YWP Writers Library
This work was made possible by grants from Comcast and the Vermont Business Roundtable.
Learning to Write
Welcome to the YWP Writers Library with essays and tips by professional writers, experienced teachers and YWP professionals. If you want to improve your writing, this is great place to start.
Our aim is to take the mystery out of writing and show that writing can be fun, can be learned and can be extremely useful. Whether you want help writing an essay for English or you just need a new idea for a short story, use the links below to access plenty of tips, essays and examples to cover all aspects of the writing process. Students and teachers are free to use these materials as you wish. If you do not find materials you’d like, feel free to suggest the topic by clicking here and we’ll pull some information together for you.
This Library is the work of Ted Graf, former head of Gailer School and an educator and writer now living in Chicago; Liz Matthews a YWP adviser and teacher at Shelburne Central School; and Amanda Anderson of Hinesburg, a senior at Stonehill College and a YWP mentor.
The Writer's Library
I. Writing Habits – Do you need help with grammar or revision? Perhaps you just want some general tips about the writing process. This section provides a variety of essays and suggestions to help improve your writing skills and habits.
II. Responding to Literature – Here you will find information on writing a response to literature, developing your thesis statement, and using quotations to support your main argument.
III. Personal Narrative – Being able to write a strong personal essay is important for school, college applications, and possible careers in writing. The essays in this section will help you develop ideas for your personal essay and give you tips about how to structure the narrative. Student Examples
IV. Persuasive Writing – This section will teach you how to effectively convey your argument in persuasive essays and civic writing. Student Examples
V. Fiction – Here you will find a variety of essays about prompts, setting, point of view, conflict, and building characters. Learn more about the elements of a story and where to find inspiration for your pieces of fiction. Student Examples
VI. Poetry – This section offers a few tips on starting poems and ways to experiment with poetry, from poetry slams to an exercise on creating metaphor. Student Examples
VII. Publication – Learn about different ways to publish your writing and enter writing contests.
VIII. Writing Other Genres – Find information about writing lyrics, radio commentaries, and humor pieces. Student Examples and Student Lyrics
IX. Writing Without a Teacher – This section includes suggestions for journals, blogging, travel writing, and independent general writing.
X. Non-fiction – This section has material on interviewing, creating good questions, journalism, and non-fiction narrative writing. Student Examples
XI. Teacher Resources – This section has a variety of essays, tips, and lesson plans teachers can use to encourage their young writers.
