KELLER -- For Keller sisters Meghan and Hannah Childress, YAK Fest was a chance to rub elbows with accomplished writers of young adult literature.
Raising interest in reading and writing was the goal of the inaugural YAK (Young Adult Keller) Fest held Jan. 14 at Keller High."I think it's great that you get to interact with authors," said Meghan, 16. "Plus, you get advice about what it takes to be a writer."More than 200 students and adults attended the event. Thirteen writers from as far away as New York City and Spokane, Wash., gave presentations, signed autographs and answered questions from fans."At this point in my career, I don't have to go to fan events, but I can't get enough of teenagers. I love them; they're my heart," said Ellen Hopkins, a keynote speaker and author of Crank and Perfect . "I love the human interaction, and I like to let them know I'm human."Meeting readers helps writers stay relevant and keeps them honest because teens question inconsistencies.Hannah, 13, said, "You get to see the background on stories and how they came about."Kelly Milner Halls, author of Girl Meets Boy and In Search of Sasquatch , said, "I think all of us have as much to learn from them as they have to learn from us."Many of the teens and adults who attended were aspiring writers themselves.Jeff Hirsch, author of The Eleventh Plague, said, "Kids don't see writers in their daily life. We can show them that their schoolwork really does matter. Here's someone who followed something in school and took it to a career."Many of the authors talked about the importance of social interaction."Writing is a lonely profession. You sit in a room by yourself," said Charles Benoit, author of You . "You have to have some fun in what you're doing, and that's talking to your readers."Students and adults who attended could choose several workshops, from panel discussions on realistic or speculative fiction to sessions featuring a slam poet or Native American storytellers.Silas Sheek, an eighth-grader from Collins Middle School in Lake Worth, went to the session conducted by Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle."He really scared us," Silas said.Tingle told a spooky story about the Choctaw Alligator Man. He also talked about the art of writing for storytellers and drawing listeners into what he called "the trance.""You want simple descriptive language that doesn't call attention to itself," he said. "Shorten the length of sentences so the vocals are simpler."Silas had written a report on Tingle, author of Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom, a 2008 Texas Bluebonnet winner.Collins Middle School English teachers Eva Goins and Helen Read brought more than 30 of their students. Each student had to write a report on one of the 13 authors at YAK Fest to be eligible to attend."They wouldn't get this experience any other way," Goins said of getting to meet authors in person.Read said, "The kids were star struck."Elena Salyer, a 16-year-old from Fort Worth, said, "It's great. I'm learning about a lot of new young adult authors. You also get to find out the story behind the story."--Sandra Engelland, 817-431-2231Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
