Tag: Writers

Winners Announced For The 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest At WVPB

The winners of the 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) have been announced. Eighteen stories written and illustrated by children in grades K-5 were chosen out of close to 120 entries from across the state.

[CHARLESTON, WV ]— The winners of the 2025 PBS KIDS Writers Contest at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) have been announced. Eighteen stories written and illustrated by children in grades K-5 were chosen out of close to 120 entries from across the state.

“We are so impressed with every one of the submissions we received,” said WVPB Director of Education, Autumn Meadows. “The creativity of the stories and illustrations from the youngest to the oldest is very entertaining and imaginative. We thank all of the teachers, caregivers, and children for their time and effort to make sure these stories had an opportunity to be told and shared!”

A celebration for the winners will be held in Charleston on June 14 with special speakers and West Virginia authors, Ashley Belote and Adeline Boggs. Check wvpublic.org soon to see this year’s winning stories and select animations.

Thank you to West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute for sponsoring the 2025 PBS KIDS Writing Contest.

The PBS KIDS Writers Contest at WVPB is an annual competition that encourages West Virginia children in grades K-5 to explore the power of creativity by writing and illustrating their own stories.

For questions, please email WVPB Education at education@wvpublic.org.

See below for our 2025 winners:

2025 Writers Contest Winners

Kindergarten

1st place: “Haymes the Knight” by Caelum Groves

2nd place: “Lazy Fruits” by Cole McAvoy

3rd place: “Beau Finds a Family” by Luca Cassiadoro

1st Grade

1st place: “Cabby’s Great Adventure” by Hazel Hagler

2nd place: “The Best Boy” by Bowen Groves

3rd place: “The Family Vacation” by Maggie Stackhouse

2nd grade

1st place: “A Hungry Little Donkey Travels the World” by Helina Goodwin

2nd place: “Ms. Pickle Toes” by Rowan Bailey

3rd place: “Toto and His Friends” by Zean-Ying Eugene Thong

3rd grade

1st place: “Ella and the Typewriter” by Avonlea Cooper

2nd place: “The Absence of Life” by Isaiah David Umbel

3rd place: “Total Solar Eclipse” by Francesca Briar Shangler

4th grade

1st place: “The Adventure at The Eastern Blue River” by Ryman Dennison

2nd place: “Duckbilled” by Jonah Neil

3rd place: “We Have a Problem: How NASA (Accidently) Launched the First Cat into Space” by Elise Silber

5th grade

1st place: “Pickle Pete 2: A Curious Quest” by Lilly Stubbs

2nd place: “Marble Run” by Theresa ‘Reese’ McGowan

3rd place: “Nora and Ultima vs. The Ice Witch” by Emma Gladwell

About West Virginia Public Broadcasting:

The mission of West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is to educate, inform, and inspire people by telling West Virginia’s story. WVPB is an indispensable resource for education, news and public affairs, emergency services and economic development. Learn more at http://www.wvpublic.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Becoming A Paperback Writer At GenreCon

Got a horror book you’ve written that’s never seen the light of day or maybe a romance novel you’ve been working on for the last 10 years? Then check out GenreCon, a genre writers conference coming to DoubleTree Hilton in Huntington this weekend. 

Bill Lynch caught up with the producers of the convention, Shelia Redling and Tobi Doyle.

Redling: I’m Sheila Redling. I write as S.G. Redling. I write primarily thrillers — sort of like mind-bending mayhem is my brand, but I also have some sci-fi and a little bit of urban fantasy, which are also mind-bending mayhem because I don’t like reality…

Doyle: Hi, I’m Tobi Doyle. I write romance. I also write romantic suspense and cozy mysteries.

Lynch: When did you start writing? When did you start doing genre fiction?

Redling: There’s a couple different answers to that. Was I writing that anyone was allowed to see it? Then, I’ve been writing my whole life. Writing for publication? Fifteen, maybe 20 years ago, I started taking it seriously as a craft. I read genre fiction primarily. So that’s what I wrote, because you always write the book you want to read.

Doyle: And I think I’ve been writing genre fiction. I’ve never written literary. It’s not my cup of tea, necessarily. And I probably started over 15-20 years ago, and just kept practicing and practicing and practicing.

