try another class? Yep. Would I recommend these types of classes to others? Absolutely, just focus on the learning and not the numbers.

OASL Regional Spring (Un)Conference

Had the pleasure of presenting to the dedicated “bookees” at the regional conference of the Oregon Association of School Librarians yesterday in Springfield, Oregon. Enjoyed learning about the “state of the library” in various schools. It’s disappointing to hear of the continued financial woes of school districts but heartening to hear of the inspired and innovative work that continues to take place despite the challenges. As an author, it is energizing to speak with folks so passionate about books.

I am grateful for the interest in my books, especially The Magic of A.C. Gilbertsince it has such a strong Oregon connection. A.C. was such an interesting and accomplished guy, with so many interests and traits with which kids can connect. As I mentioned, his legacy is not limited to this state. His athletic prowess led to world records in several areas, he won an Olympic gold medal, he was one our our nation’s foremost toymaker, and he even helped to “save” Christmas.

The format of this event was both exciting and unique. As an “unconference” the group sessions were fluid, flexible, and based on the needs and interests of the participants. Wow, what a concept! Instead of topics locked in ahead of time, participants at the event provided input as to what they wanted and the sessions were created. Of course, the challenge is to find leaders for the sessions, but people with expertise in the topic area stepped up to take charge.

Great job to the organizers – Lynn Lary, Kate Weber, and Linda Erickson – for putting on an engaging event, and thanks to the participants for sharing a sunny Saturday!

Pope Pius X School Rocks!

Spent a great day yesterday at Pope Pius X School in Portland, Oregon. Met with all students from K-8 and had a rousing good time reading stories, drawing bears, sharing experiences, removing voice from writing, analyzing writing for fluency, thinking of new words for overused ones, and seeing firsthand how kids can write leads as good as published authors. What amazing writers, and outstanding questioners! A good thing, too, since it all comes back to questions: they’re what keep people reading and they’re the foundations for writing.

Pictures coming soon!