Free Writing Class at StoryStudio Chicago

StoryStudio Chicago is an organization dedicated to providing a supportive community for writers of all levels, and on Wednesday, August 27, StoryStudio is hosting an open house and free class:  

Join us for coffee, tea, and conversation with other writers, and then stay for Your Life As Fiction, a fun, all-levels free class that will explore what happens when you combine personal experience with your imagination.

What: Open House and Free Class
Where: StoryStudio Chicago, 4043 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, IL 60613 
Cost: Free!
Click here for more details and to RSVP.

Invite Your Students to Incomplete Project Boot Camps

The boot camp program is designed for SNL students who currently have an incomplete grade on their transcript or students working on writing assignments. Sessions are set up to increase the likelihood students will complete necessary courses to obtain a bachelor’s degree and offer a supportive academic environment, writing assistance, and help with library services so that students can get assignments completed.

Students are welcome to sign up for more than one session. To register, email snlsa@depaul.edu. 

Naperville

Saturday, May 31, 9:00 am-1:00 pm

150 W. Warrenville Rd., Bld. 200

Oak Forest

Saturday, May 31, 9:00 am-1:00 pm

16333 S. Kilbourn Ave.

Loop

Wednesday, June 4, 5:30-9:00 pm

Saturday, June 7, 9:00 am-1:00 pm

14 E. Jackson, Lab 1325

O’Hare

Saturday, June 7, 9:00am-1:00pm 

8770 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Items to Bring to Session(s):  Please bring a flash drive, your copy of the incomplete contract if applicable, all prior assignment preparation, including research material, assignment instructions, and assignment writing format (APA/MLA). Please let your faculty mentor know you plan to attend if you are working on an assignment for an incomplete grade.

Announcing the 2014 Writing Showcase Winners

SNL Writing is proud to announce the winners of the 2014 SNL Writing Showcase. Please congratulate them on their excellent work! The essays will be posted to the Writing Guide over the next few weeks, and the winners will be honored at the Awards Luncheon in June. 

Katie Reginaldi: "In Support of a Church Garden" and "Adventures in the Community Garden"

Ronnie Malley: "Andalusia: A Journey of Music and Cultural Exchange"

Marc Raffa: "Let's Get Bready, To Give Back!" 

Angelique Guinn: "Fundamentalism and the Modern American Woman"

Sarah Bishara: "An Analysis of Employee Perceptions of Motivational Factors in the Workplace" 

Jason Meyer: "Splice of Life: The Beatles and the Tale of Their Tape" 

April Is National Poetry Month

Yesterday marked the beginning of National Poetry Month. The celebration's organizer, the Academy of American Poets, has hundreds of suggestions for ways to celebrate. Here are a few highlights:   

• Sign up for Poem-A-Day to receive a new poem via email each day.      

• Choose an activity from the "30 Ways to Celebrate list," such as Poem in Your Pocket, recording your favorites in a commonplace book, or gathering friends to play the intriguingly named Exquisite Corpse. 

• Browse poems by topic: love, teaching, parenting, and more--including sharks.

• Listen to readings of the site's most popular poems. (Click here to listen to the site's most popular recording, Dylan Thomas's "Do not go gentle into that good night."  

• Explore the rich history of poetry here in Illinois. (Distance students, click here to find information about your state.) On each state-specific site you'll find biographies and the work of local poets, lists of "poetry-friendly bookstores," event calendars, information about local literary organizations and publications, and poems about the state, its cities, and its people.

Resources for Writing Instructors & Upcoming Incomplete Boot Camp

Two New Resource Sites
Teaching Central highlights Bedford St. Martin's collection of resource guides, background readings, and bibliographies for writing teachers. The collection is searchable by publication date, author, and title, as well as topic (teaching advice, workshops and symposia, adjuncting, and more).  

Teachnet is a blog featuring advice, resources, and links, with an emphasis on teaching with technology. Recent posts include "10 Tips for Grading Writing with Less Stress and Frustration" and "Accelerating Community Through Online Writing."

These sites have joined the Handbook for SNL Writing Instructors Digication site on the Key Resources & Websites page. 

