WriteGirl Songwriting Workshop

Written by WriteGirl mentee: Shea M., age 14

I had attempted to write songs before last weekend’s workshop in BP Hall at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, but had never actually succeeded. I wondered what I would write about, and whether my lyrics would be any good. However, once I stepped into BP Hall I quickly found myself feeling excited and eager to learn. We got to sit down and talk with professional songwriters about things like song structure, rhythm, and how to choose a creative title. They had lots of great tips and I thought it was really cool to be able to have that kind of one-on-one experience with someone who knows so much about the music industry.

No Character Limit: Truth & Fiction from WriteGirl

Written by WriteGirl mentee: Sharmin S., age 14

The No Character Limit (http://writegirl.org/publications.html) book launch and reading at the Mark Taper Auditorium was quite noteworthy. Many amazing teenage girls shared their wonderful poems and short stories. Many parents even joined in to experience the wonders of a pencil put to paper.

Before the reading a wonderful author, Cecil Castellucci, taught us phenomenal ways to prove a point to readers without having them fall asleep. So instead of saying, “My nickname is Charmin Ultra Strong and that name makes me feel powerful and mighty.” I’d say, “One early morning at the mere age of ten, I fell off the stairs of a courtyard and scraped my knees. I suddenly felt a sharp burning sensation and did not want to stand up. From a distance I heard a friend shout, “Charmin Ultra Strong! You’re okay! Get up Charmin Ultra Strong.” I immediately stood up and ran back feeling strong and powerful.”

This example shows there are many ways to tell a story. Try this, write a sentence. Now try and expand that idea into four sentences. You never really know what one sentence can create. Before you know it you might be writing a novel.

“No Character Limit” Book Reading

Written by Angelica H: age 19

I enjoyed reading a poem from the book, “No Character Limit” entitled “Two Muses” written by Zoe L., age 15. Two Muses My muse was once tall and fire-haired, passion embodied, courted only with tears and supplication, and low-calorie sweeteners, watching Firefly, smelling of tea tree and overscented soap. She left in September in search of a sadder life, and a better therapist. My new muse is six-foot-one and a half, dressed in black wool, unwittingly inspiring. Ah! Two Muses, like music to your soul don’t you think? If you thought this poem was good just come to the “No Character Limit” Book Launch this Saturday to hear more soothing rhythm poems straight from the young girls who wrote them. Come and enjoy being around these powerful young minds and hear their bold voices. Hear the pain, love, and the truth they pour into their writings. Let the words flow and then you will understand you should never underestimate a girl and her pen. WriteGirl Book Launch, “No Character Limit.” Saturday January 12, 2013 at 2:30pm. Event takes place at the Downtown Central Library – Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. 5th Street (Between Flower and Grand), Downtown Los Angeles.

Name Name Name!

Written by WriteGirl mentee: Joanna C., age 16

What’s In a Name?
Pens on Fire Creative, Writing Experiments for Teens from WriteGirl,  pg.81
There are moments that you want to change your name, don’t like your name, or wish for someone else’s name.
Write about your name: first name, last name, middle name, nickname, names you were almost called, names you wish you were or weren’t called.
My friends, family who aren’t close to me, and other new people call me Johnie, Hannah, Anna, Alla, Jojo etc. Sometimes it gets annoying  because people don’t adequately get my name and  spell it wrong. My name is Joanna. Sometimes I wish I could change my name to Paulette or some other unique name. It would be awesome to be different from other girls with a name that is not common and not often heard. My name is special to me and I love it because it means God’s grace and gift. When I was born the doctors said to my mom, “ Your daughter is not going to make it through her first year of life”, this was unbelievable news to her about her first child. Now I am still here alive with every body part, a gift

Write About Food and Family

Diana G., age 16

Pens on Fire, Creative Writing Experiments for Teens from WriteGirl, pg 14

Write about family through exploring food and family gatherings. Use the plethora of food stories from your family to write a creative nonfiction piece. -Write about a favorite recipe. -Write about your grandmother/mothers cooking. -Write what food brings to your family.

One thing that really brings my family together is food. Every time we have family gatherings there is always food. My family is from Honduras so it surprises people that we always have food from different cultures at our gatherings. We have Mexican food, Chinese food, and so many others. Most of the time my grandmother and godmother cook, while my aunt and my mom are in charge of the desserts. For Thanksgiving, everyone helps out, it is the day we have food without limits. My grandmother makes her famous turkey, I love to watch her prepare it but I am still not exactly sure how she makes it. We also have ham, which one of my uncles is in charge of bringing. My godmother helps out with sides, like rice and potato salad. My mom makes the most amazing flan I have ever tasted. Everyone in my family loves it! My aunt has fun making and decorating cupcakes for any occasion. I think my family can go on forever talking about the food we make and love. Even if we have small get togethers for a birthday or any other event there is plenty of food. To my cousins it does not matter how everything is cooked, they just love to eat it. As for me, I love being in the kitchen watching every step of how food is made because I always learn new things and someday I know I will be an amazing cook. I believe that in my family, food is very important, it helps us connect.

WriteGirl Welcome Day Experience

Ariel S. Age 16

I knew I was at the right place as soon as my eye caught the green, blue, and white balloons always present at WriteGirl workshops. I entered the building and the wonderful people at registration immediately welcomed me. Each mentee was given a nametag sticker, which also included a place to write your favorite genre of writing. I wrote journalism. It’s been a new passion that I recently pursued by joining my school’s newspaper, The Bamboo. Then it was off to the table piled with new journals. There were so many options. I was contemplating a simple black notebook or an orange striped journal or a pink one, and then I saw a baby blue journal adorned with what looked like dogs in watercolor. That was the one.

