Youths compete in creative writing

Youths compete in creative writing

HOWLAND — In this age of abbreviation-loaded e-mails and instant messages, some wonder if writing is becoming a lost art.

Don't say that to more than 130 seventh- and eighth-graders from three counties who competed today in the Power of the Pen District Tournament at Howland Middle School.

“I just love to be creative,” said Karley Sullivan, an eighth-grader at LaBrae Middle School. “It’s great to think out of the box.”

“It's fun to make things up,” said Anthony Yassall, 13, a Howland seventh-grader. “I think writing makes you become an all-around better person.”

Creative writing has been the essence of Power of the Pen, Ohio’s interscholastic writing competition for middle school pupils, since 1986. The competition is designed to mirror athletic tournaments.

Each school team consists of six members from each grade with writers competing for individual and team awards. The young writers also hope to be selected to compete in the regional tournament.

For the complete story, see Sunday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.