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Walnut Creek Students’ Poetry Contest and Workshops

Student Poetry Contest

“If I Could, I Would…”

Train my pets to be superheroes

Save the ocean

Turn my high school into a musical

The Walnut Creek Library Foundation celebrates poetry with our third annual student poetry contest, encouraging young writers to stretch their imaginations and dream big. The contest is open to students at Walnut Creek schools.

The deadline for submissions is March 11, 2011.

  • The contest is free and all participants will receive a poetry contestant certificate.
  • All entries must be submitted with a contest entry form. Download the brochure and entry form on their website. First, second, third place and honorable mention prizes will be awarded in four categories: K-3, 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
  • Finalists will be judged by students in the St. Mary’s Master of Fine Arts Program.
  • First, second, and third place winners will have the opportunity to read their poems at the Poetry Celebration on April 16 at the library.

New in 2011 – Poetry Workshops

Cheryl Dumesnil, poet and teacher, will offer free poetry workshops to students on Saturday, January 29 at the Walnut Creek Library. Registration opens on January 5, 2011. In order to ensure opportunity for students throughout Walnut Creek to attend, the number of participants per school may be limited.

Grades K-3 10:15 -11:00 AM        Grades 4-5 11:15-12:15 PM         

Grades 6-8 1:00-2:15 PM              Grades 9-12 2:30-3:45 PM

Workshops in the Oak View Room at the Walnut Creek Library, registration is REQUIRED. Please call 925.935.5395 to register.

Poetry Celebration and Reading!

On Saturday, April 16, there will be a reading, celebration and award ceremony at Walnut Creek Library in the Oak View Room at 11:00. We hope you join us to celebrate poetry and our world!

 www.WCLibrary.org    Download application here

 
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Think These Are Hysterical Voice-Overs? Use Them for Creative Motivation!

http://www.wimp.com/animalvoiceovers/

I laughed out loud at some of these characters.  Take them a step further along.  Choose the fighting giraffes or the silly night-time bird to motivate a story, script or poem. 

What about the little guy who says “Allen?  Allen?  Allen?”  Who is he calling?  Why does he need  him?

The dentist monkey?  What makes this improvisation so funny?  Write about this guy, his patient or both of them.

What if the rapping puffins and the neurotic owl meet?

Try your own version of voice-overs.  Make your own movie and create the sound effects and dialogue. 

Cut out magazine and newspaper photos of people and animals interacting.  Don’t cut out the captions.  Instead, write what they are saying to each other.  The funnier the photos the better!

In 2011, find humor every where you turn.  Humor wins contests and sells stories, books, magazines and newspapers.  But most of all, humor is fun to read and to write.

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Does a Personal Narrative Have to be Exciting?

I was wondering, does a personal narrative have to be about something exciting that happened in your life? Can it be something not that exciting, but still something that happened to me? It is a personal narrative after all, and I know that the name says it all, but just to make sure that there are no huge rules about them.
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 A personal narrative could be about you looking at a butterfly and noticing something about that butterfly you never saw before and relating it to your life or the world in some way. 
 
The best personal narratives I have ever read are NOT particularly exciting, but they touch our souls.  A great narrative will be a special moment in time that has touched you and will touch the reader too.  
 
Many personal narratives are not exciting at all. Just let the reader feel like she or he is experiencing the moment or episode along with you. 
 
If you have any more questions feel free to ask. 
 
Good luck with your narrative!
 
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Remember to Live

What happens when you are working on a BIG project that at some point makes you feel overwhelmed or wondering if you are making enough progress? 

1.  Make a list of  items within your big project.  It could be creating a list of scenes you need to write, specific people or time periods you need to research, or places you need to describe. 

2.  Give yourself small daily goals.  What is something you can write today and feel successful?

3.  If you don’t have time to write or do your art today, at least carve out 10-20 minutes to daydream about your project.  Sometimes this is more productive than sitting at the computer!

4.  If you feel comfortable in sharing with a writing partner, friend, or writing group, discuss your project and the roadblocks you may have. 

 My husband and I went out to dinner last night with another couple, she being an avid writer,  and within a few minutes of brainstorming together they got me motivated all over again.

5.  Reward yourself.  After you do finish a difficult interview, scene, or bit of research, make sure you have a break with a nice treat.   Get yourself away from your work and take a walk, see a movie or get out with friends and family.  

 Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our work we forget to spend time with those we love.

Remember to live.

