http://www.poeticpower.com/Contest.html
Poetry and Essay Contests for Kids, Grades K – 12 in the U.S. and Canada.
http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=0k4lsi1dql
Watch the video of this incredible guy! Wow.
As writers, we should be noticing details during our daily lives. Pay attention to the sights and sounds around you. What does the air feel like against your skin? Notice all of your senses at various times and situations. Jot down notes when of fascinating moments that make you think, feel, or laugh.
Our memory may not be as acute as the young man in the video, nor will we be illustrating through drawing, but recapture specifics in words.
Writing prompt:
Today, take five minutes and notice details around you. Slow-down-the-moment. Describe every sense you have. Instead of describing LARGE (everything around you), try going small. Choose one specific item/object/animal/person to focus on.
1. Write all you can write about this tree/flower/dog/cookie/grandpa/etc. you can, using your specific senses.
2. If you have words like wonderful, nice, lovely, pretty, in your description, cross them out. Replace them with concrete nouns or active verbs.
You’ve celebrated Poetry Month by writing as specific as you can. You may use this to craft a poem or as a portion of another piece of writing.
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Ever thought about how many famous rabbits there are in our culture? This month, The Contra Costa Times is challenging you to pen some poetry on that floppy-eared theme. Whether it’s inspired by the perpetually tardy White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, The Easter Bunny, or Flopsy, Mopsy, and/or Cottontail is totally up to you. Send your haiku – – – three lines in a 5-7-5 syllable pattern – – to [email protected] by noon March 29.
Watch a few minutes of the video below.
Jot down a few impressions of what you see of this moment back in time.
Next, write a few paragraphs placing YOU in the middle of this street. Use all of your senses.
Add conflict. What could happen to you that could increase excitement or tension? Write about that moment. Stretch out that moment in time using your feelings, thoughts, and sensory description.
Finally, if you’d like to write a poem, choose only the most vivid experiences in your writing. Use a highlighter to show your best writing in the paragraphs you wrote.
Can you cut out the “ands, buts, ifs, the” words? Cut out any adverbs (ly words) and show with a good verb or concrete (specific) noun instead.
Now read your piece out loud. Does it have a natural rhythm and flow? Rewrite and “tinker” with it until it sounds just right for your ear.
Feel free to enter this in our contest or show it to another writer or teacher for their comments. You may choose to submit it to another place for publication too.
Step 1. Choose a subject or something that has helped you experience an emotion. You should be able to “see” it in your mind.
2. Write all the words that pop into your head about this idea. Be specific. Remember each sense. What do you see? Smell? Touch? Hear?
3. Write a rough draft of your poem.
4. Do you have any adverbs . . . “ly” words in your poem? Cut them out. Replace them with a good verb if you need to strengthen your thoughts.
Attendance at the Young Writer Workshops were at an all-time high this year, with 33 students participating at the Concord Library’s event on January 30, and 52 middle schoolers creating short stories and personal narratives at Ygnacio Valley Library’s Workshop.
Students came from all over Contra Costa County and even places such as San Jose, Saratoga, Manteca, Berkeley and Oakland. Although any middle school student may come to the free workshops, only those who live in or attend schools in Contra Costa County may submit their poems, short stories and personal narratives/essays to the Young Writers Contest. (Deadline, April 12)
Students wrote, shared their wonderful writing, asked questions about writing technique, how to become writers both now and later in their careers, and discovered tips about writing and the life of a writer.
As to the contests, manuscripts are beginning to come in now. We’re looking forward to reading them!
Writing Ideas for you:
Poetry
Write in the point of view of an object. Personify this thing, giving it thoughts and feelings. Remember, poems do not have to rhyme.
Personal Narrative
Write about a moment where you experienced emotion. It could be your first crush, a time you did something wrong and were caught, or a scary experience you had as a little child. Write about this event, using sensory details. Next, think about who you were when this happened to you. Why did this memory stick with you? Write about why you think this impacted you so deeply, and how it could have changed you for the better.
Short Story
Here’s the beginning of the story. Finish it.
Flames licked at the door. “Quick! This way!” he yelled, coughing and ducking low to avoid the smoke. Someone started this fire, I thought. But who?
Hi Liz,
My students are wondering about the requirements for submitting poetry. Since they want to make sure everything is done correctly, on one part of the application it says poems do not need to be double spaced, but under guidelines it says everything must be double spaced. They also want to know if they can use a larger font for the title on the top or if everything needs to be in 12 font. Thanks, Joni Whalin
Great question, Joni! It is fine to single space poems. If the title is larger than 12 point it’s acceptable. We only have a problem when students turn in manuscripts that are smaller than 12 point. (It’s hard on our eyes to read so many manuscripts with anything less than 12 point page after page . . .)
When a student turns in a five page short story with LESS than 12 point font that story isn’t even read by any of the judges. But a poem is MUCH easier to read. I can see how it can be confusing. We read all poems if they are single or double spaced because of the way the guidelines are written. But since you’ve mentioned it and it can be confusing, we will “re-word” this next year. Thanks for pointing this out to us!
It’s a rainy day here in Northern California. Kids have the day off of school. What to do? Take out a sheet of paper or write on your computer. Try your hand at a poem, a story, or a personal story about YOU. Then enter it in our Young Writers Contest. (Guidelines at lower right)
Let’s talk about the poetry category in today’s blog.
What should I write about?
What do you like to do? How do you like to spend your time? Do you play an instrument? Enjoy a sport? Spend time with friends? Shop till you drop? Turn your passion into print. Contrary to popular belief, poems do not have to rhyme.
Print out the poetry tips, also at the right, to help you when you’re working on the second or third draft of your poem.
What are you trying to say about your subject? Be specific. If you are writing about how you love your car, make sure we know the car so well we can see it and know how it feels to ride in it. If it’s about your dog, make sure we know her intimately through your choice of words.
And speaking of words, Cut any and all unnecessary ones. After all, a poem isn’t just prose put in poetry form. Every word in a poem must be there for a reason. If not, cut it out. (Each line doesn’t even have to be a complete sentence.)
Read your poem out loud. Does it sound right? If your poem has a natural “rhythm,” congratulations! You did your job!
If you are a middle school student in Contra Costa County, you should join author Sarah Wilson and me on January 30 or February 6 for a free writing workshop through our libraries. The registration form is on an earlier post below, or at right.
Why should you donate a morning to come to your local library?
We’ll show you how writing can be fun. (Really!) We play a writing game, talk about the best secret tips we know, and give you the “inside low-down” on the publishing business. We’ll do some writing, sharing, (ONLY if you want to . . . we never force people to share) and then it’s time for your questions.
Many of the local English teachers offer extra credit if you attend. Go ahead – – ask your English teacher. We’ll be happy to sign anything you need for proof.
Do you have a question about getting published? How to write so your reader won’t be able to put your story down? Want to know what it’s really like to be a children’s author? (no, we don’t ride in a limo . . .) We’ll give you techniques, guidance, and help you along your way. You’ll meet other writers your age, get a chance to win a free book in our raffle, and learn more about our California Writers Club Young Writers contest. (guidelines also at right)