My anxiety is there; it is always with me. It is the itch on my back I can’t reach, the worrying thought forever in my brain. It is the hidden factor in all my thoughts, the constant fear of what will happen that drives my life. It makes the impossible options the most real, the most powerful. It turns the pleasant memories into the ones that make me afraid of what happens when I close my eyes. It makes me afraid to fall asleep because when I do, I don’t know what happens, outside my window, outside my door, in my closet. It makes me afraid to speak in public because I know I’ll mess up, even when I don’t. It’s in my every nerve, it runs through me with every pump of the heart. With every step that moves me forward, it asks, would it be better if I didn’t?

Every year, Young Writers Project and Vermont Stage team up for the annual Winter Tales extravaganza! This year, 14 YWP writers will have their work performed by Vermont Stage actors at seven shows from Dec. 11-15 at Main Street Landing's Black Box Theatre, Burlington. Read on to enjoy the tales of winter as told by YWP writers! YWP received so many amazing poems and stories about winter that we can't present them all here, but we have collected many of them, including those that will be performed by Vermont Stage. Those pieces include the date and time of their performance. Interested in attending Winter Tales? Find out more here and buy tickets!

My personality was the last one picked for the kickball team It was shy, The one who stayed quiet In the chattering mob of students who Didn’t like me. “Why didn’t they like me?” Negative thoughts bombarded me On those lonely nights, Sitting on my front porch, Watching as cars whizz Past in a flurry of Colorful lights. Like all those people, Rushing past, But never stopping for a Closer look. Fast forward To now, my personality is smart. It is funny and self confident. “But why doesn’t SHE like me?” Those thoughts still Plague me Like mosquitos, Sucking the all hope Out like blood. But the mosquitos go away In the winter. “Why doesn’t SHE like me?” I guess the mosquitos Aren’t leaving This year. I try to outrun the mosquitos With positivity, hiding the pain Behind a Plastic mask of my face. But life is a balancing act, And sometimes You fall off the tightrope. You hang on for dear life, Your weak biceps Struggling to hold on, your fingers Slipping with every insult that

Vermont Young Playwrights Festival -- Cold Readings of plays on Friday May 3, morning.
#vtyoungplaywrights
 

Vermont Young Playwrights -- Middle School Cold Readings, May 2, morning.
 

My name is Mia.
I am tall for my age.
I have light brown hair with natural highlights in it.
My eyes are green.
I wear glasses on my face.
I have a kind soul,
And a pure heart set on doing the right thing, 
Even if knowones watching.

   I go to wake up Charle and I know once I wake him up, his eyes are a completely different color. They were a beautiful light blue but now they are a hideous black making look like the devil possessed him. When my Ma saw him she said the same thing, she said the devil was always such a swine because he could not see God's true beauty in life. She also said that I should take him the doctors. So I got him an appointment later that day. When the doctor looked at him he had said that he was perfectly normal except for the eyes. He said that we could give some eye drops for it though and you should see an immediate result. When I put the eye drops in him while he was lying down and they did not change at all. I start to worry. I start to breath heavy and shake. I start to shut down. I start to see black I start to fall, Nicole came by a little while ago and she sees what is happening. She comes to me as I fall. I completely black-out.