Welcome to the February/March issue of Writing!

This issue looks at the relation between music and writing. The English composer Frederick Delius once said “Music is an outburst of the soul.” Here at Writing, we think that the written word is a similar type of creative expression. In this spirit, we hope that teen writers find plenty of inspiration through the love of music and be bursting to express themselves.  Here’s a look at what's  in this issue:

• "Create Your Own Soundtrack," a feature article that looks at the art of songwriting.

• "I Love It! I Hate It!," an inside look at the world of music reviewer.

• "The Hidden Music of Writing," an article that delves into the "poetry" of literature.

Plus, our columnist Steven Frank provides a timely and charming account of writing love letters. You’ll also find our regular departments that provide the grammar tools young wordsmiths can add to their repertoires. Let us know what you’d like to see in Writing. We’d love to hear from you!

Best to you,

The Editors

Writing magazine

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar in a Kitchen-Aid or other mix master on medium-high speed, about five minutes.

3. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of wax paper. Combine them by mixing back and forth with an ordinary kitchen knife. No sifting necessary.

4. Crack the eggs into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Add the vanilla and mix, don't beat, with a few turns of a fork. Fill with milk to just below the brim of the cup (above the 1-cup line.)

5. With the mixer on low, add the liquid mixture and the flour mixture to the bowl in at least four stages, alternating between liquid and flour. Begin and end with liquid.

6. Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans as follows:

a. Cut two circles of wax paper or parchment paper to fit the pans. (hint: put a thick section of newspaper on the countertop, then lay the parchment on top followed by the pan. Use an exacto knife to trace around the bottom of the pan. You'll have a perfect circle every time, and it's easier than using scissors.)

b. Smear the pans with soft butter. Don't forget to coat the inside sides.

c. Lay the circles of parchment or wax paper into the bottom of the pans. Coat them, too, with butter.

d. Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour into the center of each pan; distribute it evenly by tapping the sides and turning the pans; tap out excess flour into the sink.

7. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Tip: use a kitchen scale. The two pans should weigh about 1 1/4 pounds each, pan included. (1 lb. for the batter, 1/4 for the pan.) Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly around the pan.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out dry, OR until the cake begins to pull away from the edges of the pan. DON'T OVERBAKE!!!!

9. When the cakes are done, remove them and let stand 5 minutes on wire racks. Then, separate the cakes from the sides of the pans with a knife. Invert the layers onto the wire racks. Use a knife to tap the bottoms, then slowly lift off the pans. Remove the parchment or wax paper and let the cakes cool another 20 minutes before frosting.