Shakespeare's World
Are you looking for an interesting, low-pressure project that combines history and English? Get involved in this interesting citizen science project where you transcribe handwritten documents by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and help us understand his life and times. Along the way you’ll find words that have yet to be recorded in the authoritative Oxford English Dictionary, and which will eventually be added to this important resource.
How do I get started? Check out Zooniverse site for this interesting project.
How do I expand this narrative arc? Are English and writing in your narrative? Consider going deeper and broader when you pursue one or more of the following:
Submit your work to an online publication like The Maze, Elan Literary Magazine, Hanging Loose Press and more.
See our post about putting on a Poetry Slam in your town.
Start an online poetry (or literary) journal at your school.
Spend the summer at one of the nation’s premier writing programs at the Iowa Young Writer’s Studio
Try your hand at writing for dramatic performance in the Princeton 10-minute Playwriting Competition
Spend a summer with other talented your writers at the Fir Acres Summer Writing Workshop
HOT TIP: Citizen science projects are a great way to expand a narrative arc, especially if they relate to a pre-existing interest. For example, did you love reading Shakespeare in English class? Or are you a budding thespian who’s performed Shakespeare in a school or community play? This project adds dimension and breadth to your interest. Just keep in mind that projects like this where there’s a low bar to entry and no minimum time requirement are unlikely to elevate your story when done in isolation.