Late last week we were all deeply saddened by the tragic news that Art & Writing Awards alum Ned Vizzini had passed away. Ned was honored with an Art & Writing Award in 1996, served as a National Writing juror for several years, and shared advice with young authors through our Ask a Writer blog […]
We recently had the chance to catch up with Scholastic Awards alum Ned Vizzini and talk to him about his upcoming book, House of Secrets, (coming out April 23) which he wrote together with director Chris Columbus who began the Harry Potter film series! It’s the first novel in their exciting fantasy trilogy. Check out […]
Today is author Ned Vizzini‘s 31st birthday! Ned won an Honorable Mention in 1996 while attending Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, NY. As he recalls, “I sent a story into The Scholastic Writing Awards when I was 15. I didn’t win silver, gold, or bronze. I won honorable mention! But… I turned my experience receiving […]
Zoe Lynn Asked: Hi! I’ve read many books by different authors and realized that most of them have very unique voices (for instance, Salman Rushdie, or J.R.R. Tolkien, or T.H. White). By this I don’t mean the voices of characters (like Yann Martel in Life of Pi, or just about any good story in the […]
November is off to an incredible start! You’ve gotten to know us a little more and why we devote ourselves so wholeheartedly to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and the many high-quality programs we offer throughout the year for teenagers and alumni. So far, we’ve raised over 10,000 of our $50,000 fundraising goal on […]
Leslie Asked: Hello Mr. Vizzini! I’m writing a story, but a lot of it takes place between messages online. So I am wonder how exactly do I go about that? It’s based on a true story, and it took place first with wall posts, to messages, then to Skype etc. I’ve never written something like […]
Luke Asked: I struggle with humour. I write fantasies. How do you inject humor so easily into your writing? And is comic relief that important? Thank you. Ned Answered: Luke, Let’s take the second part of your question first: yes, comic relief is important. Even in the most serious or scary story, a light moment […]
Robert Asked: What are the laws regarding song lyrics and how does one get permission to use them? I have heard that titles are okay, but not lyrics. If an author wanted to use lyrics, how would one go about asking for permission? Are there legal forms and such to fill out or, after getting […]
Elyssa Asked: How did you decide to write It’s Kind of a Funny Story? There’s a lot of books on depression, but yours stood out because it’s hilarious, yet also quite touching. By the way, what’s the longer name for Ned? It’s not Nedward, right? Ned Answered: I’m glad you liked IKOAFS. I didn’t choose […]
While most of us are preparing for the end of the year, students nationwide are racing to meet Scholastic Art & Writing Awards’ deadlines, submitting hundreds of thousands of original art and writing. At our peak, the Awards will receive over 6,000 entries a day. The Awards has grown since it began in 1923, but […]
