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SCN is proud to announce its tenth annual lifewriting competition, named in honor our founder, best-selling mystery writer Susan Wittig Albert.
Topic: This year's topic focuses on overcoming obstacles. Here are some wise words to help you get started:
"About the only value the story of my life may have is to show that one can, even without any particular gifts, overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable if one is willing to face the fact that they must be overcome."
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962, American First Lady, Columnist, Lecturer, Humanitarian)
In each life there are obstacles to be overcome. Sometimes we get caught up in the overwhelming fear that we just can't do it. Sometimes we may feel as though we are not equipped to handle what sits before us. But, once the obstacle has been tackled, we can look back and see that we did face that obstacle, we chose our path and we were able to overcome -- sometimes much to our own surprise.
Write about a time when you were faced with what you just knew was too much for you to overcome - a time when you felt totally ill-equipped to handle what life had thrown your way. Write about the ways in which you approached the situation, the fears you had to deal with, the twists and turns that you had to make to come to a resolution of the situation. Write about how and when you first realized that you did, indeed, have what was necessary to overcome your particular hurdle. Write about how doing so changed your life. Be sure to include what you learned about yourself along the way.
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Awards: One prize of $75, one prize of $50, and two prizes of $25 each. Winning stories will be published in a special section of the September Story Circle Journal and will be featured on the SCN's award-winning website. Upon the judges' recommendation, other entries may be published in later issues of the Journal and in other SCN print or on-line publications.
Rules:
- You must be a dues-paying member of Story Circle Network to enter.
(To join, use our online membership form; you can pay online or mail your check to the address below.)
- There is a $20 entry fee, which can be paid online or by check (send to the address below).
- One entry per member, please. To be eligible, your entry must be unpublished (we define a "published" piece as one that has been reviewed and accepted by an editor).
- Winners of previous competitions are not eligible. If you have previously won this competition and would like to volunteer to serve as a judge, we'd love to have you! Please email contest at storycircle dot org.
- If you have internet access, you must submit your entry to us electronically by using our online form [see below]. If you do not have access to a computer, mail your entry (typed and single-spaced, on 8.5 x 11" paper). If you do not have access to a typewriter, we will accept entries that are clearly handwritten in dark black ink.
- Each entry must be titled, and no longer than 1200 words (count actual words, or use the MS Word word-count function). Put the actual word count under your name/address. Entries that are longer than 1200 words will be rejected.
- Be sure that your name and address appear on your entry (these will be removed for the judging process). Include a 100-word bio to be published with your entry if you win. Winners' stories must be available for publication; however, if you wish your story to be published anonymously, we will remove your name. Keep a copy of your entry.
- By submitting your story, you are giving Story Circle the right to publish it in the Journal, in its other print publications, and on its web site. However, authors retain copyright.
Criteria and Judging: The judges look for entries that are fresh and original, tell a compelling story in a clear and authentic voice, are responsive to the topic, and have been polished and proofread for presentation in the competition. The most successful submissions are rich in evocative detail and avoid generalizations and abstractions. Entries will not be returned; evaluations will not be available. The judging team will be made up of Story Circle Facilitators and published authors.
Deadline: Your entry and your entry fee must both be postmarked (if by USPS) or date stamped (if online) NO LATER THAN midnight July 1, 2009. It is unfair to writers who observe these rules to ask for an exception.
Notification: Winners will be notified by August 1, 2009.
How to Enter: All contest entries should be made via the web form, here. The contest opens on May 18, 2009.
Hard-copy Submissions: Please send us your contest entry via the web form. If and only if you are really unable to submit your story electronically, you may submit your story by mailing us a paper copy. Hardcopy submissions should be sent to: Life Writing Competition,
Story Circle Network, PO Box 500127, Austin TX 78750-0127
Winners of Previous Years' Contests
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