WRITING KID
Volume 12, Issue 3 - February 3, 2012

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The zine for future writers today.

Publisher/Editor: C. Hope Clark
Mailto: Hope@FundsforWriters.com

Published biweekly and free for the asking. Spread it around.

TELL YOUR TEACHERS ABOUT WRITING KID!

Find this newsletter online at
www.fundsforwriters.com/writingkid.htm

Read the archived editions at:
http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?writingkid 


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WRITING NOTES
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Rejection: Get Over It
By J.M. Schiele

Yeah that title may sound a little harsh, but it’s true.
Yes rejection is hard, but it helps us. Sure it can tear
you up, but you have to keep going.

If you let this little thing called rejection get in the
way of writing, you will never succeed. So get over it.
How? Keep reading.

Use Rejection as a Reason to Try Again.

Sometimes when our writing is rejected, we find out what
we can do differently the next time. It can show us what
we need to change in order to improve. Other times it’s not
about the quality of the writing, but it just wasn’t what
the editor needed. If we can harness the hurt that comes
from being rejected, we can use it as a reason to submit
again. And again. Don’t let one or even one hundred
rejections stop you from fulfilling your dream.

Don’t Let it Get to You.

Don’t mull over the letter or e-mail you received. Fill your
life with encouraging people, post inspirational quotes in your
room, read books about writing, remember why you are writing
in the first place. Then either submit again or revise then
submit. Train yourself to laugh at it and move on. You can’t
let rejection run your life.

It’s Not About You.

It’s about the editor, the publication, and the readers. The
best way to get your writing accepted is to research the market.
Follow the editor’s rules-no exceptions. Find out what
publications need, and discover what readers want.

Develop a Thick Skin

Do this by submitting and being rejected. Don’t get rejected
on purpose, but use those rejections to give you a thick skin.
Ask people to critique your work and don’t get mad when they
say something you don’t like. Open up to corrections and
suggestions.

Being a writer isn’t a walk in the park. But if we stop writing
for the admiration and praise of other people, and achieve thick
skin, we become even better, more powerful writers.

Rejection is Everywhere

It doesn’t only happen to writers. Being rejected is 24/7, but
it doesn’t have to affect you negatively. You can learn how to
hold dear to your dreams and passions, no matter what someone
else has to say.

However, you can also learn that you are never going to be
perfect, but can always strive to do your best. This will make
the chances of being rejected again, smaller. Rejection is just
a part of life, so get over it.

“The ones who never fail, are the ones who never try.” – Unknown

BIO
J.M. Schiele is student in the Christian Writers Guild.




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Always keep writing.

Hope

PS
We cover elementary to college teens. Each week we
carry 12 or so opportunities for all ages. Read each
market closely. Some cover a wide range and others
address a very small age group. Always read the directions!

We need guest articles. Have you considered writing a
guest article for WritingKid? Are you a student, a parent,
a teacher? All are eligible. Just make sure the topic
touches upon writing and runs no more than 500-550 words.
Those under 16 receive the book of their choice. Those
over 16 receive $10-$20, depending on the quality of the
piece, the amount of editing required and the obvious
amount of research.

See the details at www.fundsforwriters.com/submissions.htm 


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1.
DO SOMETHING AWARDS
http://www.dosomething.org/grants
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Are you one of the nation’s best young world-changers? Do
Something Award nominees and winners represent the pivotal
"do-ers" in their field, cause, or issue. In 2012 (up to)
five finalists will be rewarded with a $10,000 community
grant, media coverage and continued support from DoSomething.org.
The grand prize winner will receive $100,000 during the
nationally televised broadcast. Deadline: 5:00pm EST on March
1, 2012.

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2.
AWEL AMAN TAWE POETRY COMPETITION
http://www.awelamantawe.co.uk/
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ENTRY FEE
Adults: £3 per poem or 4 for £10
Children: £1 per poem or 4 for £3
(PayPal makes the currency conversion)

Topic: Climate Change - for adults and children. Deadline
March 31, 2012. Copyright of each poem remains with the
author, but Awel Aman Tawe has the unrestricted right to
publish the winning poems in an anthology, on its website,
and on related material for PR purposes. Awel Aman Tawe is
a community energy charity (charity no: 1114492 ) committed
to tackling climate change.