Upcoming Incomplete Boot Camp: Wednesday, December 18
If you have students with incompletes outstanding or other projects to work on over break, please consider inviting them to the next Boot Camp, which meets on December 18 from 5:30-9PM at 14 E. Jackson. Students should contact snlsa@depaul.edu to register.

Upcoming Incomplete Project Boot Camps

Incomplete Project Boot Camps will be held at all campuses in the next few weeks. Boot camps are free faculty- and tutor-led sessions during which students can work on assignments and other writing in progress. Refreshments are provided. To RSVP or for more information, please instruct students to contact snlsa@depaul.edu.

Loop
November 16, 9AM-1PM
November 26, 5:30PM-9PM

O'Hare
November 16, 9AM-1PM

Naperville
November 23, 10AM-2PM

Oak Forest
November 23, 10AM-2PM

This Thursday: Craft of Composing Panel

Just a reminder that this coming Thursday, October 17, is the SNL Month of Writing's "Craft of Composing" panel discussion. Click here for more information about our accomplished panelists. The event will take place in room 1451 of 14 E. Jackson and begins at 6PM. 

In other news, the first count from the Month of Writing Challenge is in! Writers from throughout the DePaul community produced 147,848 words in the first week of October alone, and the tally is only going up! Click here to visit our Month of Writing site, which is updated weekly. 

Month of Writing Challenge Begins & UCWbL Workshop

Today is October 1, which means the start of the SNL Month of Writing Challenge! But it's not too late to join--click here for more information about our challenge to write 50,000 words during the month of October and work toward a collective goal of 1.5 million words. 

The SNL Writing Program has also partnered with the Office of Advancement to help the Month of Writing make a meaningful contribution to the SNL community. I'd like to draw your attention to our new Giving page. Your support will both motivate writers to work toward our collective goal, and, moreover, allow the Dean to award a scholarship to an SNL student thanks to the efforts of our Challenge writers and their friends, family, and colleagues. 

Finally, the UCWbL's Collaborative for Multilingual Writing and Research is hosting an upcoming workshop on academic writing that may be of interest to your students: "How Do I Cite This?: Incorporating Sources and Understanding Academic Integrity." The workshop will take place on Tuesday, October 8, from 3-4:30pm in the DePaul Center, room 8005. Email the CMWR to reserve a spot. 

Join Us on October 17 for the Craft of Composing Panel Discussion

On October 17, the SNL Month of Writing will host "The Craft of Composing: A Panel of Writers Discuss the Writing Process." Panelists this year include Rochelle George Wooding of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance; SNL faculty member and author Ann Stanford; award-winning author and SNL faculty member Molly Dumbleton; and SNL alum and Writing Showcase winner Megan Stemm-Wade. Click here for more information about our panelists. 

And remember, the Month of Writing Challenge begins on October 1! Click here for more information and to register.  

Details: 
October 17, 2013
6:00 - 7:30PM
Loop Campus
14 E. Jackson
Room 1451

Month of Writing Challenge Website Is Live!

Registration is open for the SNL Month of Writing 2013 Writing Challenge! 

Please visit our new Digication site for more information about signing up, the Challenge itself, upcoming events, and more. 

Coming in October: SNL's Month of Writing Marathon

Get ready for SNL's annual Month of Writing Marathon! This October, accept the challenge to write 50,000 words in one month, working with students, alumni, staff, and fellow faculty toward a collective goal of 1,500,000 words. More information will soon be available on the Writing Guide; also feel free to contact SNLWriting@depaul.edu for more information on how to participate. 

Also this October, instructor Steffanie Triller Fry is offering a course in conjunction with the Marathon: AI 196 - WriteNow: SNL Writing Marathon. This is a late start (10/3) course that students can take for one competence (A2X, A5, FX). 

Upcoming Chicago Literary Events

Next weekend (June 8-9) marks the 29th Annual Printers Row Lit Fest. The Fest takes place on Chicago's historic Printers Row, on Dearborn from Congress to Polk. In addition to independent booksellers, second-hand book shops, and literary and cultural organizations, the Fest hosts a full slate of presentations, lectures, and panel discussions. This year's schedule includes several DePaul faculty members, including Amina Gautier, Ted Anton, Christine Sneed, and Kathleen Rooney. All events are free, though some do require reserved tickets. 


