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Pick the first line and finish the store. Click here for details, entry forms, A VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NIELSEN, and PRIZE info!
Deadline July 1, 2020
1. Pick your favorite line.
2. Write a short story starting with your chosen line.
3. Stories must be between 800 and 3,000 words.
4. Edit and revise!
5. Fill out this entry form.
Send the story and completed entry form to us by July 1, 2020.
At this time we are only accepting emailed entries. Entries can be emailed to:
*NOTE: Please attach entries as Word documents or PDFs ONLY, put the contest name “Write-a-Story Contest" in the subject line, and include the e-mail address of the entrant’s parent or legal guardian. Entries do not need to be submitted using the Scope contest forms.
Click here for a YouTube tutorial!
Write an email to YOURSELF, and decide if you want to receive it in one year or five years! Click here to check it out.
New York Times --> 400 prompts for argument
NewsELA --> browse topics and choose articles which interest YOU; each article is available in FIVE reading levels, so you can pick the reading level YOU need (or want)
Iowa AEA Online (for PV students) --> 5250pvjh mbaea9 *Use the SIRS research database
Podcasts --> perhaps there's a podcast or video addressing YOUR topic!
YouthRadio (created BY teens FOR teens!)
TheMoth (personal stories - for anecdotal evidence)
The Sporkfull - for food-related topics
Many of the sites below are publishing opportunities I've stumbled across on teaching blogs, education websites, and magazines. Others were shared with me by students. I've not had experience with each of these sites, so it is important that you READ THE INFORMATION CAREFULLY before submitting your work to an online site. Thank you! -Ms. Dircks
Quad Cities Editorials - write an editorial and submit it to the Quad City Times.
The Best Teen Writing - enter art or writing. Winners are published as part of a novel! Click here to see a sample of the anthology YOU could be in!
American Creed writing contest
New York Times OpEd Contest
Writer's Digest (sign up for email notification of writing contests!)
Patriot's Pen - an essay context sponsored by the VFW. Deadline is November 1, 2014. Submit one copy of your essay to the contest, and another to Ms. Dircks to receive extra credit. Top prize is $5,000 and a trip to Washington, D.C.
Figment.com A community of writers.
Storybird Your writing will be illustrated for you!
Writing Kid keeps track of current publishing opportunities.
Six Word Essay - you can enter this "caption the photo" contest each month of the school year.
Scholastic Writing Contests
Poems created by people across America...posted here. Post yours!
Fast Pencil Publish and sell your book.
Teen Ink Magazine www.teenink.com
Post a short story to Gordon Korman's website and receive feedback from across the nation!
Figment.com - a great site if you wish to be part of a writing community.
Merlyn's Pen - click on "Submit Your Writing" under the student tab.
Story Bird - create your own digital books and share them with friends & family!
Bitstrips - create a comic strip.
Lyrical Iowa poetry contest
Compare/Contrast Map
Persuasion Map
Gather inspiration by listening to (and watching) a published children's book being read aloud by someone famous. Reading kid's book isn't just for kids, really!! We can learn much about story elements, developing mood, word choice, and a variety of writing skills by reading mentor texts! Storyline Online
teachlivingpoets.com - click here to read poems by and discover wisdom from modern-day poets
New York Times 600+ ideas for narrative writing
Design a Ninja School
Dramatizations (this is Ms. Dircks' personal favorite!)
Try your hand at writing a movie script. See ACTUAL movie scripts at this site!
New York Times picture prompts for writing
iTeenWrite - oodles of ideas with video and interactive activities!
Language is a Virus - a site for many interactive writing activities.
Power Sentences review (This is a YouTube video, so you will not be able to view it on school devices.)
Wattpad (site and app) - a great place for reading fan fiction and getting ideas for your own stories. You can even publish writing here! Thanks to Hannah T. for sharing this site!
Generate ideas for your writing with Storytoolz
Create a bibliography at Easy Bib
An endless array of writing ideas - fun and interactive! www.languageisavirus.com
Write a letter to a favorite author!
Create a comic strip.
How to write a successful flashback.
How to create a bibliography.
Learn to share your research and/or narrate a story using Prezi! (Click on "Learn")
Click here for one-on-one assistance to create a diamante poem!
Illustrated story starters.
Story Starters (these change daily!). Click on WRITING PROMPTS at this site.
Many times music is composed from poetry. Consider writing a poem about the things you love. Here's amusic-video example of an "I Love" poem. You can use other feelings as well, create a poem about whom you admire, what you fear, etc.
Thank you, Isaac, for this list of HUNDREDS of writing prompts! Students, click on this link and then pick a number...and write to that prompt!
AN online writing lab for improving your ability to apply each of the six traits.
Rhyme generator is great location for finding rhyming words, words that sound alike, antonyms, synonyms, etc. It includes a dictionary feature, too!
Writing with Writers - head here if writing is your thing!
Write your own comic strip.
Don't know what to write? Check here for a new writing prompt each day.
Do you love to write? Check out PVJH 8th grade student Grace's WRITING WEBSITE.
Find rhymes for your poetry at Rhyme Desk, and (if you wish) publish to Facebook or Twitter.
Printable Notepaper for Cornell Notes (optional - you may use lined notebook paper!)
Poems created by people across America...posted here. Post yours!
Seasonal Poetry from The Poetry Foundation.
Ken Nesbitt will teach you how to write several types of poetry.
Scholastic's site on how to write poetry
This How-To site includes directions on writing poems.
Shel Silverstein's Site.
Thanks Kyle and Urko (class of 2012) for this data base of hundreds of poems by topic.
Here's an entertaining look (game show format) at a variety of poetry. You'll receive EXTRA CREDIT if you turn in evidence that you watched this 45 minute video (series of poems created during the video, note from parent that you viewed the program, notes taken during the program, etc.) **You'll need the log-in information located in front of your planner.
What's a poetry slam? Find out here! Extra Credit if you help Ms. Dircks set up a SLAM for our classroom. **You'll need the log-in information located in front of your planner.
A video of middle school poetry contest winners.
Phrases and clauses (HOMEWORK NOTES PAGE)
Conjunctions song (Dilynn E.)
Subjects and predicates (this will help with phrases/clauses)
Rags to Riches game - identifying sentence types
Crafting a power sentence (complex sentences with loads of description)
Easy review of subject and predicate. *Start here if sentence types are a challenge for you.
Prezi link for subject and predicate homework
Subject and predicate practice
Subject and predicate practice II
Sentence types review
Sentence types interactive game
Sentence types practice quiz
More examples of sentence types
AAAWWUBBIS song
Ms. Dircks' favorite AAAWWUBBIS song (discovered by Ryan S.)
AAAWWUBBIS comma placement
AAAWWUBBIS sample sentences
Rags to Riches review of dependent and independent clauses
Introduction to compound-complex sentences
Compound-complex sentence labeling in-class activity