SKGfun iWrite Edition (November/December)

2017 

November/December 

iWrite 

SKGfun 

magazine 

helping girls navigate the teen years, with big smiles and copious laughter

SKG fun 

N O V E M B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 

CONTRIBUTORS 

- writers - 

ALIVIA MCALISTER / SARAH CNOSSEN / KATE JONES 

/ KATHERINE MATESEVAC / GRACE ANNE JOHNSON / 

AUBREY STOUFFER / ANNA MCAULEY / JULIA FINDLEY 

- photography - 

LEAH BUFFALINO 

- design - 

AMANDA BROWN 

Volume No. 6, Issue No. 6 

W W W . S K G F U N . C O M

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

SKG FUN 

THEME: IWRITE 

I Write Because 03 

5 Writing & Blogging Tips 05 

Poetry 09 

#SoRelateable Problems Writers & Bloggers Face 13 

22 

My Writing Resources 

T 

09 

Poetry 

My Writing Resources 22 

Book Snippet Wings 

23 

Credits 27 

Front cover: Rachel Brown 

Remarriage of the Rocks 16 

Book Snippet 18 

Noya 

Why I Write 21 

23 

Book Snippet 

Visit 

SKGFUN.COM 

to view this current issue on your 

computer

SKG FUN 

EDITOR'S NOTE 

Amanda Brown 

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F 

Ever since SKGfun was born, its heartbeat has been writing. I started SKGfun as an outlet for my 

friends and I to share our writing in a world swarming with people who have the freedom to share 

their words. While this is a blessing, it also makes the search for worthwhile words difficult . . . and 

that much more special. 

Throughout 2017 we took a look at many different genres. We stared with starry eyes at the stories 

of published authors, many of us hoping to one day wear the same shoes that they do. I wanted to 

give our writers an opportunity to share their own attempts at being one of these story superheroes. 

In this issue, you'll find poetry and snippets of stories, as well as an overall symphony of handclapping 

for the writers of the world. 

Words are important. Just think of all generations that have been forever changed because of 

documents like Martin Luther's 95 Theses; all the walls that have been built, houses that have been 

demolished, tears that have been shed because of Hitler's Mein Kampf; and all the blinds that have 

been pulled down on the eyes of the masses with Darwin's On the Origin of Species. 

Words can and will change lives. No matter how small your sentences, no matter how seemingly 

meaningless your paragraphs, know that someone out there is reading your words and being 

impacted, even if in a little way. 

So here's to building up the next generation of generation-changers; of wall-breakers; of housebuilders; 

and of truth-sharers. 

Enjoy, 

Amanda Brown 

S K G F U N | 2

i w r i t e b e c a u s e 

alivia mcalister 

1. I write because the feeling of creating something out of nothing is incomparable and 

magical 

2. I write because it’s a hobby; it provides a sense of security and accomplishment to 

an ordinary day 

3. I write because, through all the trials and hardships in the game of life, it’s a way 

to express the feelings and release negativity 

4. I write because even though I am an earthly nobody compared to God himself, 

writing makes me feel like a somebody 

5. I write because a self -proclaimed, God-given talent and ability like this, I feel, 

should not go to waste 

6. I write because words were there for me when no one else was; they wrapped me in 

and held me close 

7. I write because the scars and brokenness have molded me into a human I never 

thought could exist, and I am grateful 

8. I write because I simply cannot stop the words from flowing out of my fingertips as 

a stream flows over the ground 

9. I write because i hope of someone finding what they needed to hear the most 

10. I write because what everyone is afraid to write turns out to be exactly what people 

need 

11. I write because of the memories that live on in my brain long after the moment’s 

gone, to capture and remember it 

12. I write because it is my intention to astonish you all 

S K G F U N | 3

I AM HANDCRAFTED IN THE IMAGE OF 

GOD, AND THAT IS A FACT THAT 

SHALL NEVER CHANGE. HE CRAFTED ME 

SO CAREFULLY WITH THIS ABILITY TO 

PUT THE WORDS DOWN ON PAPER IN 

SUCH AN INTRICATE WAY THAT ONLY 

HE COULD PUT IN A HUMAN. WE 

CANNOT DO IT OURSELVES. HE GAVE 

THIS TALENT TO ME TO USE FOR HIS 

GLORY, AND THAT IS MY INTENTION. 

THAT’S WHY I WRITE. 

S K G F U N | 4

5 

FEATURE 

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

blogging & 

writing 

tips 

By Alivia McCalister 

i a m g o i n g t o g i v e y o u s o m e o f m y t o p 

Not really top secret, but pretty 

useful nonetheless. I use these on 

a daily basis, and hopefully you 

will too. These are great pieces of 

advice to use when beginning a 

blog, or writing a story. Either 

way, they should help get your 

creative juices flowing! LET'S 

BEGIN! 

