One Year Adventure Novel? Opinions wanted! x:post

[mama27]

If you did not like this, can you tell me why?

If you liked/loved it but never finished it, why?

I know it's expensive so I'm trying to justify the cost.

[Mom22ns]

We have loved it, but ds will not have finished before the end of the year. There are two reasons. First, he took off 6 weeks to work on NaNoWriMo. He wrote a separate 25,000 word novel during November, as if OYAN wasn't enough. The second reason was that he was discontent with his story. After NaNoWriMo, he decided he really wanted to do a different story idea, so essentially he started over in December. It took all winter to actually get the pre-writing done and he is now working on his rough draft. He may finish the draft by the end of school, but hopes to go through the editing process over the summer. I don't know if he will really do that though, because he also wants to do Camp NaNoWriMo over the summer and do another novel in July. :lol:

 

Like most of us, he prefers writing to editing. I'm not really interested in forcing that issue on his creative writing. He has to edit and perfect essays and papers that he turns in, but novels are his own.

 

ETA: OYAN was the most money I have ever spent on a single piece of curriculum, especially one that couldn't be resold or even reused. It was very hard for me to buy it, but I have NO regrets. Ds has spent hours a day all year working on it. It has fostered a passion and love for writing that was worth every penny.

[mama27]

Thanks.

It can't be reused?? How is it possible to not reuse it?:confused:

 

 

We have loved it, but ds will not have finished before the end of the year. There are two reasons. First, he took off 6 weeks to work on NaNoWriMo. He wrote a separate 25,000 word novel during November, as if OYAN wasn't enough. The second reason was that he was discontent with his story. After NaNoWriMo, he decided he really wanted to do a different story idea, so essentially he started over in December. It took all winter to actually get the pre-writing done and he is now working on his rough draft. He may finish the draft by the end of school, but hopes to go through the editing process over the summer. I don't know if he will really do that though, because he also wants to do Camp NaNoWriMo over the summer and do another novel in July. :lol:

 

Like most of us, he prefers writing to editing. I'm not really interested in forcing that issue on his creative writing. He has to edit and perfect essays and papers that he turns in, but novels are his own.

 

ETA: OYAN was the most money I have ever spent on a single piece of curriculum, especially one that couldn't be resold or even reused. It was very hard for me to buy it, but I have NO regrets. Ds has spent hours a day all year working on it. It has fostered a passion and love for writing that was worth every penny.

[Calm37]

Thanks.

It can't be reused?? How is it possible to not reuse it?:confused:

 

I don't have the documents right in front of me, but I believe you receive a family license for the product. You have to buy a workbook for each student. The workbook is consumable. Each workbook also comes with a forum access for that student. I think the workbooks are $30 or so. Not sure.

 

It is true that the license doesn't allow resale.

 

Blessings,

[Corraleno]

OYAN was the most money I have ever spent on a single piece of curriculum, especially one that couldn't be resold or even reused.

Actually, permission is granted to reuse it with other students within the family. They are supposed to buy another workbook ($25), which comes with a registration code for the OYAN forum. But if you don't care about the forum, and the student doesn't write in the workbook, there's no reason you can't just reuse it, as is, with another student. If you resell it, the buyer would also not have access to the forum but, again, if the buyer doesn't care about that, there's no problem.

 

I think it's highly debatable as to whether their claim that the product is "licensed" rather than sold would hold up legally. The "first sale doctrine" says that once a publisher has sold a book (or DVDs), the physical object belongs to the purchaser, to do with as they please — as long as they don't copy it. Copyright law protects the content, not the physical objects. Using it and then reselling it is the purchaser's right, and it's one that the publisher cannot take away simply by renaming the sale as a "license." You are paying money upfront for a physical product, there is no limited term of use (e.g., a two-year license), and the product does not expire or need to be returned to the seller once the "license" period expires. IOW, it's a sale. Access to the forums can be restricted as part of a license, since there's no physical object sold.

 

Jackie

Edited April 19, 2012 by Corraleno
clarity

[HodgesSchool]

We're looking forward to using this program next year--and would especially like to know if people have issues with the curriculum itself before we purchase. Anybody?