I joined the other mentees who had just arrived at a table set up for us to “break in” our new journals. First I covered my journal with bling, emoticons and other stickers. Then I thought about what to write. The first entry in a journal is usually very stressful for me. I turn extremely nit-picky wanting things to be perfect. There were so many different options and so many different ways to start I wasn’t sure where to begin. Luckily there was a list of activities. I wrote an entry in my journal about what the change is like for me from an angry mood to a happy mood.

Then I wrote about a specific memory for each finger. Most of the descriptions had to do with my hardened hands due to my hours of writing without a pencil grip.

After working on my journal, I took a survey and had my picture taken. Then, I picked out a number from a tin can that would determine my fate for the day. The number correlated with one of five tables each with a different writing activity. I ended up at a table were our writing activity was to use our name as inspiration. I wrote about a childhood memory I had of writing my name:

I remember changing my handwriting constantly. It would change sizes and shapes. At one time my handwriting was getting smaller every day. My teacher joked about how my handwriting would need to be read with a magnifying glass by the time I got to college.

The next hour or so I moved on to various tables with exciting and unexpected activities. My favorite table had toys scattered all over it. It looked so festive. We were prompted to set up a scene with the toys. There were green dinosaurs, small cottages, ducks on wheels, pigs, and more! I chose a small cottage, a giant lamb, and a duck on wheels.

We were then able to spin the wheel of genres. The wheel prompted us to write about our scene using whichever genre of writing the needle landed on. I spun and got autobiography.

So I wrote about an awkward experience a giant lamb had with a rolling duck on wheels.

I was too big to go inside the cottage so I stood outside. After a while, a duck on wheels strolled by. I was so scared and confused! Where was I? Who were these creatures? And most importantly, why was the duck on wheels?

As the day came to an end, we carried out a WriteGirl tradition called “threads.” We gathered together in a circle and wrote our favorite thing about the day on brightly colored index cards. All in all it was an extremely fun day! I met new girls and I was inspired to write about things in ways that were unusual, new and interesting to me.

Write What You Feel and Feel What You Write

Inspired by page 24 in  Intensity: The 10th Anniversary Anthology from WriteGirl

by Diana G., age 16, and Joanna C., age 16, WriteGirl High School Interns

Think about a feeling you don’t know how to express to another person. One idea is to write them an anonymous letter. Write when you are so mad that you feel like you are going to burst. Write about a conversation that was confusing to you. Let the things you wish you could say out loud flow onto your paper. Another way to write about your feelings is to use metaphors. (A metaphor compares two unrelated things.) A person who is intrusive and annoying could be described as a pesky little rat. If someone is being sweet and making your day, think of something that makes you happy, for instance Starburst candy – compare the person to the tangy sweet taste of a cherry Starburst.

College Mania: Choosing a Major

Yamuna H.

If you don’t already know, your major is the area of knowledge you want to study in college. Usually a major program takes up a third to a half of your classes, with the rest being general education requirements and electives. Every college and university is going to have a variety of majors for you to choose from, and they should be listed on that school’s website.

It is not vital to know your major before you apply. Unless you are going into engineering, nursing, or another highly-specified field, you usually do not have to choose a major until the end of your second year in college. In fact, most students change their major at least once before they graduate. However, it is a good idea to know what general area you would like to study. Maybe you’re not sure if you want to major in English or Political Science, but you know you want to study the humanities. Or maybe you can’t decide between Environmental Science and Biology, but you know you would like to study science. These are important things to keep in mind when researching individual schools.

Most students take on only one major, but some take on two or even three. Double-majoring tends to increase a student’s workload and reduce the amount of electives they can take. That said, taking two majors can be a rewarding experience if you truly enjoy both fields of study, and can expand your opportunities after graduation.

Besides majors, there are two other main types of undergraduate degree programs: minors and pre-professional tracks. Students can take, or not take, one or two minors or pre-professional tracks — but they must also have a major. A minor is a shortened version of a major. For example, a minor program in Political Science might require you take six classes, while a major program would require 12. A pre-professional track is similar to a minor, but it prepares you for future study. The most popular pre-professional tracks are pre-med, pre-law, and pre-business. Tracks are a series of classes that you are required to take as an undergraduate before you apply to post-graduate schools such as medical schools, law schools, and business schools. The class requirements are the same at every school. For example, the pre-med track is an 8-class series including Chemistry, Calculus, Biology, and Physics.

If you are certain of what major you’d like to pursue, it’s a good idea to know which schools are known for having strong programs in your major. Try some Google searches like, “Which colleges have the best biology programs?” or “Which California universities have the best biology programs?” That should give you some idea of what you should be looking for. Also, if you have a particular pre-professional track in mind, check to make sure it is offered at the schools you are applying to. It’s usually not mandatory to, for example, take a pre-law track if you plan to go to law school, but it is a good idea to do so. When researching majors on a college’s website, remember that names often vary from school to school. One school may have a major in Journalism, while another school has a major called “Communications, concentration in Journalism.”

The most important thing to keep in mind when considering your major is flexibility. Students who graduate with the major they applied as are in the minority among college graduates. It’s best to have a few possible majors and minors in mind, and plan to explore them in your freshman year classes.