Wooden Sunset by Amelia Driver, 10 (Woodacre, CA), published in the July/August 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Emma Today, I would like to talk about Nora Heiskell’s quietly beautiful and incredibly moving novella, Get Myself a Rocking Chair, which we published in full in our July/August issue. There is so much I love about her novella—from the way she draws inspiration from Norman Blake’s evocative song “Church Street Blues” to her transparent, careful sentences and perfectly paced plot. But what I would like to talk about today is the way Nora has built her characters and their world. Both are so rich and full that as I read, I became convinced that the characters continued to live their lives, and the sun continued to rise and set in their world, even “off stage” (or rather, off-page). It’s that feeling you get when you finish a great TV show or novel—that the characters are still out there and you are simply not getting the privilege of peeking in on their lives anymore. Whenever I have that feeling, I know a world and its people have been carefully, convincingly created. This week, I would like you to carefully read or reread Nora’s novella. As you do, think about this question of the characters and their world: what makes them so convincing? For me, it’s largely a combination of the small, specific details she includes, the unique language each character uses—they all talk in distinct ways—and the way we learn about them through their interactions, rather than through exposition or summary. What makes them real for you? You might also think about one of your favorite novels or shows. What brings the world to life? Finally, I would like you to invent a world and a set of at least three characters in it. Write up descriptions of the place and the people. Be as specific as possible. Then, write a short piece set in that world. Let all the details you invented surface, but don’t force them into the story! See how having this background knowledge (rather than inventing as you go) adds depth to your writing. If you read our submissions FAQ carefully, you will notice that we do not accept novella or book-length submissions during the year. Nora submitted Rocking Chair to our book contest, and we loved it so much, we asked her if we could publish it in the magazine. This could be you! Our book contest is ending soon, and we can’t wait to read your work. And remember, we consider all submissions for potential publication. Until next week, 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. Congratulations to our most recent Flash Contest winners! Our July Flash Contest was based on Creativity Prompt #160—provided by Jane Levi, Stone Soup Director—which challenged participants to choose one proverb from a list of five ( “A stitch in time saves nine,” “The early bird catches the worm,” “A problem shared is a problem halved,” “A leopard cannot change its spots,” and “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”), and write a story in which the opposite was true. As we have come to expect from our brilliant participants, the individuality, creativity, and outright quality of the work was breathtaking. Stories ranged from humorous to serious to heartbreaking, taking us on journeys to the animal kingdom, the times of Greek myth, a college campus, and much, much more! In fact, the breadth of quality apparent in this month’s submissions was so great that we selected two stories—”The Early Bird May Catch the Worm, but it Is Never Too Late to Get in the Game” by Phoenix Crucillo and “A Vacation, an Idiom, and a Wedding” by Joyce Hong—to be published on the blog at a forthcoming date. As always, thank you to all who submitted, and please submit again next month! In particular, we congratulate our Winners and Honorable Mentions, listed below. You can read the winning entries for this contest (and previous ones) at the Stone Soup website. Winners “Mortal Complex” by Arishka Jha, 12 (Redwood City, CA) “The Early Bird Doesn’t Get the Worm” by Nova Macknik-Conde, 9 (Brooklyn, NY) “Absence Makes the Heart Grow Bitter” by Pranjoli Sadhukha, 11 (Newark, OH) “A Trifle Shared Is… Big Trouble” by Daniel Shorten, 10 (Mallow, ROI) “Weighing Threads” by Eliya Wee, 11 (Menlo Park, CA) Honorable Mentions “Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder—or Not!” by Sinan Li, 11 (Allendale, NJ) “All for a Root Beer Latte” by Yutia Li, 12 (Houston, TX) “In Which Later Is Better” by Serena Lin, 10 (Scarsdale, NY) “How the Leopard Changed His Spots (with Apologies to Rudyard Kipling) by Ava Shorten, 11 (Mallow, ROI) “7 Days” by Chloe Yang, 12 (Cranbury, NJ) Chosen for the Stone Soup Blog “The Early Bird May Catch the Worm, but it Is Never Too Late to Get in the Game” by Phoenix Crucillo, 12 (Los Angeles, CA) “A Vacation, an Idiom, and a Wedding” by Joyce Hong, 11 (Oakville, Ontario, CA) Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Margaret, 13, reviewed the 1973 memoir Farewell to Manzanar, written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston about Jeanne’s experiences in the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Aviva, 13, reviewed Blue Balliet’s 2004 mystery novel Chasing Vermeer. Ismini Vasiloglou, our newest regular blogger, wrote an inspirational personal narrative “Reflecting on a Fault.” Calling all 9-14-year-olds to Virtual Summer Camp! It’s not too late to join our summer classes with Young Inklings–we have a few spaces left in all our July classes. Each interactive writing camp runs for two hours per day, Monday through Thursday, with plenty of prompts and activities for you to take away and use outside class, too. Have fun writing and learning with us this month! July 19-22 (Starting this Monday!) – practice creative Food Writing with Jane July 26-29 – learn from two generations who have started journals before in Start Your Own Literary Journal