I say still write the piece, but you’ll 

definitely want to avoid Cliches. Cliche 

phrases are the easiest way to lose 

interest from readers. Also, personalize 

your posts! Hand designed graphics, 

watermarks, and photos taken by you 

are great ways to make it seem more 

original and thought out than your 

competitors posts! Either way, it’s your 

post/piece in the end. So all that 

matters is that you love it! 

s e c r e t b l o g g i n g / w r i t i n g t i p s . 

1 . b e o r i g i n a l 

This here is probably one of the 

most universally known 

tips/tricks to being a phenomenal 

writer. You’ve heard everyone 

under the sun tell you this. But 

let me be the millionth to say, 

original pieces get the most 

views! If you write about 

something that is more 

widespread and you could type in 

two words about it in Google 

Search, and 400 things come up 

the same as what you were 

planning, its probably not going 

to be the most original. 

2 . B e U n a f r a i d 

t o p u t y o u r s e l f 

o u t t h e r e ! 

All too often i see writers being afraid 

to put details about themselves and 

their personality/writing styles/ 

interests out there! I feel like when i 

read blogs and other things such as 

that, i always love to hop over to the 

‘About Me’ section or page. I love 

seeing little facts about the author on 

their work. It really just makes you feel 

like you can relate to them just a little 

bit more, or a lot more! 

S K G F U N | 5

"About Me" page is a 

An 

touch that 

personal 

your human side 

shows 

the readers. 

to 

FEATURE 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

I have on my blog both an “About Me’ 

page and a “About the Blog’ page. I want 

my readers to feel like they know me, and 

i dont want them to be afraid to know me 

as a person and a writer. It's a nice 

personal touch that shows your human 

side to the readers, if that makes sense. 

Most people like to read about the author 

and their likes/dislikes, what drives them 

to create content, what they read and 

dont. It helps bring you closer to the 

readers, it doesn't even have to be that big 

either! Just a small segment at the end of a 

post or on a different tab on the site, 

stating a few little facts about yourself can 

really set the pace for great things to 

happen! 

Seeing things they relate to helps your 

readers be more likely to leave a 

comment, and you could make some new 

friends along the way! I would definitely 

say it’s a great thing is to put yourself out 

there a little more. 

3 . C r e a t e a s p a c e 

y o u L O V E t o w o r k i n 

For me personally, I can’t work in a noisy 

environment. I have to be on my own 

somewhere, where I can collect my 

thoughts and express them all while 

making sense. 

For me, my "workplace" is my bedroom 

in front of the window. It's so hard for 

you to create content you believe in and 

love while you are in a space you don’t 

love. So if you’re the type of person who 

likes to be around noise and lively people 

while working, going to a library will 

probably not be ideal for you. 

Try sitting in a public park, or going to a 

restaurant. Or if you enjoy quiet, like me, 

sit in your bedroom or office. And the 

library would be great for you if you like 

that! Just make sure you’re in a place 

where you can focus. You don’t want to 

be so distracted that you can’t write a 

proper sentence! 

5 

S K G F U N | 6

FEATURE 


SKGFUN.COM 

4 . m a k e m i s t a k e s 

Yep, another sort of cliché tip. 

BUT HEAR ME OUT OKAY?? I’d 

like you to repeat this sentence 

to yourself: I do not have to be a 

perfect writer. 

too often I see 

Wayyyy 

getting caught 

writers 

in the numbers and 

up 

and who’s 

statistics, 

My level of success does not depend 

on the stats and numbers, but rather, it 

depends on the quality of my work 

and if I myself love it. 

well and who’s 

doing 

not. 

Wayyyy too often I see writers getting 

caught up in the numbers and 

statistics, and who’s doing well and 

who’s not. It's kind of sickening really! 

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to be 

conscious of what kinds of content are 

succeeding, but you honestly don’t 

revolve around success. You’re going 

to make a mistake once in a while! 

Allow it! 

Don’t beat yourself up just because 

there’s a typo in your piece, or if it’s just 

not your best work. It happens to the 

best of us, and there’s no way around it 

except to accept it and move on! 

That’s how you learn. It helps you 

realize, “okay, what could I do better 

next time? Is there something that 

caused me to write this way? Do I need a 

change of scenery or maybe some 

coffee/tea next time?” Then once you 

gather all the info from your mistakes, 

write them down and then let it go! You 

have the data, now what good is that 

sadness from a failed piece going to do 

you now? Nothin’. 

Accept the mistakes. Look at them as a 

part of the learning process of becoming 

the phenomenal writer that you are 

destined to be. 

5 . W r i t e W h a t Y O U 

w a n t t o r e a d ! 

