Write a poem from the point of view of a character. You can choose anyone from Goldilocks to Cruella de Vil!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Saturday Newsletter: March 16, 2024
Betta Fish (colored pencil) by Claire Cui, 11; published in the March/April 2024 issue of Stone Soup A note from Diane Landolf Hello everyone, Hip hip hooray! It’s (the day after) publication day! If you’re still feeling a little groggy from last weekend’s time change, here’s some news to perk you up… The Pipe Tree by Lily Jessen is here! Yes, the winning novel in the 2022 Stone Soup Book Contest is on sale now! We are so excited for you to meet Éclair, the free-spirited sparrow who, distracted by the crumbs of a delicious blueberry muffin, suddenly finds himself captive in a Human Nest. The story of his reluctant bond with the lonely woman who captured him is bittersweet, but the experience of reading Lily’s inventive text is a pure delight. Newbery Award-winning author Kelly Barnhill says “I read [The Pipe Tree] in one sitting, with feathers in my heart.” Please support your fellow kid author and Stone Soup’s mission of publishing literature by children—buy a copy here! Now for a writing prompt! I just love the short poem “Lighthouse and I” by Aiden Zhang, which we published in the March/April 2024 issue of Stone Soup. It isn’t until the last line of the poem, “I purred,” that the reader gets a hint that the first-person narrator might not be who—or what—they think he is. Yet the narrator never comes out and says he’s a cat. In your writing, can you think of a way of telling something without actually telling it? Happy Almost Spring! Buy The Pipe Tree From Stone Soup March/April 2024 Lighthouse and I by Aiden Zhang, 8 I gleamed across the ocean, As I stood up on the lighthouse. Before I realized anything, A light shined on me. The sound of waves Scared me I had to rush inside. As usual, I purred. To read the March/April issue of Stone Soup, click here. Explore our summer camps Playwriting June 17–20; 9–11 am PT The goal of this course led by Conner Bassett is to produce one 10-minute play. To help you do this, we will approach playwriting as a form of craft—grounded in dialogue, character, voice, setting, tone, conflict, action, and plot structure. This workshop will also emphasize a play’s arc: its beginning, turning point, and ending. Reality Hunger: An Introduction to Memoir June 24–27; 9–11 am PT In this class, led by Emma Wood, Executive Director of Stone Soup, we will read and write memoir and personal essays—in short form. We will consider how they work, ask questions about the ethical aspects of writing nonfiction (What if my mom reads it? What if I hurt someone’s feelings? What if my memory is “wrong”?), and—most importantly—experiment in the form with daily in-class writing prompts, sharing our work in a supportive, fun community. Literature in Miniature: A Study of Micro Fiction & Prose Poetry June 24–27; 1–3 pm PT Sometimes, the biggest ideas are best expressed in the tiniest of forms. In this workshop taught by former Stone Soup Blog Editor Caleb Berg, you will learn to condense your horizons into a style of writing perfected by writers like Lydia Davis, Daniil Kharms, Gertrude Stein, and many others. You will write multiple discrete pieces per day and finish the class with enough writing to fill up a chapbook. Intro to Poetry: The Image and the Line July 22–25; 9–11 am PT Emma Wood will also teach a class on poetry. Immerse yourself in what a poem is and what it can do. Students will write their own poetry, shaking themselves out of established modes of thinking. Filmmaking as Dialogue August 5–9; 9–11 am PT In this class taught by filmmaker Isidore Bethel, we’ll use the camera to facilitate and enrich our interactions with others – friends, family, animals, plants, and the world around us. Writing texts with a partner, recording and sharing short videos, and interpreting their meanings aloud will be starting points for developing individual and collaborative approaches to filmmaking. Editing and Revising Fiction August 5–9; 1–3 pm PT In this class taught by Stone Soup Editor in Chief Diane Landolf, you’ll learn how to think like an editor and make your stories the best they can be. We’ll discuss first paragraphs, character development, dialogue, story arc, and what makes a great sentence. Click here to peruse the entire selection of camps available; our friends at Society of Young Inklings are teaching a variety of additional courses, and more courses will be announced soon! Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.
