Update (10/20/21): Focusing on other life priorities at the moment! Miss it here dearly. Contact me if you need anything! :) Thank you!

7.26.2016

July 26th - August 26th: CFT Writing Contest & Post Break


Note: This contest has ended. Check the results out here!

Greetings and salutations!

Can you believe that it's already reaching the end of July?? Shnikies. But with the planned (I do want to note that this date is only a goal, not a guarantee) early October release of my poetry collection right around the corner, I need to start putting my time and energy towards updating old poems and getting everything together.

So, from July 26th and until August 26th, I will be taking a post break and won't have anything new to put out aside from any poem rewrites I manage to get done, which I will let you know via my social media. I'll still be around to respond to messages, comments, etc., so feel free to get in touch at anytime!

However, I'm not leaving you with nothing for the next month; I'm also hosting, beginning and ending within the same time period, a new writing contest titled Campfire Tales, and you can find all the details below!



Campfire Tales
Writing Contest




Overview


Campfire Tales runs from July 26th, 2016 to August 26th, 2016. Storytellers of any kind are welcome to enter, and you have the option to write either poetry or prose. Submissions must be sent to me by August 26th. No entries will accepted after this date.

Writers in the poetry category must create an original piece of themed acrostic poetry, and writers in the short story category must create an original tale based on the given theme and prompt. Each category has a unique set of rules; you will need to follow the guidelines provided for your chosen category.


Category Guidelines

- Poetry -

  • Your piece must be an acrostic poem.
    • Unfamiliar with the acrostic form? Not an issue! You can find definitions and resources to help you at the end of this post.
  • Your poem should be centered around the theme "Urban Legend."
  • Beyond theme and form, there are no other requirements!

    Focus Areas

    Keep in mind that I'm no professional contest judge, and judgment will mostly be made based on my opinions, but the main elements that I'll be looking at include the following:

    - Originality & creativity
      • You have a lot of freedom here - I want to see what you can come up with! Be creative with how you form your acrostic, with the words you use, with your style, and with how you choose to work with the Urban Legend theme.
    - Number of spelling & grammatical errors
      • Poetry plays with spelling and grammar quite a bit. You're not going to be penalized because you didn't include a period at the end of that line, but obvious mistakes are obvious. Proofread before you submit!
    - How well your piece fits the given theme
      • Use your own judgment here. This will be a major factor in deciding the winner, and your only limitations are what you feel do and don't fit with the theme. You're bound only by two simple words.
    - How well your piece captures my attention
      • Make your piece stand out. Make sure it flows well, and that it has strong, accurate imagery. Most of all, bring it to life!

    - Short Story -

    • Create an original tale based on the following prompt:


    Trust can take years to build, and only seconds to shatter.

    • Using the above prompt as your basis, craft your own urban legend.
      • The prompt can play a small or a large part in your story, but it must be incorporated into your work in some way, shape, or form.
    • Your story should be between 500 and 1300 words in length.
      • If you don't know how to check your word count, copy/paste your work into Microsoft Word, or a similar program, and it will tell you!

    Focus Areas

    Keep in mind that I'm no professional contest judge, and judgment will mostly be made based on my opinions, but the main elements that I'll be looking at include the following:

    - Originality & creativity
      • Your story has to be a minimum of 500 words, and a maximum of 1300. You need to work the prompt in somehow, and forge your own urban legend. There's a lot you can do with that. Be creative with your story elements, with your sentences and descriptions. Show me what you've got! 
    - Number of spelling & grammatical errors
      • Even the best of authors make mistakes, and I'm far from perfect myself. But show me, and everyone who reads it, that you've put work into making your story the best that it can be. Proofread before you submit!
    - Incorporation of the given prompt
      • Use your own judgment here. The prompt won't be the most important factor; your urban legend as a whole will be. However, how you decide to incorporate the prompt into your story will be something I compare with the other entries.
    - How well your piece captures my attention
      • Make your piece stand out. Make sure it flows well, and that it has strong, accurate imagery. Most of all, bring it to life!


      How to Enter

      There are two ways that you can enter into this contest:

      • Create a post on your blog or website and send me the link


      If you choose to create a post...

