Young Writers Awards 2013

Young Writers Awards 2013

By Brad R. Cook

The Young Writers Awards has two divisions, one for 4^th and 5^th graders, and another for 6^th through 8^th graders. The contest which begins in August and coincides with the Kids Writing Workshops at Writers in the Park has a deadline of the first of October. St. Louis Writers Guild provides the first line and the young writers are asked to write the next 500 words.

This year brought a wonderful crop of stories! The opening line was – The Last Book On The Shelf Held A Secret…

2013 Young Writers Award Winners

Sponsored by St. Louis Writers Guild

4th – 5th grade division

First Place – The Adventures of Sophia by Sophia Kucher – 4th grade

Second Place – The Wonderers by Varsha Arun – 4th grade

Third Place – Ralph and the Candy World by Aneesh Venkat Batchu – 4th grade

1st Honorable Mention – Lego Hawaio by Aneesh Venkat Batchu – 4th grade

6th – 8th grade division

First Place – Memor Dolis by Leah Mueller – 8th grade

Second Place – The Beginning of the End by Caitlin Fleming – 8th grade

Third Place – The Book of Mysteries by Anna Huebner – 7th grade

1st Honorable Mention – Portal to Nowhere by Lauren Boozer – 8th grade

2nd Honorable Mention – The Mysterious Cause Book by Owen Lipinski – 8th grade

3rd Honorable Mention – The Book Secret by Nathan Channell – 8th grade

Thank to this year’s judges Writer and Illustrator Jennifer Stolzer, and Dwight Bitikofer, publisher of the Times Newspapers

When I was in Elementary School my creative writing teacher, Mrs. Goldman, used to come in once a week with a writing prompt. I even remember one of them, not sure why this one stuck with me, but it did – “Your sitting on a park bench when a stranger comes up and sits down beside you.” She’d have us write for several minutes and then call us up to read our stories.

Something in those early days sparked the bug within; I never stopped writing after that. I would fill notebooks by the time I entered High School. It’s made me believe in encouraging kids not only to read, but to write. Catch ‘em early and they’ll be lifelong lovers of words.

St. Louis Writers Guild has supported and encouraged young writers since the 1920’s when they created the Winifred Irwin Kids Writing Contest. When I joined the writers guild they had a kids’ writing contest The Big Write, part of The Big Read Festival, but sadly the sponsors of that contest pulled out and the contest was forced to shut down. When I became President of St. Louis Writers Guild one of the first things I did was resurrect the contest for young writers.

My inspiration, Mrs. Goldman’s writing prompts.

I have judged short story contests before and they are fun to read, but may I highly recommend judging a young writers contest. They are so imaginative, and not tied down by the writing conventions that constrain adult writers. This is my favorite contest of SLWG’s year, and I always look forward to reading the entries. I’m not the judge, but I always read the entries.

This year the stories ranged from fan fiction about Wreck-it Ralph to a cerebral sci-fi set thousands of years in the future that beautifully defined what a book had been. With this year’s focus on a book, every kid focused on that which for a book lover made for a great contest.

I have to give credit to the winner of the 6^th-8^th grade division, Leah Mueller, for using Latin in her short story and tying it in so well.

One joy I get is sending the announcements to the winners. The messages I get back from ecstatic parents recounting how their children couldn’t contain their excitement, always makes me think back on my own joy when someone liked my writing.

The real fun comes in meeting these young writers. Some are just kids who wrote a really good story.  Maybe they’ll become writers, but more than likely they’ll be successful in some other career, but every year there are several future writers in the mix. There is a quality to the story, it may not be perfect yet, but you can hear their voice emerging.

I always make a point of speaking directly with the young writers when I meet them. Certainly, I acknowledge the parents and thank them for supporting their kids, but I like interacting with the young writers as writers. It’s what they are. No matter how young or how old when you put words together to tell a story you’re a writer. Its’ one of the things I love about this profession.

