Not Just a Flash in the Pan

What a week it is!  Not only is it Book Week at Swans, but the latest issue of Pulse magazine has just gone to press – the first one edited and produced in the library.  Within its pages, among other wonders, readers will be able to find the winners of the library´s Flash Fiction competition, and what extremely worthy winners they were.

Despite initial scepticism, entrants conjured up some exceptional tales...in just twelve words.

Key Stage Two

The winner is Marcus Tawil, with this chilling tale that creates drama, suspense and horror in this finely crafted and economical piece:

The instant she recognised his face she knew her life was over.

Runner-up Miriam Frank-Petersen captures the sweet agony of first love between a highly unlikely pair of protagonists:

A zombie can still love.  I´m different from all others for you.

Key Stage Three

An extremely strong field here, but after much deliberation the winner is Julia Frank, with this cheeky and highly personalised take on a sci-fi staple:

Lazy, rude aliens invade Swans School—teachers do not notice any difference.

Second place goes to Nacho Casado with an eerily simple yet very menacing tale that leaves the reader with many more questions than answers:

She was my love—I was always with her… until her disappearance.

Key Stage Four

Girl power exerted its influence over our Year 10 and 11 students, with winner Luca De Jonge referencing romantic fiction and unconventional fairytale in her intriguing winner:

She knew him too well to just be friends.  Marriage it was.

And Imani Tupper brought us all the freshness, fun and neuroticism of modern chick lit with her peek into the protagonist´´s life:

She feels stressed, depressed but not well dressed.  This is my life.

Great stuff from the Swans writers!  This was not an easy challenge and yet again you exceeded all expectations. Certificates will be presented to the winners in assembly on Friday. 

Meanwhile here is a selection of the other fantastic efforts that narrowly missed out on the top spots:

There was a superhero called Fred that could defeat 6 malicious supervillains. Hector Y6

A turquoise spotted cow danced over the bright grass with a pink tutu. Victoria Y6

Once Tom went to space and was amazed by a bright flash of the moon. Emma Y6

The storm started with thunder and lightning.  Then came the rain... Lucia Y6

Evil will come to Earth but Billy will save the world.  Vlad Y6

As the monster creeps by, there asleep I lie.  Selma Y6

The soldiers are gone, and I am in love...  Claudia Y6

Sunny day, snowy mountain, I was skiing and a big bear appeared. Carmen Y6

Back from the future, gone to the past, my best creation ever.  Arman Y6

School for sale.  Children optional extra, free of charge.  Simone Y6

The wolf howled alone in the damp forest until the sun rose.  Honey Y6

John´s house was burned down.  Now he can admire the night sky. Alex Y6

Old lady wearing black, home alone.  Madison Y6

I have nothing left.  It´s just me and the road behind.  Help. Sebastian Y6

She has black hair and glistening, luminating white eyes.  She is midnight. Neeva Y6

I used to have a magic pencil that did all my exams.  Paula Y8

A taco boy found a pizza girl in a disgusting kebab restaurant. Anon Y8

“You can´t see me,” said a boy, but then I found him.  Patricia Y8

A short time ago the world was one but now it´s two. Jack Y9

Maria ate a poisonous pizza and died. Rebecca Y9

An astronaut pig discovered a sty.  Unfortunately it was my messy bedroom. Damian Y8

The granny hit the robber with her handbag that has a brick.  Cedric Y8

New world discovered in Ryan´s bag, there were lots of broken skulls.  Jason Y8

Secret world discovered in Marten´s bag.  New life formed in homework diary.  Melle Y8

There was a girl who found happiness in this cruel world. Sara Y9

I found a treasure inside a treasure inside another treasure inside another. Andres Y8

I fell on the floor and landed on the ceiling.  Pablo Y11

The orang-utan smelt bananas and then found them.  William Y11

Book Week is Coming!

This year we´re not settling for Book Day – we want a whole Book Week!  Yes, that´s right, all next week, 31^st March to the 4^th April, there will be tons of book-related fun for you to participate in and enjoy.  Here are just a few examples of what you have to look forward to next week when Swans School goes bonkers for books:

The Big Book Week Book Swap

Got shelves of books at home you´ve already read?  Desperate for something new to read?  Then the Big Book Swap is for you!  Simply bring a book into school you no longer want and swap it for a book token in the library. Keep your book token safe and then bring it along to the Big Book Swap next Wednesday (April 2) and exchange it for your choice of book.  The library is issuing tokens for books from now until Friday so don´t delay, clear off those bookshelves today!

