It's nearly time for us to release our very special, tenth birthday edition of Writ-Bits into the world! Writ-Bits is our annual anthology of writing by young Creative Write-it authors, and this year's theme is 'Journeys'. The anthology encapsulates all the different types of journeys we can go on, such as new beginnings, epic adventures, and the journeys that lead us home. 

Here's a sneak peek of a poem from one of our talented young writers which will be included in the anthology. We think it does a wonderful job of capturing the excitement of going on a new adventure!

The Journey Ahead

Packing the matches, food, and water,
Sleeping bag, and camping gear.
I feel prepared and happy.
I have all I need, including beer.

In the morning, I find my jacket and wear
My beanie and my boots.
As I step out my front door,
I say a final goodbye to my roots.

I’m going on an adventure
To somewhere I don’t know.
It might be full of bears and bugs
Or maybe even crows.

The one thing that I know is this:
The mountain I must climb.
I still feel excited,
And I whistle a merry chime.

​We're excited for you to read Writ-Bits and join us on more exciting journeys. Stay tuned for information about our end-of-year book launch AND birthday party ... coming soon!

​​At Creative Write-it, our Story Writing Clubs and Writing Mentorships give our young writers the freedom to write creatively. School often requires them to write to specific prompts, write within certain time limits, or to write in styles that don't excite them. This can be a great challenge, but there is so much more fun to be had with creative writing than our school curriculums have space for. A lack of balance can lead them to think that writing is 'boring' and 'hard'. Here at Creative Write-it, we aim to provide this balance by working with our young writers and allowing them the opportunity to write what inspires them. 
 
Here’s how we inspire our young writers:

​So, you’re interested in submitting to a writing competition? Fantastic! It may feel nerve-wracking at first, but the experience is worth it! There are many great reasons to enter writing competitions (more on that below - *hint* there's so much more to gain than the chance of winning!) First, here are a few handy tips to help you prepare your submission.

Meet Sammy, one of our amazing Story Writing Club writers!
​She recently entered the Coles Little Treehouse Competition, for which she wrote and illustrated a 'wild and wacky' story to be judged by Andy Griffiths himself. And out of over 6000 entries from across the country, she was one of the top 100 winners!
Her writing won her family a $100 Coles Myer gift card, 100 books for her school, and a book for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Congratulations Sammy! We're incredibly proud of you, and so happy to hear about your words (and wackiness) having a positive impact on the world.

Read on to learn more about Sammy's book, her creative writing process, her advice for other young writers, and flying eyeballs.

It's nearly the end of Term 4! Again! How?!

​At this time of the year, we would usually be planning the launch party for our annual anthology, Writ-Bits. However, in keeping with the unusual (and not all bad) theme of 2020, instead of a party at the studio, we are individually packing and mailing the books out to make sure each of the young writers receives their copy before Christmas. AND we're 'launching' online from Monday December 7 (our last week of the year) - follow us on Instagram to join the celebrations!

For this year's edition, we invited the young writers in our Story Writing Clubs and Writing Mentorships to describe a character who goes through a weird time in their life, and how it changes them. As their stories developed, we asked them to reflect on their own experiences of unexpected change in order to provide depth to their fictional characters, and show how they came to terms with their own weird times.  

The result?

Rambunctious dragons, enterprising turtles, nervous horses, and other strange and wonderful characters coming to terms with their own weird times. In doing so, they show us how we can all adapt. And perhaps how we already have.

Read on for a sneak peak at some of the stories!

Every time I finish a writing project, whether it’s a poem, short story, or novel, I’m hit with the overwhelming fear that I’ll never have a good idea again. I guess the fear is, in a way, justified. Ideas are mysterious. They come and go uncontrollably, sometimes leaving us in the dark for months at a time until the next one comes along and captures us. 

Some ideas come quickly with no warning. Others take hold slowly over years, sprouting from nothing, then gaining shiny new leaves at each big rain. I’ve learned that there’s nothing wrong with letting an idea grow slowly, tending to it in your mind until you’re bursting to let the story come out. ​