When he won an award for a short piece of fiction writing, senior Christian Gaertner had no idea that he would soon be talking on the radio about his love for storytelling. Through a contest run by the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE), Gaertner received first prize in the grades 10-12 category for his short story titled “Oh, Beauty of the Ocean.” 

“When I was younger, I’d often have story ideas pop into my head,” Gaertner said. “But as I’ve grown more, my ideas have become much more extended and detailed.”

Entrants were required to submit a story of 500 words or less, which led to the WPCTE labeling the entries as “Flash Fiction.” Gaertner received first prize in his age division, with eight other writers earning honorable mentions.

“I’ve been writing since seventh grade, so it’s a huge honor to win this award,” Gaertner told The Uproar. “I’m very proud of my writing, and to have someone else think the same means a lot to me.”

Gaertner appeared as part of a Neighborhood Voices segment on the Saturday Light Brigade radio show, which broadcasts from the basement of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh every Saturday morning at 88.3 FM. When it comes to winning a writing contest, though, Gaertner believes that the best ideas come from the heart.

“Don’t think you have to write a certain way to win a competition,” he said. “Just write whatever you’re passionate about.”

Gaertner appeared on the show alongside two other winners: Alexis Pawlowski, who won the grades 1-3 category; and Lyra Klinedinst, who earned first prize in the grades 7-9 category. Along with the rest of the winners, he received a certificate at an awards ceremony held on January 17.

With GOAL teacher Mrs. Lombardi serving as sponsoring teacher, Gaertner expressed his writing is best used as a tool to destress and relax.

“Writing is a great creative outlet for me,” he said. His winning story certainly proves Gaertner’s ability in creative writing, tracing an ominous yet humorous deep-sea diving expedition.

Gaertner appreciates the spontaneity of writing fiction, especially when it allows him to flesh out an intriguing story on paper.

“I like to write when something pops into my head that makes me think, ‘I could really expand on this and take this idea places,’” he said. “I don’t like to be forced to come up with something.”

The Saturday Light Brigade often hosts notable Pittsburgh community members and students such as Gaertner. The show is designed to be fun for young children as well as adults, with entertaining, interactive puzzles spliced into the main segments. Through its program called Youth Express, the SLB also offers opportunities for high schoolers to participate in paid internships where they can record short radio stories on topics important to them.

However, Gaertner thinks that earning recognition for his first-place prize over the airwaves is secondary to a different fact: that he won the Flash Fiction contest because he is simply passionate about writing.

“Just go for it and put your all into it… always,” he said.