🎬 Step One: Watch the Intro Video
A NOTE ABOUT YOUR STORY SPRINT OPTIONS:
We've designed our story sprints so that you can do them on your own or with a group of friends. You can sprint through in as few as three hours, or slow down a bit and develop your story over the course of a few weeks. You'll see once you get into the videos that the sprint is a writing experience. That means you can sprint through more than once, and each time you'll discover something new about yourself as a writer. Plus, you'll end up with a new mysterious story each time. What could be better?
Welcome to the Story Sprint!
When you sprint through a story from start to finish, you get to practice all the important stages of writing. How exactly do you tackle the task of wrapping up loose ends as you close a story? This fast-paced experience will help you discover the answer to that question and more.
In this intro video, you'll meet me (that's me, Naomi, your mentor for this course) and hear the run-down about how the sprint will work.
📓 Step Two: Gather Your Supplies
For this course, you'll need:
- Story Sprint: Write a Mystery Workbook
- Pencil or pen
- Scratch Paper
- A journal or computer (or other tool you prefer for loose drafting)
- Index Cards
- Access to a printer
OPTIONAL FOR BOOK-MAKING:
- Hole punch or three-ring hole punch
- Ribbon or loose leaf ring clips
- Card stock or other heavy paper to create a front and back cover
- Art Supplies such as colored pencils, markers, collage materials, etc.
Download Your Workbook
Download the Story Sprint: Write a Mystery Workbook below. Choose either the color or black and white option, based on your preference and printer access.
You can either load the workbook into favorite handwriting app on a tablet computer, or print the workbook and fill pages out by hand. If neither option is open to you, you can always reference the PDF pages and write your notes and answers in a journal.
Click the file to download:
Color:
Black and White:
📋 Step Three: Plan Your Sprint
How will you sprint this time through?
Review the Story Sprint options section to plan your approach. If you decide to throw a party, I recommend that you watch the "Make it a Book" video in preparation for your event. You may want to gather some supplies so that your friends have all that they need once they've finished writing.
Throw a Sprint Party:
Gather a group of friends who are up for the challenge of thinking and writing fast. You can run through the drafting process in three hours, but may need to send friends home with their book-making plans. If you want to take time together to design, print, and bind your books, we suggest you plan on four hours. You'll still need to work fast ... You'll plan your stories, draft them, do a quick revision, and pull the final project together as a book.
To download, click on the link below:
Sprint Another Way:
If you want to choose a few quiet mornings for your sprint, this is the plan for you. We recommend that you plan for one and a half to two hours in each session, which will keep you moving fast, but also give you plenty of time between sessions to think, plan, and reflect.
Check out the schedule below.
Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Like the three-hour sprint, you can do your four-session sprint with a friend or two. Plan to get together for each writing session, or even do a couple online hangouts as you write.
- As with the shorter sprint, you'll still want to gather materials ahead of time to remove as much resistance as possible.
- You'll be invited to set a timer for the time that fits you best. Work to find the amount of time that pushes you to keep your hands in motion. If you want to take more time and build skills. we recommend that you do that as part of the revision process. It's important to learn the skill of quick drafting, which will serve you well in all writing tasks to come.
If you prefer shorter writing sessions, this is the plan for you. We recommend that you plan for 30 - 45 minute sessions. Remember, the thinking you do between writing sessions will help set you up for success when you sit down to write.
Check out the schedule below.
Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- Since you'll have a little more time, set a learning goal beyond practicing the art of finishing a story. What element of storytelling can you push yourself to explore further?
- Even though you have a number of days to work on your story, set your story sprint timer for an amount of time that pushes you to keep your hands in motion during your sprints.
- If you want to take more time to think, plan, and build skills. we recommend that you do that as part of the "Ready" and "Set" portions of the course, and also in the revision process. Use the sprints to practice the skill of quick drafting, which will serve you well in all writing tasks to come.
If you want to slow down the writing process and take your time with each step, this is the plan for you. We recommend that you plan for one to two hours of work each week, broken into 30 - 60 minute sessions. The thinking you do between sessions is as (if not more) important than the work you'll actually do while writing. Take time to talk to a friend, sibling, parent, or mentor about your characters and plot. You're stretching your skill set, so you want that outside perspective to help you grow.
Check out the schedule below.
Here are a couple things to keep in mind:
- A focused six-week sprint will yield a fantastic story. Consider entering your final product into a writing contest (such as the Inklings Book Contest)!
- With more time, you may not feel the intensity of pushing through from start to finish. If that momentum will help you, strategize about how you'll stay on track, whether it's with an accountability partner, an Inklings mentor, or mini-milestones and celebrations for meeting them along the way.
- The three-hour sprint is referenced throughout the course. You don't have to stick with the timing suggested, but you should set a timer and keep yourself moving. Work to find the amount of time that pushes you to keep your hands in motion.
To download, click on the link below:
✍🏼 Step Four: Sign Your Creativity Contract
Fill out your Creativity Contract each time you go through the Story Sprint. Set a clear goal and keep those creative promises to yourself!
Your Creativity Contract is in your workbook. It looks like this. 👉🏼 👉🏼
🥳 Signed your contract?
Then, it's time to click the ONWARD link below and begin!
Scroll down to see the course overview and for quick-link navigation.
👀 Course Overview
🧭 Navigation
📮 Questions? We're here for you!
If you have any questions before, during, or after the course, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm at naomi@younginklings.org.
“Every great thinker keeps a journal, you know.” ―Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society
