Young writers have fun

Approximately 180 aspiring writers from around Glenn County attended the Young Writers Festival on Thursday in Willows.

They met with children’s authors, story tellers and graphic artists for workshops in St. Monica’s Catholic Church’s parish hall in six workshops that broadened their skills.

 Anna Lane of the Glenn County Office of Education said fourth- through eighth-graders from Elk Creek, Indian Valley, Capay, Plaza, William Finch, Princeton and some Orland schools attended the event.

The featured guest was storyteller Michael Katz, who delighted the youngsters with his animated tale of a duck from his grandfather’s farm.

Katz recounted how as a boy he accidentally killed the duck when it got caught under a wagon wheel. He decided to try and cover up the incident, he said, but he felt guilty and the truth came out after a sleepless night or two.

His facial expressions and delivery kept the students’ attention and most laughed throughout Katz’s story.

To attend the festival, students had to submit a writing sample in one or more genres and qualify, Lane said.

Several students also won certificates and ribbons in categories like poetry, narrative, expository and journalistic writing.

Lane told the students their work will be complied in a book to be given to their schools and they will be printed on the Internet on her GCOE Web site.

Besides Katz, Lane said fiction and fantasy author William Hill of Reno, children’s and teen author Lynn Hazen and graphic artists Travis Gore and Daniel Vera also attended the festival. Special education teacher Amanda von Kleist of Hamilton High School also participated.

Hazen joined the others in a book-signing after the workshops that lasted 45 minutes each, Lane said.

“These were great kids,” Hazen said. “This was inspiring. They asked good questions and did wonderful writing. It was fun.”

Some of Hazen’s books include “Cinder Rabbit” and “Shifty.” The latter book is for young adults, she said.

Lane asked the students to spread the word about the festival and encourage more participation next year by schools within the county.

“This is a celebration for the hard work they’ve been doing,” she said, but the competition would be even more fun if they could compete with students from other schools besides their own.