[Calm37]

Also, I think it's debatable as to whether their claim that the product is "licensed" rather than sold would hold up legally. The "first sale doctrine" says that once a publisher has sold a book (or DVDs), the physical object belongs to the purchaser, to do with as they please — as long as they don't copy it. Using it and then reselling it is the purchaser's right, and it's one that the publisher cannot take away simply by telling the purchaser that they can't resell it. (Downloads are different, since there's no physical object; a publisher can restrict the transfer of digital files.)

 

Jackie

 

Jackie,

 

I don't disagree with you, but I would also think that OYAN might not deal with the person who bought it used, so they likely could not purchase a workbook or access the forum. My own child found that the forum and webinars were an integral part of the curriculum.

 

It is definitely a buyer beware situation.

 

Blessings,

[Corraleno]

I don't disagree with you, but I would also think that OYAN might not deal with the person who bought it used, so they likely could not purchase a workbook or access the forum. My own child found that the forum and webinars were an integral part of the curriculum.

Oh, I agree that OYAN would not sell a new workbook or forum access code to someone who bought the product used. I think they're pretty clear about that. Some parents may not care about forum access, though. My DS is using the curriculum on his own, and isn't interested in the forum, so we've never registered for it. (I did buy it new, and he could have access if he wanted it, but he's not interested.)

 

Jackie

[AmyinMD]

Has anyone used the program with a 7th grader? I know it is recommended for grades 8-12. I ordered through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op and haven't received it yet. I bought it for my 14 yo that will be in 9th grade in the fall but I also purchased an extra workbook for my younger dd since it was a good price thinking I could hold onto it a year or two if necessary. She'll be in 7th grade and loves to write. She's a much better writer than my 14 yo. She is in a creative writing class right now and has cranked out over 40 pages in the past couple months since the class started. She's doing another creative writing class in the fall though so that may be too much creative writing even for her. She really wants to do the Sci Fi novel which comes after OYAN.

 

I ordered the DVD sample from One Year Adventure Novel's site and that really helped me get a better idea of how the program worked.

[Twingles]

My 7th grade is using this. I think if she loves to write it will be fine.

[Kalmia]

My son is slowly working his way through it. For us it will be the Two or Three Year Adventure Novel, but he's only in 6th grade so that's okay. He loves it. The DVDs are engaging and very informative. I think they also double as an introduction to literary analysis: plot, characterization, setting, theme, conflict etc.

 

The only problem I have heard of is that some people find a particular lesson in it (lesson 18?) over-the-top in terms of asserting that the only path to finding true meaning (in writing) is through Christianity (or some such dismissal of other paths to truth). All the other lessons we have done so far have stuck to the writing/literature topic pretty strictly and have not strayed into that territory again, and so I chose to explain that individual lesson to my son as "one man's opinion" and used it as an opportunity to discuss bias in writing.

[frugalmama]

I've been considering this too, but for myself {and eventually dd but that's far ahead}. Has anyone done this as an adult on their own?

[abbeyej]

I think it's a fabulous program, but I overscheduled ds and he ended up setting it aside second semester. He plans to return to it in the summer. If I hadn't *also* had a really packed schedule (including literature, grammar, poetry), it would likely have been fine. The program is really well-designed and the videos are great.

 

Home School Buyer's Coop has had a couple of 40% off deals, so maybe see whether they will have one coming up in the near future...

[mama27]

I don't have the documents right in front of me, but I believe you receive a family license for the product. You have to buy a workbook for each student. The workbook is consumable. Each workbook also comes with a forum access for that student. I think the workbooks are $30 or so. Not sure.

 

It is true that the license doesn't allow resale.

 

Blessings,

 

 

Oh, ok.

[Mom22ns]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause confusion. You can reuse it within your family if you buy extra workbooks or if you don't care that additional children don't have access to the forums. It is in my family where there is no chance of reusing it because my youngest isn't interested. I didn't buy an extra workbook.

 

I know that the legality of saying someone can't resell a product is debatable, but if you purchase it, I think you are agreeing to those terms. If you don't agree, don't buy it.

[RobinL in Canada]

Just curious... What do kids tend to do with their novels once they have completed them? Do many tend to expect their work will be publishable, only to be disappointed? Or does the OYAN site provide some sort of online forum for student work? Just wondering how kids feel after accomplishing this major feat and then basically putting it aside unseen by the wider world.