      Please be sure to include which category you picked, your written work, and any other relevant information you feel I should know (a name to identify you by, another way to contact you if I can't from your blog/website, etc.). Don't forget to send me the link! Super important!


      If you choose to email it...

      Please include details such as your name (pen name or an alias is perfectly fine), the category you wish to enter into, a way to contact you, and your written work (either as an attachment or written directly in the email itself).

      * Note: For the email method, avoid using my sidebar gadget under "Say hello!" to write your piece. It will likely mess with your text.


      Other Details

      - Rewards -

      This is just something fun to do, and there are no major prizes to be won. Winners will receive bragging rights and an award image to show off on their blog or wherever they wish!

      - Acrostic Poem Resources -

      Need help learning how to write an acrostic? Try these:

      Example of an acrostic poem written by Edgar Allan Poe

      - My two acrostic pieces, "Phrase of the Day" (uses initial letter of each line) and "Visionary" (uses initial word of each line)

      - Further examples/tips: link 1, link 2, link 3 (definition)


      -------------------------------

      There you have it! I realize there's a lot of information here, but I tried to make things as clear as possible! You have a month to submit your entry. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have questions or need something clarified!

      Good luck, and I'll see you all around the 26th of August!

      14 comments:

      1. Good luck with your poetry collection! I'm sure it will come out excellently :)

        Ellie | On the Other Side of Reality

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Thank you so much, Ellie! I can't wait to have it all finished. :)

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      2. JUDGING FROM THE REST OF YOUR BLOG YOUR POETRY COMPILATION WILL BE FABULOUS. i hope you have a relaxing + productive break! <3

        evelyn clickman @ if these stars shall fall

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. D'aw, how kind of you, Evelyn! :D Thank you, I'll certainly try my hardest to be productive lol!

          Delete
      3. I've written my post! It'll be live on my blog tomorrow :) I'll be sure to tweet you the link as well!

        the-emo-wolverine-writes.blogspot.com

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Awesome! Sounds good, I can't wait to check it out. Thanks so much for your participation! :)

          Delete
      4. 25th is my GCSE results day. So your post on the 26th will hopefully cheer me up from not driving off a cliff from the awful grades.(And breathe) Hahaha.

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. LOL. Congrats on taking it - I'm not super familiar with the GCSE, but I've read a little bit about it, so I'm aware it's an important one. :) You'll do fine. Best of luck to you! And if necessary, I do indeed hope that my post on the 26th will offer you some cheering up. :)

          Delete
      5. LOVE the theme for the short story entry!! :D Not sure if I can make an urban legend story, but if I get around to it, you can expect to see it on my blog in a few days! :)
        Btw, did you have a good start to Senior year? ^.^ Both going to bed & waking up early isn't easy to adjust to, but at least I don't have to wait until Fall for Hot Chocolate! XD Hope all is well! :P

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Woo!! :D I hope you can get something together! But I understand 100% if it doesn't happen. Search around if you need too - get some inspiration from the many urban legends that are out there! You've still got a few days!

          I did! Great start so far. :) Soo much better than last year in terms of focus. How about you? Going well? Haha, it sure isn't! During any kind of school downtime, my sleep schedule is nonexistent. Makes keeping any sort of routine almost torturous. x) Ooo! Hot chocolate is just amazing stuff. Almost time for it anyway, though!

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      6. I would've loved to enter this, but between Camp NaNo, a month of 'recovery', and the usual summer and back-to-school busyness, it just hasn't happened. It sounds like a ton of fun though and best wishes to those who've entered! :D

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Hey, I get it! Any one of those things alone would be enough to take up most of your schedule lol. Life can really get in the way of things! So exciting you finished Camp NaNo, though!! :)

          I have a feeling this contest will be back someday. I've been super into this myth and legend stuff lately, and it's been such fun reading these entries! :) Amazing writers. It's a shame that you couldn't enter this time around, but there will definitely be future chances, whether of this sort or another type of writing contest, and hopefully you'll be able to make it then!

          Thanks for dropping by, Faith! :D Nice to see you.

          Delete
      7. Nearly didn't manage to get something done, but here is my story: Campfire Tales. Hope you like it. :)

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Ahh I'm so thrilled that you were able to enter, Poison! :) Excellent story!

          Delete

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