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Welcome to

Saturday Writers

(Founded in 2002)

Our motto is: "Writers encouraging writers"

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

 

 

New  Contest - Opens September 1, 2010

2010 Saturday Writers 9th Annual Short Story Contest

DEADLINE: November 1, 2010 (postmarked)   Word Limit: 2010 (as in the year 2010)

Contest is open to all writers. Open subject, open genre. (Please, no pornography or gore.)

Prizes: 1st place - $100, 2nd place - $50, 3rd place - $25, 4th place - $15, 5th place - $10. 6-10th places receive certificates. Winners may be invited to submit their story to Cuivre River Anthology.

Entry fee: $7 per story Maximum of three entries per person (separate fee for each entry)

·        Members of Saturday Writers, OWL, MWG, or other MWG Chapters: $5 per story

·        Checks payable to: Saturday Writers.

·        Short stories only (no poems, essays or articles) must be in English

·        Unpublished at time of submission and the original work of the contestant 

·        Contestants retain all rights to their stories

·        Standard manuscript format: 8 1/2 x 11 paper

·        Two copies of each entry

·        Typed and double-spaced on one side of the paper

·        Pages numbered, title of entry on every page

·        Times New Roman 12-point

·        Paper clip pages together (do not staple)

·        No name or other identifying information should appear anywhere on entry

·        Attach a separate cover sheet and include: story title, name, address, e-mail, phone number, and MWG chapter name (if applicable)

·        Do NOT send by certified mail!

·        Mail fee and two copies of each entry, flat, not folded, by November 1 (postmark) to: 

2010 Saturday Writers

9th Annual Short Story Contest

c/o Pat Wahler

18 Pershing Lake Drive

St. Peters, MO   63376

Keep a copy of your entry because stories will not be returned.  Winners' names will be announced during the December Saturday Writers meeting. For a list of winners, visit the Saturday Writers CONTESTS page in December: www.saturdaywriters.org Certificates and prizes will be mailed by the end of December 2010. Questions? E-mail Pat Wahler, K9friend1@sbcglobal.net

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FOR MEMBERS ONLY

Congratulations to our 2010 Saturday Writers Members-only contest winners:

January 2010 1/1/1 Kick-Off Contest Winner: STAN NELMS; Judged by: Pat Wahler

February 2010 Love Contest Winner: JERRY SWINGLE; Judged by: Tricia Sanders

March 2010 March Madness Contest Winner: PATT HOLLINGER PICKETT; Judged by Doyle Suit

April 2010 Poetry Contest Winner: DEBBIE HEDGES; Judged by Amy Harke Moore

May 2010 Mother's Day Contest Winner: DOYLE SUIT; Judged by Mary Horner

June 2010 Father's Day Contest Winner: JOY WOODERSON; Judged by Cindy Allen

July 2010 America Contest Winner: CINDY ALLEN; Judged by Donna Volkenannt

August Hot Contest Winner: MARCIA GAYE; Judged by Lou Turner

The following special contests are open to members only:

September:

This is back to school month so we’re giving you a challenge. Write a young adult short story. Any genre. Up to 2010 words. Send your manuscript to Donna. Postmarked no later than September 15th. No name on manuscript, but include a cover sheet.

October:

Now this one isn’t hard to guess. Write a horror story. Up to 2010 words. Send your manuscript to Donna. Postmarked no later than October 15th. No names on the manuscript but attach a cover sheet.

 November/December:

Another easy one. Write an essay, a short story, or a poem using a holiday as the theme. Up to 2010 words. Send your manuscript to Donna. Postmarked no later than November 15th. (we have no meeting in November, but our December meeting is held earlier) No names on the manuscript, but attach a cover sheet.

 

MEMBERS ONLY CONTESTS

This Month's Contest - YOUNG ADULT STORY

 All deadlines are the 15th of the month (unless it falls on a Sunday, then it's the following Monday)

Note: Be sure to include a cover sheet with your name, address, e-mail, and phone number. No names on your entry, please.

Entry Fee:   $1. You may enter more than one, in one envelope please, $1 entry fee per manuscript.

Submission Rules: Open to members of Saturday Writers only and Unpublished works only

Submit only your best work.  Revise and polish before sending.

Announcement of Winner: Name of the winner will be announced at the monthly meetings. Winner will be invited to read his or her winning entry. Winner’s name and title of entry will be posted on the SW website.

Judge: Contest judges will vary depending on the month and topic, but all judges will be award-winning, published writers.

Prize:   $25 gift card

SEND TO:

Saturday Writers Members Only Contest (Month)

Donna Volkenannt

32 Country Crossing Est. Dr.

St. Peters, MO 63376

DO: Send by regular mail. Paper clip pages along with your $1 fee (per submission) to your entry.

DO NOT: Enclose an SASE or send by certified or “signature required” mail.

If you are not a current member of Saturday Writers, your entry will be disqualified and your paper will be recycled.

Questions? Contact dvolkenannt (at sign) charter.net or LouTurn (at sign) aol.com 

*****

  **

Thanks to everyone who entered our one-page poetry contest, which was judged by Amy Harke-Moore and David Lee Kirkland. Checks for top three winners and certificates for top ten winners will be mailed by the end of May.

Top 10 Winners:

1st place: "Blackberry Wars" Teddy Norris; St. Charles, MO.

2nd place: "Your Suitcase is Gone"  K. B. Ballentine; Dayton, TN

3rd place: "Midwestern Metamorphosis" Teddy Norris; St. Charles, MO

4th place: "Nightwatchman" Jim Barton; Huttig, AR

5th place: "After Rehab at Boys Town" Luelie Isbell; St. Louis, MO

6th place: "Seeing Through" Melinda Coppola; Westwood, MA

7th place: "Cold Comfort" Anne Baber; Lenexa, KS

8th place: "After a Decade" Faye Williams Jones; North Little Rock, AR

9th place: "Chilean Earthquake" Richard Ilnicki; Tarpon Springs, FL

10th place: "So We Decided to Watch Eagles" Jerrel Swingle; O'Fallon, MO

Notable Entries:

"Equation" Luelie Isbell; St. Louis, MO

"Dark of the Moon" Robert T. Chrisman; Kansas City, MO

"Encounter with Crows" Elaine Lockie; Sunnyvale, CA

"Hitching a Ride on a Song," Linda O'Connell; St. Louis, MO

"The Time to Tell" Catherine Moran; Little Rock, AR

"Dens Leonis" Donna Schenk; Evansville, IL

"Grandfather's Shears" James Fox; Lees Summit, MO

"At the Downtown Inn" and "The Carousel Ride" Faye William Jones; Little Rock, AR

***

Saturday Writers Teen Writing Contest 2010 Winners

Judge: Tricia Sanders

Congratulations to everyone who entered, and thanks to parents, guardians, and teachers for encouraging your teen writers.

