Young Writers Project is an independent nonprofit based in Burlington that engages students to write, helps them improve and connects them with authentic audiences in newspapers, before live audiences and on web sites, youngwritersproject.org, vtdigger.org, vpr.net, medium.com, cowbird.com and more. Young Writers Project also publishes a digital magazine, The Voice, and an annual anthology of best writing and photography. YWP is supported by this newspaper and foundations, businesses and individuals who recognize the power and value of writing.
This week’s prompts: Learn. Tell a story about a time when you had to learn something new; and Inspired. Write a piece inspired by another writer.
Prompt: Learn
My mom taught me to tie my shoes. Now I can do it. Here’s how I do it. First I pull the strings, then make an X. Under the X, I make bunny ears and pull tight. Then I make a double knot. Now you know how to tie shoes like I do.
When I was five years old, I did not know how to put my hearing aids in, but then I saw ‘slippery cream.’ I tested it the next day and it worked! It makes my ear molds slippery and easy to slip on. Because I am eight years old I’ve done it for three years now and I will do it for the rest of my life.
One day when I was in the summer program we were going to have swimming lessons. We went in groups and I was with a lady named Victoria. When we went into the water we first started out with the back float. I went onto my back but she held me. At first she said, “Arms and legs out and belly up,” so I did. But I wasn’t ready for her to let go. It took me a while! Finally I asked Victoria to let go. She did, very slowly. Suddenly I was doing a back float.
Prompt: Inspired
Inspired by Amulet, by Ted Hughes
Inside the soft pet, a spark of wild.
Inside the spark of wild, a yearning.
Inside the yearning, a wolf’s long howl.
Inside the wolf’s long howl, the moon.
Inside the moon, the wolf’s eye.
Inside the wolf’s eye, a clearing.
Inside the clearing, a fight in the moonlight.
Inside the fight in the moonlight, longing for power.
Inside the longing for power, strong pride.
Inside the strong pride, love of toil for men.
Inside the love of toil for men, pain.
Inside the pain, a life is saved.
Inside the saving of a life, pure love.
Inside the pure love, man’s companionship.
Inside man’s companionship, a softening.
Inside the softening, a soft pet.