Stone Soup contributor and 20-21 intern Anya Geist, 14, talks with third place winner of the 2019 Book contest and winner of the Weekly Flash Contest Nami Gajcowski, 10, about how it felt to finish her novella, Elana, how she decided on its fantastical elements, and the innovative inclusion of emojis. 0:21 – How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 0:54 – What is your favorite part about the Writing Workshop? 1:28 – Did you like the Book Club? 1:49 – What inspired you to write and submit a novella to the Book Contest? 2:48 – How long did it take to write? 3:10 – How did it feel to submit the novella? Was it your first time submitting to a contest? 3:41 – Do you think that writing a novella has inspired you to write more long form fiction? 3:57 – Did writing and submitting your second novella feel different from the first time? 5:18 – What made you decide to write your novella within the fantasy genre? 5:52 – How did you decide to set your novella on Neptune? 6:49 – Can you explain your use of emojis? 7:24 – How did you decide to write your protagonist the way you did? 8:02 – How did you decide to name her “Elana”? 8:58 – How did you decide what the primary conflict would be and why did you name the villain “Casey”? 9:32 – What made you decide to add all the fantastical elements to your novella, like the sweets? 9:59 – How did it feel to win third place? 10:25 – Were you surprised? 10:38 – Do you have any writing advice for your peers? 11:35 – If you could tell somebody about Stone Soup, what would you say?
interview
Stone Soup Author Interview: Tilly Marlow
Stone Soup contributor and 20-21 intern Anya Geist, 14, talks with winner of the Weekly Flash Contest Tilly Marlow, 11, about her favorite authors, the perspective that comes with writing in a tree, and the beauty of sharing one’s thoughts in writing. 0:19 – How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 0:44 – Do you subscribe to Stone Soup and if so for how long? 1:04 – How did it feel to submit to a contest? 1:30 – Have you submitted anything to the magazine? 1:45 – What is your favorite thing about the Writing Workshop? 2:47 – Do you remember having a favorite Writing Workshop? If so, which one? 3:09 – What is your favorite thing about Book Club? 3:33 – Do you have a favorite book from Book Club? 3:47 – Did you do any of the Summer Camps? 3:58 – Are there any specific books or authors that inspire your writing? 4:20 – What is it about your favorite author’s writing that you like? 4:36 – Is fantasy your favorite genre to write in? 4:48 – Which specific types of fantasy do you like best? 5:17 – Do you get writing inspiration from your own life? 5:33 – What is your favorite thing to write about? 5:54 – Do you write both prose and poetry? 6:10 – How much time do you spend writing? 6:38 – Do you have a favorite place to write? 6:57 – What is it about writing in a tree that you like? 7:18 – Do you prefer writing on paper over typing? 7:28 – Do you find that there’s a difference between the two? 8:15 – Is the writing you do for fun different from the writing you do for school? 8:53 – What is your favorite thing about writing? 9:37 – When did you first start writing? 9:46 – Do you think your writing preferences have changed over time? 10:24 – Are there any specific techniques you often use when writing? 10:58 – Is there anything else you’d like to say? 11:18 – Do you have any writing advice for your peers? 11:44 – If you could tell somebody about Stone Soup, what would you say?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Sasha Miller
Stone Soup contributor and 20-21 intern Anya Geist, 14, talks with Stone Soup newcomer Sasha Miller, 8, about how it feels to submit to a magazine, her favorite author, and writing scary stories. 0:19 – How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 0:29 – How long have you subscribed to Stone Soup? 0:40 – Have you submitted anything to Stone Soup? 0:57 – Was it your first time submitting something? How did it feel? 1:21 – What do you like best about the Writing Workshop? 1:36 – What was it like to join the Writing Workshop partway through the summer? 2:02 – Do you have any favorite books or authors? 2:30 – What do you like to write about? 2:41 – How do you come up with the ideas for your stories? 2:57 – Do you have a favorite place to write? 3:12 – Who in your life inspires you to write? 3:35 – What is your favorite thing about writing? 4:04 – Has Stone Soup been helpful to you? 4:15 – What is your favorite thing about reading Stone Soup? 4:54 – Do you have any writing advice for your peers? 5:43 – If you could tell somebody about Stone Soup, what would you say?
