Ballet is an art in which adults partake in a fantasy world that is more often associated with children’s stories. Nobody speaks in a ballet–the classic story ballets are performed silently–although there is a sign language that one starts to recognize after watching several ballets. But no preparation is really required to fall into the magic of the ballet theater–besides, as with the great fairy and fantasy stories, an ability to let the world as we know it fall away as a fantastical world of magic takes its place. In the world of ballet, chickens (La Fille Mal Garde) and swans (Swan Lake) dance, fairies good and bad cast spells (Sleeping Beauty), pirate kings find true love (Le Corsaire), and Roman gods come to life (Sylvia). Watching ballet helps break through barriers between reality and fantasy. It is an art form that can speak to children and inspire young writers to let the dream-world that is in so much ballet enrich their stories. The digital world gives everyone access to some of the great performances of classic ballets. To get you started, we’ve added a few links below to You Tube videos of the UK’s Royal Ballet performing some of the ballets mentioned above. You’ll find many more yourselves. Have fun with the beauty of the movement and the music, and see if a balletic release into a fantasy world can help to get your creative juices flowing! Some simple exercises to try: Story-telling. What story might be conveyed best through dance? Is it an epic tale of fairies and unicorns, or a simple forest walk? Whatever the story is, which styles might you use tell that story? Many of the ballets below are based on full-length novels, or on short stories. Many people identify poetry in the movement of ballet. Once you know your story, and have written your story or poem, perhaps you could write it again in a different way–say, by writing a plot summary for the imaginary program given out in the theater. Art: What might your ballet look like? What is the scenery like, and what to the characters look like? Are they all human, or might they look like something never-before-imagined? Perhaps you can draw the sets, or the characters in their costumes. <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/rryxZjqLtNs” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
Secret Kids contest: write a book and win your own publication deal
Update as of April 22, 2019: Congratulations to the contestants shortlisted in the Secret Kids Book Contest. Stone Soup is no longer involved in the process but we’re very excited for the shortlisted contestants and wish them the best of luck in the judging process. To follow the contest’s next stages, and to ask any questions about the contest, please visit the Nancy Gee Book Facebook page. Original Contest announcement (contest now closed) Stone Soup is working with MacKenzie Press, publisher of The Secret Series of children’s books, on an exciting new book-writing and book-illustrating contest. The winners of this children’s writing competition will be awarded their own book deal. Their books will be professionally published by MacKenzie Press, and offered for sale and distribution in bookstores. Aspiring young authors and illustrators can submit anything from children’s picture books, early readers books, middle grade fiction and chapter books, and young adult novels, entered in one of three age ranges: elementary school, middle school, and high school. Any form–from from text-only to illustrated book to graphic novel– or genre–from realistic fiction to fantasy or sci-fi–will be considered. Manuscripts will be judged by the MacKenzie Press publisher and Stone Soup editors. Finalists will then be chosen from each entry category who will work with MacKenzie Press to edit and rework their manuscripts. One winner(s) will be chosen from each age range. Categories: There are three entry categories, based on the author/illustrator’s age. Entry age is based on your age as at September 1, 2018. Elementary: Grades 1-5 (ages 5-10) Middle school: Grades 6-8 (ages 11-13) High school: Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18) Length: Dependent on type of book and target audience. See details below and at the contest entry page. Deadline: February 1, 2019, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time). Entry form: You must enter using the official contest entry form here (scroll to the bottom of that page). Please note that page still shows the old deadline date of January 1, but you will still be able to submit your entry up to the new closing date of February 1. Entry fee: $30 per entry. Finalists’ shortlist announced: April 15, 2019. Winners announced: June 15, 2019. Prizes: The following prize will be awarded to one winner in each of the three categories: A book publishing deal from publisher MacKenzie Press. A cash prize of $1,000 A one-year subscription to Stone Soup Questions: If you have any pre-submission questions, please write to the contest organizers: contest@anancygeebook.com. More information Some of the types of book you might consider submitting: Children’s picture books Reader age range: 2-6 years old Page count: 20-32 pages long Word count: 0-600 words We will accept: text-only stories, stories with illustrations and text, or illustrations-only (editor will assign illustrator to winner) Early reader books Reader age range: 4-8 years old Page count: 40-80 pages long Word count: 100-2500 words We will accept: stories with illustrations and text, or text-only stories (editor will assign illustrator to winner) Chapter books Reader age range: 6-12 years old Page count: 80-180 pages long Word count: 4,000 for younger readers, up to 12,000 for advanced readers We will accept: stories with illustrations and text, or text-only stories (editor will assign illustrator to winner) Middle grade fiction Reader age range: 12-16 years old Page count: 80-240 pages long Word count: 20,000-60,000 words We will accept: stories with text-only (editor will assign illustrator to winner) Young Adult fiction novels Reader age range: 14+ years old Page count: 80-240 pages long Word count: 40,000-80,000 words (more for fantasy novels) We will accept: text only
Suzanne Collins
Reading is the best preparation for writing. We are fortunate that through the internet it is possible to keep in touch with living authors through their blogs, twitter feeds, and their websites. There are also often interviews with authors on the internet. The editors of Stone Soup offer a growing series of pages of internet links and interviews with many of your favorite authors. Use this resource to get deeper into an author’s works or, if you haven’t read book by the author, to discover someone whose work you’d like to follow. If you are a fan of Suzanne Collins, then please add your feelings about Suzanne in the comments below. How have you been influenced by her writing? What do you like best about her books? Which is your favorite? Which do you like least, and why? If there are online resources that you think we should add to this page, then let us know. Also, if there is an author you think should be part of our Young Adult Author Interview section and isn’t, then also please leave a comment suggesting who we should add. Website Wikipedia Facebook Twitter Books: The Hunger Games Trilogy: The Hunger Games / Catching Fire / Mockingjay Gregor the Underland Chronicles (5 Volume Set) Interviews:
