In 2011, the two grand prize winners of my Be-a-Famous Writer contest were: Sarah Smale, age 8, from Washington State, who won top honors in the 4-to-8 year-old category for The Treasure Decision, an adventure story featuring a mysterious treasure, pirates and an unusual bookstore. And Emma Stowe, age 12, from Alabama, who won in the 9-13 age group for Thinking Cap, a compelling and amusing detective story, set in a grade school, following the search for a lost gerbil.
I had an opportunity to catch up with these two young writers. First up is an interview with Sarah Smale.
How do you think the Mrs. P. Writing Contest impacted you? Winning the Mrs. P. Writing Contest made me feel successful, and that I am a great writer. I became more confident in my abilities, and further improved my writing. It gave me the courage to try out new styles and ideas in my work.
Did participating in the Mrs. P Writing Contest encourage you to enter other contests or to develop other writing? Yes, it gave me hope for other contests and I have continued to write. I wrote a first draft of a chapter book called Friends and Bullies for National Novel Writing Month last November. I plan to edit this book over the summer and publish it sometime next year.
Tell us about what other contests you have entered or won? I won 2nd place in The Betty Award writing contest around the same time as winning the Mrs. P. contest. This year, I was awarded Honorable Mention in the Letters about Literature contest at the State level. (
Download Library Letter contest sarah smale here so you can enjoy reading it)
Do you have an excerpt from a story you would like to share? Yes, here are a few paragraphs from my Friends and Bullies book:
They passed in silence through an immensely hot desert with giant sand dunes. There was nothing in sight, except for the colossal dunes looming all around them. They travelled up and down the wind-shaped hills of sand. Christina found it much harder going up and down the sand dunes than regular hills at home. Coarse hot white sand got in her shoes as her feet sank in the dunes. She noticed what might be a shimmer of water far away in the distance. I must be hallucinating, she thought, It’s probably just a mirage. She began to worry, What if this dragon isn’t as good as it says. What if it takes me to a bad place? What if I get hurt?
“This is it!” Gardina cried, flopping down on the edge of a beautiful lagoon of water. “Would you like to join me?” she suggested.
“Sure,” came the not so sure reply. Christina sat slowly down next to a stand of luxurious palm trees. Looking out over the lagoon, she observed the most spectacular coral reef she had ever imagined. Colorful fish sparkled like jewels, as they darted in and out of the myriad coral formations rising to the surface. Pink, red, and yellow-brown hard and soft coral made up the majestic reef. She could make out brain coral, with its many little passages, looking just like a real brain. There were also anemones with orange and white clownfish protecting them. An angel fish appeared to be playing hide-and-seek with an orange sea fan.
Christina decided that Gardina must be trustworthy, and that she could follow this dragon without being harmed.
What do you think you learned from the Mrs. P. Writing Contest experience? I learned to be a better writer, and to believe in myself. Also I realized it is totally worth the effort to keep improving my stories, and not just finish after the first draft.
What would you like others to know about the contest? It is a super awesome experience, and you should enter if you have a good story in your head.
Anything else you would like to share with us? I’d like to add that you should not be sad if you don’t win, because there are many awesome pieces that are entered, and just one is the Grand Prize winner. Your entry is probably excellent too, even if you don’t win. The important thing is to enter and to have fun writing.
Do you ever think about being a professional writer when you grow up? Yes, I’d love to be a professional writer. I might have another job too, like my teacher this year. Ms. Russell is the author of the Summer Island series, and she is a fabulous and super-cool writing teacher.
And Emma had this to say to about the contest:
"For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed writing. Winning Mrs. P’s contest in 2012 encouraged and inspired me to continue writing, enter more contests, and even attend a creative writing summer camp at Davidson College. And now, along with my favorite books on my bookshelf is one with my name on it that I have because of Mrs. P." Emma Stowe
I also received this wonderful photo of her bookshelf.
On the third shelf you might be able to see Jane Austen on one side and Emma Stowe on the other with Heather Frederick and Maud Hart Lovelace right above her!
Next week meet Andrea Langholff who was a finalist in 2011. Her story was also made into a video on my website.
Be sure to bookmark my contest site for your classroom. The contest opens September 1st for entries. And a special thanks to my sponsors too. BuyerTopia, Tales2Go, Powell’s Books & Polka Dots Publishing and Penelope the Purple Pirate. They are making sure the schools win all year long with their great prizes!
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