This year's Chicago Writers Conference will take place from September 27-29. Click here to sign up to be notified when registration goes live.

About Chicago Writer's Conference:

We bring together writers, editors, agents, publishers and social media experts at an informative annual conference, and at workshops and events throughout the year.  Enjoy personal connections with other writers, publishers and agents. Our annual conference is not genre- or niche-specific. Writers of all levels and all genres are welcome! Our goal is to provide practical advice to help writers learn how to sell and promote their work. You don’t need to have a completed manuscript to attend — just a willingness to learn, exchange ideas, and have fun!

Writing Showcase Winners 2013

SNL Writing is pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Writing Showcase, who will be honored at the SNL Awards Banquet on June 8 at Maggiano's Little Italy. The winning submissions are available on the SNL Writing Guide. The application for the 2014 Writing Showcase has been added to the site, and we encourage you to extend the application to students who have excelled in their written work. The submission deadline for next year is April 1, 2014. Students who will graduate between now and next April are welcome to submit. 

2013 Writing Showcase Award Winners

Carol Hillman: "Eternal Silence"

Sarah Gottlieb: "Urbalism"

Helene Bryant: "Positive Psychology in Professional Development: Using Strengths-based Development"

Jillian Gryzlak: "Cultural Symbols and Textile Communication: The Documentation of a Woven Symbolic Textile"

Ruth Rose Sachs: "Privacy and Marketing Online"

Upcoming UCWbL Workshops

The University Center for Writing-based Learning has a number of upcoming workshops that you might recommend to your students, including citation and Digication workshops as well as cover letter and resume workshops designed specifically for veterans. 

For more information, contact the Outreach Team at UCWbLOutreach@depaul.edu or visit the UCWbL's website.

Tuesday, May 7, 12-1pm. Loop, Library Instruction Room: 
Library Research Workshop (through Driehaus ACE):

Work with UCWbL tutors and research librarians to familiarize yourself with best practices on how to get started on a research paper. This workshop will focus on research from a business perspective.

Wednesday, May 8, 12:30-2pm. LPC, McGaw 203: 
Chicago Style Workshop:

Work with UCWbL tutors and learn the proper Chicago format for in-text citations and works cited pages. Also, get tips on how to avoid plagiarism. Bring in your current papers and projects!

Tuesday, May 14, 12-1:30pm. Loop, Lewis 1600: 
Cover Letter and Resume Workshop for Veterans:

Work with UCWbL tutors to learn strategies for creating cover letters and resumes specifically for veterans. Bring in your current cover letters and resumes!

Wednesday, May 22, 12-1:30pm. LPC, McGaw 203: 
Cover Letter and Resume Workshop for Veterans:

Work with UCWbL tutors to learn strategies for creating cover letters and resumes specifically for veterans. Bring in your current cover letters and resumes!

Tuesday, May 28, 3-4pm. LPC, McGaw 203: 
APA Workshop:

Work with UCWbL tutors and learn the proper APA format for in-text citations and works cited pages. Also, get tips on how to avoid plagiarism. Bring in your current papers and projects!

Wednesday, May 29, 12:30-2pm. LPC, McGaw 203: 
MLA Workshop:

Work with UCWbL tutors and learn the proper MLA format for in-text citations and reference list pages. Also, get tips on how to avoid plagiarism. Bring in your current papers and projects!

Tuesday, June 4, 12-1:30pm. Loop, Lewis 1600: 
Open Digication Workshop:

Work with UCWbL tutors and continue to develop your Digication ePortfolio! You’ll learn how to create your own banners, use CSS coding, and customize your portfolio. Students should bring their own laptops.

Wednesday, June 5, 12:30-2pm. LPC, McGaw 203: 
Open Digication Workshop:

Work with UCWbL tutors and continue to develop your Digication ePortfolio! You’ll learn how to create your own banners, use CSS coding, and customize your portfolio. Students should bring their own laptops.