Tweetebooks

 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

****************************************************
****************************************************

WRITING KID
Volume 10, Issue 5           -       March 7, 2010

****************************************************
 
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

****************************************************
WRITING NOTES
****************************************************

WRITING EXERCISES THAT TEST YOUR ABILITIES

As writers, we get called upon to write from a variety of
angles, on an assortment of topics. Whether we write fiction
or nonfiction, essays or poetry, we have to be convincing
to the reader. Otherwise, we sound fake.

Sounding convincing doesn't mean writing from the heart.
Often it involves writing from the head, using our skills
to tell a story in such a way as to persuade the reader.
We have to put ourselves in the reader's mind and snuggle
up with him, making him feel that the piece was written
just for him.

Pick one subject that means something to you. It can
be dating, sports, science, family or travel. It can be
about world hunger, peace, politics or music. Better yet,
make it a subject that needs funds, and you are the person
entrusted with convincing people to donate to the cause via
your story.

Make it a point or a story that can have differing views,
even controversial. Now write a 300-word piece under each
of the following conditions:

1. A letter to the editor for the newspaper.
2. A letter to your grandmother.
3. A piece for a high school paper.
4. A piece for an elementary school paper.
5. A piece for a teachers newsletter.
6. A speech to your state legislature.
7. A fiction scene incorporating your topic.
8. A poem.
9. A play scene.

That same topic can be spun in so many different ways.
You'll learn that showing, not telling, becomes very
important, especially using only 300 words.

Understand that all writing is a talent, and being
convincing is what makes for a successful writer.

=====
 
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. Send any submissions to
hope@fundsforwriters.com and label it SUBMISSION TO
WRITINGKID.

 
*******************************************************

1.
SARAH MOOK POETRY PRIZE
http://www.a2pwebdesign.com/poetrywits/poetrycontest/sarahmook.htm
---
This year's awards will be $100 First prize, $50 Second Prize
and $25 Third Prize in each of four categories: Kindergarten
through Second Grade, Third through Fifth Grades, Sixth through
Eighth Grades, and Ninth through Twelfth Grades. Students may
enter up to three poems of any length on any subject. This year's
donations will be given in Sarah's memory to St. Joseph's Indian
School. Please note that a donation is optional. All poems
received by the deadline will be eligible for prizes, whether or
not accompanied by an entry fee. Entries must be postmarked by
March 31, 2010.

=====
 
2.
HOUSTON SUMMER WRITING CAMPS - HOUSTON, TEXAS
http://www.witshouston.org/summer-programs
---
The Summer Creative Writing Workshops offer a supportive environment
where children engage in writing stories, poetry, essays, and plays,
as well as simply reading for pleasure. Through these activities
even the most hesitant child discovers the joy in writing, the
intrigue of language, and the confidence of authorship. Students
will work with teachers and writers, and the low teacher-student
ratios ensure individual attention. Workshops end with culminating
events: all publish anthologies; most do performances or readings also.
 
=====
 
3.
WICKED YOUNG WRITERS AWARD - UK
http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/
---
Any young person between the ages of 5 and 25 years old is
eligible to enter, making the award the first of its kind to
reward excellence to such a wide age-range of young people
across the whole of the UK. Five different age categories:

5-7 years old
8-10 years old
11-13 years old
14-16 years old
17-25 years old

The individual Gregory Maguire Award is specifically designed
for young people aged between 17 and 25 and encourages entries
that, in the same style as Gregory Maguire's famous novels,
takes a well-known story and examines it from a different
perspective. The top 20 winning entries from each age category
will be invited to a very special autumn prize ceremony held at
London's Apollo Victoria Theatre. One overall young writer will
be chosen as a winner from each age category and will receive:

An exclusive WICKED experience including four tickets to see the
London production of WICKED with their family and an opportunity
to meet cast members after the show. A WICKED writing master class
from one of the celebrity author judges. All 100 winning entries
will be published in a very special anthology of the WICKED
Young Writers' Award 2010. Deadline July 31, 2010.
 
=====
 
4.
PBS KIDS GO! WRITING CONTEST
http://pbskids.org/writerscontest/prizes/
---
Entrants must be in kindergarten, first, second or third grade.
National winners from each of the four grade levels (Kindergarten,
1st, 2nd, and 3rd) will receive laptops, digital cameras, MP3
players, and stories published on the website. To be eligible,
an entrant must be a legal resident of the United States. Only
one entry per person will be accepted. Stories can be fact or
fiction, and prose or poetry. Kindergarten and first grade stories
must have a minimum of 50 words and a maximum of 200 words. Second
and third grade stories must have a minimum of 100 words and a
maximum of 350 words. Stories must have at least 5 original,
clear and colorful illustrations. Each entry must include the
official PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Entry Form, with the
required signature of a parent/guardian (and, if appropriate,
the optional signature of the sponsoring teacher), confirming
that the story and art are original, and granting certain rights
to the entry materials.
 