1st place: “Bardic Measures” – by Kat Riddler, 12th grade, Mrs. Goodlette, St. Charles High School

2nd place: “S. Nomine” – by Ellen Roundey, 12th grade, Mrs. Staude, Lutheran High School

3rd place: “Love Found and Lost” – by Lilly Boenker, 8th grade, Mrs. Boenker, St. Alphonsus School

4th place:  “Girls Don’t Wear Pants” – by Alyssa Neese, 12th grade, Mrs. Staude, Lutheran High School

5th place:  “My Ghost Story” – by Amelia Coplen, 12th grade, Mrs. Godwin, Christian High School

6th place:  “Elisa’s Story” – by Bailey Rhoades, 8th grade, Mrs. Taylor, St Peter School  

7th place:  “Bonita’s Way Home” – by Hannah Hesse, 7th grade, Mrs. Taylor, St. Peter School

 8th place:  “The Story of Eleanor May” – by Brandy Williams, Mrs. Lail, Lutheran High School

9th place:   “Change in Practice” – by Jordan Fruit, 12th grade, Mrs. Staude, Lutheran High School

10th place:  “A Single Shot” – by Grace Malinee, 8th grade, Mrs. Dyer, St. Patrick School

 Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): 

“The Duck That Hated Water” by Kristen Maxwell, 7th grade, Mrs. Taylor, St. Peter School

“Books, Shoes, and a Reluctant Watson” by Taylor Schaible, 9th grade, Mrs. Lail, Lutheran High School

“Ready?” by Ryan Lichtenegger, Mrs. Lail, Lutheran High School

“Thanks Dad” by Austin Bears, 7th grade, Mrs. Taylor, St. Peter School

“The Final Battle” by Conner K. Delles, 7th grade, Mrs. Taylor, St. Peter School

“It’s Good to be Home” by Michael Dennison, 12th grade, Mrs. Staude, Lutheran High School

“Dolphins” by Casey Bader, 7th grade, Mrs. Taylor, St. Peter School

“When Old Friends Get Together” by Travis Morgan, 12th grade, Mrs. Staude, Lutheran High School

“A Twist of Fate” by Danielle Vassallo, 9th grade, Mrs. O’Donnell, Duchesne High School

“What Really Matters” by Jessie Reichert, 12th grade, Mrs. Godwin, Christian High School

*****

 Saturday Writers 3rd & 4th Grade Children’s Writing Contest 2010 Winners

Congratulations to everyone who entered, and thanks to parents, guardians, and teachers for encouraging your young writers.

Judge: Doyle Suit

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1st place: “The Conversational Sapling” (story) – by Brittany Carrington Lee, Mrs. Hartweger, St. Peter School

2nd place: “Spring Turkey Hunting” (poem) – by Zachary Todd Robinson, 3rd grade, Progress South Elementary

3rd place: “The Mysterious Weather” (story) – by Isabella DiMercurio, Mrs. Wiant, Twin Chimneys Elementary

4th place:  “Blitz the Dog” (story) – by Arianna Chavez, Mrs. Lamere, St. Charles Borromeo School

5th place:  “Rain” (poem) – by Todd Myers, Mrs. Clarkson, Sacred Heart School

6th place:  “Turtles That Got Up Early to See the Sun Set” (story) – by Chloe Colclasure, Mrs. Hartweger, St Peter  

7th place:  “So Long Snow” (poem) – by Hannah Eisenbath, Mrs. Orf, St. Theodore School

 8th place:  “Spring Has Sprung (or Maybe Not)” (story) – by Mikayla Hollrah, Mrs. Hartweger, St. Peter School

9th place:   “Scout Saves Spring” (story) – by Hayley Erica Stamm, Mrs. Oehmke, Twin Chimneys Elementary School

10th place:  “Storm” (story) – by Kristin Warhover, Mrs. Wilson, St. Charles Borromeo School

We had so many wonderful stories (129) turned in to this contest. It was hard to pick 10 winners. Here are some more stories and writers that we thought did an outstanding job (listed below). We are so glad for each and every entry we received. Keep writing!

Some more finalists (in no particular order):

*corrections to original post*

Maria Wilder, St. Peter School; Robby Wingerter, St. Peter School; John McManus St. Peter School;  Dylan Wapelhorst-Wright,  St. Peter School; Jenny Zeisler, St. Peter School;  Lauren Yarusso, St. Peter School; Brianna Rist, St. Peter School; Megan Mundy, St. Peter School;  Paige Morfeld, St. Peter School; Chad Brunnert, Sacred Heart School; Caitlin Wilmes, Sacred Heart School; *Grace LeDoux,  St. Theodore School; Jessica Burkhart, St. Theodore School; Hanna Casserly, St. Theodore School*; Tabitha Muir, St. Charles Borromeo;  Serena Yañez, St. Charles Borromeo; Taylor Schildknecht, Prairie View Elementary School; Zac Roellig,   Prairie View Elementary School;  Abby Hankins, Prairie View Elementary School; Julia Wolz, Prairie View Elementary School; Alyssa Fay, Prairie View Elementary School; Kyla Parker, Prairie View Elementary School; Hannah Harke, Sacred Heart School;Ethan Eisenhart, Daniel Boone.                                                         

All 3rd and 4th grade students who participated in the 2010 contest will receive a certificate of participation. They are also invited along with parents to a mini-workshop and awards ceremony on Saturday, April 24 at St. Peters Arts and Community Center at 1035 St. Peters Howell Road (just off Mid Rivers Mall Drive); St. Peters, MO  63376. 1st through 10th place awards and ribbons will also be given. The guest speaker is children’s author Jen Cullerton Johnson. For more information on the workshop, the speaker, and her book, please see the back of this flyer. If you have questions, please email Margo Dill at margodll@aol.com or call 217-714-8582.

The 2010 workshop and contest are sponsored by:

*Missouri Writers’ Guild, (www.missouriwritersguild.org);  *Donna Volkenannt, (Donna’s Book Pub http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com and author of stories in Cup of Comfort for Christmas, Cup of Comfort for Military Families, Cup of Comfort for Women, and Irish Inspirations); *Cindy Allen, Saturday Writers member;  *Margo L. Dill, (Editor 911: editing services and business writing, http://www.margodill.com/editor911.html); *Lou Turner, (High Hill Press, http://www.highhillpress.com/); *Amy Harke-Moore, (The Write Helper, editing services http://www.thewritehelper.com/ )

 

(details about $1 members-only contests are posted after the poetry contest guidelines)

***

SATURDAY WRITERS

One-page Poem Contest - NOW CLOSED

In honor of April being poetry month,

Saturday Writers is announcing our 8th annual poetry contest!

Submission Guidelines:

1) Any style, any subject, any form allowed. Wow us in one page. (One poem per single-spaced page.)

2) No identification should appear on the entry. Attach a separate coversheet with title, name, address, e-mail, and phone number.

3) Two copies of each entry! (Both judges need a copy.)

4) Entry fee: $5 per poem, maximum of three entries. ($5 fee per poem entered)

5) Poems must be unpublished at the time of submission, original work of the contestant.

6) Deadline: March 15, 2010 postmark.

7) Prizes: 1st place - $100, 2nd place - $50, 3rd place - $25. Top 10 entries receive a certificate.

8) Winners will be posted on the website by April 30, 2010. Certificates and cash prizes will be mailed the following week.

9) Mail entries flat, not folded, to: 

Saturday Writers One-page Poem Contest, c/o Louella Turner, 2731 Cumberland Landing, St. Charles, MO 63303

Do NOT send by certified mail!

10) Checks payable to: Saturday Writers.

Contest is open to everyone-- members of Saturday Writers and non-members. Prize winners and honorable mention recipients (top ten only) may be given the opportunity to have their poems included (one time rights) in the Saturday Writers literary anthology, published the following year.

For a list of winners, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Or check out our website after April 30: www.saturdaywriters.org.

Decision of judges is final. Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Poems will not be returned.  

 

***

 
That’s it folks, now we’ll start all over for 2011.

  

***

Here's a note from our 8th Annual Short Story Winner, Lisa Tiffin:

Just wanted to send a personal note to say thank you for the check and the certificates for the Short Story Contest. In December, when I realized the names were likely posted, I was sure I hadn't won as many contests alert the winners ahead of time. Imagine my surprise to scroll down and see my name in first place and again in sixth! It truly made my day. Thanks so much for running this contest and affirming writers in such a lovely way.
 
Warmest regards,
 
Lisa
Lisa Tiffin

***

Congratulations and thank you to everyone who entered the Saturday Writers 8th Annual Short Story Contest.