This tip is slightly geared towards blog 

style writing, but you can take it into 

your novel/poetry/ whatever style 

writing you do! One thing I love about 

S K G F U N | 6

FEATURE 


SKGFUN.COM 

my blog is that all the content on it, I 

wrote because I wanted to. There is 

not a single post on my blog that I 

have written that I don’t love. 

Part of the inspiration for that is 

because I not only write just for the 

sheer joy of it and for the fun of 

making content, but I write it because 

I wanted to read it! Sometimes I 

Google Search a topic, and nothing 

interesting comes up. So I write it. 

Because I wanted to read it, so why 

not? 

you continue to put out content 

you don’t believe in and don’t have 

fun writing it, then it's going to go 

on a downward spiral from fun to 

EW WHAT IS THIS. And I don’t 

think you want that! It’s kind of like 

what the YouTube sensation Lilly 

Singh does. She recently began 

publishing content that she wanted 

to see in the YouTube world, and 

she didn’t care about the views or 

the money. She put them out there 

because she personally LOVED 

what she was creating! It’s such a 

good path to follow. 

In short, publish content that you 

believe in and that you love. You 

should want to sit down and open 

your novel or blog on the computer 

and think “Wow! I love this!” 

In short, publish content that you 

believe in and that you love. You 

should want to sit down and open 

your novel or blog on the computer 

and think “Wow! I love this!” 

you don't believe in or 

If 

fun writing your 

have 

it's going to go 

content, 

a downward spiral. 

on 

In my opinion, you should never put 

out content solely for the joy of your 

readers. Yes, they are a factor, but if 

When I started blogging, these 

kinds of tips didn’t really exist. You 

wrote what was popular, really. And 

I hated that! So I didn’t do what was 

popular. And it turned out pretty 

good! 

K G F U N | 6 

S K G F U N | 8 

S

SKGFUN.COM 

poetry

know naught of the future, 

I 

path is unclear. 

My 

on it He stands-- 

Yet 

Rock, ever near. 

My 

whine and complain, 

I 

with my lot; 

Displeased 

'fore Him stand 'shamed, 

Then 

'twas the world I'd sought. 

For 

shouts all the while: 

It 

never be free!" 

"You'll 

deep in my heart 

But 

Whisper says, 

A 

God, my King, I humbly pray 

Lord 

a heart as Yours to guide me each day. 

For 

Your tender compassion, mercy & love, 

For 

be a blessing and Light from above. 

To 

ask also for a sweet & gentle spirit; 

I 

alone, my Saviour, can undoubtedly give it. 

You 

in me a servant's heart forevermore, 

Create 

help me be a girl worth waiting for. 

And 

BOOK POETRY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

"Trust Me." 

- Sarah Cnossen 

- Sarah Cnossen 

S K G F U N | 1 0

POETRY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

- skiing - 

Cutting frosted glass 

With knives not meant for butter; 

Leaves twin tails in wake. 

Kate Jones 

- sleeting - 

Icy particles 

Crash; against a freezing face. 

Eyes barely exposed. 

Kate Jones 

S K G F U N | 1 1

winter 

spring 

POETRY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER SKGFUN.COM 

2017 

It wont happen again. 

It wont happen again 

Here I am, 

Thats what you told me. 

As you left me, 

I wont hurt you again 

I am left in a daze 

Cold and shaking. 

You drew me in, 

Colors flash 

Children laugh, dogs bark, 

With the tempting looks, 

balls are tossed, flowers bloom. 

Your beauty was unmatchable. 

The sounds become too much, 

Against the clean snow, 

as sickness infects me. 

- skiing - 

All is splendid and glistening. 

Head spinning, lights flash. 

Here I am. 

A wall sits in front of me, 

I am headed towards it, 

Cutting frosted glass 

You've abandoned me. 

the sounds become a distant buzz. 

I am trembling. 

With knives not meant for butter; 

As if bees swarm my head. 

My body is numb. 

I hit the wall, 

I slowly turn 

dark and desolate. Rain clouds fill my heart, 

Leaves twin tails in wake. 

brain and mind. 

As blue, 

You said it wouldn't happen again , yet here I am 

Kate Jones 

As you. 

broken again. 

- julia findley 


fall 

The trees, they've changed. 

Crisp air, bright reds and orange. 

Apples are in ample supply. 

Pies are baked from fall produce. 

Thanksgiving fills our stomaches to the bursting point. 

Hot chocolate keeps us warm. 

- sleeting - 

Friends fill our hearts with joy and glee. 

Sweltering heat fades into cool days and nights. 

Icy particles 

The wind lifts our spirits. School starts, 

new friends are made. 

Crash; against a freezing face. 

Caramel sticks to our teeth. 

Candy apples stain faces red. 

Eyes barely exposed. 

The air slowly turns bitter as fall fades into winter. 

