Student writing contest awards announced
Brush Creek Writers announces the winners of its fourth annual Tri-County Student Short Story Contest. There were four winners who received $100 each and a grand prize winner who received $250.
The grand prize winner is Jaena Morrison for “Strings,” a story about a puppet who takes over the life and body of a child.
This year’s other winners include: Zachery Berg for “The Wreck” (a downed plane and wounded pilot); Samantha Meoak for “Revenge” (Rainstorm, young woman alone and an escaped felon looking for revenge on her father); Caleb Shiffer for “Super Zero” (a comedy, a super hero klutz whose collateral material damage is not worth the price of his assistance); and Hayden Timm for “ADAM” (a computer who is us).
The contest began in 2014 as the brainchild of Allan James Grund, who felt more needed to be done to encourage young writers. The contest is aimed at students in grades 7-12. To keep the number of entries to a manageable amount, the contest is open to students who reside in Alpena, Presque Isle and Montmorency counties.
Because some of the students attend schools outside of the counties or attend non-traditional schools, the requirement is that they reside in one of the counties, regardless of the location or type of school they attend.
Brush Creek Writers was established in 2007 by Katherine Stevens. The group meets monthly on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. at Brush Creek Mill, 121 S. State, Hillman. The second Thursday of each month has a focus of prose, while the fourth Thursday of each month has a focus of poetry.
There are no dues or membership fees. At each meeting there may be a promp or there may be a lesson, but there is always time for every member to share his/her writing.
This year at poetry meetings, participants are looking at Bob Dylan as a poet/songwriter, using a different poem each month as a focus. The goal at Brush Creek Writers is to encourage writing of all kinds. Members vary from beginning writers to listeners to published poets and authors. All have something to learn from one another.
The student contest is supported by donations from Brush Creek Mill’s “Teeing Off For Kids” (an annual July golf tournament) as well as Thrivent donations and donations from Brush Creek Writers.