A total of 87 entries were received from the following states: Alabama (1), Arkansas (15), Arizona (3), California (2), Colorado (2), Florida (1), Georgia (2), Hawaii (1), Illinois (1), Kansas (1), Massachusetts (1), Missouri (45), North Carolina (1), New Jersey (1), Nevada (2), New York (3), Ohio (3), Oklahoma (2), and Pennsylvania (1).

Checks and certificates for 1st through 3rd place winners will be mailed in early January. Certificates for 4th-10th place winners will be mailed by mid-January. Winners retain all rights to their stories.

Contest judge Louella Turner had this to say about the entries in the 8th annual short story contest:

"Judging a short story contest is always an eye-opener for me. Not only can I enjoy my favorite form of writing, but judging forces me to inspect the technical tricks used to make it good. Like a good movie doesn’t allow us to see the technical end of movie making, a skilled writer allows us to see only the story and not the craft. Inspecting the craft is a valuable learning experience.

"This year’s entries were wonderful. The yes pile was a lot taller than the no pile. And with over 80 entries, if you’ve received recognition, it is well-deserved.

"I think I’m a judge that often looks at story first. Did the entry have a beginning, a middle and an end? Were the characters interesting and do a good job of telling the story? An editor at a conference once told me that she judges a good story by how long she remembers it. A day, a month, a year, or a life time. The beautiful words might not linger, but the story will if it’s good. The winners in this year’s submissions immediately rose to the top. I’m sure that there are several I’ll remember for the rest of my life. What a great job it is to be a judge. And for those who entered, I thank you for the entertainment and the lesson learned while reading your work." Louella Turner

And the winners are:

1st Place    "To Touch the Moon" Lisa Tiffin; West Henrietta, New York

2nd Place    "Myrtle"  Pat Wahler; St. Peters, Missouri

3rd Place    "Peligro" Wilma Gore; Sedona, Arizona

4th Place     "The Baby" Evan Guilford-Blake; Stone Mountain, Georgia

5th Place    "Firebreak" Doyle Suit; St. Charles, Missouri

6th Place    "These Boots" Lisa Tiffin; West Henrietta, New York

7th Place    "The Darkness of the Pines" Jerrel Swingle; O'Fallon, Missouri

8th Place    "Marge" Charles King; Springfield, Missouri

9th Place    "Streets of Gold" Nancy Peacock; Fort Smith, Arkansas

10 Place    "Splashdown" Brenda Brinkley; Marshfield, MO

Honorable Mention

"Owen Bentley" Jean M. Emrick; Tuscon, Arizona

"Revelation at the Hacienda" Lonnie Whitaker; High Ridge, Missouri

"The Last Time I Saw Herbie" Charles King; Springfield, Missouri

"Misery and the 8N" Terry Alexander; Proum, Oklahoma

"Redneck GPS' Russell Gayer; Fayetteville, Arkansas

"A Grief Too Astray" Zac Walsh; Hayward, California

"Mingled Tears" Lilah Continue; St. Charles, Missouri

"Daddy" Cathy C. Hall; Lilburn, Georgia

"The Man Who Loved His Refrigerator" Dimetra Makris; Amherst, Massachusetts

***

*****

Special Announcement for Contest Entrants: We are saddened to report the passing of Lynn Carney, who was to be our 8th Annual Short Story Contest. She died of a heart attack in her Arkansas home in late November. Lynn was 56 and leaves a husband and grown son.

Pushcart Prize nominated writer Lou Turner, CEO and Publisher of High Hill Press, has graciously volunteered to serve as judge.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Lynn, her husband Mark, and their son Jeremy.

Please Note:

THE 8TH ANNUAL SHORT STORY CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Thanks to everyone who entered. We received just under 90 entries from 19 states.

The entries have been mailed to the judge.

Check back at the end of December for announcement of the winning entries.

**

This page contains contest announcements, as well as the names of winners in contests sponsored by Saturday Writers since its very first contest in 2002. 

We keep the judges' comments and names of the winners posted so the winners can return to see their names in print -- yet another way of "writers encouraging writers."

2009 CONTEST GUIDELINES

Saturday Writers 8th Annual Short Story Contest

(Short stories only. no essays, poems, or articles)

EXTENDED DEADLINE: November 15, 2009 (postmarked)               Word Limit: 2009

Contest is open to EVERYONE. Open subject, open genre. (No pornography or gore.)

Entry fee: $7 Maximum of three entries per person.

(Members of Saturday Writers, OWL, MWG, or other MWG Chapters: $5 per story.)  

Checks payable to: Saturday Writers.

Prizes: 1st place - $100, 2nd place - $50, 3rd place - $25. 4-10th Place receive a certificate. 

Short stories must be in English, unpublished at the time of submission, and the original work of the contestant.  Contestants retain all rights to their stories. Standard manuscript format: 8 1/2 x 11 paper, typed and double-spaced on one side of the paper, pages numbered, title of entry on every page, 12 point Times New Roman. Paper clip pages together. No name or other identifying information should appear anywhere on entry.

Attach a separate cover sheet and include: story title, contestant’s name, address, e-mail, phone number, and MWG chapter name (if applicable).  Do NOT send by certified mail!

Mail entry fee and two copies of each entry, flat, not folded, by November 15 (postmark) to: 

Saturday Writers 8th Annual Short Story Contest

c/o Donna Volkenannt

32 Country Crossing Estates Drive

St. Peters, MO  63376   

Stories exceeding word limit, not having adequate postage, or not adhering to contest guidelines will be disqualified and entry fee will not be returned. Decision of judge is final. Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Keep a copy of your entry because stories will not be returned.  For a list of winners, visit the CONTESTS page of our website in late December 2009: www.saturdaywriters.org Certificates and prizes will be mailed by the end of December.

Judge: Lynn Carney from Fayetteville, Arkansas, will judge the Saturday Writers 8th Annual Short Story Contest. Carney has been nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize for literary excellence for a short story and has received many awards for her fiction, including two Dan Saults Awards from OWL; three Crème De la Crèmes from OWFI and Johnson County Texas Writers; a Mainstream Literary award from the 73rd Annual Writer's Digest Competition for a short story, and others.  She is a member of Ozarks Writers League and the Northwest Arkansas Writers' Workshop. She is owner and webmaster of  http://writerscozycabincompanion.com, a resource site for writers. Visit her on her official website http://lynncarney.com. She is also on Author's Den, Facebook, and Twitter.

********

 

Judging is complete in our 2009 one-page poetry contest. Thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to anyone whose name is on the lists below. Certificates and checks will be mailed in May.

And a few words from one of our judges, Amy Harke-Moore: "Every year I've had fun reading the poems for the One-Page Poem Contest, and this year was no exception. Poets, you wowed me with your words! Out of the 51 entries we received, many made it to my 'yes' and 'maybe' piles.

