You open your backdoor not to find your backyard, but your favorite fantasy world. Maybe you’re in Narnia. Maybe you’re in Middle Earth. Write about what happens.
Your character looks out the window of their bedroom to see a man digging a hole in the woods of their backyard. There’s a black bag next to his feet. What happens next?
Your character is in a cabin by the lake with their family. They get put into a room with their brother in the attic. On the far side, there’s an old dusty mirror. When your character looks into the mirror, it’s not their reflection that they see looking back at them…
A great example of Literary Nonsense is the poem “The Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll (or really anything by Lewis Carroll). You use an odd object or idea to explain a large concept or philosophical question. In short, you make sense out of nonsense. Write your own literary nonsense poem. Maybe a teacup holds the secrets of life. Maybe what an apple and an orange have in common is their ability to explain why humans act the way they do.
I write this poem With my tears. Because today The summer ends, As I have said goodbye To two Of the most Spectacular people I have ever met. But these tears Are not cold Nor bitter. Instead, They are happy ones, For I only remember The good moments:
He made the rain merciful, Playing his Blue box of pleasant noise, To pass the time. I'll never forget Running hand in hand Through a downpour That almost drowned us, Just for a little fun. I will miss Playing chess In a thunderstorm, Where we Cried out louder Then the thunder claps In the heat of our battle. You made me feel For the first time, In a long time, That I could Let go And have fun, Without trying To impress other. I hope that one day We can be blinded by the rain Together.
She made the woods feel little. I found a love For the small things When you took me Into the woods And looked at rocks By a tiny stream. When we sat On a green door, At night in the woods, You made me Come to terms That I'm in fact A pretty big loser. But you did not Make me feel Ashamed of this Like so many others do. You made me feel Proud of it, Like it was A medal Of the highest honor. I found a new
Come and play The dancing notes Singing with the melody. Hum and sway 'Till thoughts provoked Begin to block out felony. Words like bubbles Flying high Far above Shakespearean worlds. Watch the couples Dance, and eye The lady's lovely skirts that twirl. Come and play Your singing lute Come and give your brightest song. Let me taste the sweet, sweet fruit Of the music That can do no wrong.
Yesterday, August 16th, the YWP Book club and a few site users sat around a laptop to talk to published author Dan Gemeinhart. He's published YA novels like Some Kind of Courage — the book the book club read — and The Honest Truth. Dan had a lot to say about writing, and we wanted to share with you a few highlights.
So I make this request with considerable humility. I know it's summer. I know for me to ask you to review a 27-page document is, well, worse than spending a week at the beach in a hurricane. But... I am an optimist.
The State of Vermont has issued a draft of its Digital Learning Plan for the next five years. If you go to the last page of the document that's attached you will see that there were NO YOUTHS involved in the creation of this document which will have a great impact on what happens TO youths in schools. (At least all of you in Vermont.)