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Relax and Write

                                       Rough life, but someone’s gotta do it

In the small towns of Croatia, we enjoyed a laid-back atmosphere.  The guides told us that if you lived in the towns, everyone knew your name.  (And everything about you, of course) 

It wasn’t uncommon for people to take long breaks, similar to siestas, but not to sleep.  They take a noon break for a couple of hours to hang out at a cafe for coffee, gelato, or a cool drink to chat and watch people go by. 

Around 4:00 in the afternoon, they go back for another cafe or quiet time. 

Writing Prompt:

1.  When, in your life, were you the most relaxed ever?  Write about this experience.  How did it feel?  Where were you?  What happened?  What did you do? 

2.   Have you ever been in a situation where everyone knows your name and everything about you?  Ever lived in a small town?  What are the advantages?  Disadvantages?

3.  Write a story where the character is living in a very small town and deals with this type of atmosphere.  Does he or she have a secret she is trying to keep from someone?  This would be hard to do in a small town. 

4.  Write a scene showing people being at ease.  Next, write a scene showing the same people being rushed or very excited and wired. 

5.  Writers need to remember to find time to relax.  This is when we get our best creative ideas and moments.  Make time in your busy life, even if it’s only for 10 minutes a day.  Schedule in at some time so you can reflect and have time to daydream about your creative ideas!

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Mistaken Identity

The other day I took Zoie for a walk and noticed “my” red-tailed hawk flying low over our house.  Looking for lunch? 

We came inside and heard a CA-THUNK. 

“What was that?” asked my husband. 

We both looked out of the living room windows which over-look the oak trees, the open space, and our deck.  Nothing that we could see had been disturbed. 

“Probably the neighbors,” I said.  So many people around us are either retired or work at home, there is lots of noise and activity around us these days. 

It was time for Zoie to go on the downstairs deck for her good sniffs.  I joined her and glanced down at the small sliver of land we have before it drops off into a sharp hill below.   That’s where Bob perched his beloved plastic $3.99 pink flamingoes. (Sigh) Why?  Partly because he likes them, and mostly to jokingly annoy me.  It sort of matches the fuzzy dice he has hanging from the mirror in his truck.  (Sigh #2)  He USED to have them in his El Camino.  (Sigh #3)  But that’s another story . . .

It was then I noticed that one of the pink flamingoes was lying at the bottom of our hill, leaning against our fence.  Its legs were still standing firmly in the ground at the top of the hill.  Without the fence to stop it, the body of the plastic bird would be in the creek by now.  (Darn that fence . . .)

On its wings were deep gashes . . .    Holes punctured the head. 

I gazed upward and saw the hawk.  “Sorry,” I sent telepathically to him.  “Wish you would have succeeded in carrying it off.  Hope you have better luck with your lunch on your next try.”

Writing Prompts:

1. The dive-bombing hawk at the plastic pink flamingo must have been very disappointed to discover his case of mistaken identity.  When have you ever had a case of mistaken identity?  Ever think someone or something was different from reality?  Write a personal narrative about this happening. 

2.  Write a short story about a mistaken identity.  It could be a comedy, a tragedy, a mystery, a romance or even a science fiction piece. 

3.  Create a poem with that theme.  Remember a poem is not just prose set up into poetry format.  Take out all the unimportant words and replace them with images and concrete words that show and don’t tell. 

4.  Write a newspaper article about a case of mistaken identity in journalistic form. 

How do all of these types of writing differ?  Which one is the easiest for you?  The most difficult?

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Where Everyone Knows You

Every week my husband and I go to a local diner where we meet friends for dinner.  When we hear the familiar jangle of the bell as we open the door, we know we’ll be met with enthusiastic greetings. 

Nearly everyone who goes is a regular.  Sometimes we’ll all get into a group conversation – – and everyone is chiming in on a subject and it’s like one big party!  All different ages and backgrounds, coming together because of the locale and the food. 

Now if I were to write a scene with a group of people who all knew each other, how would real life be different from writing?  If I wrote exactly what happened on one of these nights, it might be a tad amusing, but frankly, I would bore you to sleep.  Why?  There wouldn’t be any tension or conflict.   Lacking suspense, there really isn’t any reason to read.  What’s the problem?  What does anyone have to lose?  What does anyone need?

Writing prompt:

Write a scene with a group of people.  It could be in a school cafeteria, a classroom, a business meeting, a family reunion, a celebration, or any place people gather together.  Next, have these people interact with each other.  Remember to get them talking and in between the dialogue intersperse a bit of the description of the place and people, their actions and reactions to each other. 

Next, add conflict with each other.   What is the problem in this scene?   Or perhaps there could be different relationship problems between separate people adding layers of tension. 

