Generally the contests are 100 words in length and are open for about 10 days. Word count, due date, and special instructions are all specified in the contest announcements. (Click here for an example.)
After you've written your entry, you can submit it either by clicking here or sending an email to Stephanie(at)GoTeenWriters.com. Please don't use attachments, and make sure to include the following information:
Your full name
Your e-mail address
Your entry
Each participant is allowed one entry per round.
After I receive your entry, I send you a confirmation email. If you submit an entry but do not hear from me within 48 hours, please follow up and make sure I received it.
I compile all the prompts, remove names, and send them to our judges. The judges are published writers who are taking time out of their work schedules because they care about helping young writers. After the top 20 entries are selected, each judge votes on who they think should place first, second, and third. They often pick honorable mentions as well.
Here is a couple samples of winning entries:
By Gillian Adams, 2 votes for 1st (Prompt: "This is not what I expected.")
His eyes stare up at me. Pale blue like the arctic sky, but lifeless as the ice beneath my feet. Dead. A prickle creeps up my arms and the sword falls from my numb fingers, cleaving a bloodstained gash in the snow.
Grey frosts my vision. A crimson river mars the pure white surface of the earth. My blood. This is not what I expected. A victor cheated of victory. Revenge stolen by the one who had already stolen everything. My family, throne, honor – all gone.
The earth seems to tilt and I fall. Cold seeps into my heart.
He has stolen everything. Including my life.
The judges say: Your incredible descriptions give me goosebumps, literally and figuratively . I'm intrigued to see where you take the story from here. Beginning a novel with someone's, presumably the protagonist's death, is a great (and not what I expected ) lead./
The description pulled me into the story right away and the bold to the twist at the end made me desperate to know what happens next.
By Lydia Hart, 1st and 3rd (Prompt "NAME was the type of PERSON who..."
Regina Delaware was the type of dame who could get the entire room to stop and stare – drop-dead gorgeous, intelligent, witty, oh, and let's not forget the fact that her brother's a millionaire. Yep, I sure know how to pick 'em – that was what got me into this mess in the first place. Dames. Every single one I fell for had knack for almost getting me killed... and Reggie was no different. I mean, just look at me now! Here I am, tied to a chair, listening to two ugly goons arguing over the best way to knock me off...
Here are some questions you might have:
1. Does my entry have to hit the exact word limit?
No. It can't be any more than the word limit, but it can be less.
2. How do I tally word count?
Type your entry in a word document, and it will tally it for you. My version of Word keeps a running total at the bottom left hand corner. Previous versions I've had required that I select "Word count" from the Tools menu.
3. Will I receive any feedback about my entry?
Yes, from at least one judge.
4. What do the judges look for?
They are looking for the same thing you look for when you open a novel and read the first paragraph. They want to be drawn into a storyworld. This includes (but is not limited to) a hint of who your character is, where they are, and what story might unfold. Clean writing (free of grammar and punctuation errors) helps too!
5. How does scoring work?
Each judge reports to me who they felt should place first, second, and third. You receive 3 points for first, 2 for second, 1 for third, and .5 for honorable mentions. I keep a running tally of points in an Excel spreadsheet.
6. Do I win anything?
Yes. At the end of the year, those who place first, second, and third overall will receive prizes. For first place, if that person is interested, I'll mentor them for up to a year. I'll read full manuscripts, we can talk about story ideas, the business, some next steps, etc. If you're at the place where you want to start querying agents, I'll help with a query letter and getting a proposal ready. For second and third place, I'll read and critique the first three chapters and a 2 page synopsis. (Also known as a book proposal.) There will also be free books and bragging rights.