Lynch: Talk about this convention. What’s it about?

Redling: We are so excited for GenreCon. Again, we’re both genre writers. There’s a lot of information out there for literary, for poetry, particularly in Appalachia. A lot of workshops are geared to the voice and the language and the lyricism of Appalachia. But we both really believe that genre writers should have a fair crack at getting published, and it’s hard to do if you can’t travel to San Francisco, New York, San Diego…

Doyle: Chicago… Boston, New York. There’s a lot of really good conferences out there for mystery or horror or sci fi, but it’s harder for us to travel. It’s harder right now to get noticed in the publishing world, since so many people are publishing. And it’s harder, especially in this area, to find agents and publishers willing to come here to take pitches and talk to people.

Redling: So, we’ve both been in the industry long enough. We know enough people in enough areas of the craft that we were able to ask some folks, “would you take pitches via zoom? Would you come in and do a workshop?” And that’s how it works. Like in any industry, you have to know some people, and you have to be generous with your contacts, and use those contacts to make it better for other people, to create opportunities. 

Lynch: So who’s coming? 

Redling: Oh my gosh, we have Aislyn Fredsall from Tor. Tor is the biggest publisher of sci-fi, horror. I mean, that is just like, “Ahhh.” When Toby said she got Tor to come take pitches, that’s amazing. 

Doyle: That’s actually… We were thinking, are we going to have a conference or not? And my thought was, well, we need somebody to draw the writers in, because the writers aren’t going to attend a conference if they don’t have somebody to pitch to. So when we got Aislyn, we were like, All right, we’re having a conference.

Redling: We’re in! We also have Misty Simon coming in, doing a workshop on writing cozies. She is absolutely hilarious and really, really sharp. She understands the craft, and she understands the mentality you have to have to write a successful cozy series. And she’s very personable. So we’re excited to have her coming in. Jen Graybeal, who is like a writing coach and lifestyle management coach that Toby has used…

Doyle: Oh my god. Jen is actually one of the reasons we have story magic cards in the conference is because Jen Graybeal is an author’s coach. So not only is she an amazing editor, she specializes in romance, which is how I know her. 

She also does these six-week “work-it” programs where she really gets into the psychology of “what do you want to get done,” “define what that success is,” and then you meet with her and a group of other people. And she has contacts. They have contacts and stuff happens. 

As far as other agents we have coming. Carrie Blankenship-Kramer from Belcastro agency, Megan Frayser from Creative Media Agency, Andrea Hurst and her other agent, Katie Reed, from the Andrea Hurst agency, and then from Corvisiero Agency, we have Alexandra Grana and Catherine Ross.

And all of these people, we specifically reached out to make sure that all of the genres are covered. So, there’s people that are seeking sci-fi and horror. There’s some for literary, something for women’s fiction, romance…

Redling: And they are actively seeking work right now too. It’s not just like, “Yeah, we’ll hear pitches” and “Bye. Thanks.” They are looking for work. So if you pitch, they’re going to read what you send them. 

Doyle: Well, if you go to the conference because most of these people are closed and only accepting queries through situations like this, because they get inundated. So, this is how they filter out how many pitches they get a month. 

And that’s another thing we wanted to do was we have workshops that are aimed at people who are interested in self-publishing, and we have workshops aimed at people who are looking to find agents and publishers. 

Lynch: Any tips for aspiring genre writers out there? 

Redling: Read your genre and write.

Doyle: Yes, and my rule is read your genre, but it’s also the second one, which is for the love of all that is holy, please make sure that your goals, motivations and conflicts are tied to the characters’ emotional baggage. 

Redling: Read and write.

Doyle: Yeah.

Redling: And then come to the conference. 

Doyle: Yeah. 

Redling: Don’t be don’t be afraid. If you’ve never finished a story and you’re thinking, “I’m going to be so out of my league.” You will not. This is a very low to the ground, very “only friendly” group. You’re going to fit right in. Take the chance and come.

GenreCon is Saturday and Sunday at the Doubletree Hilton in Huntington. Visit their website for more information. 

