AUGUSTA – Maine high school juniors are invited to submit entries for “A Journey into Writing,” the Maine Community College System’s statewide writing contest. Entries will be accepted Oct. 1 through Dec. 1.

The competition, open to some 15,000 Maine high school juniors, will be judged by Maine writers Richard Russo, Linda Greenlaw and Wesley McNair. Students are encouraged to submit an original poem, short story or essay of up to 1,500 words.

The contest was begun in 2004 as a way to encourage creativity and inspire young Maine writers to develop their craft. Three finalists will be chosen by the authors from up to 15 semi-finalists selected by the college system and will be honored with the designation of “2007 Governor’s Young Writer of the Year.” In addition, each of the three finalists will receive a $2,500 cash award.

To enter, students must submit their entries electronically to the MCCS Web site. The contest rules and entry forms are available online at www.mccs.me.edu (click on “A Journey into Writing”). The semi-finalists and finalists will be announced in the spring and will be honored at an awards ceremony in May.