May Ink Splat – Sonja K. Solter

by | May 11, 2020 | The Ink Splat

This month, we talk to author Sonja K. Solter about her new Middle-Grade novel, When You Know What I Know.  In this interview, we learn about writing about heavy topics, and her favorite things to do when she gets stuck writing.

Writing Challenge

This month, Sonja has challenged us to try writing in verse:

 

Sonja’s new book When You Know What I Know, is unique in that it is written “in verse”.  Sonja says this means, “the language is poetic and sometimes on the page, it looks more like a poem than like prose. That’s not to say that it’s written like a structured poem – it’s free verse and I used a lot of poetic techniques in the writing.”
  
Choose one of your own short stories or finish the classic fairy tale below, and make it poetic. See how you can turn the story into a more abstract poem, “in verse”. Use punctuation! Play with words sounds, and sentence structure. Have fun with the 5 senses! Aim between 350 and 1,000 words. Submit your response with the button below.
Example:
 
Little Red Riding Hood
Red, cape
Long path. Just like any other day.
Sweet smells and tastes for Grandma!
Sudden rustling
Freeze.
Meet a friend, Say goodbye. But it isn’t….
Knock three times, “Come In!” and sit next to the fire.
Notice something different about her.
She looks bizarre.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait….  
 
Submit Your Writing Challenge!

An Interview with Sonja K. Solter

Spotlight Ink Author Writing

INKLINGS CONNECT

Looking for a leadership opportunity?

Our two Inklings leadership teams, the Youth Advisory Board and the Inklings Member Advisory Team are open now for high-school aged applicants.

 

A previous youth leader said this of her experience:

"Being part of Young Inklings has made me more conscious of my identity as a writer in community. It's easy for writing to feel very solitary, but my experiences at Inklings this year have been focused on the joy of the collective, and that's been wonderful. There is so much joy in collaborating to improve a community that you love!"

Learn More & Apply

A special thanks to Sonja Solter for being a mentor at the Society of Young Inklings and sharing with us! Sonja’s latest novel, When You Know What I Know, is available everywhere books are sold! Order Here. 

Sonja K. Solter spent her childhood summers in her mother’s homeland of Finland and traveled the world extensively with her family. She read so voraciously as a child that she once brought over 70 books on a trip. (Her mother is still trying to figure out how that slipped by her.) Sonja graduated with an interdisciplinary degree in Human Biology from Stanford University and has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. Her master’s critical thesis was on writing trauma in middle grade and young adult realistic fiction. She is currently a creative writing mentor to youth with the Society of Young Inklings and enjoys writing poetry and prose for children of all ages. She has also been a Music Together® director and teacher, where she especially enjoyed the collaborative improvisation aspect of the program. Sonja lives with her husband and two children in Louisville, Colorado, and enjoys nature, travel, and yoga.