Northwood University recently announced the winners of the 4th Short Fiction Writing Competition sponsored by the Strosacker Library Advisory Board.The theme for this year’s contest was “Meet Me At…” Taylor R. Smith, a senior and son of Bob and Pam Smith of Midland, earned first place for his entry, “Meet Me At Montecelo’s.” Cody Colella, a senior and son of Gary and Patty Colella of Helena, Mont., earned second place for his entry, “Meet Me At 1:30pm Sharp.” And Katelyn Dey, a junior and daughter of Mike and Joan Dey of Bay City, earned third place with her entry, “The Return of Cernunnos.”
As part of the competition-driven learning experience, Midland author and Delta College fiction writing professor Jeff Vande Zande hosted two workshops helping Northwood’s fiction writers hone their skills. The first workshop, “What Makes a Good Story?” highlighted techniques to help writers create a story structure and flow which translates into interesting reading. The second workshop, “How to do Effective Line Editing,” provided the writers an opportunity to edit their stories in a structured, collegial setting.
According to Alice Parsons, head librarian at Northwood University’s Strosacker Library, the school’s Annual Short Fiction Writing Competition is a tradition the University community looks forward to each year.
“The event is about learning and expanding one’s horizons. It provides students with the opportunity to showcase their creative writing skills while competing for cash prizes,” stated Parsons. “We want to inspire students to explore new perspectives on the world and help them become more aware of the differences that make us unique. And of course, we urge them to keep writing as they go forward, knowing that creativity is a natural partner of innovation and business,” she explained.
