Last call for young writers!
Young writers can still join Write Things Manila’s summer creative writing workshop and classes at Fully Booked, Bonifacio Global City.
The Write Things Summer Workshop starts on May 7 and will run until May 18 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We’ve got guests dropping by, children’s book author Russell Molina and poet Mikael de Lara Co.
There are Saturday writing classes too for the busy young writers. The Young Writers’ Summer Hangout are stand-alone sessions and the good news is that there will be guest authors too at these sessions:
May 12: Story writing from picture books with guest author, Mary Ann Ordinario
May 19: Poetry 101 with guest poet, Mookie Lacuesta
May 26: Making characters for fantasy stories with guest author, Gabriela Lee
June 2: Creative Nonfiction Writing with Teacher Roel Cruz
Here is another piece from one of our young writers who has inspired us to continue running creative writing classes for kids and teens. This piece was part of our annual anthology, In Our Own Words Vol. 4, a collection of pieces from our 2017 batch of young writers.
Defeating the Manananggal by Marion, 8 years old
There was once a girl named Marion who loved to read. One day she went to the library and found a book called “The Mythological creatures of the Philippines.” Being a girl who loved fiction, she read the book. Hmmm… “The Manananggal can split itself into half being a normal girl at day and transforming at night. It eats babies, sucking out the liver from a pregnant woman’s belly. It has wings of a bat.” No. She couldn’t read it anymore. But something made her tell the librarian it was what she wanted. The librarian caught the look on my face and she said, “Are you sure?” Again that strange thing kicked in and made her say, “Yes, I’m sure.” When she took it home she felt scared even holding it! She was glad it was Sunday because she would go to her lolo’s house. When she got there, she asked if she could speak to her lolo alone. She told her lolo about what happened and he was silent, but after he said, “What do you like about books?” She said, “Why! The swords and magic and fight scenes and wizards.” Her lolo thought for a moment and said, “Imagine yourself as a wizard.” “Ooooh!” said a voice in her head. “And imagine yourself defeating those creatures.” “Wait. What?” “Maybe, you’ll understand later,” said her lolo. When she went home that evening she prayed to her guardian angel to give her courage. Then she remembered her lolo’s words…and then right there and then did she realize what it meant. And that’s just what she dreamt of that night and she wasn’t scared anymore.
Illustration by Rica Palomo-Espiritu
For inquiries and registration about creative writing classes and workshop for kids and teens, contact 0945-2273216 or email writethingsph@gmail.com. You can also send inquiries at http://bit.ly/WriteThings. For more information,
This article was first published in Manilaspeak.com.
