Earlier this month, the Maryland Writers’ Association (MWA) published Emerging Voices: Poetry and Prose by Maryland Teens (Volume 10). This is a selection of short stories, novel excerpts, and poems by members of the teen writers’ clubs sponsored by the MWA. The collection contains works from more than two dozen authors, ranging in age from ten to eighteen.

For the second year in a row, I had the honor and privilege of being an editor. For me, this meant working with incredibly talented young folks to help polish short stories and novel excerpts on a whole range of topics.

Many of the pieces I worked on had strong themes of technology, including some dark stories that warn of overreliance on technology in our society. Written by authors who are coming of age in the time of streaming, AI, and increased automation, the stories struck a chord.

One story, by a seventh-grader, imagined a post-apocalyptic world in the immediate aftermath of worldwide technological failure. Another story, by a ninth-grader, told the story of two teenagers who encounter technology that is literally (not figuratively) trying to kill them.

Of course, not all the stories were grim. One was the beginning of a fantasy novel, featuring a hero determined to save the world from the murderous dragon intent on subjugating humankind.

I thoroughly enjoy seeing the creativity, talent, and skill of young writers. And if you want to experience the same, you can pick up a copy for only $7.76. As the MWA notes, the group priced the anthology to make it accessible, and MWA does not earn any royalties from sales.

For anyone who wants to be more involved with the MWA, I highly recommend their annual writing conference. It is a great way to meet people, listen to smart folks discuss writing, and pitch manuscripts to agents in person. This October, I will attend for the third time. Hope to see you there!