"Congratulations to the Top Ten Winners and Notable Entries. For those who didn't place, keep writing. I found that every poem had something to say and often had memorable lines. Persist! "

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

1st place  Translation of a Facelift by Ellaraine Lockie of Sunnyvale, CA
2nd place Wrinkles by Kim Piddington of Ozark, MO
3rd place Passing By by Jim Barton of Huttig, Arkinsas
4th place German Ancestors by Gretchen Fletcher of Ft. Lauderdale, FL
5th place Apres Le Bain by David Bond of Carbondale, Illinois
6th place Waning by Adrian Potter of Minnetonka, MN
7th place Overture to a Life by Jerrel Swingle of O'Fallon, MO
8th place Dowry and Diary by Lynn Veach Sadler of Sanford, NC
9th place Chinese New Year by Jim Barton of Huttig, Arkansas
10th place Merlot by David Bond of Carbondale, Illinois

 
Notables (in no particular order):
Backyard Secrets by Faye Williams Jones of North Little Rock, Arkansas
Recompensation by Gerard Sornat of Redondo Beach, CA
The Opera is Over by Carol Meeks of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Poem With No Secret by David Bond of Carbondale, Illinois
Yesterday by Faye Williams Jones of North Little Rock, Arkansas
To Stop the World by Catherine Moran of Little Rock, Arkansas
To Remember the Crossing by Catherine Moran of Little Rock, Arkansas
Dream Poem by Adrian Potter of Minnetonka, MN
Somebody's Son by Barbara Hodges of Hazelwood, MO
The Blue Danube by Kim Piddington of Ozark, MO
I've Known Love by Kim Piddington of Ozark, MO

 

************************

The winners of the 2009 Flash Fiction Contest were announced at the MWG awards banquet. Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. Our guest judge this year was Amy Willoughby-Burle. Here's her bio:

Amy Willoughby-Burle has a BA in English from East Carolina University with a concentration in Creative Writing. Her work as appeared in Inkwell, The MacGuffin, Potomac Review, Sycamore Review, Cuivre River Anthology, and others. She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has work forthcoming in print in Reed Magazine and Pennsylvania English. Her work appears online in Summerset Review. She lives in Asheville, NC with her husband and two young children. Visit her at www.amywilloughbyburle.com 

Here's what Amy had this to say about the entries:

"Flash is a hard thing to write well. I found that there were a few 'trick ending' pieces which I usually don't go for. A few more that were stylistically odd in that they didn't follow typical story structure. Others that were more character sketch than story.

In the end, I went for ones that followed traditional story paths, but were flashes in time for the most part . . . but also, ones that I could tell the writer knew what he or she was doing, that there was some craft in the wording, and some meaning in the end."

AND THE WINNERS OF THE 2009 FLASH FICTION CONTEST ARE:

1st Missing by Dianna Graveman (St. Charles)
2nd Breakfast at Perkins by Linda Fisher (Sedalia)
3rd It's a Cruel World by Doyle Suit (St. Charles)

***

One-page Poem Contest - NOW CLOSED

Winners will be announced in May

In honor of April being poetry month,

Saturday Writers is announcing our 7th annual poetry contest!

Submission Guidelines:

1) Any style, any subject, any form. Wow us in one page. (One poem per single-spaced page.)

2) No identification should appear on the entry. Attach a separate coversheet with title, name, address, e-mail, and phone number.

3) Two copies of each entry! (Each judge needs a copy.)

4) Entry fee: $5 per poem, maximum of three entries.

5) Poems must be unpublished at the time of submission, original work of the contestant.

6) Deadline: March 16, 2009 postmark.

7) Prizes: 1st place - $100, 2nd place - $50, 3rd place - $25. Top 10 entries receive a certificate.

8) Winners will be announced on the website by April 30, 2009. Certificates and cash prizes will be mailed in early May.

9) Mail entries flat, not folded, to: 

Louella Turner

Saturday Writers One-page Poem Contest Coordinator

2731 Cumberland Landing

St. Charles, MO  63303

 IMPORTANT NOTE: Do NOT send by certified mail!

10) Checks payable to: Saturday Writers.

Contest is open to members of Saturday Writers and non-members. Prize winners and honorable mention recipients (top ten only) may be given the opportunity to have their stories included (one time rights) in the Saturday Writers literary collection, published the following year.

For a list of winners, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Or check out our website after April 30: www.saturdaywriters.org.

Decision of judges is final. Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Poems will not be returned.  Submissions paid for by checks which are returned by the bank will be immediately disqualified.

***

OTHER 2009 CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENTS:

2009 Southern Illinois Writers Guild, in cooperation with John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, is hosting a writing contest. Three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry. Prizes: $100 - 1st, $50 - 2nd, $25 - 3rd, in each category. Entry fee: $5 Deadline: May 1, 2009. Complete info can be found at http://www.jalc.edu/activities/siwg/contest.html
Direct inquiries to Roger Poppen drrock2k@yahoo.com

River Styx announces its fourth annual Founders Award. The annual prize is given to the best poem by a high school student from the bi-state area. Students may submit up to three poems. Reading period is Feb 1; deadline March 31 (postmark). Winners will be notified in Mid-April. Mail to: River Styx, Founders Award, 3547 Olive St., Ste. 107, St. Louis, MO 63103

*******

Winners of 2008 Teen Writer's Contest

The judge has reached a decision. Here are the winners of the Teen Writer's Contest, who will be recognized, along with the winners of our children's writing contest, at our meeting on Saturday, December 6. Hope to see you there.


1st Place: "Simple Things" by Rachel Boes of Fort Zumwalt West High School, 12th gr., Mrs. Elder
2nd Place: "Julie" by Ellen Roundey of Lutheran High School, 11th gr., Mrs. Staude
3rd Place: "Fred" by Phil Michalak of St. Peter School, 8th gr., Mrs. Sims
4th Place: "Book Keeper" by Taylor Schaible of Zion Lutheran School, 8th gr., Ms. Beaty
5th Place: "Nature's Delight" by Leah Dobby of Lutheran High School, 10th gr., Mrs. Lail
6th Place: "Ruby" by Jessica Wilder of St. Peter School, 8th gr., Mrs. Taylor
7th Place: "A Song for Sarah" by Casey Joslin of St. Peter School, 8th gr., Mrs. Taylor
8th Place: "Identity Lost" by Jared Flood of Hardin Middle School, 8th gr., Mrs. Weil
9th Place: "A Day to Die" by Ryan Lichtenegger of Lutheran High School, 9th gr., Mrs. Lail
10th Place: "Boo at the Zoo" by Kaitlin Becker of Francis Howell Central High School, 10th gr., Mrs. Odle

HONORABLE MENTIONS
(In no particular order)

"The Story" by Emily Macke of Lutheran High School, 12th gr., Mrs. Staude
"Declivitous Cataclysm" by Marcus Rivera of Lutheran High School, 12th gr., Mrs. Staude
"The Boogy Man" by Bay Roehr of St. Peter School, 7th gr., Mrs. Taylor
"Pete, the Abominable Snow-man" by Spencer Roehr of St. Peter School, 7th gr., Mrs. Taylor
"A Close Encounter with World War III" by Mike Deluvia of Sts. Joachim & Ann School, 8th gr., Mr. Tramont
"Cold and Nervous" by Nicholas Dashner of Sts. Joachim & Ann School, 8th gr., Mr. Tramont
"Liberation" by Noah McRee of Sts. Joachim &  Ann School, 8th gr., Mr. Tramont
"Tea Treason" by Thien Nga Vu of Sts. Joachim & Ann School, 8th gr., Mr. Tramont

***

Children's Writing Contest Winners - 2008:

First Place - Matthew Lauer, "My Favorite Season of All Is Fall" St. Peter School, Mrs. Hartweger

Second Place - Peter Michalak, "Family of Witches" St. Peter School, teacher not named.

Third Place - Elizabeth Ward, "Halloween Comes to Town" Heritage Intermediate School, Miss Peters

Fourth Place - Justin C. Stroup, "The Ladybug and the Leaf" St. Peter School, Mrs. Hartweger

Fifth Place - Alayna Freeman, "My Favorite Month" St. Peter School, Mrs. Elek

Sixth Place - Anna Breneman, "The Haunted House" St. Peter School, fourth grade

Seventh Place - Chandie Colclasure, "The Moonlight Dancer" St. Peter School, Mrs.Hartweger

Eighth Place - Amy Smith, "A Day of Thanks" Heritage Intermediate School, Ms. Peters

Ninth Place - Chloe Colclasure, "Spooky Halloween Party at Twilight" St. Peter School, Mrs. Elek

Tenth Place - Brittany Lee, "The Hauntings of Fall" St. Peter School, Mrs. Elek

********

Thanks to everyone who entered our 2008 short story contest.

