Coffee, creativity fuel winning writer

5/5/2021

By Patsy Nicosia

Coffee, creativity fuel winning writer

Heather Skinner of Carlisle has always been creative.
And now, that creativity has earned her first place in the Sharon Springs Free Library’s first-ever story contest with her short story, “In the Wind.”

[HER STORY APPEARS IN THIS WEEK'S TIMES-JOURNAL].

Ms. Skinner has her own library connection: she’s storytime educator at the Schoharie Library and a member of their Writing Club, where she turns to other members for feedback on her work.
“I always knew I wanted to write,” Ms. Skinner said--though her first passion was photography—and she typically starts her day with a cup of coffee, writing until her five-year-old daughter, Gemma, gets up.
Ms. Skinner has written a couple of children’s books she hopes to submit to agents.
And like most writers, she has dozens of ideas jotted down on scraps of paper scattered around her house.
When she first learned of the Sharon Library’s contest, which was focused on spring, Ms. Skinner drafted her daughter to help with what she calls “mind maps,” a way to brainstorm everything they could think of with anything to do with spring.
What she ended up with was “In the Wind,” a Kindle Fire, donated by Brimstone Bakery, and her entry published in the Times-Journal.
Sharon Springs Free Library Director Helen Thomas said she came up with the idea for the contest on the spur of the moment, but pointed out that libraries are all about writing.
“And it’s wonderful to see people enjoying themselves in that endeavor,” she said.
The entries were judged by a panel of four judges; Ms. Thomas is already planning to expand the contest in 2022.
“It was a lot of fun and we got entries from all across Schoharie County,” she said. “Next year we hope it will be bigger and better than ever.”