Each young writer comes with their own story, like Sophia, who danced around the living room when her mother read the email, and then was fascinated by the history of the train station, or Nathan who seemed a bit nervous until he started reading and then captivated the crowd. Many like Varsha brought her whole family, but two entered without telling their parents which made my email quite a surprise. So, keep an eye on these names in a few years…you never know, you might be reading their books.

These young writers have ignited a fire within, hopefully that flame is eternal.

Brad R. Cook is a historical fantasy author and President of St. Louis Writers Guild. Please visit www.bradrcook.com , follow me on Twitter @bradrcook  https://twitter.com/bradrcook , or my tumblr page Thoughts from Midnight http://bradrcook.tumblr.com/

St. Louis Reflections http://www.stlbooks.com/B009271-1211-51/Review.aspx

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan: The Beatles inspire time-travel novel, sequel

Welcome to Sandra Ulbrich Almazan, whom I met through Broad Universe. We became friends when we both joined a group Terri Bruce started a couple of years ago called the Blog Ring of Power. 

Sandra started reading at the age of three and only stops when absolutely required to. Although she hasn’t been writing quite that long, she did compose a very simple play in German during middle school. Her science fiction novella Move Over Ms. L. (an early version of Lyon’s Legacy) earned an Honorable Mention in the 2001 UPC Science Fiction Awards, and her short story “A Reptile at the Reunion” was published in the anthology Firestorm of Dragons. She is a founding member of BroadUniverse and a long-time member of the Online Writing Workshop for Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror. Her undergraduate degree is in molecular biology/English, and she has a Master of Technical and Scientific Communication degree. Her current day job is in the laboratory of an enzyme company; she’s also been a technical writer and a part-time copyeditor for a local newspaper. Some of her other accomplishments are losing on Jeopardy! and taking a stuffed orca to three continents. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, Eugene; and son, Alex. In her rare moments of free time, she enjoys crocheting, listening to classic rock (particularly the Beatles), and watching improv comedy.

Sandra can be found online at her website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

The Writers’ Lens is about "Bringing fiction into focus." What brings your writing into focus-- the characters, the stories, the love of words? The characters. They're the ones talking in my head, dreaming up new adventures and drawing me back to the keyboard. 

How do you find time to write and do a demanding job? I have a full-time job as a lab tech, and I'm also the mom to a six-year-old boy, so it's very hard to find time to write. I write on my lunch hour at work and after my son goes to bed. Sometimes, I'll print out a couple of pages from my WIP and write by hand when we go somewhere. It's not as much writing time as I'd like, but it adds up over time.

What inspired your latest book? Twinned Universes is the sequel to Lyon's Legacy, which was in turn inspired by a story about hearing the Beatles play in the Cavern in Liverpool. I wanted to put a science fiction twist on the story, so I came up with the idea of sending the descendant of a famous musician, Sean Lyon, back in time to clone him. Twinned Universes is the story of Paul, the clone of Sean Lyon, who's just learned who he is. Although Paul also travels back in time to meet Sean, he also wants find out what happened to his mother and save Sean from being murdered.

Would you share a bit about your next project? Although I have more adventures planned for Paul and his friends, I'm currently working on a prequel to a fantasy series called the Season Avatars. The prequel is called Season's Beginning, and it's about the origin of the Season Avatars, a group of magicians who protect their country from a magical storm called Chaos Season.

TWINNED UNIVERSES: Paul Harrison always wanted to play Hamlet, but he never expected he’d live the role first.

In the aftermath of a family tragedy on 21^st century Earth, Paul discovers he’s the clone of Sean Lyon, his great-great-grandfather and a famous TwenCen musician. Suspecting his mother’s death was no accident, Paul comes up with a plan to trick the answers out of the great-uncle who had him cloned. But in order to make his plan work, Paul needs help from Sean himself—and Sean’s time is running out in the TwenCen universe next door. Although Paul’s family lives on the spaceship that travels between the universes, he’s never been allowed on TwenCen Earth. Now, with the help of his friends, his disguise-creating holoprojectors, and a quantum quirk, Paul must make his way to Sean while evading other time travelers who fear he’ll change the history of the TwenCen universe. If Paul is to achieve justice, he must not only risk his own life, but the wormhole connecting the universes. “To be or not to be” was a simple question in comparison....

