Three of Maine’s most influential writers are hoping to inspire creativity and reward talent among the state’s teen writers with a contest in which three winners will split $7,500. At the beginning of this month, the Maine Community College System began accepting submissions from high school juniors for “A Journey Into Writing,” a contest that will be judged by Richard Russo, Tabitha King and Stephen King. The deadline to submit a work is Dec. 1, 2004.

The contest was announced as a statewide initiative last spring by Gov. John Baldacci to encourage the craft among students who are approximately 15-17 years old. But he also sees the spotlight on writing as a way of advancing other goals for the state.

“Writing is an important form of communication,” said Gov. Baldacci on Friday. “It’s an area that hasn’t had enough attention in Maine, where the illiteracy rate is high. But it’s important to understand that when we talk about creative writing, we are also talking about the creative economy. These are the types of skills and talents that people need for building strong communities and businesses.”

More than 16,000 Maine high school juniors are eligible to submit an original poem, short story or essay up to 1,500 words for the contest. As many as 25 semifinalists will be selected by a panel at Maine Community College for final review by the three authors, each of whom will select a winner.

Neither Russo nor the Kings were available to discuss the project, but their esteemed contributions to Maine and international letters are well known. Russo, who taught writing at Colby College for many years and lives in Camden, won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for “Empire Falls,” a novel about the struggles of family life and waning industrialism of a small town in Maine. His novel “Nobody’s Fool” was made into a 1994 film staring Paul Newman and Melanie Griffith.

Stephen King, one of the most successful writers in history, has produced novels, short stories, screenplays and essays. Last year, he was given the National Book Award Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He also received the prestigious O. Henry Award in 1996 for a short story “The Man in the Black Suit,” which appeared in the Oct. 31, 1994 issue of The New Yorker magazine.

Tabitha King has written eight novels, six of which are set in the fictional Maine town of Nodd’s Ridge. She also writes short stories and nonfiction and is a photographer.

In addition to their community-based work for the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, the husband-and-wife team has always been committed to helping young people, who are often the heroes in their stories. Among the many philanthropic contributions the Kings have made to Bangor are a children’s ward at the hospital, a state-of-the-art baseball field and an outdoor public swimming pool.

Baldacci, who is an avid reader, cited Stephen King’s popular book “On Writing,” an autobiography and guide to the craft, as an important text for writers of all ages.

“This is all about expressing ourselves well,” said Baldacci. “I’ve enjoyed reading the work of people like the Kings and Richard Russo who have the ability to write well and capture the imagination. To have these three writers engage 16,000 students is a tremendous advantage for young Maine writers.”

The three winners, each of whom will receive $2,500, will be announced in May 2005, and will be honored as the Governor’s Young Writers of the Year. Semi-finalists will receive $100. The contest is sponsored by the Maine Sunday Telegram, MaineToday.com, Central Maine Power and U.S. Cellular.

All writing entries must be submitted electronically via the Maine Community College System Web site: www.mccs.me.edu. Click on “A Journey Into Writing” for contest rules and entry form. Dec. 1 is the last day to submit an entry. Alicia Anstead can be reached at 990-8266 and aanstead@bangor

dailynews.net.