Kate Jones 


S K G F U N | 1 1

writers & bloggers 

a c b y a l i v i a m c a l i s t e r 

f 

SKGFUN.COM 

problems

SKGFUN.COM 

h e S y o n y m I s s u e 

N o w , t h i s i s a n i s s u e I r u n i n t o W A Y . T O O . O F T E N . Y o u 

w a n n a u s e a w o r d . W o r d i s t o o g e n e r i c . S e a r c h f o r a 

1.T s y n o n y m . C a n ’ t c h o o s e t h e r i g h t s y n o n y m . E n d u p u s i n g 

g e n e r i c w o r d a n d h a t i n g i t . L i t e r a l l y m y e n t i r e l i f e . 

e D r e a d e d W r t e r ’ B l o c k 

h 

I a c t u a l l y f e l l i n t o t h i s t r a p w h i l e p r o c r a s t i n a t i n g w r i t i n g 

t h i s a r t i c l e . . . B u t s e r i o u s l y , i t ’ s a n a w f u l p r o b l e m t o h a v e ! 

Y o u c a n ’ t f o c u s : t h e r e ’ s a l w a y s g o n n a b e t h i n g s m o r e 

i n t e r e s t i n g n e a r b y , a n d s o m e t i m e s y o u m i g h t f a l l a s l e e p o r 

s c r e a m “ W H Y M E ? ” 

T 

D o n ’ t w o r r y , i t h a p p e n s t o t h e b e s t o f u s . “ B o y , d o e s t h a t w a l l l o o k 

i n t e r e s t i n g r i g h t n o w . L e t ’ s s t a r e a t i t f o r t h r e e h o u r s . ” I c a n j u s t 

i m a g i n e t h e i n f o m e r c i a l n o w . . . “ I f y o u o r a l o v e d o n e s u f f e r f r o m 

p e n m a n s h i p h u r d l e s , t a l k t o y o u r d o c t o r a b o u t t h e b r e a k t h r o u g h 

s u p e r f o o d c a l l e d C o f f e e . C o f f e e i s n o t i n t e n d e d f o r t h o s e t r y i n g t o s t a y 

a w a k e c r a m m i n g f o r a t e s t , b u t i t i s u s e d s o a n y w a y . C a l l y o u r d o c t o r 

i m m e d i a t e l y i f s i d e e f f e c t s s u c h a s s h a k i n e s s , e x t r e m e l a c k o f f o c u s , 

2. 

c r a v i n g s f o r m o r e c o f f e e , a n d e x t r e m e p r o d u c t i v i t y o c c u r , a s y o u m a y 

n e e d t o g o o f f t h e s u p e r f o o d a n d u s e c o f f e e s p a r i n g l y w h e n e v e r n e e d e d 

i n s t e a d o f h o u r l y . ” T h a t w a s c h e e s y , b u t t r u e . 

3.c o 

i s t e n c y 

n 

T h i s i s o n e t h a t i h a v e a l o t o f t r o u b l e w i t h , a n d t h a t ’ s 

s t a y i n g c o n s i s t e n t i n p o s t i n g c o n t e n t . S o m e t i m e s y o u j u s t 

f a l l i n t o t h a t f u n k o f n o t p o s t i n g f o r a f e w m o n t h s , a n d t h e n 

y o u p o s t a l o t i n t w o d a y s . E i t h e r w a y , i t ’ s n o t a f u n 

p r o b l e m t o h a v e . T h o s e n o t p o s t i n g r u t s a r e n o t e a s y t o g e t 

o u t o f , a n d i t ’ s j u s t p l a i n i r r i t a t i n g w h e n i t h a p p e n s . I f i n d t h a t i t ’ s j u s t 

b e s t t o r i d e i t o u t , a n d l e t t h e i n s p i r a t i o n c o m e t o y o u i n s t e a d o f t r y i n g 

t o r u n i n t o i t . 

S K G F U N | 1 4 

By Emma Bigelow

SKGFUN.COM 

4.l a 

f t r a f f i c 

c 

N o w , I k n o w h o w i t i s . T h a t d r e a d e d m o m e n t w h e n y o u t a k e a 

l o o k a t y o u r t r a f f i c p a g e a n d y o u r a m o u n t o f v i s i t o r s h a s 

g o n e d o w n d r a s t i c a l l y . Y o u b e g i n t h i n k i n g “ W h a t ? ? W h a t h a v e 

I d o n e t o l o s e v i e w e r s ? I s i t m y c o n t e n t ? ” N o t t o w o r r y , i t 

h a p p e n s a l l t h e t i m e . Y o u r b l o g w i l l g o t h r o u g h w a v e s o f 

g e t t i n g a l o t o f v i e w s a n d t h e n s o m e d e a d p e r i o d s . I t ’ s 

n o r m a l . I f r e a k o u t e v e r y s i n g l e t i m e t h a t i t h a p p e n s . 

5. 

t 

l e i 

W h e t h e r y o u ’ r e a b l o g g e r o r a n o v e l i s t , w e a l l h a v e i s s u e s 

w i t h f i n d i n g a n e n g a g i n g t i t l e . W h e t h e r i t b e a p o s t a b o u t 

d o g s o r a p o s t a b o u t a c o n t r o v e r s i a l t o p i c . T i t l i n g t h i n g s i s 

s o i n c r e d i b l y h a r d ! Y o u a l w a y s h a v e t o m a k e s u r e t h e t i t l e i s 

i n t e r a c t i v e , t h a t i t m a k e s t h e r e a d e r s w a n t t o e n g u l f 

t h e m s e l v e s i n y o u r w o r k . W e l l , m a y b e n o t q u i t e t h a t 

e n g a g i n g . 

S o t h e r e y a h a v e i t , f i v e r o a d s o f i s s u e s t h a t 

a r e f a i r l y w e l l d r i v e n . H o p e f u l l y s o m e o f 

y ’ a l l c a n r e l a t e ! 

S K G F U N | 1 5

SKGFUN.COM 

rocks 

REMARRIAGE 

the on 

By Katherine Matesevac 

Three children sat around a table 

gloomily. The news from Meg had 

caught them by surprise. 

“Do you really think he’ll do it?” 

Mark asked. 

“Probably,” Maddie said glumly. 

“Dad always does what he says he’s 

going to do. But it’s only been two 

years since Mom died. I can’t believe 

he’s thinking about this already!” 

“I like Miss Kate,” said Meg. 

“But do you want another mother?” 

demanded Maddie. “A stepmother 

who will be horrible and mean all 

the time? Just because she isn’t that 

way now doesn’t mean she won’t be 

that way as soon as she marries Dad.” 

“I guess not,” Meg admitted. “But 

what are we going to do about it?” 

“We’ve got to do something,” 

Maddie agreed. As the oldest, she felt 

responsible. The kids sat around 

thinking deeply for a few minutes. 

Mark got up and ran out, returning a 

minute later with all the pots and 

pans he could carry. 

“I’ll start a hard metal band in my 

room!” he announced. “She’ll hate it 

so much she’ll have to leave!” 

“She’ll need her pots and pans back 

soon,” Maddie pointed out. “And if 

you don’t give them back, Daddy will 

just spank you and get them 

anyway.” 

Mark’s face fell. “I guess I’ll take 

these back to the kitchen.” He left. 

“I could make Daddy watch 

Cinderella with me so he’ll realize 

how bad stepmothers are,” Meg 

suggested helpfully. 

“I don’t think that’ll work, dear,” 

Maddie replied. It was exactly the 

sort of thing her six-year-old sister 

would say. Mark returned and they 

sat around thinking. 

“We can run away!” Meg said 

suddenly breaking the silence. 

“I don’t know, hon,” said Maddie. “It 

—might—work—though. I have my 

license. Grandma and Grandpa don’t 

live too far away. We can just leave 

Saturday morning with enough 

S K G F U N | 1 6

SKGFUN.COM 

clothes for a couple days and tell 

Daddy we aren’t coming back until 

he decides he won’t marry Miss Kate. 

We can grab a snack from the fridge 

before we leave.” 

The kids sat around making plans. 

None of them noticed when their 

dad walked in. They talked excitedly, 

and wrote out the note they would 

leave for him. When they got up to 

leave, they turned around—and 

stopped. Daddy was crying. Not even 

Maddie could remember Daddy 

crying except for when Mommy had 

died two years ago. “Madeleine 

Grace, would you like to explain 

what is going on?” he asked sadly. 

“It wasn’t my idea, it was Meg’s,” 

Maddie retorted. 

“But you’re 16—the oldest. She 

listened to you. She and Mark would 

never have done it without your 

planning.” 

Maddie started to feel tears prick the 

back of her eyes. She blinked them 

away rapidly. “We don’t want a 

stepmother—any stepmother. We 

like Miss Kate, but only as a 

babysitter-housekeeper. We 

remember our own mother and we 

don’t want anyone to take her place. 

So we were planning on running 

away until you decide you won’t 

marry her.” 

Daddy sat down and motioned the 

kids over. He pulled Meg down on 

his lap while Mark and Meg perched 

on the arms of the chair. “First of all, 

I still love your mother,” he began. 

“Her death devastated me. But there 

are many different types of love. I 

love Miss Kate differently than I love 

your mom. I love both of them 

differently than I love you. Your 

mom wanted me to marry again. She 

told me so before she died.” 

“She did WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!” 

Maddie exclaimed in horror. 

“She wanted me to marry again. Not 

right away, but after a few years. She 

knew that all kids need a mommy 

and daddy, and she knew that I can’t 

do it all. Do you understand?” 

