Congratulations to Kithara Vogel, Wisconsin Virtual Learning Freshman!

In January of 2010, Adventure Write (a group of freelance writers based in Alaska) announced a national writing contest for aspiring writers up to 18 years of age.  According to the rules, all stories were to begin with "So there I was..."  Kithara Vogel, a freshman at Wisconsin Virtual Learning (WVL), decided on a fictitious story about a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.  The procedure of writing the story itself took many hours to develop.  Kithara submitted her story, titled "Spirit Bear," on December 28, 2010. 

On February 15, Kithara was notified that out of over 200 entries, she received an honorable mention and would be published on the contest's website.

Question and Answer with the author, Kithara Vogel:

Have you had any real life experiences that helped with your vivid explanation of some of the scenes and experiences in Spirit Bear?

The one thing I can relate to in Spirit Bear is winter! Having went on many walks in the woods with snow on the ground, it wasn't hard to transfer that experience into the story. Otherwise, I have never been in a plane accident and have only ridden in a plane once. Multiple times I have come across black bears, though never at a very close range. Mainly I collected the details through stories from plane crash survivors and movies.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about his/her work?

Ally Carter is one of my favorite authors. Her books have many unexpected twists and are always full of adventure. She has an amazing talent for writing and her books keep me hooked from beginning to end.

What are your aspirations for future writing projects?

Through high school, I want to continue entering writing contests. I love writing short stories, but there are entire novel contests which I am also thinking of. Right now, I'm working on writing another short story for the same contest Spirit Bear was in. Eventually, I hope to publish a few books.

What are your plans for after high school?

After I'm done with high school, I plan on going to UW-Milwaukee to major in science. After that, I want to continue my education by entering veterinary school and becoming a vet.

Please CLICK HERE to read Spirit Bear, by Kithara Vogel!