=====
 
5.
ASHG DNA DAY ESSAY CONTEST
http://www.ashg.org/education/dnadaycontest.shtml
---
The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) invites you to
participate in the 5th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest. It is open
to 9th - 12th grade students. Submission Deadline: March 15, 2010.
The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and
reflect on the important concepts of genetics. Essays are expected
to contain substantive, well-reasoned arguments indicative of a
depth of understanding of the concepts related to the essay questions.
A 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner are chosen for each question.

1st Place Winner: $400 +
    teacher receives a $2,000 grant for laboratory genetics equipment.
2nd Place Winner: $250
3rd Place Winner: $150

Option 1 - Scientists can now determine the complete DNA sequences
of organisms, including humans. Now that this milestone has been
reached, is there a reason to continue learning about Mendel,
alleles, and inheritance patterns? Explain your answer.

Option 2 - Genetic testing allows geneticists to determine an
individual's DNA sequence, and research has identified a number
of genes, such as HMGA2 and GDF5, that are associated with height.
Will such associations allow scientists and physicians to predict
a person's final adult height from infancy? Explain your answer.

=====
 
6.
CONCERN CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
http://www.concern.net/get-involved/schools/concern-writing-competition
---
Imagine yourself before the United Nations General Assembly in
front of 192 Heads of State. The President of the assembly
introduces you to loud applause. The hall goes quiet as they await
your words... Your task is to choose just one of the eight goals and
send us the speech you would give to world leaders on it. Remember
to be creative! Here are the categories:

Junior - Age 12 - 15 years - Maximum 1,000 words
Senior - Age 16 - 18 years - Maximum 1,500 words
Adult - Age 19+ - Maximum 1,500 words

There will be prizes awarded in each category, with special
awards for the best entries from third-level, community and
adult education sectors.

First prize in each category is a netbook
Second prize in each category is an e-reader
Third prize in each category is an mp3 player

Deadline March 21, 2010.

=====
 
7.
RESPECT LIFE ESSAY CONTEST
http://www.respectlifeomaha.com/essay_contest.html
---
Respect Life Apostolate sponsors an annual pro-life essay contest.
Students in Grades 7-11 or equivalent are eligible. Deadline March
25, 2010. All entries must be typed and proofread; entries may not
contain more than 400 words. Prizes for Each Grade Level:
 
$40 -- First prize and award certificate
$30 -- Second prize and award certificate
$20 -- Third prize and award certificate

Each teacher or religious formation catechist is asked to
submit no more than three entries from his/her classroom.

=====
 
8.
E.M. KOEPPEL $1,100 SHORT FICTION AWARD
http://www.writecorner.com/printable.asp
---
$15 ENTRY FEE
First Place Award: $1,100. Editors' Choices: $100 each.
Maximum Length: 3,000 words. Stories must be unpublished.
Deadline April 30, 2010. The winning short story and editors'
choices will be published on www.writecorner.com . If the winning
story is by anyone attending college, university, or school when
the story is submitted, the winner will receive, in addition to
the $1,100 award, the $500 P.L. Titus Scholarship.    

=====
 
9.
GIRLCHILD PRESS
http://girlchildpress.blogspot.com/
---
In line with the GirlChild Press mission, we are interested in
publishing the works of women and girl writers. We are especially
interested in submissions from writers 21-years-old and younger,
although writers of all ages are invited to submit their work.

We are currently looking for manuscripts in the following areas:
* YA Novels
  (with special interest in a Native American/Latina/Arab/Asian protagonist)
* Speculative Fiction
* Historical Fiction
* Poetry
* Memoirs
* How to (with an emphasis on girls)

=====
 
10.
LEONARD MILBERG SECONDARY SCHOOL POETRY PRIZE
http://www.princeton.edu/arts/lewis_center/high-school-contests/leonard-milberg-53/
---
Eligibility is limited to students in the eleventh grade
during the 2009-10 academic year. Applicants may submit up
to three poems with name, address, email address, telephone
number and name of high school on each poem. The jury will
consist of members of the Princeton University Creative Writing
faculty. Submissions must be postmarked by March 29, 2010.

 
=====================================================
Contact WritingKid (the Business Stuff)
=====================================================

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 2000-2010, C. Hope Clark

-----------------------------
 
 

NOTE: Want to see more opportunities for your writing? WritingKid carries 12 markets in each free biweekly issue. Sign up here...WritingKid

Follow FundsforWriters on Social Network Media: