“There are young writers in our elementary and middle schools who love to write beyond what is expected in school and are hungry for support for their efforts. I don’t know how many. It doesn’t matter. They are there, in grades 4 through 8, even younger. They not only need to write but know a need for an audience. They are interested in enhancing their abilities and enriching their experience as writers by sharing what they write, in publishing, and in playing their craft as musicians play their instruments.” With this motivation, explains advisor Alan Ball, the Writers’ Den was established at the Somerville Central Library in the summer of 2013.

During the school year, the Writers’ Den has met on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm. A typical 90 minute session may include prompted or free writing, talk about experiences, dreams, challenges and discoveries, reading of favorite and inspiring writers, exploration of forms and genres. Writing is shared, and publishing is not only discussed but realized by contributing to the creation of Kid! multimediamagazine, school newspapers and now, in The Somerville Times. Writers in grades 4 through 8, give or take, are welcome at the live programs or, if these are not convenient, to submit their writing to be considered for publication. Email to kid@12zine.com and sample the products at http://12zine.com on the internet.
At the Writers’ Den, differences in age and interests inform our interdependence and our common interest as well as a writer’s sustained curiosity about ages once were or yet to be. How old you are becomes less important than what can we find out together? A sprinkle of writing challenges may season the proceedings, and let’s not forget the now famous microparty, invented at the Writers’ Den.

Writers’ Den: Home of the Microparty
By Ellie Churchill (grade 4) and Alena Thalput (grade 6), Somerville

Hello, outside world! I’m going to tell you about something called the microparty that we do in our Writers’ Den. Any human between 4th- 8th grades can participate at the Somerville Public Library. It is the Central Library, people! The microparty is usually an amazing 10 minute party that can be pretty much anything. It can be music, dancing, and food, which is what we did very recently, and one time we tested out three different kinds of soda pops. Another time (which was also kind of recently), we did something called “writing for candy,” which was when we wrote and typed poems and stuff and put our best effort in it, and for that we would get penny candy, including Smarties, and then
we would keep on writing! Well, now you know what a microparty is, and I hope you liked what you heard.
A microparty is very fun and exciting. Just think wouldn’t you like to have a 10 or 15 minute break in school and “Just Dance” and have fun? At Writers’ Den we are on the edge of our seat working hard to do the next disco!

Hello people,
It’s Alena here and I want to tell you about a poem I wrote so I could get candy. I wrote a poem that is about an Eagle. At the Writers’ Den, when you write you can get dance or candy. It’s as simple and yummy as that.

The Eagle
Alena Thalput

 The eagle gazes,
across the skyline.
The hot ball of gas look upon,
the eagle in questioning.
The eagle is basking,
its golden plumage,
in the sun.
The eagle spreads its rascals,
out.
They are forming a revolution.
The sun casts
its gaze away from the eagle.
Grows dark,
and the eagle,
slowly crumples,
away feather,
by feather,
until it’s gone.

Fireplace
Alena Thalput

The oak smashes down
A cloak of powder fills the air
A light blasts my eyes
It springs and spreads along the grave
It bounces and leaps
It bends and it twirls
My eyes adjust,
Dark holes suddenly
Flash!
They’re gone.
And so is the light.

Dancers
Mia Milstein

We are not considered with other
things
we don’t quite fit in with one
or the other.
Not quite understood.
Out of place.
One or the other?
Neither?
We are not chosen
outcasts.
While others are considered
needed.
We are something else.
Not understood how much we are needed.
Yesterday’s junk.
Pushed away by the new.

Published … in a Book
by Mia Milstein (grade 7), Arlington

“The Pursuit” is part of an anthology called Charms, which is made up of short stories written by different authors. The way I wound up writing for the anthology was through my mom. She got invited to write a piece for it, and I thought it seemed like a cool book. The whole idea was that you took inspiration from a charm that you chose, to write a story. I asked my mom to find out if kids could write for it, and it turned out they could. Then we asked if I could write a story for it and I was allowed to.
The first thing I did to write the story was choose my charm. My charm was a wolf head, called “wise wolf.” Next I came up with my character and story from the charm. When I was ready I wrote my rough draft, which wound up being one of the shortest parts of the whole process. After my rough draft was done, I moved on to one of the hardest parts of writing: editing.
Although the idea of editing seemed easy to me at first, it was much harder than I thought. What was difficult was the having to change what I wrote. Like every writer, I initially resisted the new ideas. After some convincing from my mom, I finally listened to the advice. We actually had to act out one of my scenes to figure out that it didn’t work. My mom did most of the critiquing, but I did send it out to another adult writer who also made suggestions. One of the changes I made was giving my character a backstory. I also added in a lot more sensory details. Even though some of the process is a bit frustrating, I’m glad I had the opportunity. I learned a lot about publishing and the writing process.
Please read my story in the Charms anthology or if you cannot get the book, read it online at http://12zine.com/PursuitbyMia.html!

About Me
by Mia Milstein
I’m 12, but when I wrote “Pursuit” and published it in the Charms anthology I was an 11 year-old sixth-grader taking, as I do now, ballet and Taekwondo lessons. Since I have learned how to be strong and defend myself, I like to create characters that are tough. I don’t like damsels in distress!
I chose the wolf charm because I love animals. Wolves speak to me, maybe because dogs are one of my favorite animals. A Husky, which resembles a wolf, is my favorite dog. My wolf story for the Charms anthology has fantasy in it. Those are the types of stories I tend to read the most.
I’ve always liked to write. When I’m an adult, I want to be an engineer or do something related to science, but I hope to write at least part time.
I live with my dog, cat, older brother, and parents.