Creative writing contest open to area residents
The deadline for this year’s MACOA Creative Writing Contest is Friday. All entries must total 3,000 words or less and be on this year’s theme, “Tomorrow.” For more information, contact MACOA Executive Director Tiffany Gallaher at tgallaher@mineralarea.edu or by calling 573-518-2125. File Photo
Many famous authors were first recognized for their talents by winning a writing contest. Ray Bradbury, Jack London and Edgar Allen Poe caught the attention of publishers after their first stories took first place in contests.
“Where the Red Fern Grows” author Wilson Rawls first had his story – originally titled “Hounds of Youth” – published as a three-part serial story in the Saturday Evening Post in 1961 before it was published as a novel.
Now is the chance for Parkland residents to become published authors.
Mineral Area Council on the Arts is again sponsoring its creative writing contest. The theme for MACOA’s fourth annual writing contest is “Tomorrow.” All entries must relate to this theme. The deadline for submitting entries is Friday.
The writing contest is open to two groups of residents in MACOA’s service region, which covers Iron, Madison, Perry, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Washington counties in Missouri. The first group is for high school students in grades 10 through 12 during the current academic year. The second group is for adults.
Three categories are available for writers to enter — poetry, short story and essay.
One winner will be chosen in each category for each group for a total of six winners. The six winning entries will receive a cash award and be given a public reading from Mineral Area College’s Fine Art Gallery, located next to the theatre, on a date in 2024. In addition, the overall winner chosen will receive the honor of having his or her work published in the Daily Journal.
Contest guidelines and the entry form are available online at www.MineralAreaArts.org.
Winners will be announced Jan. 12.
This contest is made possible with financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council and general community donors.
Pam Clifton is a contributing writer for the Daily Journal.
Entry details for MACOA’s 2023 Creative Writing Contest:
– All entries must relate to the theme “Tomorrow.”
– Essays and short stories have a word limit of 3,000 or less.
– Authors may submit more than one entry but only one per genre.
– Entries will be judged on the quality of writing, content, focus, originality, form, structure, organization, style, language, and use of conventions.
– Before submitting an entry, authors should assess the content to decide if the piece is appropriate for a family-oriented public reading.
– Entries should be typed, double-spaced and Times New Roman 11-point font.
– All entries must be submitted with the entry form available online at www.MineralAreaArts.org. Note: Do not include the author’s name or age on the entry. This information should only be on the entry form.
– All entries must be unpublished or strictly self-published works.
– Email entries to MACOACreativeWriting@mineralarea.edu or by mail at MACOA, PO Box 1000, Park Hills, MO 63601. For more information, contact MACOA Executive Director Tiffany Gallaher at tgallaher@mineralarea.edu or call 573-518-2125.
