The Creative Writing club is small yet mighty! Photo courtesy of senior Roslyn Risner.
San Luis Obispo High School’s Creative Writing club has hosted a large writing competition annually since 2023. This year, the theme is Magical Realism and the competition is already well underway.
“The Creative Writing competition is a unique opportunity we create to involve young writers from many schools in the SLCUSD district. Spanning from fourth to twelfth grade, the competition is an avenue for anyone to submit a short story on theme and have it judged by students in the Creative Writing club before the awards ceremony,” said Creative Writing President and senior Roslyn Risner.
All entries for the competition were submitted on February 20, and student judges are currently reviewing the submissions. Students were encouraged to write a short story 3000 words or less centered around magical realism. An awards ceremony will be held on April 9 in SLOHS’ theater to award the winning students.
“Winning submissions are featured in our Creative Writing magazine which will be distributed at the awards night,” said Risner.
The competition gives students of all ages a creative outlet and allows them to gain confidence in their writing skills at a young age. Students in the club spend months planning the event to ensure the competition runs smoothly.
“My favorite part of the club is the writing competition we hold every year for students across the district. We pick a new genre every year, visit elementary and middle schools to advertise the competition, and hold an awards ceremony in the spring,” said junior Tillie Domber. “In general, it is very rewarding to get to work with younger kids and help them develop interests in a subject that I myself am very interested in.”
Outside of the competition, the club serves as a workshop to build skills and improve one’s writing by interacting with other students. Since the beginning of the year, students have met every Tuesday at lunch in English teacher Lynnly Sainsbury’s room to work on their stories together.
“The reason I joined the creative writing club is to help me and those around me with getting a higher and stronger sense of creativity. Also to be able to build much more critical, impactful thoughts with their characters and the environment around them,” said sophomore Isaiah Shaw.
The competition may be wrapping up for this school year, but the Creative Writing club is open to new members all year round. Students will also have the opportunity to compete next school year as well if they’re interested.
Any aspiring writers should definitely check out the club if they’re looking for ways to improve their stories!