Here are the names of the top 10 winners, followed by those awarded an honorable mention.


1. Don Francisco Rides to La Paz by Robert Walton of King City, CA
2. The Road to Esperanza by Jean M. Emrick of Tucson, AZ
3. Soldier Boy by Jim Barton of Huttig, AR
4. Cornbread and the Aliens by Mary Chandler of Reno, NV
5. Binding Tie by Diane S. Hoover of Colorado Springs, CO
6. Time Ripens All by Sam'l Irwin of Baton Rouge, LA
7. The Repairman by Nancy Shelton of Springfield, MO
8. A Bittersweet Battle Wound by Mary May Burruss of Cape Canaveral, FL
9. Riveting Times by Claudia Mundell of Carthage, MO
10. Must Have GSOH byKathleen Mead of Charleroi, PA

Honorable Mention  

Grand Opening by Jean M. Emrick of Tucson, AZ
The Curse of Kitsch by Jerrel Swingle of O'Fallon, MO
Andrew and the Trophy Buck by Mary Chandler of Reno, NV
The 1956 Banjo Christmas by Judith Bader Jones of Fairway, KS
The Basement's Secret by Gay Ingram of Big Sandy, TX
The Final Show by Steven Noordyke of Comstock Park, MI

**

TEEN WRITING CONTEST

For 7-12th grade students (including home-schooled) in the Missouri Counties of St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren

Submission Guidelines

DEADLINE: Postmarked by October 31, 2008

 PRIZES: 1st Place $50

               2nd Place $30

               3rd Place $20

               4th Place – 10th certificates

 RULES: 

  1. Open subject, open genre. (PG-rated)
  2. Unpublished at time of submission, original work of student.
  3. Standard manuscript form: 81/2 x 11 paper, typed and double-spaced, pages numbered, 12 point Times New Roman.
  4. No more than 2,000 words.
  5. Paper clips only—no staples.

6.   Cover sheet with student’s name, school, teacher and grade, home address,  

      phone number, email (if you have one), and title of entry. (Name should only appear on cover sheet, not manuscript.)

  1. Postmarked no later than October 31, 2008.
  2. If class project, students’ entries may be sent in one mailing. Mail flat, not folded, with sufficient postage to:

        Saturday Writers 2008 Teen Short Story Contest                                                                  

       104 Harke Lane

       Old Monroe, MO 63369

 9.    Questions? Email Amy (amy@saturdaywriters.org) or phone 636-661-5063.

 Contest is open to all 7th – 12th grade students in St. Charles, Warren, and Lincoln Counties. Names of winners will be posted on our website: www.saturdaywriters.org after November 30, 2008.

Winners, their families, and teachers will receive an invitation to receive their prizes and certificates at a ceremony December 6 at the St. Peters Community & Arts Center. 

Manuscripts will not be returned, so please keep a copy of your work.

 

6th Annual Third and Fourth Grade Writing Contest

(Note: The contest is open to all 3rd and 4th grade students living in or attending schools in Missouri's St. Charles, Lincoln or Warren Counties, as well as home-schooled 3rd and 4th graders from those three counties!)

Sponsored by:  Saturday Writers (a chapter of the MO Writers’ Guild)

Contact person:  Margo Dill-Balinski (margodll@aol.com)

217-714-8582

 

THE THEME

Write a short fiction story between 250-750 words about the season of autumn. It can be about sports we play in the fall, holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving, raking leaves, going back to school, or cooler nights and days. If it has anything to do with autumn, we want to read it!

    

THE RULES

1.  Story must be between 250-750 words.

2.  Stories may be hand-written or typed, double-spaced, on one side of the paper

     only.  If typed, please use black ink and either 12pt or 14pt font.

3.  Number pages and staple them together.  Make sure your name is on each page.

4.  All stories should have a title.  The first page of the story should have the name of the student, the name of the teacher and school, and the address of the school

5.  Stories should be the original work of a third or fourth grader. 

6.  Postmark Deadline is October 20, 2008.  

7.  Send entries to: Margo Balinski, Children’s Writing Coordinator, 209 N. Jefferson St., Mahomet, IL 61853  

THE PRIZES

1st prize: Blue ribbon and $15 gift certificate to Borders

2nd prize: Red ribbon and $10 gift certificate to Borders

3rd prize: White ribbon and $5 gift certificate to Borders

4th-10th prize:  Green ribbons

All entrants will receive a certificate for participation.

Names of winners will be published on the Saturday Writers’ Web site  www.saturdaywriters.org by November 20, 2008.  All participants and their families will be invited to the December meeting at the St. Peters Community and Arts Center on Saturday, December 6th.  At this meeting, a published author will talk to students, and a short writing workshop will be held for students and parents.  Prizes will be awarded.  A detailed schedule of the day’s events, along with a list of winners, will be sent to teachers no later than November 25, 2008.  This schedule will also be posted on our Web site.

****

Congratulations to Dianna Graveman and Stan Wilson, winners of THE HOST by Stephenie Meyers. Stan and Dianna's reviews are posted on our REVIEWS page.

Congratulations, Doyle Suit, for winning a copy of THE DEVIL MAY CARE. Read his review on our REVIEWS page.

 

 *********

Here are some submission opportunities and contest information for our members.

 

December 31, 2009: Untamed Ink, the literary journal from Lindenwood University, is seeking submissions of previously unpublished short stories and poems for its Spring 2009 issue. Authors connected to Lindenwood, the greater St. Louis vicinity or the Midwest will be given preference. Submission deadline is December 31, 2009. Visit www.lindenwood.edu/untamedink/ for details.

 

December 31, 2009: Voices Anthology Contest is accepting entries for Volume II. Contact Louella Turner for details. louturn@aol.com

 

******

Here are the winners of our 2008 Saturday Writers' One-page Poem Contest:

1st place - Awakenings,  Nancy Tupper Ling, Walpole, MA
2nd place - Milne St., New Orleans, 1986,  Jane Stubbs, New Orleans, LA 
3rd place - Wired Up, Edward Boccia, St. Louis, MO
4th place - Messaging, Linda Maxwell, Richmond, KY
5th place - Chernobyl: Carnival, Meagan McDaniel, Mobile, AL
6th place - The Woman Next Door, Faye Williams Jones, AR
7th place - Grandma's Paperweight, Jerrel Swingle, O’Fallon,  MO
8th place - Pimple Medicine, Linda Maxwell, Richmond, KY
9th place - Pablo Wrote a Word, Mary Horner, St. Peters, MO
10th place - The Pick up, Lori Becherer, Millstadt, IL

Notable Entries (In no particular order)

Close Enough to Touch, Faye Williams Jones, North Little Rock, AR
DP In The Refrigerator, Ed Hennessy, Biloxi, MS
Spoons, Kathryn Veres, Woodland Park, CO
The Secret Clan of Women, Faye Williams Jones, North Little Rock, AR
DFW, Linda Maxwell, Richmond, KY
The Veil of Unknowing, Joyce Gregor, Westcliffe, CO
Painting Autumn Leaves, Thomas Lynn, Lawrenceville, GA
Sky Song, Jerrel Swingle, O’Fallon, MO
A review of the situation, Catherine Moran, Little Rock, AR
Work in Progress, Cheryl Loetscher, Littleton, CO
Should Have Been a Boy, Ellaraine Lockie, Sunnyvale, CA
What to watch for , Catherine Moran, Little Rock, AR

**************************************************************************************************

MORE CONTEST RESULTS

 

Read below to find out the results of Saturday Writer contests from 2002-2007.

