Teen Summer Writing Contest

Teen Summer Writing Contest

HCPL

Presented By:

Barbara Bush

Branch Library

&

LSC - Tomball

Community Library

CATEGORIES

Category 1A - Poetry: Ages 12-15 or Grades 6-8

Category 1B - Short Story: Ages 12-15 or Grades 6-8

Category 2A - Poetry: Ages 15-18 or Grades 9-12

Category 2B - Short Story: Ages 15-18 or Grades 9-12

Entries will be Judged

Based on the Following Criteria

 Originality

 Use of Language

 Technical Skill

1ST PRIZE

$25 Barnes & Noble

Gift Card

2ND PRIZE

$15 Barnes & Noble

Gift Card

3ND PRIZE

$10 Barnes & Noble

Gift Card

EVERYONE

Gets a Certificate!

ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BETWEEN MAY 15, 2013 AND July 27, 2013*

*Entries must be received by 5:00pm July 27, 2013

This form must be attached on top of your entry.

Any entries submitted without the Entry Form will be discarded.

This form must be initialed & signed to participate in the Teen Summer Writing Contest.

(PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY IN INK WHEN FILLING OUT THIS FORM)

NAME: ____________________________________________________________________ DATE:____________________

AGE: _____________ GRADE:________ SCHOOL: ______________________________________________________________

PHONE NUMBER:________________________________________ EMAIL:___________________________________________

ADDRESS:________________________________________ CITY:_______________________ ZIP CODE:___________________

TITLE OF WORK:__________________________________________________________________________

____________ I have read the “Guidelines for Submission” and understand that if my entry does not follow the stated Guidelines my entry will not be considered for the Teen Summer Writing Contest.

CONTEST CATEGORY (please check one & enter Word Count):

I, _______________________________________________, certify that the poem or short story submitted to the Teen Summer Writing Contest is original work written by myself and has not been copied from any pre-existing work. I also certify that I am currently between the ages of 12 and 18 and am a student between grades 6 and 12. I understand that upon submission the work becomes the property of Harris County and may be used for promotional purposes.

__________________________________________________________________

1A - Poetry: Ages 12-15, Grades 6-8. Word Count: __________

1B - Short Story: Ages 12-15, Grades 6-8. Word Count: __________

2A - Poetry: Ages 15-18, Grades 9-12. Word Count: __________

2B - Short Story: Ages 15-18, Grades 9-12. Word Count: __________

DATE

SIGNATURE

Initial Here

HCPL

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION

RULES:

1. Participants must be between ages 12-18 and a current student between grades 6-12.

2. For each submission fill out the Entry Form located in “Teen Summer Writing Contest” flyer and attach to your submission. A submission consists of 1 Entry Form attached to 3 Copies of your entry. (If you participate in two categories, you should have two Entry Forms.)

3. ONE ENTRY PER CATEGORY PER PARTICIPANT (i.e. 1 Poem & 1 Short Story, NOT 2 Poems or 2 Short stories)

4. Submit 3 COPIES of your entry typed on white paper with 1 Entry Form attached. No handwritten entries will be accepted.

5. Text & Formatting:

 Color: Black Ink

 Font: Times New Roman

 Size: 12pt

 Spacing: 1.5 line spacing

 No pictures are permitted

6. All entries must adhere to the set word count limit.

7. All entries must have an attached Entry Form listing the following information:

 Name (List name on Entry Form only. Do not put your name or title of work on entry itself.)

 Address

 Phone Number

 Email (if teen has one)

 Age

WORD LIMITS

POETRY

Must be 800 words or less

SHORT STORY

Minimum Length: 1000 words

Maximum Length: 5000 words

TIPS FOR WRITING WELL

1. PROOF READ - Have at least one other person read your work looking for spelling and grammar mistakes as well as overall cohesion of work.

2. Dialogue - Dialogue can be integral to a story, but very difficult to write. Nothing is more distracting (or confusing) to the reader than poorly written dialogue. Here are some resources to help you get it right:

 http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/qt/punctuation.htm

 http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/dialogue.shtml

3. Spell Check - When using spell check do not just “click” on the suggested spelling for an item. Sometimes the com-puter doesn’t know what word you are trying to use. Clicking on whatever word is suggested can destroy a sen-tence.

4. Thesaurus - Thesauri can be a writer’s best friend or worst enemy! Using words suggested by a thesaurus can make a story much more interesting to the reader, but beware: know the exact definition of the word you use to replace your original choice. Sometimes a suggested word has a slightly different meaning, which makes it an inap-propriate word choice for your text.

 Grade

 School

 Contest Category

 Title of Work

*Please note that all Short Stories must be stand-alone. Excerpts of larger works will not be considered.*

July 27, 2013

All entries must be submitted by 5:00pm

August 13, 2013

Reception for Participants!

7:00pm @ LSC-Tomball

Winners Announced & Receive Prizes

All Participants Receive Certificate

This year’s Reception hosted by MARY LINDSEY

author of Shattered Souls & Ashes on the Waves!

Information for Persons with Disabilities

Harris County Public Library will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities who are interested in attending library programs. To make a request for yourself or someone you know, please notify the Branch Librarian two working days in advance of the program.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY

In Person:

 Barbara Bush Branch Library: Turn entry in at the 2nd Floor Information Desk

 Tomball Branch: Turn entry in at the 1st Floor Reference Desk

By Mail send entry to one of the following:

 YA Librarian - Rebecca Denham

Barbara Bush Branch Library

6817 Cypresswood Drive

Spring, TX 77379

 YA Librarian - Kimberly Clutter

LSC-Tomball Community Library

30555 Tomball Parkway

Tomball, TX 77375