[Calm37]

Just curious... What do kids tend to do with their novels once they have completed them? Do many tend to expect their work will be publishable, only to be disappointed? Or does the OYAN site provide some sort of online forum for student work? Just wondering how kids feel after accomplishing this major feat and then basically putting it aside unseen by the wider world.

 

They can post chapters on the forum as they are working on their book. Other kids will read and critique their work. Also, you can submit your novel for the year end contest. Not sure how many winners they have, or what the prizes are. A number of the kids self-publish their books. For those that attend the summer workshop in Kansas, they have daily critique groups. My oldest will be attending her 3rd workshop this summer.

 

Blessings,

[Mom22ns]

Here were this years prizes:

1st place - iPod Touch. Crystal Award, custom pen, detailed judges' comments, and MNU scholarship offer

 

2nd & 3rd place - Crystal Award, custom pen, and detailed judges' comments

 

Finalists - custom OYAN pen with rosewood & leather.

[ChemMommy]

We are in our 2nd year with OYAN and love it for my fiction writer. It has fostered a tremendous desire to write. She comes to me now and points out good plots, excellent writing, and significant scenes in books she reads.

 

We are thrilled with the product and the owners. The forum is a very important part of OYAN; the students give each other feedback on the forum. My dd is also attending the summer camp this year for the first time and can't wait!!!

 

The owners also do free webinars during the year on various writing topics that are tremendous.

 

My dd submitted her first novel as a 9th grader and will submit her second this year. I think this is a better program for an older kid. It's a LONG process to birth a novel.

[HodgesSchool]

Home School Buyer's Coop has had a couple of 40% off deals, so maybe see whether they will have one coming up in the near future...

 

They have a group buy going on right now:

HBC group buy

 

https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/index.php?option=com_hsbc_epp_order&Itemid=1587&c=1

[HiddenJewel]

I would say the material provided about 60% of dd15's writing growth. The forum interaction provided the remaining chunk as a writer both as mentor, critiquer, and being critiqued. The character lounge also provided a lot of growth for her.

 

It was well worth the expense for just one student who is very interested in writing fiction.

[Guest BadgerMum]

My daughter used OYAN when she was twelve, and is completing Other Worlds now, at thirteen.

 

We loved the curriculum-- and didn't use the webinars or forums at all. The lessons are very useful and from a Christian worldview, and the sequel is just as meaty... once you get the sample you'll fall in love!

 

As a parent I LOVED the quizzes and grading rubric. For the first time I felt like I could give useful feedback on my daughter's writing, rather than just "correcting" it to look more like my own.

 

The thing that really sold me on OYAN? My daughter has completed three additional novels since that first was finalized last spring... one was a sequel for her OYAN novel, the most recent was her Other Worlds novel, and the one in between was an idea that she was so passionate about she had to take a break from Other Worlds in order to complete it.

 

Worth the money.

 

Bethany

[Hilary in MI]

This sample lesson shows the author's world view: http://www.oneyearnovel.com/samples/OYAN_Lesson_18_Textbook.pdf

 

When my son did the course, there was quite a bit of Muslim bashing on the forum and a lack of tolerance for differences of opinion generally.

[frugalmama]

This sample lesson shows the author's world view: http://www.oneyearnovel.com/samples/OYAN_Lesson_18_Textbook.pdf

 

When my son did the course, there was quite a bit of Muslim bashing on the forum and a lack of tolerance for differences of opinion generally.

 

Thanks for letting me know - that may veto it for us, no matter how much I love the idea of the program.

[EKS]

It's not secular, if that is important to you.

[Mom22ns]

This sample lesson shows the author's world view: http://www.oneyearnovel.com/samples/OYAN_Lesson_18_Textbook.pdf

 

When my son did the course, there was quite a bit of Muslim bashing on the forum and a lack of tolerance for differences of opinion generally.

 

While that sample does show the author's world view, it is the strongest showing of his worldview in the entire curriculum. If that is borderline or just annoying to you, the rest will not bother you. I think it is great that he puts up the chapter with the strongest Christian influence in the program so that no one would buy it unaware.

 

I am very sorry to hear there was muslim bashing on the forums. That simply sad. My ds has not used the forums much and they are optional if they aren't where you would want your child to be.

 

For those who want purely secular, OYAN is not it.