A Year in the Life of a Complete and Total Genius by Stacey Matson Page B

said that he has Minecraft, so we can play it next time we see each other. Who knows when that will be though? It feels like forever sometimes. Auntie Deborah said she was going to come down on her own, but I hope she brings Luke. He could go to my school for a while too. Although he might be bored there. I think he thinks I’m cooler than I am. And what if Kennedy fell in love with Luke instead of me? He is the cooler version of me. Maybe it’s better if Luke stays in Edmonton.
    Anyway, RJ, it feels like every week I think that there won’t be something to be sad about, but then there’s always SOMETHING, like pizza night on Friday or Christmas or Pancake Tuesday. Then I get stuck and can’t write about happy things. Sometimes I take ideas and stuff from other places and try and go from there, but it never works. I just want one thing in my life to be perfect. And the only thing that could be perfect is my writing. Is that asking too much?
    Yours truly,
    Arthur Bean
    â€¢ • •
    JUNIOR AUTHORS CONTEST
    There is just over two months before the deadline for short story submissions on April 1. Your stories should already be completed in a first draft, so use these final months to polish your work. Editing is key to a good story, so put your creative writing partners to work; don’t forget that they will be working on their own stories too.
    Don’t leave things to the last minute; two months can go by very quickly!
    Happy writing!
    â€¢ • •
    Assignment: Interview About Me
    By Arthur Bean
    I asked my next-door neighbor Nicole to answer some questions about me for this assignment. Here is what we talked about.
    Arthur: When did you meet me and what was your first impression?
    Nicole: I met you and your parents six years ago when I moved in. You were really small for your age. I remember that you ran around the courtyard a lot while singing Frank Sinatra songs and pretending to be an airplane. That was weird. Then I started babysitting you, and you liked to watch cartoons right before bed, and then read a book that was almost the same as the movie and compare them. It was cute.
    Arthur: What are some of the things that I do best?
    Nicole: Well, you’re a pretty good knitter, especially since you just started learning. You’re good at talking to strangers when I have people over and you’re here. You sure aren’t shy! You like writing. You make a really good tomato sauce. You’re pretty good about making your bed in the mornings. You always recycle.
    Arthur: How likely is it that I will become a famous writer like Stephen King?
    Nicole: Everything is possible if you work at it. But becoming a famous writer is really hard. You have to fail a lot to get there. Lots of people want to be writers, but they never get published. I think you have to work at lots of jobs in order to become a writer. Then it gives you lots to write about!
    Arthur: What can I do better in life?
    Nicole: You’re only twelve…
    Arthur: I’m thirteen.
    Nicole: Only thirteen. You’ve got plenty of time to screw up your life in ways you can’t even imagine yet. Trust me! I say keep doing what you’re doing, and everything will work out for the best.
    Arthur: No. I mean right now.
    Nicole: Oh. Well, you could clean up the kitchen more often. Your dishes are always left in the sink for way longer than a day. It’s gross.
    Arthur: Thank you, Nicole.
    Nicole: You’re welcome, Arthur.
    Arthur,
    Your babysitter Nicole is very astute! I hope you found this assignment useful.
    Kennedy mentioned that you’re having trouble with your story for the competition. If you wish to speak with me about it, I’d be happy to meet with you after class. Sometimes all we need is someone to talk through our challenges in order to get them down on paper!
    Ms. Whitehead
    Dear Ms. Whitehead,
    Nicole is not my babysitter. She is my next-door neighbor who I spend time with when my dad