The 2017 Oregon Writers Colony writing contest is open to OWC members and nonmembers.
Entries that meet the guidelines below will be accepted until the last date for electronic submissions, September 15, 2017.
We accept entries in the following four categories:
- Fiction, Short Story
- Fiction, First Chapter
- Nonfiction, Short Story
- Nonfiction Story, First Chapter
There is a maximum word count of 2,500 for each entry in all categories.
Awards for All Categories
- First place: $200 and invitation to read excerpt at Awards Gala
- Second place: $100 and invitation to read excerpt at Awards Gala
- Third place: $50 and invitation to read excerpt at Awards Gala
- First Honorable Mention: Certificate of Achievement; recognition at Awards Gala
- Honorable Mention (maximum of three): Certificate of Achievement; recognition at Awards Gala
Judging Criteria for Short Stories, Fiction and Nonfiction
Plot; depth of character; originality; clarity; evokes emotion in reader (chuckle, sadness, etc.); sensory detail; tension; mechanics (point of view, tense, etc.); “show-don’t-tell”; theme (what emotional issue the story explores (“courage” or “letting go,” etc.)
Judging Criteria for First Chapters, Fiction and Nonfiction Story
Plot (ends on page turner); depth of character; originality; clarity; evokes emotion in reader (chuckle or sadness etc); sensory detail; tension; mechanics (point of view, tense, etc); “show-don’t-tell.”
Contest Rules for All Categories
- Original, unpublished story
- Word limit: 2500 maximum
- Standard manuscript form: Double-spaced, indented paragraphs, 12-point Courier or Times New Roman
- No separate title page
- Title, word count, and category on first page of manuscript
- NO author name anywhere on the manuscript
- Multiple submissions OK
- One entry per submission
Fee per entry
$15 per entry for OWC members
$20 per entry for nonmembers
If you want a written critique from the judging panel, add $15 to your entry fee.
Submission Guidelines (electronic only)
We are using Submittable, the submission manager.
To submit your short story, please have a word document or PDF ready to upload and be prepared to pay via debit or credit card, as well as Paypal. Submissions can be made through Submittable.
Be sure your name does not appear anywhere on the manuscript.
Multiple submissions are OK, but please submit each one separately with a separate payment.
Contest fee is nonrefundable. Entries not meeting the stated criteria will be disqualified.
Judging
All judges are published authors with editing experience.
Enter Your Manuscript
Questions? Email Marlene
Image: Write In Journal via photopin (license)