The kids nodded reluctantly. Plans 

and adventure were hard to give up 

even when there was no reason for 

them. Miss Kate walked in at that 

moment. Maddie went to her and 

gave her a hug. Mark and Meg 

followed suit. They left quietly. 

“Is everything okay?” Kate asked. 

“Yeah,” Dad replied. “We had a 

minor misunderstanding, but it’s all 

cleared up now. They know, and 

we’ve discussed it.” 

“Do you think Maddie will agree to 

be my bridesmaid? And maybe Meg 

and Mark could be flower girl and 

ring bearer?” Kate asked. 

“I think so,” Dad said, smiling to 

himself. “They really like you. But 

you know what?” 

“What?” said Kate. 

“You can’t be their mommy. But I 

bet you can be their mother.” 

“Perfect,” said Kate. 

S K G F U N | 1 7

Snippets 

Book 

by Sarah Cnossen 

Noya 

SKGFUN.COM 

S K G F U N | 1 8

BOOK SNIPPETS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

The Elves were always peaceful folk. 

Friendly to all who crossed their 

way. But alas, for the past two 

centuries, correspondence and trade 

between Men and Elves has fallen. 

Anger and hatred has taken place of 

friendship and camaraderie. And all 

because of one little king. It is to this 

king the woman goes, for she carries 

a message of great importance. But 

that is far from all. In her worn sack 

she has two items: one of simple 

beauty; the other, an object whose 

ability is only to show that beauty. 

One, a gift. The other, a curse. 

With a guttural roar, he leapt from 

the throne's landing to where [the 

mage] last stood, but he stopped 

short. For in her place lay a worn, 

leather satchel. And in it's folds, an 

item sparkled. Curiosity replaced his 

wrath and he bent to free the object. 

A mirror. And before his eyes, a tiny 

crack appeared. 

S K G F U N | 1 9

BOOK SNIPPETS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

The weeks passed and turned into months. Winter came and went, leaving in its wake 

the blooms and buds of spring. According to the townsfolk, they had endured a rather 

mild season of frost and snowfall. Still, it was with a happy heart that Noya welcomed 

the newly awakened spring, for she disliked the cold with a passion that made her 

father and brothers laugh. 

She ran to him and helped him from the saddle, noting how he stumbled a bit and 

looking with concern at the nasty bruise on his jawbone. “Oh Brom, I've been so 

worried!” she cried, wrapping her arms around him as soon as he turned to her. “I 

know,” he said softly. “The pass was blocked.” She nodded. “Master Black told us 

everything. They searched for you for hours.” “I found. . . another way.” What was that 

in his eyes? Sorrow? 

He stood a silent giant just inside the border of his Wood, watching the young man and 

his sister converse quietly under the shelter of the house. The maiden was even more 

lovely than he had imagined. A low growl escaped his lips. It was far too late to be 

thinking such things. 

if a writer falls in love with you, 

you can never die. 

S K G F U N | 2 0

why i write Grace Anne Johnson 

WHY I WRITE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

SKGFUN.COM 

Writing is one of the hardest things in the world. You’re literally having to create 

worlds in your head, then throw them onto paper. It takes hours — sometimes 

years — of brainstorming, writing and editing before it’s perfect. 

So why do it? Why pursue such a difficult life? 

Because it is what makes us feel alive. 

Writing is freeing. It is something that we can do all for ourselves if we want to. We 

have the ability to delve into brand new worlds and stories, allowing ourselves to live a 

thousand different lives. As writers, we have the ability to share anything and 

everything on our hearts, to tell stories that need to be told. We get to wake up 

every day and do something that is important to us. We get to share our words, and 

that’s such an exciting, powerful thing. Books can change people’s mindsets, even 

their lives, and we are the ones who get to write those books. How cool is that? 

Writing is something that I am passionate about it. That’s why I write. Because 

even when it’s insanely difficult — when I’ve spent three hours trying to write a 

single page, when editing is about to make me pull my hair out — it’s worth it. It’s 

something that I truly love, and cannot imagine my life without. 

This is why I write. 

S K G F U N | 2 1

my 

Spilling Ink 

aubrey stouffer 

RESOURCES 

Writing is one of my favorite hobbies, and I 

love dreaming up various stories. Here are the 

WRITING 

top four sources of inspiration that help make 

writing interesting and intriguing to me. 

Family 

Having four crazy siblings, I actually get a lot of 

inspiration from them. What they say and do, 

how they think and act. For example, my 

youngest brother inspired me to write a short 

story about a bratty little girl who turns out to 

be a blessing in disguise. 

Friends 

My friends have got to be the most interesting, 

unique people I know. The same goes for them. 

Everything about them is an inspiration. My 

friend, Ellie, inspired a character’s looks for the 

diary of a babysitter. 

the world around me 

Pictures, nature, random sentences, and people 

inspire my writing. One time, while at a gas 

station, I noticed a man that I believed would 

make a good character for a sci-fi story. 

