Dream Bedroom (colored pencil) by Rohan Jayakrishnan, 12 (Downingtown, PA) and published in the April 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Jane We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the winner of our 2019 Book Contest, Three Days till EOC: a Novella by Abhimanyu Sukhdial, has been named the sole Honor Award Winner for the 2021 Green Earth Book Award in the Young Adult Fiction category! Congratulations, Abhi. We are so, so proud of you. It’s an exceptional achievement for any author to win an award for their book—even more so when it is your first one! But Abhi’s achievement is greater still. There were 74 books in the competition, and 73 of them were written by adults. This absolutely sums up what Stone Soup is all about. We know that young people’s creative abilities are extraordinary and often far exceed those of adults. We see this every week in our writing workshops, in the comments and discussions that take place in our book club, and as we read the submissions to the Stone Soup magazine and blog. All our Stone Soup authors can celebrate and take encouragement from the silver glow of this badge of honor, awarded by an independent panel of distinguished judges who were expecting to read works only by adult authors. Well done, Abhi, and thank you for trusting us with your work. It goes without saying that if you haven’t read Abhi’s book yet—you should! You can buy it in hardcover and ebook versions in the Stone Soup online bookstore, and all booksellers. This week’s featured story is a classic redemption tale. Tom Green, a horrible, spoiled, lazy young man loses all his money and privilege, and through a series of misfortunes and hard work over several years becomes a better person. In the end, he finds happiness not in the material things that were all he cared about in the beginning but in a simpler, more compassionate life spent helping others. What makes this story extra special is the writer’s style: Zahra Batteh tells the story of Tom in a natural, almost conversational voice, but without wasting a word. Every short sentence moves the action forward and paints a picture of Tom’s life and character. In just four pages, Zahra manages to make the reader feel as though they know everything about Tom and how he has spent four whole years of his life. I think she achieves this feat partly though the spareness of her language. She doesn’t hint, or judge, or indulge in long, flowery descriptions; she lays out the facts plainly and simply, showing us who Tom was and who he becomes without ever telling us what she thinks he is like. It’s a great example of the power of “show, don’t tell.” This weekend, read the tale of “Tom Green.” Invent your own flawed character and think about what might lead them to redemption. Then, try to write their story as simply as you can. Show us, don’t tell us, who your main character is. As always, if you love what you’ve written, share it with us. And, before I go, it has to be said just one more time: yea Abhi!! Until next week, Writing Classes and Book Club Are you looking for classes to inspire, improve, and practice your writing with great teachers and a group of like-minded young writers and readers? Join us! We do charge fees for our clubs and workshops, but we try to keep them as low as possible, and we offer discounts to subscribers and scholarships to students who need them. Contact us at education@stonesoup.com with any questions. Writing Workshop: we have two new writing groups for spring/summer, starting April 17, that will meet via Zoom every Saturday except for the last Saturday of the month. Come write with us and share your work with your peers. Find out more and register for a workshop at Eventbrite. To see some of the great work produced by current workshop members, read contributions published at Stonesoup.com, or join us at one of our free public readings! Book Club: a book club for writers that meets via Zoom on the last Saturday of every month, with a new season starting on April 24! Find out more and register for book club at Eventbrite. Check out which books we are reading on our website. Young Author’s Studio Summer Camps: we are offering a wide range of classes through the summer jointly with the Society of Young Inklings. Each camp runs for two hours per day, Monday through Thursday. All details and bookings via Society of Young Inklings. Book Contest 2021 For information on submitting to the Stone Soup Book Contest 2021, please click here. To submit your manuscript, please visit our submittable site. Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Young Blogger Gia Porwal published a riveting travelogue of her family trip through Saudi Arabia! Lila, 11, wrote an observational poem, “Spring in Central Park,” as part of our April Flash Contest. Arjun, 9, wrote a poem, “Life Inside a Staircase,” as part of our March Flash Contest. A writeup of the Winter/Spring Writing Workshop Showcase is on the website. Check it out for information on who read and links to their terrific work. From Stone Soup April 2021 Tom Green By Zahra Batteh, 10 (Washington, DC) Illustrated with Dream Bedroom by Rohan Jayakrishnan, 12 (Downingtown, PA) Tom Green was very proud to say that he had the best life any human could wish for. He would wake up in his cushiony white bed and then head down his marble staircase, where a delicious breakfast was waiting for him, prepared earlier that morning by his personal chef. If he were to have something involving chocolate, the chocolate would be from Switzerland, where, he believed, the best chocolate came from. If he were to eat something involving berries, the berries would have been freshly picked that morning. Everything had to taste amazing in Tom’s house. If there was ever something that didn’t meet his taste buds’ expectations,
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Writing Activity: take a character on a believable journey from zero to hero