Saturday Writers 2007 Teen Short Story contest judge, Donna Volkenannt, has completed judging the 75 entries in our third annual teen's short story contest.

Drum roll, please . . . And the winners are:

2007 Teen Short Story Top Ten Winners:

1. "The Winner" by Hanna Alfier of Lutheran High School, 12th grade Mrs. Staude's class
2. "The Sound of Our Souls" by Nicole Pastor of Troy Buchanan High School, 10th grade
3. "Life with Kit" by Tyler Orf of St. Peter Catholic School, 7th grade Mrs. Taylor's class
4. "One Man Standing" by Emily Moore of Christian High School, 12th grade Mrs. Grube's class
5. "The Book of Life" by Aaron Loesel of Lutheran High School, 12th grade Mrs. Staude's class
6. "Night Warriors" by Anthony Gribbins of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
7. "Elizabeth's Adventure" by Jessica Ferkel of Christian High School, 11th grade Mrs. Dampf's class
8. "Cinderella" by Katy Zeisler of St. Peter Catholic School, 8th grade Mrs. Taylor's class
9. "The Traitor" by Adam Whiteside of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
10. "2758" by Matt Michalak of St. Peter Catholic School, 8th grade Mrs. Taylor's class

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

"The Reign of the Wolves" by Tessa Grissom of Wentzville Middle School, 8th grade Mrs. Cox's class
"Test Stages" by Nicholas Wilder of St. Peter Catholic School, 7th grade Mrs. Taylor's class
"Happy Place" by Alexandria Cova of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
"The House" by Katie Winterowd of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
"Monday Morning Sun" by Jenny Howard of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
"The Haunted Hayride" by Ally Strunk of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
"Collision" by Julie Wilcox of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
"Just a Matter of Trust" by Jenifer Tindle of Barnwell Middle School, 8th grade Mrs. Griggs' class
"Big Little Brother" by Brad Zaricor of Mary Emily Bryan Middle School, 8th grade Ms. Freeman's class
"A Day in the Life of an Original Gangster" by Mike Hall of Lutheran High School, 12th grade Mrs. Staude's class
"The Vegetable War" by Philip Michalak of St. Peter Catholic School, 7th grade Mrs. Taylor's class
"Rory's Story" by Greg Renna of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class
"Inkblots and Writers' Block" by Rachel Doyle of Duchesne High School, 9th grade Mrs. O'Donnell's class

Here are Donna's comments about this year's entries:

It was such a joy to read all of the wonderful stories submitted in the Saturday Writers 2007 Teen’s Short Story Contest. Picking only ten out of 75 submissions was not easy because so many of the entries were filled with energy and creativity! 

 

I hope the contest chair will forgive me, but there were so many wonderful stories that I felt more than ten should be recognized, so I included an additional baker's dozen -- 13 honorable mentions -- along with the top ten.

 

Each and every one of the 75 entries had something going for it, whether it was a clever title, an unusual voice, a touch of humor, energy, engaging characters, realistic dialogue, a memorable story line, playfulness, innocence, sadness, passion, or vivid description.  Some brought a smile to my face. Others made me laugh out loud. A few made me feel sad, to the point that I imagined how painful, at times, it must be to be a teenager.

 

There were several entries I didn’t think were stories at all; they were essays or narratives with little or no dialogue and no strong voice or sense of character. While the writing may have been good in these submissions, what the contest was designed for, and I was looking for, was a story—with a beginning, a middle, and an end, where something happens to someone, where conflict occurs, and someone or something changes by the end of the story.

 

The stories that rose to the top of my list are there not only because of the writing itself, but also because the writer shows spark, imagination, and promise. For me, a winning story is passionate, clever, or memorable—not written simply as a homework assignment or to win a contest. The elements I looked for were: voice, story, character, creativity, energy, and stories with a message or moral without being preachy. To a lesser degree I considered the technical aspects of writing—like format, spelling, punctuation, etc, which are also very important. Just ask your English teachers.

 

If your story isn’t mentioned above, it doesn’t mean it’s not good. Judging a contest is like choosing a favorite ice cream flavor; some people prefer chocolate, others like strawberry, and a few crave tutti frutti. So, if your story was a "strawberry" and I was looking for "tutti fruti," blame it on my unusual taste, not your writing.

 

Here are a few suggestions to help make your writing stronger: 

* write, write, write (every day, if possible, and keep pen and paper handy; you never know when an idea might strike)

* read, read, read (books, magazines, newspapers, comic books, cereal boxes--anything)

* be sure and read your stories out loud before entering them in a contest (you will develop an "ear" for writing)

* don't rely on spell check when you write; spell check cannot distinguish between homonyms (like write and right)

* never, ever give up!!!

 

Congratulations to everyone who entered--I think you all already are winners. A huge thanks to all the teachers, principals, parents, and guardians for encouraging their teens to write and submit such wonderful stories!

 

Donna Volkenannt, 2007 Teen Short Story Contest judge

 

RESULTS OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL CHILDREN'S WRITING CONTEST

 

Doyle Suit has completed judging of the Third and Fourth grade children's writing contest. 

We received a total of 120 entries from nine different schools. From the 21 finalists, Doyle picked his top ten.

Here are his comments:

"The judging is complete. With so many good entries, I almost pulled out the rest of my hair. There were several close calls, and I could have awarded more of them. My hat's off to the kids and their teachers. Good Job! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE ENTRANTS."

 

 
CHILDREN’S CONTEST WINNERS – 2007
 
  1. The Civil War Passage – by Matthew Lauer – Mrs. Elek, St. Peter School
  2. John and the Magic Acorn – by Haley Strand _ Mrs. Ratermann, All Saints School
  3. Danger In The Mine – by Nick Haney – Mrs. Ratermann, All Saints School
  4. Adventures Of Discovering Kid Land – Chandie Colclasure – Mrs. Elek, St. Peter School
  5. The map that John found – by Ellie Henry – Miss Mohan, All Saints School
  6. The Magic Arrowhead – by Michael O’Donnell – Mrs. Ratermann, All Saints School
  7. The Time Machine Malfunction – Lukas Mendel – Mrs. Ratermann, All Saints School
  8. The Key – by Joshua Mesler – Miss Mohan, All Saints School
  9. The Day The Principal Taught The Class – by Caitlan Hunter – Mrs. Hartweger, St. Peter School
  10. Guess Who I Met Yesterday! – by Alyssa Dobner-Klocke – Mrs. Ratermann, All Saints School
 

*************

Judges David Kirkland and Louella Turner have completed their selections of winners* of the 2007 short story contest.  

Congratulations to the top ten, as well as everyone who entered. 

And the top ten are:

1) "Dylan" by Emily Tipton Williams of Fort Worth, TX
2) "Ticket to Colorado" by Barbara Wagner of Leawood, KS
3) "Harvest Time" by June Venable of Georgetown, TX
4) "The Battle with Marilyn Monroe" by Teresa C. Vratil of Leawood, KS
5) "Mowed Flowers" by Teresa Hoy of Chilhowee, MO
6) "Life's Song List" by Judy Webb Brewster of Leawood, KS
7) "Lilly's Affliction" by Frances Hill Roberts of Belcamp, MD
8) "Dragan" by Mary Chandler of Reno, NV
9) "Westward with Hope" by Claudia Shelton of O'Fallon, MO
10) "The Start of Something Big" by Philip Loyd of Houston, TX

***************

Saturday Writer’s 2007 One-Page Poem Contest Results

Thank you to all the poets who entered Saturday Writer’s 2007 One Page Poem Contest. With almost 100 entries, the competition was fierce and our judges reported that a pretty lively debate ensued to come to an agreement on the Top 10. So, without further ado—here’s is the list you’ve all been waiting for.