Flash Contest #65, March 2024: Write a Story That Takes Place During a Sleepover–our winners and their work
Our March 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #295 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a story that takes place during a sleepover. These sleepovers were filled with fun activities; characters told scary stories, found a hidden portal, and chased after a runaway cat. They dreamed about transforming into fruit and meeting friendly dragons. One group of witches in particular even had to save Santa himself! As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “The Perfect Sleepover” by Arden Cha, 10 “A Friendship Sleepover” by Aubrey Huang, 11 “For Jade” by Sophie Li, 13 “Saving Christmas” by Miya Ma, 8 “The Cherry Tree” by Miranda Wang, 11 Honorable Mentions “Amaya’s Story” by Elaine Bai, 12 “Under the Stars” by Elise Ben-Akiva, 11 “The Truth Behind the Glass” by Ella Chen, 12 “Sleepover Magic” by Jiya Parekh, 10 “Sarah” by Chris Ye, 12 The Perfect Sleepover ARDEN CHA, 10 I have always loved going to sleepovers. I remember going to my first sleepover when I was eight. My friend Calvin invited me to his house during December break. We devoured pizza, watched Home Alone, and spooked each other with eerie ghost stories with a flashlight placed under our chins (which gave the most epic spine-chilling effect). I enjoyed the sleepover so much that I hid in the bathroom when mom came to pick me up the next day. Now, I am twelve (almost thirteen!), and I have been to forty-three sleepovers. It feels like every Friday, I get picked up by a friend’s mom and … WOOSH … I am magically teleported to my new one-night hotel. But, there is one thing that is peculiar. Considering how many sleepovers I have been to, I have never hosted one before. Mom always dismisses the subject with her classic, “Leo, there’s just not enough space. And, you and Abigail are already a handful.” I did not mention this before, but Abigail is my younger sister who is eight. She is utterly annoying. It is as if she knows everything that I hate, and she checks them off on her daily to-do list. X Take forever getting ready in the morning in our shared bathroom. X Blame me every time she gets into trouble. X Blast Taylor Swift while I am studying. Just yesterday, Abigail entered my bedroom without permission and left behind a trail of chips. You should have seen me boil. It must have looked like there was fire dancing in my eyes. This year, for my thirteenth birthday, I persuaded (after much pestering) mom to allow me to invite friends over for a sleepover at my house. After many hours spent contemplating who to invite, I finally selected my dream team. I picked Levi, because he is as funny as the funniest person you know times one hundred. One time in science class, we were learning about the parts of the heart and Levi said, “Aorta go before Mr. Bronson looks at my homework!” The joke was so bad that we cried until our stomachs hurt. I picked Logan, who has been my best friend since preschool. Logan stood up for me against the second grade bully. And lastly, I picked Wyatt, because he is the most responsible of all my friends. If we get in trouble (which happens a lot), Wyatt always knows what to do. It is as if Wyatt’s memorized this unwritten book about what parents think is the “responsible” choice in dicey situations. If you have not noticed, I have really thought through my sleepover plans. Now, on to activities … First, we will head to Golf Spot that Rocks, a mini golf and rock-climbing adventure. Then, we will go home and eat pizza from the Pizza Place. Next, we will fill up on three types of popcorn: cheese, butter, and caramel, while watching Harry Potter. Because I have been to so many sleepovers, I have had a lot of inspiration. It is as if I can go through my mind library and search for the memory, grasp onto it, and decide whether to select that activity or not. One week ago, Abigail asked me, “Leo, can I join your birthday sleepover? PLEASE?!” I was too stunned to speak. She might as well have asked me, “Leo, can I use your toothbrush? PLEASE?!” “No way!” was all I could sputter out. “Oh,” Abigail replied with genuine hurt in her eyes. I almost wanted to forgive her for every horrendous thing she has ever done to me…. There was no way I was letting her anywhere near my friends and me. Sadly, Wyatt texted me that he could not make my sleepover because of a soccer tournament. Even without Wyatt, I knew that my sleepover was going to be a blast! After two weeks of never-ending school and swim practices, the day has finally arrived! In a few hours, my best friends are coming over for my sleepover, and in preparation, I have been doing things that my parents have been trying to get me to do for ages. First, I cleaned my room (vacuuming, window spraying and all). Next, I laid the dining table with paper plates and plastic cutlery. And finally, I actually read in the living room for an hour while waiting for my friends. DING-DONG! “Oh my goodness! The doorbell just rang! They are here!” I thought as I dashed to open the front door. It felt as if the next eighteen amazing hours of my life were on the other side of this door. I hurriedly turned the door knob, and … It was just the pizza delivery. I immediately asked myself, “Why would my friends come three hours early?” as I dejectedly took the pizza from the poor woman who was standing there waving her hand in front of