book contest
Saturday Newsletter: July 3, 2021
Night (acrylic)by Rosemary Brandon, 10 (Nashville, TN) and published in the July/August 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Sarah The July/August issue is out! This issue looks a little different than most, since there are only two long stories: “Get Myself a Rocking Chair” by Nora Heiskell, 12, and an excerpt from Tristan Hui’s forthcoming book The Other Realm, which won our Book Contest last year. I want to draw your attention to the opening line of Tristan’s book. Tristan begins The Other Realm with a seemingly simple sentence, but one that leaves the reader wanting to know more: “The mind of Azalea Morroe’s father was coming apart.” What a way to start a story! There’s so much in this short sentence—who is Azalea Morroe? Why is her father’s mind coming apart? And how exactly? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to keep reading (and once you finish the excerpt, you can pre-order the book to learn the whole story). With this sentence, Tristan starts off her book in a compelling way. It reminded me of the famous opening lines from literature. Maybe you’ve heard of a few, like “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen” from George Orwell’s 1984. Or, from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” There are so many great examples! Maybe you have some of your own favorites. For a weekend project, I suggest that you craft a list of many of these opening lines. Consider what details to include and what tone to use. What would make you want to keep reading something? This list could start as a jumping off point for a story, or it could be an exercise in and of itself. Please submit anything you’re particularly proud of to be considered for publication in Stone Soup. Until next week, 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 BlueJay published three stunning time-lapse videos of food being eaten—Baked, Zest, and Heliotrope. Sierra, 11, reviewed Karina Yan Glaser’s 2017 novel, The Vandebeekers of 141st Street. Summer Classes and Events! 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. From Stone Soup July/August 2021 from The Other Realm By Tristan Hui, 15 (Menlo Park, CA) Illustrated by Rosemary Brandon, 10 (Nashville, TN) Chapter One The mind of Azalea Morroe’s father was coming apart. Gradually, and only at the seams, but coming apart all the same—and that was where the adventure began. Henry Morroe was not terribly old, nor terribly unhealthy. A researcher in an astronomical laboratory, he was both fervently passionate about his work and blissfully oblivious to his unpopularity at the place. Henry had always been of an eccentric manner, and because of this, no one really noticed that anything was wrong. For what was now out of order in his mind was assumed to have always been that way. Eccentricity was not a welcome or valued trait in Montero; the little family spent most of their time shut up in the little flat they shared, except for when Azalea went to school over the hill and her father to work—when he went to work. Lately, it had not been so. Lately, Henry Morroe was in his study from sunrise till sunset, combing over maps and taking notes from books, sticking tabs of paper to the walls, and perpetually adding to the jumbo fold-out poster board that was to save him from being laid off. In truth, it was more of a firing than a layoff, because the research company had never been a fan of Henry Morroe—although he did good work, they were much more preoccupied with their image than the accuracy of their research. They had finally found someone better—rather, someone much wealthier and more popular—to analyze and compare the data collected by the many enormous telescopes in the lab. Sure, the results might be sorely lacking in accuracy, but the image the lab projected onto the astronomical research industry would be brightened tenfold. It was a worthy switch. However, Henry Morroe had heard of this plan some weeks back—listening with an antique ear trumpet pressed to the keyhole of his supervisor’s office—and the news had derailed any other train of thought completely. They had granted him a temporary leave while they set the other guy up in Henry’s office, and Azalea’s father had taken that time to formulate a plan guaranteed to get his job back. This plan revolved around the information concealed in a dusty old volume, one that Azalea was reading while she stood in front of the bathroom mirror brushing her teeth. All About the Two Realms, by Dr. Arnold Colton, was a book with a history deeper than most. Eccentricity did not prompt celebration in Montero, and Dr. Arnold Colton had written a very eccentric book. . . . /MORE 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. Stone Soup’s Advisors: Abby Austin, Mike Axelrod, Annabelle Baird, Jem Burch, Evelyn Chen, Juliet Fraser, Zoe Hall, Montanna Harling, Alicia & Joe Havilland, Lara Katz, Rebecca Kilroy, Christine Leishman, Julie Minnis, Jessica Opolko, Tara Prakash, Denise Prata, Logan Roberts, Emily Tarco, Rebecca Ramos Velasquez, Susan Wilky.
