YOUNG WRITER'S CONFERENCE

Student Writers Develop Word Power—Building “The Write Way to Success!”

Nearly 1,000 students and chaperones from 52 area schools convened on the campus of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato on March 18 and 19 for the 2008 South Central Service Cooperative Young Writer’s Conference. Children’s author and illustrator, Rick Chrustowski kicked-off the day by taking the audience on an excursion of his backyard, where he studies and develops numerous characters for his books. Following the keynote presentation, stellar presenters offered educational sessions in an intimate and encouraging hands-on environment. The conference, designed to improve student writing skills and produce motivated youth, was a colossal success.

Students were able to choose from a remarkable range of mediums and topics including: character development and dialogue, illustration techniques, sports journalism and press conference basics, storytelling, mystery writing, avoiding clichés, writing comic strips, bookmaking, Japanimation, and numerous “how to” sessions that taught pre-writing, plot development, story mapping, precise adjective use, editing, and foreshadowing. We could not have held this conference without the thriving, active and competent writers and illustrators who devoted their day to teaching and motivating area students.

The Bookshelf book fair from Winona was on-site this year to provide students with an opportunity to purchase presenting authors’ books and have them personally autographed. One only needed to look at the long lines at the book fair and the anxious students waiting for personalized signatures to witness inspired students.

Thank you to Bethany Lutheran College for hosting the Young Writer’s Conference and to the Betsy-Tacy Society, Traverse Des Sioux Library System, and SMILE (Southern Minnesota Inter-Library Exchange) for their partnership efforts to make this hands-on learning opportunity a reality. Mark your calendars for next year’s Young Writer’s Conference – March 10–12, details to follow.