Queserasera Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I know about OYAN but it's pricey. Any other good ones? Or convince me OYAN is a can't miss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneEyre Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 We have OYAN and like it. I think Konos has one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 We tried OYAN and we did not like it. I don't have another suggestion for you, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queserasera Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 What did you not like about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in SouthGa Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 My dd learned to write novels by jumping into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Basically, you right a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. They have a great community, and some workbooks on their website that look great! She also did a lot of self-study, by reading recommended books from the NaNoWriMo site, and finding open source classes, blogs, and free lectures. It is a passion for her, so I've had to work very little to help her! But everything she has done has been free, with the exception of a couple of books I bought her. If your child is interested in trying NaNoWriMo, get the workbook and have her start it now so she has plenty of time to read and plan before Nov. 1 hits! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I agree that OYAN is pricey but it was a hit here. DD used Cover Story 2 years ago, OYAN this past year, and will be doing "Other Worlds" this year. I think it is a great program for students who enjoy creative writing and are interested in tackling a novel. The videos are high quality and instructive. I did have a few quibbles (mainly with the world view) but they weren't show stoppers for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 My dd learned to write novels by jumping into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Basically, you right a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. They have a great community, and some workbooks on their website that look great! She also did a lot of self-study, by reading recommended books from the NaNoWriMo site, and finding open source classes, blogs, and free lectures. It is a passion for her, so I've had to work very little to help her! But everything she has done has been free, with the exception of a couple of books I bought her. If your child is interested in trying NaNoWriMo, get the workbook and have her start it now so she has plenty of time to read and plan before Nov. 1 hits! This! My dd attributes her love of writing to the first year I forced her into NaNo (she was 9). I can't see your DD's age on my phone, but the have a young authors page as well where you can set a word count lower than the 50K if you think that is too high. You really want the first attempt to be a successful one. I think there is a chart on the kids site that helps you figure out a reasonable word count. I'd probably go 30K for a high schooler without any real writing problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 For starters, I like the Nanowrimo workbooks and getting involved in Nanowrimo. There is a psychology about getting words down on the page in short amount of time. It's only the beginning stages. Once you have some words to work with, then you can move into reading more about the craft. That's why I like the workbooks, they're free, basic, and just enough information to get started without being limiting. I like The Write Great Fiction series, but they are written for adults. Some do reference novel for adults, such as murder mystery, which may or may not be appropriate for your family. I wouldn't have a problem giving them to a teen to use, but that's just me. I also like The Writer's Journey which describes the mythic structure of stories. It references a lot of movies as the author works in the movie industry. This would be helpful for anyone writing fantasy or sci-fi, but can be applied to many kinds of stories. Hopefully someone can chime in on writing books written specifically for teens. One book I would suggest for encouragement is Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing. It's not so much a how to as a why to write. Stephen King's On Writing is another great read even if you're not a fan of King's books. This, however, has some information on graphic scenes from his books, and IIRC, has some cursing. You would need to deem what is appropriate for your child. I looked at OYAN, the samples, the program, etc. I've been writing since I was a kid. My opinion is that I would have found sticking to a laid out program stifling. IMO, creative writing needs to grow unfettered for a while before you start pruning and crafting. Some people feel quite the opposite, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 We did NaNoWriMo for many years and enjoyed it. Ds also did OYAN and their follow up Other Worlds and they were excellent. No regrets at all on the money spent on OYAN. I do know someone who got it, decided it wasn't a fit and was given a full refund even outside of their guarantee period. They are a very nice couple and have a solid reputation as fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 OYAN didn't go over well here - didn't hold her interest. NaNoWriMo was better (She did the workbook before November) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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