The best book for young and eager writers is 

Spilling Ink. It contains loads of writing 

information including suggestions about story 

ideas and great writing tips! My fave tip from 

Spilling Ink is not to be afraid to make mistakes 

while writing. You can always go back and 

change it later. I have read this book at least 

seven times! 

of the most popular 

One 

genres of our day and 

book 

(especially amongst teens 

age 

young adults) is the 

and 

Contemporary genre S K G F U N | 2 2

-WINGSbook 

excerpt by Anna McAuley 

This excerpt is from “Wings,” an ongoing collection of short stories by Anna McAuley. There are currently five installments; to read 

the other currently available installments visit http://lethologicablog.weebly.com/wings.html 

S K G F U N | 2 3

WINGS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

“You did that wrong, and anyways, 

we’ve got to go.” 

I shriek, turn violently towards my 

left shoulder to see who is talking, 

and shriek again when I realize 

there's a strange boy standing there. 

“Stop screeching. You do that a lot, 

you know?” 

I open my mouth to say something, 

but I don’t know what to say and so 

I shut it again. 

"Wha— do I know you?" 

He shrugs. "No, I guess not. But I 

know you." 

I narrow my eyes. I'm pretty sure 

I've never seen this guy before. 

"No," I say with certainty, "you 

don't." 

"Yes, I do, Eva." 

Okay this got interesting. "How—" 

"How do I know your name? I'm 

not sure honestly, because we were 

never properly introduced. But I 

know it, as I know many things 

about you, and there you have it." 

I shake my head. "I've never seen 

you or spoken to you before— 

there's no way you know anything 

about me." 

He smiles then. "You're sixteen. 

You come up here Tuesday and 

Friday afternoons, except for every 

third Friday because there's a group 

that meets downstairs and you'd 

have to interrupt their meeting to 

get here. You hate tea, you love 

birds, and you constantly hit your 

right shoulder on the doorframe 

when you exit your bedroom . . . 

even though you know it's there; it 

never moves." He gives me a grin 

that I view as condescending, but I 

don't bother to defend myself. 

Because it's true. But how does he 

know that? He doesn't. Obviously. 

He's guessing . . . 

While I argue with myself, trying to 

sort through my sudden feelings of 

vulnerability and slight curiosity, he 

clears his throat and continues. 

"Your birthday is February 13th. 

You have two cats, but you secretly 

name and claim every stray you 

happen to pass by. You love 

strawberries, but you hate 

blueberries." 

I actually gasp. Those are my exact 

words! I think as hard as I can, but 

I'm not sure if I've ever actually 

announced this opinion out loud— 

except maybe to a cat. 

He seems to know that he's gotten 

my attention. "Yes, I am very welleducated 

in the insanity that is your 

character," he says cooly. "So, can 

you agree to trust me for maybe 

half an hour?" 

I mean . . . he does know a lot about 

me . . . Stalker, probably. Creepy 

psychic? Psychic stalker. But . . . 

"Obviously I've been around you for 

quite some time," he points out. "If I 

wanted to hurt you, I would have 

done it by now." 

I continue to consider. Well, that's 

true. Anyone who knows that much 

has to have had many opportunities 

to kill or kidnap me by this point. 

"And," he says casually, "if you won't 

listen, I won't tell you who I am, 

why I'm here, or how I know so 

much about you." 

Oooh. It's a well-worded sentence, 

seemingly created to play along 

with the fact that I'm possibly one of 

the most curious humans ever. He 

knows that, I realize, seeing the selfsatisfied 

look on his face. And of 

course he would. Trusting this guy, 

even just for short while, goes 

against the practical side of me, but . 

. . 

S K G F U N | 2 4

WINGS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

How will I ever find out what's 

up with him otherwise? I have 

my phone; I'll call the police if 

he turns out to be a wellinformed 

stalker... and mind 

reader... 

I look him directly in the eye. 

"Okay. I'll listen... for now. But 

I'm warning you, if you try 

anything, I can defend myself, 

and I will end you." I cross my 

arms and stand tall to prove my 

point. 

The boy looks unimpressed. He 

crosses his arms, and when he 

moves, I notice something 

behind him. It almost makes me 

release another screech. Instead, 

I take a deep breath, fight to 

keep my nerves down, and 

attempt to talk like a sane 

person. 

“You have wings.” 

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” 

His tone is bored, and I can 

practically feel his sarcasm. 

“You can fly?” I ask. 

“Nope.” 

“So… they’re for decoration?” 

“Yep.” 

“That’s...interesting.” I think to 

myself that it’s not just 

interesting: it’s weird. And 

stupid. And impractical. But 

still… I am officially intrigued, 

although I try to hide the fact 

that I’m sneaking glances at them 

every other second. 

