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It stands for the One Year Adventure Novel @cloudy
@jess. We’ve discussed this but I think it is geared more towards beginners. Because we have only viewed the samples we can’t say for sure. I am definitely going to be doing it. I think you could still use the practice with this curriculum even if you’re an expert. And someone please answer her question about the conference. I want to know so badly.
@Jess alrighty… So basically.
1: Yes it is for beginners, but it has good ideas for structuring a novel, and everyone probably has something they could definitely learn from it.
2: The videos aren’t really cheesy, I don’t think, no. I did it several years back and actually quite enjoyed them. (You might get sick of the “What makes a story a story? Why do we look for truth in books?” thing that happens at the beginning of every single video though. xP) Plus they’ve got snippets from an old movie about Cyrano De Bergerac and sword fights. *nods*Some Pros: a) It’s got a really good basic outline of a novel. b) it shows you how the action and stakes should be balanced throughout the story. c) The online forum is a super cool place, and lots of good writing advice and friends and cool people to meet.
Some Cons: a) it does have to pass over some things relatively rough and basically because Mr S can’t ramble on forever. b) it’s a reasonably simple start-up course. c) even though the forum is a pretty cool place, there isn’t very much interaction between the students and Mr S himselfI personally haven’t been to one of the workshops. But I’ve heard SO MUCH about them that I’m honestly really really wishing I could go. (The only thing that’s really stopping me is the flight cost to America >.<) I know that they’re amazing and have really great authors (*cough cough* Nadine Brandes *cough*) doing talks there.
Aaaand if there’s anything else you wanted to know, just ask.
Writing Heroes ♦ Writing Hope // janemareeauthor.com.au
@Jane-maree Thank you!
Another (maybe) quick question, How did you like the workbook? I’ve seen some reviews that said that the whole thing was outlining to death, so by the time they started writing, they were burned out.
I might have more questions, but I can’t think of anything else. I’ll probably end up doing it (maybe), I just wanted more opinions 😀
And Nadine Brandes? *gasps* I love her trilogy! 🙂It is for beginners but at the same time, I would totally recommend it to any writer looking to improve. It is a very solid curriculum.
I don’t think they were cheezy. At least I do not remember them being cheezy at all. (It has been a little under two years since I took the curriculum. )
This year will be my third time going to the Summer workshop(And hopefully my first Winter Workshop[WW are geared toward +18 students.]) and I can say with all honestly that it has been some of the most amazing days of y life.
They have great speakers who are completely open and focused on helping the students. You can have lunch with them, or a mentor session or just catch them walking around and talk to them. The sessions are really great and helpful and they have a few +18 sessions as well for the more advanced writers.
There are mandatory critique groups each day(Except for Monday and Saturday.) where you critique other students excerpts of Poetry, short stories, or cuts from their novels and have your own critiqued and it is one of my favorite parts. (You do not have to bring something to be looked at but you must attend critique group.)
Besides all of that, there are other activities and games that the students arrange. (And there is a lot of cosplaying which is always fun.[it’s normal to dress as your own characters.])In order to attend an OYAN workshop, you must be a registered student. But yeah, I totally recommend the whole thing.
Hope this helps.
and it is a lot of outlining but it is really good practice and discipline to help your writing habits, so it’s not pointless. I wasn’t burnt out but rather readier than ever to jump in.
(And oh my gosh I love Nadine Brandes and like she’s going to be at the SW again this year and I am very excited. *cough* Okay, sorry. I’ll stop rambling now. )
@watersnail Thanks for all that info! (You weren’t rambling ;)) It’s most appreciated!!! The conference sounds amaze. *sighs dreamily* I’m thinking that I’ll end up doing the OYAN curriculum. 🙂
@Jess
I liked the layout and style of the workbook. It is true that over half of it was planning and the writing part only started at lesson forty-something (out of 70-ish), but that basically meant -for me- that I was well and truly ready for writing, and I knew completely what I was doing and where I was going with the novel before diving in. If you’ve written novels before and don’t like the planning/outlining side there will be that sense of ‘ugh just get to the writing already’ but I personally quite liked it.Yesss for Nadine. Her books are the best.
Writing Heroes ♦ Writing Hope // janemareeauthor.com.au
@Jane-maree Whoops, I forgot to respond to this! Thanks. I’m okay with outlining, I just don’t want to be bored out of my mind! 🙂
I am an OYANer but I have very little else to add that someone hasn’t already said. =P
I enjoyed OYAN and I think it’s a very good launching pad for beginning writers. Helps put the nebulous idea of writing a novel into a more concrete and understandable format and helps get you writing consistently. It is geared toward high schoolers and, I believe, toward new writers, so you may not need the simplicity if you’re already at a more advanced stage in your writing, but you still might find some of the concepts about story and some of the insights and reading materials useful. =)
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