‘Tom Green,’ a story by 10-year-old Zahra Batteh, is a classic redemption tale. Tom Green, a horrible, spoiled, lazy young man loses all his money and privilege, and through a series of misfortunes and (eventually) hard work over several years develops compassion and gratitude, and becomes a better person. In the end, he finds happiness not in the material things that were all he cared about in the beginning but in a simpler, more generous-spirited life spent helping others. What makes this story extra special is the writer’s style: Zahra Batteh tells the story of Tom in a natural, almost conversational voice, but without wasting a word. Every short sentence moves the action forward and paints a picture of Tom’s life and character. In just four pages, Zahra manages to make the reader feel as though they know everything about Tom and how he has spent four whole years of his life. I think she achieves this feat partly though the spareness of her language. She doesn’t hint, or judge, or indulge in long, flowery descriptions; she lays out the facts plainly and simply, showing us who Tom was and who he becomes without ever telling us what she thinks he is like. It’s a great example of the power of “show, don’t tell.” The story also has a well-judged turning point about half way through where the previously unpleasant character begins to transform. The Activity First, read ‘Tom Green’ at least once, paying particular attention to the ways Tom’s character and behaviour are revealed all the way through the story. What language does Zahra use to describe Tom Green? You can also click on the audio link at the top of the story’s page to hear the author reading the story aloud herself at Soundcloud. After you have read it for yourself, try listening to the way Zahra reads, especially where she places emphasis, to get an insight into how she was thinking about Tom Green as she wrote his story. Show don’t tell: One of the things you will notice is how few adjectives and adverbs Zahra uses when she talks about Tom’s actions. She tells us what happens, but she doesn’t make a judgement or tell us readers what we should think of him. For example, in the first paragraph, she tells us that Tom expects all his food to taste incredible: “If there was ever something that didn’t meet his taste buds’ expectations, it would instantly hit the bottom of his trash can with a small thud, and the chef would be off to prepare a new and better dish.” Zahra doesn’t actually say that Tom Green spits out his food, throws it away, shouts at the chef (he has a personal chef!) and so on, but as we read this explanation of what happens, we can just imagine the horrible behaviour that Tom is displaying. Zahra leads us gently, showing us paragraph by paragraph what Tom’s qualities are. By showing us the actions without telling us exactly what to think of them she makes it possible for Tom’s ultimate transformation to sound believable. A clear turning point: Zahra is also very careful not to say too much about what Tom is feeling, which makes the nuggets she gives us speak loudly about him. At the beginning of the story, we learn that Tom “threatened” his parents with a lie, and then did a “small happy dance” when he learned they were dead. When he first loses all his money and has to move into a shed, we learn “he hated everything about” it. We hear that he has been fired from every job he has had over the past year, so it is a surprise to read on the third page that he feels “guilty” when the manager of Pick-up car service is nice to him, because he knows that a few years ago he would have treated this man like an “annoying fly”. This is the turning point. After this, Tom starts to “enjoy” his work, to listen to others, and to feel gratitude for what he has. He decides he wants to help to change the world for the better. Because Zahra has focused on his behaviour, rather than telling us Tom has a fundamentally bad character, her turning point is believable. Tom Green can change, and he does. Invent your own flawed character and think about what might lead them to redemption. Then, try to write their story as simply, and with as little judgement of their actions, as you can. Identify a believable turning point where they start to change for the better. Show us, don’t tell us, who your main character is. Let your readers make up their own minds about who they are and what they are like.
The Winter/Spring Writing Workshop Showcase
An appreciation of those who participated in our Winter/Spring Writing Workshop Session On April 3, 2021, we held our second official end of term reading, a showcase wherein our authors read aloud their best work in front of an audience. While not all of our authors decided to share their work, the formal reading still served as a way of honoring all those who attended the Writing Workshop, whose sharing of work and space over the course of the session strengthened the writing of everyone involved. So, thank you Madeline K, Sophie, Lena, Hera, Julia, Ava, Sierra, Anya, Margaret, Peri, Grace, Liam, Enni, Nami, Anna, Lucy, Maggie, Lina, Sadie, Reese, Samantha, Katie, Tilly, Nova, Iago, Leo, Georgia, Eve, Simran, Ismini, Jonathan, Yasmine, Analise, Charlotte M, Elbert, Emi, Angela, Emma, Noa, Katie P, Pranjoli, Alice, Tegan, Rachael, Olivia Z, Kaidyn, Lucy, Sage, Olivia G, Olivia S, Ruhi, and Madeline S for your continued participation throughout the course of this session, and for inspiring each other to take your writing to greater heights. We are all so proud of all of you! A summary of those who read and their work, in order of appearance “Eclipse,” a short story by Nova Macknik-Conde, 9, written in Writing Workshop #34: Magical Realism. “Book Zero,” an excerpt by Leo Michelman, 11, refined in Writing Workshop #32: Intro to Invented Words and Artlang “Heart and Brain,” a short story by Peri Gordon, 11, written in Writing Workshop #34: Magical Realism “The Girl’s Revenge,” a short story by Lindsay Gao, 9, written in Writing Workshop #33: Larger Than Life Characters “Memory Loss,” a short story by Hannah Nami Gajcowski, 10, written in Writing Workshop #34: Magical Realism “Nothing but Black,” a short story by Lena Aloise, 11, written in Writing Workshop #35: Emerging From “Sunset,” a poem by Iago Macknik-Conde, 14, written in Writing Workshop #35: Emerging From “Fox Girl,” a short story by Sierra Elman, 11, written in Writing Workshop #33: Larger Than Life Characters “Pedestrians,” a short story by Liam Hancock, 13, written in Writing Workshop #36: Veering “No Way to Escape,” a short story by Rachael Lippe, 10, written in Writing Workshop #31: Chance Operations for Fun, Challenge, & a Different Kind of Expression “Shadow Wolf,” a short story by Lina Kim, 10, written in Writing Workshop #34: Magical Realism “The Finish Line,” a short story by Enni Harlan, 14, written in Writing Workshop #37: Antiheroes “What And Is,” a poem by Anya Geist, 14, written in Writing Workshop #31: Chance Operations for Fun, Challenge, & a Different Kind of Expression