“Well,” he says coyly, “when 

you’re done admiring-” 

“I’m not admiring.” 

“Gawking, then.” 

“I don’t gawk.” 

“Really? Because right now, I 

feel a lot like a two-headed lion 

in a zoo.” 

“I’ve never seen a-” 

“Exactly. So, as I was saying, as 

soon as you’re done gawking we 

need to get out of here.” 

“Why? I just got here; I’m not 

finished.” I give him a look and 

gesture at what I was working on 

before he interrupted me. 

“You can talk to me here. And 

anyways… I don’t even know 

you, remember? Therefore, I 

won’t be accompanying you 

anywhere.” 

I turn away from him, pick up a 

brush, and try to begin painting 

again. He, however, remains 

persistent. 

“Stop being stubborn and come 

on,” he says. His voice is quiet, 

but it’s turning into a sort of low 

growl; and he even goes so far as 

to grab my arm. This surprises 

me enough to make me drop my 

paintbrush. 

“Hey, let go!” I look at him in 

disbelief. “Are you expecting me 

to come with you after 

you’remanhandling me? Just talk 

to me here, angel boy.” 

His face immediately turns from 

disinterested to annoyed. “Do 

not ever call me that. Ever 

again.” 

I stop trying to pull away for a 

moment, briefly consider the 

mature course of action, and 

then reject it. I give him what I 

hope is an impish grin, and then 

I say slowly and deliberately, 

“Angel boy.” 

This time he really growls. 

Geez. Is he part tiger, too? But 

before I can voice this thought 

aloud andreally make him salty, 

he’s taken a stronger hold on my 

arm and is leading me towards 

the stairwell. I have no choice 

but to let him propel me 

forward, and so I make up for 

my physical uselessness by 

beginning to scream- a real 

scream this time. 

“Silence!” He tries to cover my 

mouth with his hand, but I snap 

my teeth in an attempt to bite 

him. He jerks his hand away, 

looking just a little bit concerned 

now. 

“Unhand me!” I protest. 

He shakes his head. “I just want 

to talk, okay? Follow me quietly 

and I’ll explain everything.” 

I frown. “Yeah, that doesn’t 

sound suspicious at all.” 

He rolls his eyes. “I promise that 

I’m not going to hurt you, okay? 

Just… give me a chance to tell 

you what’s going on.” He pauses. 

"And I know that you're dying to 

know." 

I contemplate this a moment, 

then reason that even if we're not 

in this exact location, I will still 

have my phone and be able to 

turn into a screaming, kicking 

ball of fury if need be. Plus, I still 

want to know... 

“Fine,” I concede, and he loosens 

his grip on me. “But I’m 

watching you, angel boy.” 

“Gawking, then.” 

“I don’t gawk.” 

“Really? Because right now, I feel 

a lot like a two-headed lion in a 

zoo.” 

“I’ve never seen a-” 

“Exactly. So, as I was saying, as 

soon as you’re done gawking we 

need to get out of here.” 

“Why? I just got here; I’m not 

finished.” I give him a look and 

gesture at what I was working on 

before he interrupted me. 

S K G F U N | 2 5

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of 

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and keeps our 

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clean, 

knowledge-feeding 

SKGFUN T-SHIRTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 

for the 

writing 

magazine running

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Behind 

on e-magazines 

Updates 

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Hilarious 

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Fun, 

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more! And 

CREDITS SKGFUN.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017 

hang out with us 

Credits 

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a.k.a., boring stuff 

Native American Inspired Outfits 

Artwork: Created by Freepik 

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Disclaimer 

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SKGfun is not responsible for any inaccurate information in 

its magazine pages. We strive to share accurate information, 

but it’s always possible to miss something. We can’t check 

every article that our writers turn in for historical/factual 

veracity. Additionally, we are not responsible for plagiarism 

on the part of our writers. We accept their work assuming 

that it is their own. Please contact us if you have any 

problems. 

Current reading material in our world today has been 

tainted and darkened. In our pages, we strive to share clean 

and positive articles that leave readers feeling blessed. 

We will not stand down for our faith; however, we will not 

push our beliefs on others. You are free to accept or reject 

things we say and we will not discriminate against you for 

any reason. Additionally, just because our pages are filled 

with positive articles does not mean we will not stand up for 

what we believe in. However, we believe that at this time it is 

best to look at the glass as half full. 

All photos were checked to ensure they do not infringe 

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Unsplash and Wikipedia were used minimally in this 

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S K G F U N | 2 7

guide to life 

Every year, we choose a new theme for our e-magazine! Our 2018 

Girl's 

skgfun.com 

Next year's theme 

theme is "Girl's Guide to Life." We'll be taking a look at topics like 

friends, family, school and boys. Have a question you'd like to see 

answered? Or maybe an area in your life you're struggling with? Let us 

know so we can get you answers!

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