Publish stories and poems inspired by this award-winning photograph!

[Publishing Voice]

Each year, the WritingFix website sponsors a Digital Photo Contest for students and teachers worldwide.  The goal is for students (and teachers) to share original digital  pictures that would inspire their classmates to want to write the "story behind a picture."

Click here to access
WritingFix's Digital Photo Resource Page!

At right, you see the student-winning digital photograph from our 2011 contest.  It was taken by a middle school student, Kayley Shaby, and sent in by her teacher, Mrs. Butler.  You can enlarge the picture by clicking on it.

 

If you use this photo in class as a writing prompt, and then have a student like what they're writing so much that they take their writing through the writing process, we want to see their published stories posted here!

 

Post no rough drafts...please.  We're looking for polished writing inspired by this photograph!  Final drafts of stories can be pasted or attached in the "Reply to This" box below.  If you do not see the "Reply to this" box below, it's a simple fix; look in the upper right-hand corner of this page for the "+Join Online Student Publishing" link and click on it.  That will allow you to
post a story or poem inspired by this photo.

 

Very Important:  Teachers, please only share your students' first name and grade level with us when you post the writing on their behalf.  Do not post last names or school names, or the posts will be deleted.

Twenty-five Teachers every semester will win a free classroom resource!  Each semester, we choose 25 new students to publish at our online lessons directly at the world-famous WritingFix website. To have your students' writing considered, it can be posted below in the box underneath  this posting.  In November and May, we will select the 25 students whose writing
impressed us the most, and if your student(s) is selected, you will be asked  to choose from any of the NNWP Print Publications (http://www.unr.edu/educ/nnwp/publications.html) for us to send to your classroom.

Help us celebrate your writers.

--Corbett Harrison, WritingFix Webmaster

[Kimberly]

Skyler-6th grade

At the Bus Stop

I'll just sit and think. Why did I take that drink, that smoke, that bet, that fight, this life? I can't even remember what I was mad about. Why I ran from home?

 

As I look at my scuffed hands and ripped pants, I think to myself...was it worth it? Now, I think about my past and what I had. I'm so...sad. I'm so...mad. This is so-so bad.

 

Now I want to go home, so I'll just sit and wait at the bus stop.

[Kimberly]

Samantha-6th grade

Help Me, or Maybe I Can Help You

This is me,

I'm sad,

I'm lonely.

Will anyone come by me.

Be a little friendly,

and give me someone to talk to?

I ran away from home.

It's really hard around here.

Don't let me have an influence on you,

you wouldn't be happy.

Trust me,

I know.

I'm hungry,

and at least you have a home,

someone to talk to and take care of you,

or maybe you live by yourself,

but at least you have a roof over your head!

Be full,

Be happy,

Be loved.

[Kimberly]

Katie-6th grade

Wanted: Nowhere

  As Demi sat by the bus stop waiting for it to come, I, her secret angel watch over her. The only one who knows her story. She was an unloved slave. Transporting everywhere but her home town to make it through the night. It all started out when her parents made her do everything. They even went as far as make her brush their teeth! On Valentines day, she left to start her life over. She went from Arizona to Utah in one night on a city bus. When she was found and taken to a children's homeless center. The leaders were mean. So, she packed her clothes and left. She traveled to Idaho hoping to sleep on a beach on the Snake river. She stayed there for two days without being able to catch something to eat. She hitched a ride with a hobo who treated her terribly. So, she jumped off. She found a mansion yard to sleep in. When the owners saw her, they asked her where she came from. She did not reply. They quickly brought her inside and fed her. The next day came to a close. They realized she was the girl who ran away from the news. So, she stole money and flew to Germany to continue her terrible, terrible life.

 

[Kimberly]

Sarah-6th grader

 

Healing

As I cross the street

I turn and stare

About the life I'm leaving

The scars I am trying to heal

From the words that hurt me

Why, oh, why did it have to happen?

But as I remember the words

My mother said to me

I start to feel okay again

[Kimberly]

Amanda-6th grade

Don't Judge!

We're all humans right?

I see you as a person

But what do you see me as?

What do you think of me as?

Am I rich

Or am I poor?

Am I beautiful or am I ugly?

Am I like everybody else

Or am I different?

Why does it matter to you?

Yeah, you see me sitting here alone

But why laugh and be mean?

You don't know my story or why I'm sitting here alone

So why judge me?

