Stone Soup contributor and 20-21 intern Anya Geist, 14, talks to Liam Hancock, 12, about inspiration, persevering after rejection, and the Writing Workshop. 0:19 – How were you introduced to Stone Soup? 0:32 – What is your favorite thing about writing? 1:00 – How did you decide to submit to Stone Soup? 1:21 – How did it feel to have your story accepted? 1:46 – Was the accepted story, “Slaying Monsters,” one of the first stories you’d written? 2:14 – How did it feel when you were rejected the first time? 2:42 – Have you submitted anything else after your first acceptance? 3:00 – What was it like to write a book two years in a row? 3:39 – Do you feel like you grew as a writer between submissions? 2:54 – What inspired you to write “Slaying Monsters”? 4:35 – What is your favorite part about the Writing Workshop? 4:56 – Do you find that the writing you do for fun is different from the writing you do for school? 5:56 – Is there anything else you want to talk about? 6:10 – Do you have any writing advice for your peers? 6:47 – If you could tell somebody about Stone Soup, what would you say?
writing
Gateway to Darkness, writing and photography by Grace Williams, 13
When the first person tested positive with COVID-19, the virus was only in China. But soon, as people traveled and spread germs and bacteria, the virus traveled all the way to the US. I live in New York, and right now there are more than 50,000 citizens in the state that have been diagnosed with COVID-19. We have not been quarantined (yet), but we are participating in social distancing and distance learning for school. When I took this photo, I was on a walk with my mother and sister. Because we live in a small town that’s walkable, this was a refreshing way to get exercise because we were stuck in our house all day. It was breezy outside, the kind of weather you expect when you know it’s about to start pouring rain at any minute. We went on the walk anyway, despite the threatening skies, for a breath of fresh air. I noticed how dark the sky was, and the contrast showed greatly against the blue sky that was barely still there. I looked up and said, “Wow, this really sets the mood of life right now–dark, stormy, and cold. No blue skies ahead, as far as we could possibly see.” We don’t know when this pandemic will cease or when scientists will find a cure. But what we do know is that if you wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, only talk to people virtually or when they are six feet away, keep your hands away from your face and most important–practice social distancing, you are decreasing your risk of contracting the virus and spreading it to others. We can only hope that our situation ends soon. Stay safe and be well. Grace Williams, 13 Katonah, NY
Book-Writing Contest 2020
Get your book published by Stone Soup! Stone Soup is thrilled to announce that we are accepting submissions for a book contest. The winning manuscript will be published by Stone Soup as a standalone book (see the other awards below!). For prose 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. As always, we have no preference in terms of genre, topic, or form: you can submit a manuscript of poems or short stories, a novel or a memoir. We are simply looking for excellent, innovative, unusual, powerful writing. You have the rest of spring and all of summer to work on your book. We can’t wait to read it! Contest Details Genre: We are reading in all genres. You can submit a collection of poems, a memoir, a short story collection, a collection of personal narratives, a novel, a graphic novel… you name it! Length: For prose (fiction or memoir) 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 10, 2020 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time). Entry fee: $15.00 Multiple Submissions are accepted but you must submit each as an individual entry and pay the fee each time. Results and Prizes: We will select one winning manuscript to be published in 2021 and distributed by Stone Soup in both print and ebook forms, available for sale on Amazon, in the Stone Soup store, via our distributors, and advertised along with the rest of our books to libraries and other vendors. We will also name a handful of finalists. Publication: We will consider all work submitted as part of the contest for potential publication in the Magazine or as standalone volumes, if our budget allows. Submissions: All entries must be sent to us before the closing date via our Submittable portal, here.
