California Young Writers Contest

California Writers Club Young Writers Contest Winners!

Congratulations to all of the winners of this incredibly competitive contest! All entries were creative and talented works of art. Thank you for your participation!

Below you will find the winner’s name, their school, teacher and the title of their entry.

The Betty Tenney Memorial Essay/Personal Narrative Awards

6^th Grade

1^st Calia Ann Lockey

Walnut Creek: Jann Taylor-Geyer

“Three Words, One Meaning”

2^nd Katelyn Downing

Pleasant Hill: Holly Latz

“What Is This?”

3^rd Megha Bhargava

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

“The Adventures in Cave Swimming”

7^th Grade

1^st Alexandra Desmedt

Walnut Creek: Jana Palmquist

“Unsilent Night”

2^nd Lauren Russell

Windemere Ranch : Jeff Osborn

“Ready, Set, SHOT!”

3^rd Karina Ting

Orinda: Cecilia Kilmartin

“A Lesson to Last”

8^th Grade

1^st Mia Stripling

Stanley: Donna Gallagher

“Confidence”

2^nd Ahab Chopra

Dorris-Eaton: Melissa Parker

“Biking to a New Life”

3^rd Emma Cottrill

Dorris-Eaton: Melissa Parker

“The Night My Life Changed Forever”

Poetry

6^th Grade

1^st Sasha Hassan

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

“Midnight Wish”

2^nd Rashmi Pradhan

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

“A Song is Drowned”

3^rd Sihyun Na

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

“What Does it Feel Like?”

7^th Grade

1^st Jasmine Steele

St. Isidore: Amy Burgin

“Storybook”

2^nd Rebekah Mangels

Homeschool

“Who Knows What I Think?”

3^rd William Francis

Martinez: Anne Martin

“A Day’s Work as a Dishonest Man”

8^th Grade

1^st Ahab Chopra

Dorris-Eaton: Deeni Shoenfeld

“You Will Never Find Me”

2^nd Meher George

Dorris-Eaton: Melissa Parker

“Carpe Diem”

3^rd Kismat Dhaliwal

Dorris-Eaton: Melissa Parker

“An Unlikely Savior”

Short Story

6^th Grade

1^st Aaron Ouyang

Dorris-Eaton: Mary Dickens

“Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle”

2^nd Sasha Hassan

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

“Search and Rescue”

3^rd Sasha Hassan

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

“What is Right is not Always Popular, What is Popular is not Always Right”

7^th Grade

1^st Lucy Caitlin Shaw

Walnut Creek: Jana Palmquist

“The Escape”

2^nd Ingrid Lam

PineValley: Dianna Longhery

“My Eyes”

3^rd Alexandra Desmedt

Walnut Creek: Jana Palmquist

“The Caterpillar and the Worm”

8^th Grade

1^st Lauren Hui

Gale Ranch: Kimberly Carter

“House of the Rose”

2^nd Emily Hui

PineValley: Sarah Gibbons

“Blue Skies”

3^rd Julie Deng

PineValley: Susan Banks

“It All Proves Nothing”

April 30, 2013/10 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

Judging the California Writers Club Young Writers Contest

As one of the judges of the Young Writers Contest, I can tell you it’s an honor to read the manuscripts which arrive from middle school students all over Contra Costa County. We are in the process of judging now.

The quality is great, but some of the students forgot to follow the guidelines. One particular writer was sooooo good, but the judges had to disqualify her. I know what a fantastic writer she is, so this saddened me. Fortunately for her, she has another year to qualify.

If you are a student who will enter next year, remember to triple-check the rules. Mark them off, one by one, before you place TWO copies of your manuscript in the envelope.

As soon as the new chair people call the winners, I will post their names and schools on this blog.

April 17, 2013/0 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

Question about California Writers Club Young Writers Contest

One student mailed her entries today and is concerned whether or not she’s made the April 1st deadline. When will she hear the outcome?

Your stories will get there on time. They will be stamped today which is the important thing. We check the mail box through the week so even if the mail carrier messes up the STAMPED date is the important thing. Next week the manuscripts are put into categories of grades and whether or not they are poems, short stories and personal narratives. Then I take them to the various judges and they get read. Next, the judges talk with each other. So this whole process takes weeks. As soon as the judges get back to me with their decisions, the winners get phone calls and I post the winners names on this blog. Hopefully all of this will be done by May 1.

Although winners get phone calls, everyone else will be notified later with a letter as mailing information in clearly printed on the form and is correct.

Thank you for your very good questions! Liz

March 29, 2013/6 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

Questions about the California Young Writers Contest 2013

Questions from students:

Can I enter more than one short story in the California Young Writers Contest?

Yes! You may write as many short stories, poems, and personal narratives as you like. You can mail them all in one large envelope (make sure you have enough postage!) or you can mail individually, as you write them. It doesn’t matter to us, as long as each entry has an entry form attached to it filled out correctly.