You don't know how I feel

You don't know what has happened in my life

Unless you can walk a mile in my shoes

Why judge?

Do you judge me of my race

Or are you judging me on my personality?

I hope you know that everybody is different

And that everybody has individuality

So before you start pointing your fingers at me

Make sure your own hands are clean and always remember that nobody in this world is the same

So why do people judge?

Let's just say they're the only losers in the world

DON'T JUDGE!

[Kimberly]

Alexis-6th grade

Running, Running, Running

 

My heart wants to stay,

But my mind will not obey,

So I sit outside,

All night and all day,

Wondering if anyone would care,

If I'm not here the next day,

But everyone is hated,

In this cruel and evil place,

Aren't they,

Swirling through my head,

Are questions still not asked,

If I did ever ask them,

Everyone would laugh,

On the outside I'm not perfect,

What I own shows I am,

My parents fight like cats and dogs,

Whenever friends are here,

They're pretending to be perfect,

It's never like this,

When friends aren't here,

So now I run,

Away from home and I don't Know,

Where I'm going,

I wonder if I'll come home,

I don't know what I'm asking,

As I run away from home.

[Robin Millen]

Those Days

By Daphne, grade 6

 

Those days when you feel like falling,

Crying

Useless

Those days when nothing matters but sleep,

Tired

Hopeless

All you want is to be alone.

The words echo.

Alone, alone, alone, alone...

You feel as if your whole life is crashing down as fast as the fun ends and middle school takes over.

Thoughts and images from the past fly through your mind,

“This is my chance, my chance to go, to leave, and to get away from life.”

Those days when you need a friend,

To lean on

To love

Those days when all you need is hope, and running away from your problems can’t fix anything.

[Robin Millen]

SORROW

by Avery, grade 6

I feel desperation in my heart. I’m feeling cold and damp,

As I sit by the pole, I think of all the pain I feel and all the

pain I’ve caused. I’m just hoping there’s a door that will lead me to my life’s worst decisions so I may watch what I did wrong. My life will never go back to the way it was.

[Robin Millen]

Jaime

-grade 6

Broken Hearts

I sat there,

That warm, breezy summer afternoon.

Listening to Adele on my boom box,

He broke my heart this morning.

He, the one, at least I thought,

Made me cry.

Cry through the halls,

In each class,

As I walked home.

It was a nice couple,

As everyone had said,

But she was better than me.

Everyone talked about it,

Just like a rumor,

But no one knew.

The pain was unbearable,

Just to see them together.

Together.

Tiffany and Josh,

The new “thing.”

Yeah, like we weren’t,

We didn’t have “the spotlight.”

But anyways,

It’s over now.

 I, Emily,

Am now alone.

Josh broke my heart,

And this is my story.

 

[Robin Millen]

Carly

-grade 6

I sit here alone,

I wait and wait and wait,

I wish somebody could understand,

I have always let people talk, about how I am different,

Have those people ever thought that we are all just people?

That we can’t choose how we look?

Apparently they haven’t,

I can’t go on like this forever,

I feel so alone,

No one listens,

No one cares,

I can’t figure it out,

What did I ever do?

What did I do to deserve pure hatred?

I want to feel welcome,

I want to feel loved,

So for now,

I sit here alone.

[Robin Millen]

 Tommy

-grade 6

Insane

I live in a world where no one wants me.

The scars feel like bullets ripping through my soft, mushy skin. Each word is going down the dark hole in my mind.

I wish for a cover, a place to go away,

But my family holds me back. The crafty people’s words

Scream in my sorrowful head. You do not know how it feels not seeing light, always seeing dark. I sit here collecting

my thoughts. Depression. Sadness. Sorrow. My beauty in life is dead, flowers do not grow, save me from my despair.

My box of music shines, but the damp, cruel world conceals all happiness in me.

The warm blood in my heart and veins have turned as cold as a storm, and frostbite burning in a blizzard. I sit here on Allway Street hoping for light before…

I run away.

[Robin Millen]

Colin

-grade 6

Back to School

Back to school today, and everyone seems so happy. It is just a waste of time. Teachers expect us to do all this hard work. If we, the students, really had a voice, they would teach and that is all. What happened to our voice? They always tell us our voice matters, but does it really? Why can’t anyone else tell? I have to keep my silence for now, but until I speak up, this will continue. No-one else seems to care. Maybe they’re just keeping silent too. Should I ask them? Or would they think I’m stupid? I just don’t know.