Winners Announced For The 2024 PBS Kids Writers Contest At WVPB

The winners of the 2024 PBS Kids Writers Contest at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) have been announced. Eighteen stories written and illustrated by children in grades K-5 were chosen out of more than 175 entries from across the state.

Charleston, WV – (April 4, 2024) The winners of the 2024 PBS Kids Writers Contest at West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) have been announced. Eighteen stories written and illustrated by children in grades K-5 were chosen out of more than 175 entries from across the state.

“This was another successful year of creativity for our annual PBS Kids Writers Contest. The children of West Virginia are excellent writers capable of captivating stories. Thank you to the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute (WVDII) for sponsoring the event again this year,” said Maggie Holley, director of Education at WVPB.

“The Institute is pleased to sponsor this important event. We know that keeping kids safe and preventing them from using or misusing illicit and prescription drugs requires activities that keep youth engaged with positive and meaningful activities. Writing, much like sports, is one of of those protective factors,” said Dr. Susan Bissett, president of WVDII. 

“As a winner of a writing contest when I was 10 years old, I also have a special place in my heart for this event,” said Bissett.

Winners will be contacted by WVPB with information about our awards ceremony in May held at the Culture Center in Charleston.

All participants will receive a prize pack mailed to them by WVPB and PBS Kids.

The PBS Kids Writers Contest at WVPB is an annual competition that encourages West Virginia children in grades K-5 to explore the power of creativity by writing and illustrating their own stories.

For questions, please email WVPB Education at education@wvpublic.org.

See below for our 2024 winners:

2024 Writers Contest Winners

Kindergarten

1st place: The Magic by Hazel Hagler

2nd place: What Do You Do? by Ava Redden

3rd place: Ballet is Magical and I Love It by Angeline Vittek

1st Grade

1st place: The Boy and the Time Machine by Elias Cooper

2nd place: The Hungry Tree by Rowan Bailey

3rd place: Mittens and Cocoa by Helina Goodwin

2nd grade

1st place: The Magic Corgi by Avonlea Cooper

2nd place: Detective Casie and the Find of the Unicorn Fossil by Francesca Briar Shangler

3rd place: Rainbow Ducky by Kensi Thomas

3rd grade

1st place: Protest for Pluto by Hazel Williams

2nd place: Parents Just Don’t Understand by Elise Silber

3rd place: From Triplets to Twins by Lauren Blake Bledsoe

4th grade

1st place: One in a Million by Ivy Ware

2nd place: The Island’s Prophecy by Lucy Lacocque

3rd place: Pickle Pete by Lilly Ann Stubbs

5th grade

1st place: The Sheriff That Changed by Mia Hutchison

2nd place: From My Backyard to Mars by Harper Russell

3rd place: The Dancer’s Promise by Lillian Swearingen

Voting Underway For West Virginia Literary Hall Of Recognition

Voting is underway for the West Virginia Literary Hall of Recognition, which seeks to honor lesser-known writers in the Mountain state.

Voting is underway for the West Virginia Literary Hall of Recognition, which seeks to honor lesser-known writers in the Mountain state. Bill Lynch spoke with grant writer Kandi Workman and Marshall University English professor Cat Pleska, who are overseeing the project.

Lynch: Let’s talk about this literary Hall of Recognition. Why this?

Workman: So, do you know how sometimes like grant funding, like if a grant is out there that can like stimulate a project, instead of being the other way around, you don’t always have the project in mind. It’s like, if a funding comes available, it’s like, hey, what if?

I had the opportunity last summer to apply for a $10,000 grant from Waymakers Collective because of where I’m with that group of folks. 

And I had talked to Kat and a couple of other people at the West Virginia Writers Conference last year, and there was this idea floating around about a West Virginia Hall of Fame. When time came down to like, Hey, you have this opportunity to apply for this grant, I realized that, that I did not have the capacity to pursue something like a West Virginia Hall of Fame. That feels like that takes a more robust effort from a larger group of people to pursue something that needs to be merit based or prestige based. 

