Not all of the writing Keene State College students do has to be for class.
It can also be for pleasure, and KSC Scriptor is one of the leading voices in creative student writing on Keene State campus. A creative journal, Scriptor publishes student flash fiction (short fictional stories) and art in conjunction with the University of New Hampshire, who heads the submission process for the journal. Submissions are open throughout the year for any piece shorter than 3,000 words and students may participate in a biannual flash fiction contest. Writing within a chosen theme for each semester (this Fall 2019 semester’s theme was “Paranormal Prose”), students may submit a flash fiction piece into the contest for a chance to win first place and get their piece published in the year’s journal.
Scriptor is more than the annual journal, however. It is also a club that meets at 6 p.m. every Thursday evening at the Center for Writing, not only to work on editorials and pieces for the journal but to provide students with a space to write creatively outside of the academic lens. This includes activities such as prompts and writing workshops.
“To me, Scriptor means creating a space for people to collaborate and express themselves in a way that they might not have the opportunity to with the stress of the college workload,” said Julia Messinger, social media and communications manager of Scriptor. “By providing this space, I hope that students can follow their passions and write for pleasure without feeling like it’s something they’re required to do.”
The club has lived on through the English department, including staff supervisor Dr. Kate Tirabassi, after senior members graduated last year. Scriptor has a new face and the students involved are working hard to make themselves known across Keene State. This includes tabling at the Student Center and Pumpkin Lobotomy, putting up posters across campus and posting on the Facebook group “Scriptor at Keene State College.”
This year, and in the years to come, Scriptor hopes to keep a lasting impact on Keene State College and continue to publish student voices. Senior and president of Scriptor Savannah Nickerson emphasized this when asked about what the club means to her.
“Scriptor is a club that I hope to make a consistent and organized club on campus that is involved with not just creating a space for student creative publication to happen but also to be a club that helps other organizations on campus in their events and ideas as well. This is almost a type of legacy that I would like to leave behind for Keene State College,” said Nickerson.
Kathryn Spadafora can be contacted
at kspadafora@kscequinox.com
