Tag: Alphabet Soup magazine

Posted in illustrator, info

Meet our newest illustrator!

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

We’re very pleased to introduce you to Annette Flexman, the newest member of our Illustration by Annette Flexmanillustration team! Annette joins Greg Mitchell, who has been our sole (and hardworking!) illustrator since issue 1.

We asked Annette to tell us a bit about herself. And here’s what she said:

I discovered I loved drawing in early primary school. I remember drawing lots of farm animals, as we had lots of pets at home, and then moved on to space ships and space creatures as I got older!

I recently discovered watercolour pencils which are just fantastic to work with. I’m very excited about joining the Alphabet Soup team, especially because I get to read all those fantastic stories and poems from the young readers out there!

You can see a sample of Annette’s artwork up at the top of the post there. She’s been very busy with pencils, paper and scissors flying – getting pages ready for issue 4 (out mid-August 2009). Don’t miss it!

You can order copies of issue 4, (or subscribe to Alphabet Soup!) by going to our website www.alphabetsoup.net.au.

Posted in competitions, info

To improve your writing skills – keep writing!

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Well done to everyone who sent entries in for our winter ’09 writing competition!

Over the past two days we’ve read through some imaginative and entertaining stories – and we’ve come to the conclusion that you really are a talented bunch. It’s difficult to choose just one winner for each age category.

Remember that writing as often as you can is a good way to improve your writing skills. So, even if you are not a prize-winner this time, entering the competition has helped your story-writing. Keep writing!

You’ll read the winning stories in the spring ’09 issue of Alphabet Soup and there’ll be a new writing competition announced in the spring ’09 issue. (Hurrah!)

And of course, while you’re waiting for the next writing comp, there’s still time to send in your artwork for our design-a-cover competition (for kids under 12). For entry forms and more details, see the competitions page on the Alphabet Soup website.

Posted in Book reviews by Rebecca

Book review: How to Write Stories by Celia Warren

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Do you want to write your own stories but you need a bit of help to get How to Write Stories coverstarted? Or perhaps you want some tips to make your stories even better. How to Write Stories is a very helpful guide for any story writer!

Make sure your story has an attention-grabbing beginning, an entertaining middle and a satisfying ending (so your readers want to read right to the end). There’s also information about what sort of story to write (the ‘genre’), how to gather ideas for your stories, and tips about the setting and characters.

Have you ever had writer’s block? I really liked the use of a ‘never-never’ list to start your creative ideas flowing again – like ‘Never go through the green gate’ and ‘Never touch the red button.’ You decide what happens if someone does what they should never never do, and you’re sure to be off and writing again!

At the back of the book you’ll find a glossary where you can look up any ‘writer’s’ words you might not know.

How to Write Stories is one book in a set of ‘How to … ‘ writing-themed books. Other books in the series include How to Write Letters & Emails, How to Write Reports and How to Write Poems.

We found How to Write Stories at our local library – ask for it at your closest library or school library. Then get writing, and enter our current competition, or send your story to us and it might be published in Alphabet Soup magazine!

How to Write Stories by Celia Warren, QED Publishing, London, ISBN 978 1 84538 740 2

This book was selected for review from the Editor’s own collection.
Posted in competitions, info

Winter 2009 issue OUT NOW!

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Winter issue 2009

Doesn’t a serve of delicious alphabet soup sound like just the thing for this cooler winter weather? The winter 2009 issue of Alphabet Soup is out now!

Inside Alphabet Soup magazine this issue:

  • Q&A with Jo Oliver (author-illustrator of Pilgrim)
  • interview with an Air Traffic Controller
  • Stories, poems and good books
  • Kids writing (poems, stories and book reviews)
  • winners of our autumn writing competition
  • details of our winter writing competition
  • details of our design-a-cover competition
  • and more!

Where can you buy a copy? If you live in Western Australia, you can buy copies at Westbooks children’s bookstore (396 Mill Point Rd, Victoria Park) and   Zero to Ten (330 South Tce, South Fremantle).

You can also order single copies (or subscribe!) from our website www.alphabetsoup.net.au, where you can order online with a credit card, or print off an order form to post in to us with a cheque or money order.

Get reading (and writing)!

Posted in info

Wanted: book reviews by children

Posted on by Alphabet Soup

Have you read a really cool book that you think other kids would love too?

We are currently considering book reviews by children under 12, for publication in the winter issue of Alphabet Soup, which will be out in May 2009.

If you’d like to send us a book review, you can find guidelines for submitting work on the ‘Writers Wanted‘ page of the the Alphabet Soup website.

We love hearing about your favourite books, so get writing!