- Campuses :
- Twin Cities
- Crookston
- Duluth
- Morris
- Rochester
- Other Locations
minnesota writing project
center for writing
mwp.umn.edu
center for writing
mwp.umn.edu
Young Writers Conference, 2011–Group B
Leigh Kelner, leader
Kong Meng Lee,
Humboldt Junior High
Madison Del Castillo,
Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet 5-8
Aiden McVey, Ramsey Junior High
Hector Garcia,
Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet 5-8
Annie Dombrock, Murray Junior High
Freedom
Kong Meng Lee
Humboldt Junior High
Freedom is everything
And now is nothing
I had much more freedom in my hometown
But now all I have is walking around.
I would like to take a walk to the store
But am afraid there might be a storm
I would like to take a walk to the mall
But am afraid of lots of people in the hall
I would like to swim in an ice-cold pool
But am afraid I’d be too cool
I feel like a bird that has been locked
Up in a cage for a year
Here in the United States, I don’t have much freedom.
Someday I hope I will be free
Like a flying butterfly flying free
From flower to flower
Without having to shower
In the white flowing rain.
Now, I too, look forward to freedom
In the hot summertime!
Author’s Statement:
As a writer I like to write poems and short stories. Writing is my favorite hobby and is very easy.
Inside a Snail’s Mind
By Madison Del Castillo
Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet 5-8
A short play.
Snail: (move very slowly) Centimeter, centimeter, centimeter, centimeter, centimeter, and HALF! Huh, huuu, huh, huuu, huh…huuu. O my gosh! I’m still so hungry. Let me look in here for a second (curls up inside of shell)
Narrator: One tiny piece lay inside for him to nibble on.
Snail: (eat very quickly) Nibble, nibble. I’m still so very hungry.
Narrator: So the little snail set off on a journey (Fake slither by snail; forest and desert scenes in background; Fake snow and water dropping)
He wasn’t sure where he was going, but it didn’t matter. He traveled through thick and thin, through rain and snow, and through the dirty fingers of human hands. (Little hands touching snail)
Snail: (whispering) That was the worst part (Hand up to mouth, leaning in)
Narrator: But even the worst of it was the best for the little guy. Being handled by all of those filthy fingers had brought him into a haven of food inside a human’s home (snail on table)A mountain of salt lay on the table, right in front of snail. He dashed quickly towards it and ate.
Snail: I’m melting…I’m melt………(snail bubbles up like butter and melts)
Author’s Statement:
I love and am good at playing fastpitch softball. My favorite subject iin school is science. I play the saxophone and I also hunt deer with my dad. My favorite part of this fieldtrip [Young Writers Conference] is meeting all the people and reading their awesome writing.
Untitled
By Aiden McVey
Ramsey Junior High
The last thing that I remember before I came here was that I had been walking home from my work when a little furry brown creature ran up to me and hit me over the head with a big rock. I woke up laying on my back in the middle of a forest that I had never seen before in my life.
I looked around the forest. Something felt wrong about it. I didn’t recognize any of the trees. There were no birds singing even though it was a pleasant day in the middle of summer. Even the air seemed to be a little different. Out of a bush came a man; he had a winter jacket hanging loosely on his shoulders. The man told me to follow him. I couldn’t think straight after being hit on the head so I did as he told me. He led me through the trees explaining that there was a group of people setting up camp and that everyone had just woken up here, unsure of where they were. We came to a clearing where about twenty-five people were carrying around rocks, mud, sticks and other supplies.
The man led me through camp and introduced me to Michael who was obviously the leader. He wore sweat pants and T-shirt as if he had been at the gym before he showed up in the forest. He was carrying a rock that must have weighed about a hundred pounds. He assigned me the job of gathering branches from the trees. We all worked until there were several piles of rock, dirt, wood, food and random items that people had been carrying with them. Then, under Michael’s direction, we started building shelters. A big stone cube-like structure was created to store food, and a bunch of smaller wooden structures were made for the people. Just as the sun was setting, we all organized into cabin mates. I shared a cabin with Jack and Michael. Jack was a small man with short blond hair who slept with a knife under his pillow. He said he was a teacher, but I didn’t believe him.
That night I couldn’t sleep. Strange noises echoed outside. The cabins did little to protect from the wind that blew nonstop through the night. The morning brought a horrible surprise. Two piles of wood stood where the cabins had been. Jack yelled and started pointing at the ground. I walked over and saw he was pointing at a pair of prints in the ground. Michael ran over and asked, “Hey, have any of you seen the people that were sleeping in these two cabins?” He pointed to the piles of wood. Jack and I pointed at the tracks. Michael looked at them and his eyes widened.
I’m not a Boy Scout but I could still read the tracks perfectly well. Something had come into camp and demolished the cabins. The people had been dragged out of camp. That’s why no one had seen them. The worst part was that the thing that had come into camp was human. There were other people in the forest.
Author’s Statement:
I like writing because I can turn anything that I’m thinking about into stories. I also cross-country ski, snowboard and play soccer.
The Perfect Home
By Hector Garcia
Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet 5-8
Once upon a time an egg fell out of the sky and landed o an ocean where he was cracked open and he used his shell as a boat.
He noticed the beauty of the ocean and the animals under him. His favorite part of the ride was the sunset. He loved the view, and he felt it was a perfect home for him.
The next morning, he saw birds and fish coming towards him. He then asked, “Hey, you seagulls, what are you doing?”
The seagull said, “ The monster from the black lagoon is here again.
The bird saw that far in the distance was a pitch dark liquid. “Oh my,” He then left his home saying, “That was not a perfect home for me.”
The bird then went to a place where there were tall buildings and yellow and green cars driving people places and cars parked in the middle of the street. There were many lights and lots of people wearing NY hats. The bird said, “This would work out well.” So, he settled in a little hole in a building, and he saw two towers that looked similar to each other.
Author’s Statement:
I like writing because it expresses my ideas and feelings.
Untitled
By Annie Dombrock
Murray Junior High
Lili, my best friend, and I have one spot that’s ours, our own escape and place just to be, where there’s no drama because it’s just me and her. I remember all the work we put into our treehouse – paint, carpet, everything.
One day I felt terrible. I just wanted to sit in a corner and never come out, but I knew that wasn’t an option. I called Lili and she was at my house within seconds. She greeted me with a hug, and that’s just when I broke again. I cried. We walked to the treehouse not saying anything to each other. It felt like a weird slow-motion movie scene.
The second we sat down, everything came out. She asked me what was wrong, and I told her everything. We were in that tree house for at least three hours. I still left the treehouse a little sad but a lot happier than earlier.
Ever since that day, the treehouse has been our place. It doesn’t change. It won’t leave. I hope Lili won’t either.
Author’s Statement:
I play the guitar a little. I also play volleyball and soccer. I love shopping and hanging out with my two best friends. I love writing because you can express yourself and remember the stuff you love or the things that made you who you are.