 Certificates to the top 10 and cash prizes to the top 3 will be mailed soon. Congratulations!

 

Top Ten

1) “How the Blues Can Bruise” by Adrain S. Potter of Minnetonka, MN

2) “Poem for my Dad” by Karen Sucharski of Colorado Springs, CO

3) “Radio Religion” by Judy Lee Green of Murfreesboro, TN

4) “A Lovely Ballet” by Donna Schenk of Evansville, IL

5) “A Visit to Her English Aunt” by Faye Williams Jones of North Little Rock, AR

6) “About Asking” by Catherine Moran of Little Rock, AR

7) “Dignity's Dirty Little Secret” by Ellaraine Lockie of Sunnyvale, CA

8) “Gifts of Love” by Patricia J. North of Clinton, WA

9) “Your Love” by Pat Wahler of St. Peters, MO

10) “Skirmish Sundown” by Ann Huguenin of Ava, MO

Notable Entries--in no particular order:

“Beginnings” by Ann Huguenin of Ava, MO

“Mom's Jazzy Quilts” by Faye Adams of De Soto, MO

 “Fireflies of the Manic Moon” by Carol Carpenter of Livonia, MI

 “Solar Power on the Prairie” by Ellaraine Lockie of Sunnyvale, CA

“Self” by April Lott of Minneapolis, MN

 “The Silence That Is Between Us”  by Jean Tupper of Wrentham, MA

“The Master” by Delia J. Fry of O’Fallon, MO

“Shirley” by Harriet Elkington of Sheridan, WY

“The Gardener”  by Harriet Elkington of Sheridan, WY

“Drinking From a Quart Jar” by Bill Tilley of Park Hills, MO

 “Mendocino Morning” by Ellaraine Lockie of Sunnyvale, CA

“Yearning” by Faye Adams of De Soto, MO

 “An Old Soldier Tells His Story” by Eva Ridenour of Armstrong, MO

“Sewing the Doll's Dress” by Cindy Tebo of Catawissa, MO

 **********

2006 CONTEST RESULTS 

The winners in our annual teen writing contest have been selected.  Here are comments from judge, Mary Horner

"These young writers all seem to understand plot and character development, the basic elements of telling a story. Most have created a strong sense of time and place, and I can relate to the characters and their situations. Well done! I selected the best writing style, which can mean use of words and descriptions, and/or the ability to create a sense of urgency and tension. Also considered were strong opening paragraphs, how quickly and clearly did the story unfold, along with strong endings that tied up the loose ends. In addition, I asked myself the age-old question 'Do I care about these characters and what happens to them?' When all these elements came together in stories with the strongest plot lines, I found the winners.

"I have to say that there are elements in every single story that are worthy of mention. I hope these writers continueto edit and polish their stories because their work is worthwhile and meaningful. Each one is a winner in its own way."

Winners of the 2006 Teen Short Story Contest

1st place - "Behind the Guise" by Emily Moore of Christian High School
2nd place - "The Flying Sun" by Diana Koester of Duchesne High School
3rd place - "The Game" by Jack Gregg of Duchesne High School
4th place - "The Legend of the Mountain Gem" by Harry Nguyen of Duchesne High School
5th place - "Perfect" by Danny Horrell of Lutheran High School
6th place - "The Exodus" by James Rapp of Duchesne High School
7th place - "Dark Future" by Scott Feldt of Duchesne High School
8th place - "The Hollowing Heart" by Sarah Vohsen of Duchesne High School
9th place - "The Perfect Crime" by Katie White of Duchesne High School
10th place - "Jake's Dream" by Tyler Loewenstein of Duchesne High School

************

Judging in our annual children's writing contest is complete.  Thanks to all students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and guardians who encouraged their young writers to put pen to paper and create their wonderful stories.

Judge Doyle Suit send the following comments about this year's submissions. 

"I found that all the stories had merit. The winners tended to have imaginative plots, lively language, complete story arc, and a few that included good descriptions of setting and sensory details. Most of the stories were appealing, and differences in score were small.  Congratulations to all the entrants. Selection of the top 10 is subjective in spite of objective standards."

Winners in the 2006 Children's Short Story Contest: 

1.   Jailene Maldanado, UNTITLED, Saint Peter School

2.   Alex Hopkins, TRICK OR TREAT, Saint Peter School

3.   Margaret Michalak, THE MAGIC PIECE OF CANDY, Saint Peter School

4.   Casey Bader, WHO'S AFRAID OF WHO?, Saint Peter School

5.   Eleanor Lercel, THE HALLOWEEN MYSTERY, Saint Peter School

6.   Michael Clarkson, FRIENDS AND FOURWHEELERS, Sacred Heart School

7.   Luke Prinster, SOCCER DOG, Saint Peter School

8.   James Clifton, UNTITLED, Saint Peter School

9.   Arienna Jasmine Gray, HOW CRYSTAL GOT HER PET PARAKEETS, Rebecca Boone School

10.  Zachary Gildehaus, CHAD'S MYSTERIOUS TREE HOUSE ADVENTURE, Sacred Heart School

 

 *****************

With more than 100 entries from dozens of states and Canada, many of the stories submitted in our fifth annual short story contest were very strong.  

Judges Amy Burle and Donna Volkenannt noted that each of this year's entries offered something that made the stories enjoyable to read--from memorable characters, a skillful turn of phrase, a clever plot twist, great description, a surprise ending, or just a feel-good story.  Thanks for sharing your stories with us.   Even if your name isn't among those listed below, you already are a winning writer because you've imagined a story, written it down, and entered it for judging.  And what a wonderful accomplishment that is!

Here is the list of our top 10 entries and their home towns, along with a list of 10 notable entries that got the judges attention.  

2006 Short Story Winners:

 1st place – “Sweet William’s Court” by Mary May Burruss of Cape Canaveral, FL

2nd place – “Fruit to Fruit” by Judy Lee Green of Murfreesboro, TN

3rd place – “Shaytl Lady” by Judith Groudine Finkel of Houston, TX

4th place – “The Storyteller 1836” by M. Carolyn Steele of Tulsa, OK

5th place – “A Cloud Over Kliklak” by Jerrel Swingle of O’Fallon, MO

6th place – “How the Devil Got My Parking Space” by Laura Loomis of Pittsburg, CA

7th place – “ Justifiable Brew Aside” by Barbara Anton of Sarasota, FL

8th place – “How Yolanda Saved Her Marriage” by Judith Dodd of Boiling Springs, SC

9th place – “The Tin Christmas” by Pat Clothier of Shawnee Mission, KS

10th place – “Alias” by Sharon Ervin of McAlester, OK

 Notable Entries (in no particular order):

 “Right Foot on the Floorboard Left Foot in the Grave” by John Bowlby of Colville, WA

“Legend of a New Name” by Patricia J. North of Clinton, WA

“Waiting at the Stop-N-Go” by Elaine Seger of Columbia, MO

“Necessary Things” by M. Carolyn Steele of Tulsa, OK

“The Road Ahead” by Roger Poppen of Cobden, IL

“Tilly’s Garden” by James F. Boyle II of St. Louis, MO

“Thumbtack Moon” by Judy Lee Green of Murfreesboro, TN

“Bruised Apples” by Debra Purdy Kong of Port Moody, BC Canada

“Cally’s Braid” by Sally S. Nalbor of Crown Point, IN

“When Passing the Possum” by Faye Williams Jones of North Little Rock, AR

********

One-Page Poem Contest 2006 Winners List

 The results are in! This year’s poetry contest turned out to be another good one, with 124 entries coming from 21 different states. Each poem was judged blindly and read with care by our judges. And while not everyone can make our list of winners, each poem had something unique to offer the reader. I encourage you to keep submitting your poems to this and other contests and publications.

