Last week I spoke at the CATE/GSDCTE* Student Creative Writing Awards ceremony. Three winning students in six grade divisions, beginning with grades 5-6 and through grades 11-12, were invited to read their winning entries, receive their certificates, and be applauded and congratulated by their English teachers, their proud parents, and members of the sponsoring organizations.
The very next morning, I drove to the other side of LA to talk at the monthly meeting of the San Fernando Valley chapter of the California Writers Club. Here, writers closer to my own age (and we all know how old that is), gather on the first Saturday of the month to share their work, celebrate their “wins” and hear a presentation.