Must my short story be only five pages or can it be longer?

It must be five pages or less. If it comes in with teeny-tiny type, we won’t read it. If a short story is more than five pages or a personal narrative is longer than three pages, the judges are forbidden to consider it.

Why?
We are treating this contest just as writing contests are handled in the adult world of writing. This is how it is in the real world.

Writing succinctly is more difficult than writing any word that flows from your brain. This is why revision is so important. Rewrite your piece, finding just the perfect words to tell your story, personal narrative or poem.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them here.

January 15, 2013/8 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

California Writers Club Young Writers Contest Short Story Winners Continued

Thanks to the student who e-mailed me letting me know I never typed the 7th grade short story winners up here! Sorry this is so late!

7th Grade Short Story Winners

1st Place Peyton Annoni

North Creek Academy: Jamie Williams

Fetters of Hate

2nd Place Molli L. Fagan

Queen of All Saints: Katie Perata-Andrews

Paranoia

3rd Place Kate Nerone

Orinda: Cecilia Kilmartin

Beyond the Threshold

April 30, 2012/0 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

California Writers Club Winners

Poetry Winners

6^th Grade

1^st Place

Rachel King

Pine Hollow: Lisa Shedd

I Am Currently in the Process

2^nd Place

Genevieve DeWalt

Athenian: Meg Freedman

I Asked

3^rd Place

Akunna Ekeh

DallasRanch: Kevin Landski

Stand Back

April 23, 2012/0 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

California Writers Club Young Writers Contest Winners

8^th Grade Poetry

1^st Place

Arielle Wenokur

Dorris-Eaton: Brad Breilein

The Gopher

2^nd Place

Max Yun

Dorris-Eaton: Deeni Schoenfeld

I Love to Hate

3^rd Place

Carolyn Buxton

Bristow Middle: Shawna Borba

There Lies You

April 20, 2012/0 Comments

California Young Writers Contest

California Writers Club Young Writers Contest Winners Continued

Short Story

8^th Grade

1^st Place

Pooja Kini

Gale Ranch: Jordan Milat

Ji, Dida

2^nd Place

Lauren Furman

StoneValley: Courtney Konopacky

The Boy of Smoke and Ashes

3^rd Place

Sophie Cipolla

PineValley: Sylvia Hegarty

A Week in the Life of a Cat

April 16, 2012/0 Comments

California Young Writers Contest, Essay

California Writers Club Young Writers Contest – Personal Narrative Winners

2012 Winners Personal Narrative

6^th Grade

1^st Place

Sanjeeve Ganga Raju

PineValley: Robin White

A Change in My Life

2^nd Place

Micalyn Struble

Dorris-Eaton: Claudia Fredricksson

Warning: New School Ahead

3^rd Place

Lauren Russell

Windemere Ranch: Diana Kaplenko

Just One Step

7^th Grade

1^st Place

Eli O’Brien

Orinda: Cecelia Kilmartin

OMPA

2^nd Place

Olivia Fishlow

Orinda: Cecelia Kilmartin

Without Her

3^rd Place

Callyn Oshita

Gale Ranch: Andrea Kopshever

Deadly Snack?

8^th Grade

1^st Place

Samira Maboudian

Orinda: Lori Hardy

Podium Fright

2^nd Place

Conner Roberts

Dorris-Eaton: Deeni Schoenfeld

Unsung Courage

3^rd Place

Max Yun

Dorris-Eaton: Deeni Schoenfeld

An Individual of Inspiration

Short Story and Poetry Categories have not been announced yet. I will post when they are. Honorable Mentions are not listed here but will be mailed to students at a later date. Congratulations to all the winners and everyone who entered. What fabulous talent we have in young writers in Contra Costa County!

April 15, 2012/1 Comment

California Young Writers Contest, Misc

Judging the Young Writers Contest of the California Writers Club

If you’ve entered the Young Writers Contest breathe easily now. We ARE judging the manuscripts as you read this. Don’t worry. We read each and every entry several times.

Now as the judges bicker . . . I mean discuss, communicate, email, phone, claw each other’s eyes out . . . er, trade their first-born children for their favorite first place winner . . .

All jokes aside, you will hear soon. It just takes time. It’s just like sending your story, poem or personal narrative to an editor for publication. There are stacks and stacks and editors are busy.

The judges all have lives beyond this contest too.

As soon as the judges decide, I call the winners and post their names here. Everyone who enters will hear eventually by mail one way or the other. Honorable mentions are mailed.

Patience.

The most difficult aspect to learn in the writing field.

What should you do in the meantime?

1. Read, read, read!

2. Write, write, write!

3. Watch a good movie and figure out what makes the story work so well.

April 13, 2012/0 Comments