Adult prizes for each language:
1st £500, 2nd £100, 3rd £50

Children’s prizes for each language:
1st £50, 2nd £30, 3rd £20

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3.
CHAPARRAL POETS CONTEST FOR CALIFORNIA YOUTH
http://www.chaparralpoets.org/contests.html
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NO ENTRY FEE
Deadline February 28, 2012. Poems can be on any subject,
any style in categories 1-3. Maximum length 20 lines.

Category 1 - Grades 10-12 - any subject, any style
Category 2 - Grades 7-9 - any subject, any style
Category 3 - Grades 7-12 - light or humorous poem
Category 4 - Grades 7-12 - Theme: Day and Night
Category 5 - Grades 7-12 - Theme: Youth's View of Humanity
Category 6 - Grades 7-12 - Theme: I Remember

Prizes in each category:
1st $50, 2nd $35, 3rd $20.

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4.
PUBLISH-A-KID CONTEST
http://momentmag.com/moment/contests/pak.html
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We invite young readers to write book reviews. Winning
entries will be published in the pages of Moment. And yes,
there will be prizes. Deadline February 15, 2012. We’ve
selected a list of books for you to choose from. Pick one
or more that you enjoy or find intriguing and tell us why!
Anyone ages 9-13 is eligible. We encourage children of all
faiths to enter. Each review should be 1 to 2 pages double-
spaced, 250-500 words. Each child can send one review for
each book on the list.

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5.
THE WHAT THE DICKENS? CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
https://www.whatthedickens.org/Competition
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We’re celebrating Charles Dickens’ 200th birthday by giving
you the chance to win great prizes for your originality and
imagination when it comes to writing a story of your own.
You could win:

A fantastic KindleTM – loaded with great book titles
Amazon vouchers worth £100 or £50

Plus some amazing prizes for your school:

A visit from an author
A class visit to the Dickens Museum or £1,000 worth of
books for your school library

This competition is open to primary and secondary school
children in the UK aged 9–14. Deadline April 27, 2012.

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6.
RACHEL CARSON SILENT SPRING ESSAY COMPETITION
http://www.carsoncenter.uni-muenchen.de/about_rcc/silentspring_essay/index.html
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Fifty years ago, the world was rocked by the publication of
a quiet tirade against the chemical industry. Rachel Carson’s
Silent Spring exposed the dangers and risks of everyday
chemicals and commonplace practices; it launched the modern
American environmental movements and also influenced similar
movements all over the globe. In commemoration of fifty years
of Silent Spring, the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and
Society is soliciting essays from junior and senior scholars
which analyze the impact and reception of Silent Spring as well
as the legacy of Rachel Carson. Essays might address one or more
of the following questions:

How has Silent Spring shaped environmentalism or environmental
thought in various countries? How is it a global phenomenon?

What elements of Silent Spring have had the greatest impact
on environmental leaders? Policy makers? Anti-environmentalists?

How is Silent Spring still relevant to current environmental
debates?

How has the relevance of Rachel Carson’s writing changed over
the decades since Silent Spring was published?

If Rachel Carson were alive today, what would she be writing about?

In the spirit of Carson’s own writing, submissions are encouraged
to address an interested public with an approachable and
provocative style. The RCC will be awarding both a junior and
senior prize for the most outstanding essays:

Junior Prize: $1,000. Limit 1,000 words; Ages 13-18
Senior Prize: $2,000. Limit 2,000 words; Ages 19 and above

In addition, the winning essays, as well as those which receive
an honorable mention, will be published in a commemorative
edition of the RCC Perspectives series, an occasional papers
series available both in print and online. Deadline March 15,
2012.

