Dru Abramson, a Humanities junior, was among the several students who won the Scholastic Awards. Dru received the Gold Key for Fiction.

Could you tell us about the piece you’ve written?

It is a short story titled “Frances Shaw” about a girl named Frances Shaw who lives on the outskirts of Albuquerque in the 1970s. I don’t really want to spoil it, but she has a big imagination.

What was your process for creating your work?

I started this piece over the summer after I saw a picture I thought was interesting of a girl holding a cigarette. The story grew from there, and I worked on it every day during the summer until I was done, and then I edited it and rewrote until I was satisfied with the plot and how it sounded.

What did you enjoy most when writing your piece?

Writing the character of Kenny Shaw, the older brother of Frances Shaw. I considered making him the main character and am still considering writing another story about him. His character has a lot of complexity. I enjoyed discovering who he was. 

What were some challenges you encountered when writing? How were you able to overcome them?

I had trouble with the end of my story. I could not decide what I wanted the conclusion to be. Eventually I came up with two endings and chose the one I found most interesting.

How did you feel when you won the Scholastic Awards’ Gold Key for Fiction? 

I felt happy (and a little proud). I was glad my work paid off. “Frances Shaw” also won 3rd place in the Bethesda Magazine Creative Writing Awards.

What are your plans for writing in the future?

My plan is to continue writing although I don’t plan to have creative writing as my major in college. I try to write at least a little every day, working on both short stories as well as my novel. My plan is to publish my novel one day.