Teens win writing contest
Whitefish High School students who placed in the Flathead Student Writing Contest are, from left, Nora Ide, Sophie McDermott, Cassidy Krack and Felix Solem. (Courtesy photo)
Linderman student Victoria Meccia, who won third place in the fiction category, gets a check from Craig Naylor with Authors of the Flathead. (Courtesy photo)
This spring, high school students across the Flathead Valley threw their words in the ring for the Authors of the Flathead Student Writing Contest, with winners from Whitefish, Bigfork, and Linderman schools taking the top spots.
Every year the nonprofit organization of “writers helping writers” hosts a contest with cash prizes to encourage teens in their writing ambitions. With categories in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, the contest is wide open to interpretation and subject matter. This year’s contest saw entries on themes ranging from romance to addiction and grief, environmental awareness, and everyday family love.
A panel of local professional authors judge the submissions based on theme, creativity, artistic merit, clarity, spelling and grammar. Sometimes, as in the professional writing world, if theme, creativity, and artistic merit are especially strong, they can outweigh a few grammar mistakes.
This year’s entries strove particularly to convey powerful emotional stories, and the judges were impressed with how well some of them succeeded with strength and subtlety. The goal of the contest is to encourage young writers in their aspirations, and reward them for their efforts at a professional, paying level.
The next contest will run in spring of 2025, and is open to all Flathead Valley youth in grades 9-12. Authors of the Flathead also hosts free weekly meetings on Thursday evenings, and a yearly conference in the fall. For more information, visit www.authorsoftheflathead.org
Winners are:
Fiction
1. “The Sinner” by Felix Solem, Whitefish High School
2. “The Poet & the Musician” by Cassidy Krack, Whitefish High School
3. “Crippled Seven,” by Victoria Meccia, Linderman Education Center
Poetry
1. “Addict,” by Avery Coolidge, Bigfork High School
2. “Wishes Softly Whisper,” by Nora Ide, Whitefish High School
3. “I’m 17 Again,” by Keeva Clark, Bigfork High School
Non-fiction
1. “Dear Society,” by Victoria Meccia, Linderman Education Center
2. “Protecting Jaws: The Conservation of Sharks,” by Sophie McDermott, Whitefish High School
Linderman student Victoria Meccia, who won third place in the fiction category, gets a check from Craig Naylor with Authors of the Flathead. (Courtesy photo)