Celebrating literature and books means celebrating not only the people who were brave and dedicated enough to write them, but also those who were courageous enough to read them. 

We each have a unique and valuable perspective that has been shaped by the experiences we have had. We are part of a wonderfully diverse world, and one way we can celebrate that is by telling our stories. Your stories matter because you matter. 

In the spirit of this, to celebrate Book Week we are going to make our own book. We are asking you to use this time to write and submit a short piece of writing. The library will collect and collate an anthology of works submitted by the students and staff of MHS, get it professionally printed and bound and then add it to our collection. 

Being a member of the Melbourne High School community, you are part of an establishment with a rich history. Sharing a story that will live on in the library is small way to leave your mark here. We hope that this exercise might become an annual undertaking, so that in years to come we will have a series of books penned by the people who make up the MHS community.

Your piece need not be long. There is no minimum world limit. You may not consider yourself a good writer, but that isn't the point. The fact it is you who has written it is what will make it worth reading. 

Below you will find a list of prompts that you can use. Pick whichever sparks an interest in you. Use the associated link to submit your work.

You can find Example pieces of writing here: Example 1 | Example 2|

Example 1 : A time when I felt adventurous

I am normally such a carful and conservative person. I always follow the rules and play it safe. So the following story of mine sticks out in my mind as one of the few times I have been even a little adventurous.

About 10 years ago I was travelling through the UK with two good friends. We'd hired a car and driven all the way up to the Isle of Skye, which is right at the north western tip of Scotland. We were having a great time exploring the island. The roads were so small and narrow, and the landscape was spectacular.

Eventually we came across the ruins of a small castle. It sat on a rocky outcrop that reached out into the ocean. The tide was low, exposing the rocks below. One friend stayed in the car, while myself and the other made our way through a muddy grassy meadow to reach the castle. We were able to walk up a small grass covered rise that lead to a spot where a small stone bridge had once been. The bridge would have allowed access to the tiny castle, but had long since crumbled, with only the stone support walls remaining. There was now a gap of a few meters, dividing the grassy spot where we stood, from some old stone steps that lead up into what remained of the old castle.

In hindsight it was a silly thing to do. Irresponsible and carless really, but I was so taken by this tiny castle. I felt adventurous, and I wanted to keep exploring. I sized up the gap. It wasn't that far. Really. And the drop… well, I was pretty sure I wouldn't hurt myself too bad if I fell. I must admit though that it was a little more difficult than it looked. However, somehow I managed to make it. I reached the other side. I climbed the uneven stone stairs and found myself surrounded by ancient crumbling stone walls -  and a view that looked out over the bay. I only spent a few minutes there, feeling like I was trespassing on some ancient site. There was stinging nettle everywhere so I had to be careful not to touch any.

The return trip was just as tricky, but I made it back. I joined my friend who had stayed on the other side of the gap waiting for me to return and we trudged back to the car.
 

Example 2 : The most adventurous thing to ever happen to you

When I was about 8 years old, my family went on a holiday to central Australia. We had a 4WD and Dad liked to take us off roading. One afternoon we were going to see some random historical site in the middle of nowhere. We came to a creek that we had to cross. It had water in it, but didn't look too deep. We made it halfway. The car sucked water into the engine and stalled. We had to climb out the windows while the car filled with water. We were easily able to make it to the creek bank, but the car was stuck. We walked back to camp and someone came to tow us out. It was an adventure of sorts.