This year, the Space Coast Writers’ Guild and the Brevard Schools Foundation joined together to present the Fourth Annual Children’s Writing Workshop. Details for next year's workshop have not been finalized, but it will most likely be held at the Viera School Board Building Saturday, April 25th from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. and will be open to Brevard County public, private, and home-schooled students in grades three through six.
The purpose of the Guild and Foundation’s efforts is to encourage, instruct, and motivate the children of Brevard to improve their writing ability and to develop improved literary writing skills. Presenters in the workshop are Guild members and invited instructors with wide experiences in writing, editing, and teaching. All presenters undergo the School District’s screening process for adults involved in children’s activities. Topics of the sessions range from plot and character development to the use of dialog and senses in enriching one’s writing. Past sessions have also included an introduction to poetry, writing for television, and writing arts and crafts books.
The third through sixth graders take part in interactive sessions that provide instruction, practice, and feedback to the students. Aspects of writing for fun and, potentially, for profit are presented and discussed in response to interest from the participants. Normally three 45 minute sessions are conducted during the workshop. Students rotate to another presentation at the close of each session.
Approximately two hundred students have attended past workshops. Students and parents have lauded the workshops as a fun and interesting way for children to gain insights into the skills and techniques needed to become better writers.
Each year the Guild holds a Children's Writing Contest, taking entries in March and announcing the winners at the workshop. The winners for the 2008 Contests were as follows:
Fourth Grade:
1st Place: "My Adventure in Musicland" by Alexander Adams, Quest Elementary
2nd Place: "The Girl and Her Doll" by Juliana Cuccaro, Quest Elementary
3rd Place: "Treasure Cave" by Brett Hymel, Ascension Catholic
Third Grade*:
1st Place: "Mystery Meat" by Noel Fleig, Suntree Elementary
* Because so few third grade entries were received this year, 2nd and 3rd place prizes were not awarded at the discretion of the Guild.
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