rgz

readergirlz is a literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize. The rgz blog serves as a depot for news and YA reviews from industry professionals and teens. As volunteers return full force to their own YA writing, the organization continues to hold one initiative a year to impact teen literacy. All are welcome to "like" us on Facebook!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Author in Residence Beth Kephart: The Story Song Challenge

Our very first Author in Residence, Beth Kephart, is a critically acclaimed, gracious writer who will be on the rgz team through December. Check out her mini-issue at the rgz website. Welcome this author of HOUSE OF DANCE, UNDERCOVER, and NOTHING BUT GHOSTS!

Last month's winning entries have been published on Beth's blog, so go read the lovely words of Jennifer Petro-Roy, Erin McIntosh and Lauren Miller!

Here is the second of Beth’s monthly entries about writing:

"For the second readergirlz contest, I've chosen a topic close to my heart—choreography—and called it The Story Song. Please find the details below:

"I read books to meet new characters, to go new places, and to find out what happens. I also read to learn how the author has chosen to choreograph the narrative. Is it a straight-forward telling, or a book that turns round on itself? Does the story speed up and slow down, are there embedded refrains, which themes recur, which details, and why? Watch this video (below), then share with me one of your own poems or short (up to ten lines) pieces of writing. Tell me, with your submission, just how you thought about the piece as lyric. What, in other words, was your choreographic strategy?

"Send your entry to me at kephartblogATcomcastDOTnet by October 25, 2009. The author of the winning paragraph will receive a signed copy of House of Dance, a novel about a young girl who, in taking care of her dying grandfather and learning about the life he once lived, decides to offer him one final gift. The winning work will also be posted on my blog."

Good luck, readergirlz!

4 comments:

Shelf Elf said...

"The heart thrust of a story..."

I'm thinking that this is just one of the many reasons why I love Beth's books so much. I'd never thought of books as being choreographed until now, but with Beth's books, it's exactly true.

I just got Nothing But Ghosts in the mail today.

Off to start reading!

Melissa Walker said...

Beth just completely inspires. I'm reworking a chapter because of this video. Thank you, B.

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