And I don’t feel like I’m at the capacity, wasn’t at the capacity, to offer much to that at that time, but what I know a Waymakers Collective and what they value, and the folks that they’re trying to reach and bring into the fold of visibility and recognition and honor, and everybody is like equals and I thought, “well, I could do this trial project of a recognition project. How can we bring more visibility to writers?” 

And then beyond that, what this is going to look like and what it has looked like is Cat and I was able to get a humanities grant to support Cat’s position, to help do a little bit of research about gathering up a diverse group of folks that we could reach out to for like for a round one –not a round one, like, step one/phase one of how do we even start to identify the diverse writers and authors in West Virginia? 

And that came with a little bit of resistance because of the methodologies for that, which is, “who do you feel has not received the recognition they deserve?” When you… when it’s so broad, in that sense, that leaves a lot of questions. And that process wasn’t the most comfortable for everybody, but I had hoped that that would get us to at least a good number of folks that we could use to go into phase two, which was doing a participatory action.

Lynch: The nominations: Kind of maybe describe how that works.

Workman: The nominations: we did not put those on social media. So, that was a lot of one-to-one outreach. So, we sat together and culminated a list of potential folks or organizations that we could reach out to throughout West Virginia that included teachers of all different levels, bookstore owners, folks, all different kinds of backgrounds, and asked them if they wanted to nominate somebody based on the loose criteria that we had put out. So, we were able to get 24 nominees.

Pleska: I want to add that when we did the research, for who to send the original material asking for nominations, when I made the message to send that out, I said, “unrecognized or under-recognized literary individuals.” And I was keenly aware that of all the people, hundreds of people that I’ve sent it to, so many of them here in West Virginia, could very well be on that ballot. Because this is not a place that’s been easy to make known, you know, our literary figures and our literary artists. 

Workman: It depends on the nominator’s interpretation of how they feel that person has been witnessed in their work.

Pleska: Kandi, You can explain the Waymakers grant, about that part.

Workman:  We are calling it a voting guide, but a voting guide that has all the nominees within it. But what will happen from that and what the Waymakers Grant was written for was to support eight portraits to be produced of the nominees by the artist Sassa Wilkes and that these portraits will hang in the mezzanine of the up-and-coming Black Box Theater at the West Edge Factory. 

Lynch: So, you’ve described what happens with the voting and the number of people who will be inducted and what happens once they’re inducted, which is the portraits, what comes after that?

Workman: That’s left up in the air, I would love for it to grow to be something that’s very community owned. And by that I mean like writers and authors owned. 

Pleska: I’m just saying I’d like to add that this is in the former Corbin Limited building on Vernon Street and what was, you know, is Westmoreland, now part of Huntington. Corbin Limited was a garment factory that employed mostly women from 1957 to 2003.

So, it had a huge economic impact. It got up to a couple of thousand workers, of which 85 percent were women. 

So, it is about, you know, not only working-class people, but women working class people, and it also was about diversity, but it’s a fabulous space.

Lynch: Voting. How did people vote and how long do they have to vote? 

Workman: Well, as of now, folks have until the end of this month to vote. There’s a voting guide. So, if you go to the voting guide, there’s two sections that have links on that. But if you go to the Facebook page for the Literary Hall of Recognition, every post that’s made on there has the link

Lynch: Cat… Kandi. Thank you very much.

Honoring Lesser-Known Mountain State Writers On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, voting is underway for the West Virginia Literary Hall of Recognition, which seeks to honor lesser-known writers in the Mountain State. Bill Lynch spoke with grant writer Kandi Workman and Marshall University English professor Cat Pleska, who are overseeing the project.

On this West Virginia Morning, voting is underway for the West Virginia Literary Hall of Recognition, which seeks to honor lesser-known writers in the Mountain State. Bill Lynch spoke with grant writer Kandi Workman and Marshall University English professor Cat Pleska, who are overseeing the project.

Also, in this show, Eastern Cemetery is one of Louisville’s oldest burial grounds. It housed the first crematorium in the state. Now, the property along Baxter Avenue lies largely forgotten, just like more than 100,000 people buried there. WFPL’s Breya Jones reports community members are working to ensure the past can’t be reburied.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and producer.

Teresa Wills is our host.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

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