Saturday Newsletter: June 26, 2021
“Wooden Sunset” (iPhone 11) By Amelia Driver, 10 (Woodacre, CA) and published in the July/August 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Malakai Now that we’re a week into summer (if you go by the summer solstice, of course), it’s really starting to feel like a nice summer day: slow, breezy, probably hot. To fully encapsulate that summer feeling, I wanted to highlight a photo from our July/August issue. Wooden Sunset by Amelia Driver gives off that warm golden-hour glow that I just can’t get enough of. Summer sunsets are my favorite to photograph. Here’s a fun photo challenge: try to use Amelia’s picture as inspiration to capture a sunset within the reflection of another object. Tag us on Instagram @stonesoupbykids and I’ll share your photos! Spring/Summer 2021 Writing Workshop Reading For our Spring/Summer session of 2021, we are holding a public reading, where our workshop members will give author readings. They have chosen their favorite work, written during one of the year’s Workshops. Come join us to hear this fantastic writing, read aloud in the authors’ own voices. We are so proud of all of their work. Don’t miss it! A little about myself Since this is my first newsletter as the engagement editor for Stone Soup, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m a Santa Cruz local and grew up hearing about Stone Soup; when I tell folks I work here they usually say, “Oh yeah, I know Stone Soup!” I have a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University, where I specialized in editing, podcasting, magazine design, and documentary video production. I’m here to grow our social media and promote the magazine, books, classes, and special projects. I like to spend my free time in the garden with my mom, working on sewing projects, and playing D&D. Book Contest I’ve been working on promoting our book contest, which is currently open and runs until August 16. Here is the basic rundown: Genre: Fiction (novel, novella, short story collection) or poetry Length: For fiction submissions, the minimum length is 20,000 words. For poetry submissions, the minimum length is 40 pages. There is no maximum word or page limit. Age limit: For this contest, we will accept manuscripts written by those age 14 or under. Deadline: Monday, August 16, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) Entry fee: $15.00 And you can find more info here. Preorder The Other Realm In the July/August issue you’ll see an excerpt from a soon-to-be-published novel: The Other Realm by Tristan Hui. The book will be available starting September 1, but you can preorder it now! As put by Tristan herself, “The Other Realm is an adventure story. It combines elements of portal and urban fantasy to pull readers into the world of two endearingly late-blooming teenage girls, who are struggling across a desert in a car they aren’t sure how to drive.” You can pre-order Tristan’s novel here. Also a reminder to check out the Refugee Project; the art, writing, poetry, and photography are truly phenomenal. Till next time, 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! Cleo takes us through the process of making chocolate in her post that details her experience on vacation in Belize. Read about it here. On the COVID-19 blog, we published a contemplative poem by Otis, 13, inspired by his frequent trips to the park near his house. Also on the COVID-19 blog, Mason reflects on parts of American history and concludes that “one day we will take our steps out of COVID-19.” Summer Classes and Events! Our weekly weekend writing workshops and book club are on a summer break after today, but we’ll be back in the Fall Meanwhile, to get a flavour of the kind of writing our students have been doing this semester, why not join us at their public reading on July 3rd? It’s free to attend, and you’ll hear some great writing in the authors own voice! 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. From Stone Soup July/August 2021 Get Myself a Rocking Chair By Nora Heiskell, 12 (Philadelphia, PA) Illustrated by Amelia Driver, 10 (Woodacre, CA) Chapter One Lord I been hangin’ out of town in that low-down rain Watchin’ good-time Charlie, friend, is drivin’ me insane Down on shady Charlotte Street, the green lights look red Wish I was back home on the farm, in my feather bed The soft music of the guitar floated through the still air. Smoke from a chimney could be seen above the rooftops of town. Peter McCumber was an odd man. He spoke to no one, but he sang and played his guitar as if he was all alone in his own world. Nobody could remember the last time Peter McCumber had gone to church, let alone to visit somebody. The townspeople all kept their distance, as if he were ill or crazy or something. My father was the only person that would speak to him. I was interested in the old man; there were not many elderly people in Emerald Hills, where we lived. The only other one was Mrs. Gaffney, the milliner. But, like everyone else, I kept my distance. Our town, Emerald Hills, consisted of two neighborhoods. I lived at the very edge of the smaller neighborhood, closer to the part of town where all the shops were. My house was a tiny one-story cottage with whitewashed boards and sky-blue trim around the windows. I lived with my father and our cook, Helen. My mother died when I was only four, and I hardly remembered her. Helen came shortly after Mother died, and she had raised
