National Novel Writing Month Event

Event Information

NOVEMBER 9, 2019 1-4PM, PAUL H. DOUGLAS CENTER: Do you have a young writer in your life who is burning to get their book on a page? Join local writer Jessica Renslow as she shares her new middle-grade novel Dragonfly Detectives and offers writing and publishing tips in honor of National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo for short is a fun, empowering approach to creative writing. During the month of November, people from across the world attempt to write books within one month. This free workshop is offered at the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education (100 North Lake Street Gary, IN 46403) on Saturday, November 9 from 1-4 pm to kick start this effort for a group of NWI young writers. Blank books will be provided for aspiring 3rd-7th-grade novelists. There are 50 slots for the workshop. You must sign up in advance to participate. You can sign up by calling 219-395-1821 or at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/renslowwritingworkshop
A native of Gary Indiana, Jessica Renslow enjoys bringing characters to life and helping others learn how to harness their narratives. She has taught writing, podcasting and filmmaking workshops to people of all ages. With over a decade’s experience in children’s television and literary education, her career is an eclectic intersection of edutainment. She has been published in a variety of places including an upcoming article in Cricket Media’s Muse Magazine. Students from her 2016 Gear and Flame Podcasting Workshop were selected from 675 submissions to win the New York Time’s Student Podcast Contest. Ms. Renslow received the 2002 David Letterman Award for her original screenplay Stained Glass Graffiti, adapted/translated the 2013 Sundance International Filmmaker award-winning script, Spectacled Tiger and received a 2020 Individual Advancement Program (IAP) Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission for her middle-grade novel, Dragonfly Detectives. She looks forward to helping introduce young writers and readers to the natural wonders of the Indiana Dunes.
Quote from the Author:
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to showcase some of my hometown’s greatest amenities and teach young people how to craft a narrative in the process. As someone who has lived all over the world, worked in major media markets and chosen to return to Gary, I’m acutely aware of how detrimental designations like Business Insider’s Most Miserable City in the US ranking can be to places like the Steel City. This is why I am passionate about helping people learn how to dismantle these two-dimensional perceptions and create work that accurately depicts areas like Northwest, Indiana.”