Buy Links:

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Twinned-Universes-Catalyst-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00BO9GIHU/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1374205823&sr=1-1
• B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twinned-universes-sandra-ulbrich-almazan/1114756241?ean=9781482312898
• Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291642
• Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/sandra-ulbrich-almazan/twinned-universes-catalyst-chronicles-book-two/_/R-400000000000000987672
• Diesel: http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/item/SW00000291642/Ulbrich-Almazan-Sandra-Twinned-Universes-Catalyst-Chronicles-Book-Two/1.html
• Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/twinned-universes-catalyst/id615791491?mt=11

Available in eBook, paper, and audiobook formats

Social Links:

Website: http://www.sandraulbrichalmazan.com/

Blog: http://www.ulbrichalmazan.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @ulbrichalmazan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraUlbrichAlmazanSffAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5282664.Sandra_Ulbrich_Almazan

This is T.W. Fendley. You can find out more about me and my books at www.twfendley.com. Thanks for reading and commenting on The Writers' Lens.

Sunday's 5-store Holiday Book Fair features local authors, book signings

Checking your list? Checking it twice? Books make great gifts, and there’ll be plenty of chances to shop ’til you drop at the St. Louis Literary Consortium’s Second Annual Holiday Book Fair. 

From noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8, the Book Fair will feature the works of local writers at five locations around the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.

So come out and join in the holiday fun. Shop at your neighborhood bookstore, browse at one of the newer bookstores in the area, or visit all five!

Author Signing Schedule

All on the Same Page Bookstore - 11052 Olive Blvd. Creve Coeur, MO 63141

12 – 1:30pm | TW Fendley, author of Zero Time

1:30 – 3pm | Elaine Abramson, author of From Fat to Fabulous: A Diet Guide for Restaurant Lovers

3 – 4:30pm | Peter Green, author of Crimes of Design

StlBooks - 100 W Jefferson Ave, Kirkwood, MO 63122

12 – 1:30pm | Denise Elam Dauw, author of If Music be the Food of Love

1:30 – 3pm | Scott L. Miller, author of Counterfeit

3 – 4:30pm | Ned Randle, author of Running at Night

The Book House – 7352 Manchester Blvd. Maplewood, MO 63143

12 – 1:30pm | Claire Applewhite, author of Tennessee Plates

1:30 – 3pm | Kevin Killeen, author of Never Hug a Nun

3 – 4:30pm | Kristina Makansi, author of The Sowing

Holiday Book Fair displays will also showcase the work of St. Louis writers at the following stores:

* Subterranean Books – 6275 Delmar Boulevard, University City

* Main Street Books – 307 S. Main Street, St. Charles

The St. Louis Literary Consortium, formed in 2012, is an alliance of literary organizations whose purpose is to promote the literary arts in the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area. St. Louis Writers Guild is a member of the Literary Consortium.

Guild celebrates young writers 12/10 at holiday book fair & Open Mic

Join a celebration honoring award-winning young writers at the St. Louis Writers Guild’s annual holiday book fair and Open Mic from 7-9 p.m., Dec. 10, at the Kirkwood Amtrak Station, 110 W. Argonne Dr., Kirkwood.

Find out how these fourth- through eighth-graders created stories that all began with the same sentence: “The last book on the shelf held a secret...” It’s free to attend, so come browse a selection of books by local authors, perfect for gift-giving, and enjoy complimentary refreshments. The evening will conclude with a holiday-themed Open Mic.

Learn more about the St. Louis Writers Guild at www.stlwritersguild.org.