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7.
YOUNG PUBLISHERS GRANT
http://www.naafoundation.org/Grants/Student-Journalism/Young-Publishers.aspx
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The NAA Foundation offers a grant of up to $2,500 to help
at-risk high school newspapers participate in the Young
Publishers program. Young Publishers is designed to help
high school students and advisers learn the skills required
for success in newspaper publishing through the development
of a business plan. To accomplish this, students and advisers
must interact with and be mentored by volunteers from the
local newspaper as the business plan is crafted.

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8.
OLD GRAY CEMETERY POETRY CONTEST
http://www.oldgraycemetery.com/Site/Poetry.html
---
In Partnership with the Rogers Foundation, Old Gray Cemetery
announces its Second Annual Old Gray Cemetery Poetry Contest.
Theme of the contest is "Portraits from the Past". The contest
is open to East Tennessee residents only. There are two categories
for submissions:

Category One is for high school students 16 years or older.
It offers 1st & 2nd prizes of $50 & $25.

Category Two is for adults and offers 1st, 2nd, & 3rd prizes
of $100, $75, & $50.

Poems must be postmarked by March 23, 2012 and mailed to:
Old Gray Cemetery
P.O. Box 806
Knoxville, TN 37901

Winners will be invited to read their poems on Sunday, April
22, at 2 p.m at the Cemetery. Limit 30 lines.

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9.
P.L. TITUS SCHOLARSHIP FOR SHORT STORY WRITING
http://www.writecorner.com/titus.asp
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$15 ENTRY FEE
The P. L. Titus Scholarship is an annual award given to a student
if the student wins our E. M. Koeppel Short Fiction Contest. The
winner, if a student, will receive the $500 P. L. Titus Scholarship
plus the full $1,100 prize money. If the student is an editor's
choice recipient, he or she will receive a $50 scholarship plus
the editors' choice prize money. Proof of college, university,
or school enrollment at the time the student submitted the story
is required for the student to be eligible for this award.
Scholarship winners are free to use their award money any way
the winners choose. Deadline April 30, 2012. Limit 3,000 words.

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10.
THE GLOBAL SHORT STORY COMPETITION - MONTHLY
http://www.globalshortstories.net/rules.html
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ENTRY FEE £5
Must be in English. Limit 2,000 words. No theme. The prize
for the monthly competition is £100 and £250 for the annual
one. Entries must be by writers aged 17 or over.






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Contact WritingKid (the Business Stuff)
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FundsforWriters/Writing Kid make no warranty as to the
accuracy of the contests, awards, etc. but we do try to
check them out in advance to the best of our ability.

C. Hope Clark
Hope@FundsforWriters.com
http://www.fundsforwriters.com

Copyright 2000-2012, C. Hope Clark

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 Dear Hope, I'm excited to be teaching a creative writing class this semester and will utilize your wonderful resources often.  Our first assignment was to write about writing in hopes of having some of the students published in your guest column. Thanks so much, Dalene Parker, Broome High School

Dear Ma'am Hope, I am Anupreet K., a 17 year old girl from India. It is through the Writing Kid only, that I came to know about Skipping Stones magazine and the Youth Honor Award Program. You would be glad to know that my essay was highly appreciated so much so that it was reprinted by Mix It Up which is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance program. It was also reprinted by Youth For Change International (YFCI) .It is your newsletter only which encouraged me to write, and gave me the confidence to participate and submit my work. I don't have enough words to describe my heartfelt gratitude to you and "The Writing Kid" for the kind of impact you have made on my writing talent and my life. You really are the "Hope" for young writers.   ~Yours truly, Anupreet K., India

Hi Hope, I'm the teenage girl you helped to write a book platform, and I've written an article for WritingKid e-zine. I thought I'd let you know that I'm going to have a short story published soon in Long Story Short (I saw it on your website). Thanks for everything! While I'm not an author yet, who knows? Maybe someday! :-) But the most important thing right now is to get published so I can have a "platform" so publishers will look at my novel. Thanks again for helping me in this area! You are great!  ~Smile! Lydia Rule

NOTE: Want to see more opportunities for your writing? WritingKid carries 10 markets in each free biweekly issue. Sign up here...WritingKid