The Write Crowd is launching this forum with a couple of contests designed to challenge your writing skills, provide bragging rights for the winners… not to mention some Amazon gift certificates and one very special prize.
The contests come to you in two forms: a poetry contest for the poets in our midst and a short fiction contest for our imaginative storytellers. Each contest will have a First Place and Second Place Winner, but runners-up will get a nod from us as well (no loot, sorry!) by having their entries showcased in a special section of our site.
Rules will follow (as they differ from contest to contest), but first things first. What are the prizes? Well, aside from the aforementioned bragging rights, the prizes break down as follows:
First Place winners will have their entry appear in our Write Crowd: Best of 2008 publication (available November 2008) and will receive a free copy of said tome to show off to their friends. In addition, they will receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate to purchase goodies (literary or otherwise) for their own amusement.
Second Place winners will also have their entry appear in the Write Crowd: Best of 2008. (Sorry 2nd Placers, we aren’t charging an entry fee for this particular contest, so you’ll have to buy your own copy come November!) In addition, you’ll get a $10 Amazon gift certificate which you can use to purchase whatever you like on Amazon.com, including another $10 gift certificate if that floats your boat.
Now for the rules.
Poetry Contest
Contestants may enter as many poems as they like in whatever poetic form they choose. For a poem to be officially entered, it must be posted in the official Write Crowd Poetry Contest forum on this very site. It must also be emailed (Word docs are best, but putting it in the body of the email is okay, too) to
poetrycontest@thewritecrowd.com. If you fail to email us your entry, it will NOT be considered for a prize. In your email, include your screen name (on our forum) and the theme of your poem.
There are three themes to choose from, but you may enter a poem for each theme (or ten for each!) if you so choose. Why do you have to use OUR themes? Because this is meant to be a challenge. Any poet can follow his muse and create something workable. We want to put you in a box and see if you can write your way out of it. It will stretch you as a poet. So what are the themes?
Hope Freedom Humor
Remember, you must include your chosen theme in the entry, so work hard, do your best and see what happens. You may surprise yourself. Who knows? Maybe you’ve already written something that fits nicely into one of those categories. Throw it in the ring. You never know.
Short Fiction Contest
Contestants may enter as many short stories as they choose, but each entry is limited to 2000 words. (Super short, I know, but you can do it!) Just like those entering the poetry contest, you are working within our framework. Instead of themes, you must include at least three of the five elements listed below in your work of fiction. (If you’re a hot shot and want to work them all in, go for it, tough guy!)
A Melted Doll A Veterinarian A Stalled Elevator A Snow Flurry A Broken Key
How do you include them? It’s really up to you. Maybe they are all incidental. Maybe one of them becomes a point of focus… and integral part of the story you are telling. Follow your instincts, writers, and work them in the way you see fit.
All entries must be posted in the Write Crowd Short Fiction Contest forum on this site. It must also be emailed (again, Word docs preferred) to
fictioncontest@thewritecrowd.com along with your screen name here on the forum and which elements you chose to work into your story. You will NOT be considered for a prize unless you followed those steps carefully.
Important Info for Poetry and Short Fiction Contestants!
All entries must adhere to the posting rules for this forum (go familiarize yourself with them, if you are uncertain.) Basically, it means that your entry cannot violate the language and content limitations for this ALL AGES site. The way we see it, if you’re a good enough writer, that kind of limitation shouldn’t be an issue.
Winners will be announced March 31st, which gives you plenty of time to work on your entries. First Place winners included in the Write Crowd: Best of 2008 must understand that they will receive their copy only after it is in print (November 2008) and are responsible (upon notification of their win) for providing us the necessary shipping information.
All prizes are subject to change, and likely will from contest to contest. If you don’t win this time around, be ready for the next contest. Prizes are awarded at the sole discretion of TheWriteCrowd.com and its moderators. Our decisions are final.
It goes without saying (but I will) that all work entered must be YOUR OWN. Any instance of plagiarism will not only disqualify you from the contests, but result in your permanent removal from our forum. And seriously, why bother? If you want to be a writer… WRITE. Have the integrity to enter your own work.
