Stone Soup author Shyla DeLand, 13, talks about how she writes from personal experience and the influence of her favorite authors. Sharing tips on making writing readable and easy for readers to visualise – accomplished through drafting and revisions – she talks about her relationship with Stone Soup as a reader and a writer. Four of Shyla’s stories have appeared in Stone Soup: “Fern, the Queen of All Hunting Dogs” (July/August 2011), “The Scarlet King” (January/February 2013), “As a Family” (July/August 2013), and “The Hero” (May/June 2014). Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:20 — How did you begin creative writing? 0:32 — What do you like to write about? 0:42 — Who are your favorite authors? What have you learned from them? 1:10 — Describe your writing process. 1:39 — Have you won any awards for your writing? 1:47 — How have your friends or family influenced your writing? 2:04 — How did you discover Stone Soup? 2:31 — What was your reaction to getting published in Stone Soup? 2:42 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup? 3:00 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you?
writing process
Interview with Stone Soup author Connor Gorton, age 13
This interview by Stone Soup author Connor Gorton, 13, is part of a series of interviews with Stone Soup authors in which the interviewee talks about writing and also about being published in Stone Soup. The questions asked and the locations of those questions within the video are found below. These videos are intended for viewing by our Stone Soup readers and writers. If that is you, then I hope you find Connor’s interview inspiring. If you are a classroom teacher, you can use the videos to stimulate classroom discussion on a variety of issues relating to the writing process in general and creative writing in particular. Connor conducted this interview for us when he was 13 years old. His story “You Did It, Friend” was published in the November/December 2014 issue of Stone Soup. Here’s a list of the questions he answers in this video. 0:25 — How do you begin creative writing? 0:33 — What kinds of things do you like to write? 0:50 — What do you like to read? 1:00 — What inspired you to write “You Did It, Friend”? 1:28 — What advice would you give to others who want to get published in Stone Soup?
Stone Soup Author Interview: Mathilde Fox-Smith, 11
Stone Soup author Mathilde Fox-Smith, 11, talks about how she develops a story over time and the process of editing and revising – including encouraging us not to be afraid to seek and take advice, and how writing for publication has helped her evolve as a writer. Mathilde’s story “The Crownweaver” (November/December 2014) is published in Stone Soup. Here’s a list of the questions she answers in this video. 0:25 — What attracts you to creative writing? 0:30 — What inspired you to write “The Crownweaver”? 1:00 — Describe your writing process? 1:40 — How has being published in Stone Soup benefited you?
