The runner-up in our Take Me Away! contest (Junior Fiction category) is Kevin Valente. Kevin's story is entitled "The Mystery of the Shadow".

Kevin is 14 and has been writing for about 2 years now. He likes brainstorming different topics and then writes in spurts when he is sufficiently inspired. When we asked Kevin what inspired him to write "The Mystery of the Shadow," he told us that his grandfather in Italy is a sculptor and has shipped them many statues. Kevin's yard is filled with inspiration!

   "The Mystery of the Shadow" may mean many things to you, but to Kevin it is about finding answers and facing your fears.

Not all writing can make that claim. But yours certianly can, Kevin. Yours can.

Click HERE to read "The Mystery of the Shadow," a story by Kevin Valente.

The runner-up in our Take Me Away! contest (Senior Poetry category) is Melody Hughes. Melody's poem is entitled "Auromorphis".

Auromorphis is a gritty portrayal of greed that starts out leaving dust and a lack of air and moisture in our mouths. It is only by journeying with these alchemists through to the end that we find what they really desire is not gold but something much more substantial. This is truly one poem of unmeasurable worth.

Melody is 15 and has been writing since she was in the 2nd grade. "Writing for me is based on spontaneous inspiration and not habit," Melody told us. "My inspiration for Auromorphis came mostly from science class, where I learned what alchemy is and became fascinated by the subject."
   "I like the fantasy genre because you can get so creative with setting and characters. However, fantasy can be written poorly with many cliches, weak plots, and stereotyped characters."

Maybe that is so in some cases. But not yours, Melody. Not yours.

Click HERE to read "Auromorphis," a poem by Melody Hughes.

The runner-up in our Take Me Away! contest (Junior Poetry category) is Christine Rheem. Christine's poem is entitled "We Walk".

Here is what our guest judge, Ursula K. Le Guin had to say about it:

I liked Christine Rheem's "We Walk," a dreamy, weird journey, in which he and she and you and I all become one person at the end -- or were we always?

Christine is 14 and her favorite writer is Scott Westerfeld, author of the Uglies series and the Midnighters. When we asked Christine what she likes about the fantasy genre of writing, she said:

I love how fantasy writers can create new worlds that draw you in and make you wish that world was real. I don't like the fact that the worlds really aren't real though! I would love to be able to live at Hogwarts or Middle Earth or Avalon or any of those places.

Wouldn't we all, Christine? Wouldn't we all?

Congratulations on being Take Me Away's runner-up!

Click HERE to read "We Walk," a poem by Christine Rheem.

It's finally here! Yayyyyy!

In the current issue of Writing magazine, we have published the six winners of this year's "Take Me Away!" writing contest. Back in September, we challenged our readers to imagine a land of make-believe--of mythical creatures and dreams, of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails. Well maybe not all of those. In any case, we received a ton of entries and they were all (in their own special way) fantastic!

Author Ursula K. Le Guin was our guest judge, and you can read the works of the four student authors who won this contest by picking up an issue of Writing, or right here online at WORD. The winners are:

Junior Poetry
I am Going to Leekartos
By Rachael A. Schermer, age 13
Read It

Senior Poetry
The Benevolent Dictator
By Justin Hanselman, age 15
Read It

 Junior Fiction
Embers of the Moonlight
By Ela Banerjee, age 13
Read It

Senior Fiction
The Metamorphosis
By Megan Mikhail, age 14
Read It

Congratulations to our four student writer winners! Make sure to come back here to WORD every day this week to read the poems and stories of our runner-ups, alongside brief comments from Ursula Le Guin!