The John Marsden Young Writers Prize is back for 2011!

Presented by Express Media and internationally acclaimed author John Marsden, the competition aims to encourage young writers by offering awesome prizes, great exposure and recognition from one of Australia’s most important authors.

There are two categories to enter in: Short Story and Poetry. There are separate competitions for people under 18 and people aged 18-25.

First place winners of both the Poetry and the Short Story Prize for under 18s receive $500 each. In the 18 – 24 Category the first place winner of the Short Story prize wins $3,000 and the first place winner of the poetry prize wins $1500.

First place winners are also published in the December issue of youth publication Voiceworks, while second and third place winners (as well as those with honourable mentions) are published on the Express Media website.

Entries must be submitted by mail before 5pm Wednesday 31st August 2011.

At the time of writing, the Express Media website (www.expressmedia.org.au) was having maintenance problems. So in order to get an entry form or more details you might need to email them at info@expressmedia.org.au

Just do what I learnt to do, no idea? I’ll give you a clue

It’s what I now brew and what you should get into

Screw those who give you a bad review and

Sue those wont let you debut by showing them that you grew

From who you were to something new and improved.

Rhyme is no crime

So keep that in mind the next time that you do rhyme

It’s fine, infact its simply sublime

Give it a try in any place or at any time

Whether it’s rain, snow or shine

Just combine and refine to design

A divine article, song or a single line

So go out and shine show the rest you have a spine

And can intertwine your rhyme

To create a nice thick vine of lines.

Rhyme is used in poetry

To build on harmony and it is the key

To guarantee that your meaning is seen

Go out and rhyme like crazy and people will see

That you are free and mean what you decree

Rhyming persuades and will give you good grades

So on your crusade be not afraid to invade a blockade and

Pull yourself out of the shade and into a parade.

Make your heart beat to the sound

Of the sweet words in which you complete

Don’t cheat yourself, don’t retreat

Just compete and defeat the people you meet on the street

By excreting your tweets

Cause inside you is concrete raw meat

A beast which you need to release.

Just take a chance, make a stance

With your words as your lance and

Enhance your chants to advance

Through life cause life is a game of chance…

Plus Rhyming is awesome

The world’s heating up and there is no better action than to take a reaction towards this climate diffraction. The recent frustration has people in desperation for a simple explanation, showing them how our fundamental interaction is causing a massive transformation of our planet. We must make and take a plan of action, so the next generation can continue to live in this world with the realisation, that we are not the only ones.

Windmills use the breeze and replace burning trees as a better means of forming electricity. There are Hydrokinetic turbines that are designed to refine the energy of water waves when they both combine. Solar panels dismantle the sun’s rays to channel and save potential energy.

These means do not come cheap but are definitely greening our scene and mainly unseen so be serene in our clean energy.

If you found this article to be quite appealing, then I hope you understood the meaning, and had the feeling that you should not be concealing, that you should be intervening and greening the planet in which we are leaving for the next generation.