Meet author Leslie Elaine Schuette 12/7

Click image to enlarge.

Discover “The Power of Email Marketing” at the Guild’s 12/7 workshop

Online marketing can be overwhelming, but writers can discover how to accomplish more in less time and on a small budget during the St. Louis Writers Guild’s workshop from 10 a.m. to noon, Dec. 7, at the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Rd. in Kirkwood. Free to members, $5 for nonmembers

“The Power of Email Marketing” is the first of a two-part series presented by Barry Coziahr, president of RESPONSE! Targeted Marketing, a local marketing agency specializing in small business marketing. He is also the Constant Contact Local Expert for St. Louis. Coziahr will return to discuss “Social Media Made Simple” at the Guild’s Jan. 11 workshop.

Many authors find themselves seeking the right strategies, tools and tactics to make their marketing efforts as effective as possible. But with Facebook and Twitter, email and mobile, and whatever new social network is rolling out that month, there's a lot to keep up with. Having only so many hours in each day, the number of possibilities can feel overwhelming. These sessions will help make sense of the noise, with tips on how to make the most of the combination of email and social media.

You’ll learn what it means to run effective email and/or social media marketing campaigns and what tools you can use to measure the success of your efforts without spending lots of time or money. Participants will learn ideas for timing their messages, how to write a winning subject line, what kinds of offers or content they want to try and how best to approach their next marketing campaign. 

On Dec. 7, The Power of Email Marketing will focus on:

•    What email marketing “is” and “is not”

•    Why businesses are using email marketing today

•    The “ do’s” and “don’ts” of email marketing

•    Best email practices to help you create successful campaigns

•    What to write about 

•    How frequently and when to schedule emails

•    How to get your emails opened

Find out more about the St. Louis Writers Guild at www.stlwritersguild.org.

Swoon Reads: Bringing Writers and Readers Together in Publishing

Cori Bair

Guest Post by Cori Bair

In August I had the pleasure of being asked to beta test a ground-breaking new idea in publishing. I was given the opportunity to send my completed YA manuscript to Swoon Reads, a teen romance imprint under Feiwel and Friends, which is an imprint of Macmillan.

Swoon Reads is a crowd-sourced publishing initiative bringing readers and writers together. Authors are encouraged to submit their finished YA romance manuscripts to Swoon Reads. Upon submission, the author’s manuscript is available for readers to enjoy.

Swoon Reads then gives the readers control of what will be published. Once a reader registers an account with Swoon Reads (at no cost), the hardest part is deciding which manuscript to read first. Upon finishing a manuscript, the reader is asked to rate the manuscript in four different categories: Heat, Tears, Laughs, and Thrills. The manuscripts with the most “swoon-worthy” ratings will be chosen for publication under the Swoon Reads imprint.

Once a manuscript is chosen for publication, the author will be given a standard Macmillan publishing contract with a $15,000 advance, along with print and e-book formats—including editing, design, marketing and sales.

Cori and Melissa Combs

Currently, Swoon Reads has 64 romantic titles to choose from, in a variety of genres. My co-author, Melissa Combs, and I have a YA paranormal romance submitted to Swoon Reads—THE ONLY EXCEPTION. We encourage you to join the Swoon Reads community, read our manuscript, and help THE ONLY EXCEPTION reach publication!

Swoon Reads still needs YA romance writers and readers! For more information on Swoon Reads please visit www.swoonreads.com.

Cori Bair is a member of the St. Louis Writers Guild, a young adult and new adult author, and a fourth-grade teacher at Salem Lutheran School in Affton, MO.

Melissa Combs is a fourth-grade teacher at Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Collinsville, IL, and a pregnancy counselor at Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Center in Granite City. In her spare time she likes to read, spend time with her daughter, and write. 

Please visit www.twofriendsandabook.wordpress.com to learn more about Cori Bair and Melissa Combs.

Follow Cori on Twitter @CoriBair

Follow Melissa on Twitter @LissaCombs