After you write the scene, read it out loud.  This helps not only to catch your errors, but to help with your pacing.  It will show you when you need more or less dialogue and more or less narration. 

What makes a story the best is the perfect blend of both.

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Of Writing Ideas and What Happens Next

As an author, the first question everyone wants to know, is where do I get my ideas?  Ideas can come from a line of dialogue over-heard at a school visit, in line at the movies, grocery store, or at the park.  My ideas stem from my loves:  chocolate, dogs, dreams, books, the beach, humor . . . Ideas are everywhere!

But then what?  If the idea hits you as unique, funny, interesting . . . then it’s a keeper.  Jot it down in a journal, your white board, notepad, IPAD, or whatever you use so you won’t forget it. 

Next comes the fun part.  Sleep on it!  Dream on it!  DAYDREAM.  Yes!  Permission to daydream! 

Teacher:  “What do you think you are doing?”

Student:  “Why Ms. Know-It-All, I’m doing my assignment.”

Teacher:  “Staring out the window is the assignment?”

Student:  “Yes!  It’s important to daydream for me to fully develop the characters and plot of my creative writing assignment.”

Your best ideas are in your subconscious, where daydreams and your sleep-dreams take place.  So pay attention when words, thoughts, and images strike you there.  Keep pen and paper next to your bed so you can write these down immediately as they happen or otherwise they will blip off into space very quickly. 

Next, brainstorm on paper.  One word leads to another word of thought.  Be as relaxed as you can be!  If you are tense this won’t work well.  Give yourself ten minutes.  Write down anything that comes to your mind.  What might happen next?  What problem could occur?  Keep your pen going!

Where do I begin?  Not necessarily at the beginning.  Just begin where your characters start talking to you.  Or if the beginning comes naturally to you, begin there.  Just start writing!

*Give your character an obsession.  What does she or he want?

*What stops her from getting it?

* How can she overcome this?

On your first draft, just write.  Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation. 

1. Brainstorming is great for ANY TIME YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.  In a novel, short story, essay or poem. 

2.  Try a dream intention. Before sleep, write down the question you need answered.  “What should happen to my character next?”  Sometimes this question needs to be rewritten each night for three or four nights before your dream will happen.  Sometimes you’ll get it on the first night!  Write your dream immediately after waking. Remember we dream in symbols.  So take time to think about what your dream could really mean to you. 

3.  Relax.   Any time we worry, we block our process.  If we just sit down away from our computer and get back to the old-fashioned pen and paper in a comfortable chair, you may be surprised how easily your “what happens next” question will be answered.

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How to Annoy an Editor

Ever pick up a book because of the fabulous title?  I found the book,

HOW TO BECOME A FAMOUS WRITER BEFORE YOU’RE DEAD by Ariel Gore (2007 Three Rivers/Random House) I couldn’t resist.

 I came across the section,  How to Piss of an Editor

 Here’s what she says:  Cover letters often get lost, and I’ve still got a great story sitting here next to my desk with no clue as to who wrote it, so include your contact info, but don’t include the little copyright symbol.  It says to an editor:  “I think this story is so good and I think you’re so evil that you’re going to steal it from me and not give me the million bucks it’s worth.”    And that’s not a very nice how-do-you-do, is it?  If you’re paranoid that some editor is going to steal your story, that’s fine, but be privately paranoid.  you can stick a copy of your story in a manila envelope, mail it to yourself, and leave it unopened.  If you’re more paranoid still, send a copy to the Library of Congress.  But leave the little copyright symbol off your submission. 
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This is excellent advice.  Every time I see that little @ sign after an author’s name I recall editors at conferences saying they think amateur. 
Don’t miss Ariel Gore’s book.  She has chapters called Giving Yourself a Lit Star Makeover, Master Your Craft, Publish Before You’re Ready, Play with the Big Dogs, and Become a Brazen Self-Promoter.
 
Learn and enjoy!
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Of writing advice and online writing classes

A friend sent me a postcard with this funny quote:  Advice:  Don Marquis said, “If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that’s read by persons who move their lips when they’re reading to themselves.”

Next, a blog reader wrote and asked me for any good writing online classes.  If you want the best, go to mediabistro.com    I know people who teach here and they are editors who are working in the business so they “know their stuff.”   They aren’t “wanna-bes.” 

Classes range from how to write a nonfiction book proposal, essay writing, op ed, writing for television, novels, short stories, memoirs, picture books and more.  Check them out, sign up and be prepared to write!

If anyone has any other good online writing workshop experience, let me know and I’ll post your suggestions here.

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