The Great Swans School Novel

As we all know, novels normally take months or years to write.  But that´s because they are usually only written by one person.  So what about a novel that is written by 370 people?  Throughout Book Week in the library, students are invited to add to the Great Swans School novel.  You may make as many contributions as you like, either in groups or individually, so the fate of our central character is entirely in your hands!  Our masterpiece will be kept in the library for us and all future generations to enjoy.

Who Wants to be a Millionnaire?

How many Swans students have got what it takes to complete the Who Wants to be a Millionaire million word challenge?  Collect your millionaire card from the library and every time you return a library book that you have read you will have the word count added to your total.  Students that reach a million words will receive a special certificate and a prize, as well as a HUGE sense of pride and all the other fabulous benefits that go along with having developed a fruitful reading habit.  You´ll be surprised how quickly you reach your target, although obviously this challenge will continue far beyond Book Week.

The Book Week Spelling Bee

The English department will also be holding their annual Book Week Spelling Bee, the grand final of which will take place during assembly on the last day of term.  It promises to be a real nail-biter, with the fabulous prize of a Kindle up for grabs, and the library is pleased to report having seen many students furiously revising the spellings of the set texts in anticipation of the heats.  Good luck to everyone taking part!

Book Trailers

Produce, direct and star in your own trailer for a book?  No problem for the talented students of Key Stage Three, who have all been working very hard on their book trailers for the past several weeks.  The best ones will be selected by the English department to be shown in the final assembly and we are all excited to see the results.

And Much Much More…

There will also be fun activities during registration periods, in which we will talk about the books that have changed our lives, and test our knowledge of our favourite fiction and non-fiction.

So come to school all next week ready to go loco for literature!

It´s Electrifying!

It´s Positive Behaviour Week at Swans and here in the library we are seeing even more examples of how to be a great student than we usually do (and that really is saying something!).

After being overwhelmed with offers of help, all the books that weren´t yet covered now are, and students can currently accumulate “volts” by modeling exemplary library comportment.  Those who are spotted working away in silence or reading quietly have had their efforts rewarded; as have those who have renewed or returned their books on time, or written an entry for the competition.

The library has also become a film set once again, with the video to commemorate the event being shot here.  Participants are given a word associated with positive behavior which they must act out for the camera – think of it as an extended game of charades.  The Swans students have, as ever, risen to the challenge with their usual enthusiasm and given us more than enough to work with!  It should be good fun to watch the results in the second special assembly on Monday.

Let´s just hope all the wonderful positive energy that has been doing the rounds this week continues for the rest of the term and beyond.

A Flash of Inspiration

I´ll be brief:  it is thought that Ernest Hemingway wrote the shortest story ever written in order to win a bet. 

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

In only six words we are given a situation, characters and an atmosphere.  It may be true to say that we are left with more questions than we are answers, but isn´t that what really great storytelling is all about?

This month´s library competition challenges you to become the Flash Gordon of flash fiction, by writing an original story on any theme that is just twelve words long.  With double Hemingway´s word count, you should be able to intrigue, evoke and leave your readers wanting more.  Brevity and precision are the names of the game here – there´s no room for waffle – so be ruthless with yourself.  The best way to get there may be to write a longer version first and then cut cut cut!

This form of fiction is becoming increasingly popular in the age of the internet, and with attention spans getting shorter by the minute, maybe this is the way forward for the written word.  This is a particularly popular form with writers of horror and science fiction, so if you are seeking a theme or genre you might want to start there.  Here are a couple of my favourites:

Fish were falling from the sky. The truck driver stared in awe.

Mr Snowman needed a cuddle, the sun agreed, now he’s a puddle.

Reload, finger on the trigger, aim, breathe, shoot. The turkey is ready.

God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist. (Arthur C. Clarke)

And some more six word ones by famous writers, just to show how easy it is:

TIME MACHINE REACHES FUTURE!!! … nobody there … (Harry Harrison)

Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses. (Richard Powers)

Computer, did we bring batteries? Computer?  (Eileen Gunn)

Sorry soldier, shoes sold in pairs.

Voyager still transmitted, but Earth didn’t.

Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time (Alan Moore)

Deadline for entries is Wednesday 19^th March, and you can submit your stories either as a comment under this blogpost, or on paper in the library.  The best ones will be selected for publication in the upcoming Easter edition of Pulse magazine – good luck!