 Congratulations to our Top Ten and Notable Entries! Certificates and prizes will be mailed the first week of May.

 Top Ten

First place – “The Topography of Motion” by MARGARET HOEHN, Sacramento, CA
Second place – “Trail Signs” by ELLEN ELIZABETH, Bremerton, WA
Third place – “Home Hospice” by PAGE LAMBERT, Golden, CO
Fourth place – “Autumn in the Apple Orchard” by MARGARET HOEHN, Sacramento, CA
Fifth place – “In One Closet” by ELLEN ELIZABETH, Bremerton, WA
Sixth place – “In the Closet” by FAYE W. JONES, North Little Rock, AR
Seventh place – “Last Assignment” by MARIAN KAPLUN SHAPIRO, Lexington, MA
Eighth place – “Six Holes” by EDWARD BOCCIA, Webster Groves, MO
Ninth place – “Age” by VICKI STEVENS, Valles Mines, MO
Tenth place – “fighting words” by ADRIAN POTTER, Minnetonka, MN

Notable Entries
“Looking Up” by CLAUDIA SHELTON, O’Fallon, MO

“The Second Verse” by MARY BURRUSS, Cape Canaveral, FL

“Bobby and Me” by LENORA HOBBS, Foley, MO

“Runaway Bride” by ELLEN ELIZABETH, Bremerton, WA

“Cross Words” by SUE HOWELL, Carbondale, IL

“Waitress with Parkinson’s Disease” by ELLEN LAFLECHE, Northampton, MA

“For Steve: January 24, 2006” by SUE HOWELL, Carbondale, IL

“I Called Him Duke” by CARILLEE BURKE, Sarasota, FL

“Stacking Wood” by J.B. CHEANEY, Flemington, MO

“The Mortician’s Son” by RYAN VAN CLEAVE, Clemson, SC

“Before Hurricanes Had Names” by ELLEN LAFLECHE, Northampton, MA

“Pocketbook of a Female Serial Killer” by ELLEN LAFLECHE, Northampton, MA

“Tincture of Time” by JEAN TUPPER, Wrentham, MA

“Sky-View Artistry” by DONNA SCHENK, Evansville, IL

“Six A.M. St. Louis” by DONNA SPRINGER, St. Louis, MO

*********************************************************************

Top 10 winners in our 2005 teen writing contest. 

Thanks to all 33 students who entered.


1st place - "A True Daily Double" by Lauren Manganelli, Francis Howell High School
2nd place - "The Mask" by Shannon Lampkin, Duchesne High School
3rd place - "The Harp" by Sarah Haas, Christian High School
4th place - "Louis and the Leaves" by Brian Ransom, Fort Zumwalt West Middle School
5th place - "The Best Christmas Gift" by Jessica Dill, Duchesne High School
6th place - "Wicked Lines" by Zach McCormack, Duchesne High School
7th place - "Understanding Daisy" by Megan Stein, Duchesne High School
8th place - "The Worth of a Lubber" by Hannah Bernhardt, Christian High School
9th place - "100 Yards" by Brendon Covilli, Duchesne High School
10th place - "Won't I" by Tori Champagne, Duchesne High School

A word about our judge: Amy Willoughby-Burle is a transplanted southern girl, living in Missouri with her husband and two young daughters. She has published pieces in both Potomac Review and Sycamore Review. In past years she worked for Tar River Poetry, a top rated literary publication in North Carolina and recently co-judged the Saturday Writers sponsored Creative Non-Fiction Award for the Ozark Creative Writers Conference.

Some comments from Amy:  Judging this teen contest was not only fun but difficult in the best of ways. Not only were the stories so different in style and theme, but each writer had his or her own strengths. This made for some great reads and a stuggle to arrive at a list of winners. I saw real talent and promise in these stories and I hope that each young person that entered this contest will continue to write.
Thanks,
Amy

********************************************************

NOTES FROM OUR TEACHERS

Here's what some of the teachers whose students entered our children's writing contest wrote to Saturday Writers:

Thank you for inviting us to enter this contest.  This is the first Essay contest I've ever had a chance to enter.  I hope they meet your expectations.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Freymuth

Fourth Grade

Sacred Heart

 *****************

Thank you for the opportunity to have my students write "with a purpose."  They were very excited about the writing prompts and enjoyed putting their own personal spin on them.  The idea of each getting a certificate for entering was very appealing to them.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Sincerely,

Donna Pfizenmaier

4th grade teacher

Hawthorn Elementary

*************************

 First of all, let me begin by thanking you for once again having your organization sponsor the third and fourth grade story writing contest.  It was a great experience for the third graders in my class at Saint Peter Catholic School, and I do appreciate the opportunity,

  I'm really excited that I had a winner from the kids in my class, and I plan to be at the awards ceremony on Saturday to wish her and also the boys from the fourth grade classes my best.       I'm looking forward to the awards ceremony this Saturday.  Again, thanks for a great contest! 

Mary Jeanne Elek, Third Grade Teacher, Saint Peter Catholic School

AND HERE ARE THE WINNERS: 

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The judging is now complete from our third annual children’s writing contest. 

 

Thanks to all 138 third and fourth grader students who entered.  Special thanks to the parents and teachers for encouraging these budding authors to write their thoughts on paper and share their stories with us.  Certificates and awards were presented uring our annual children’s meeting on Saturday, December 3, at the St. Peters Community and Cultural Arts Center. 

 

 

Here are the top ten stories, by title, author, teacher's name, and school: 

 

1. THE SCARY MYSTERY by Aaron Hollowell, Teacher: Mrs. Pfizenmaier, Hawthorn Elementary(4th grade)

2. COURTNEY AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE by Megan Stebbin, Teacher: Mrs. Freymuth, Sacred Heart

3. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR by Jordan Stankoven, Teacher: Mrs. Tighe, All Saints School (3rd grade)

4. THE PRINCESS WHO LOST HER FATHER by Marcus Nicks, Teacher: Mrs. Freymuth, Sacred Heart

5. THE NIGHT I BECAME THE BRICKWALL by Molly Donovan, Teacher: Mrs. Tighe, All Saints School (3rd grade)

6. MONSTER WAR by Nick Thro, Teacher: Mrs. Arns, St. Peter Catholic School (4th grade)

7. INTO ANOTHER LIFE by Jeff Noonan, Teacher: Mrs. Hartweger, St. Peter Catholic School (4th grade)

8. CANDY LAND by Margaret Michalak, Teacher: Mrs. Elek, St. Peter Catholic School (3rd grade)

9. THE WERE WOLF by Shelby Dunn, Teacher: Mrs. Freymuth, Sacred Heart

10. MAGIC ONIONS by Daniel Oleson, Teacher: Mrs. Arns, St. Peter Catholic School (4th grade)

 

 

Here’s what our judge, Doyle Suit, had to say about all the wonderful stories submitted for the contest.  “All the stories had merit. There were at least twenty entries that had to be considered for the top ten.”

 

 

A few words about our judge:  Doyle Suit is a father and grandfather who lives in St. Charles.  Doyle wrote a few thousand pages of technical proposals while working as an engineer at McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing).  He speaks French (with the help of his wife, who he met while stationed in France).  Doyle also plays bluegrass with a family band and dabbles in songwriting. He has been published in the now defunct St.Charles Banner News, The St. Louis Suburban Journals, Storyteller Magazine, the Cuivre River Anthology, and other commercial and literary publications. Doyle is currently working on short stories and a novel. 

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2005 SHORT STORY CONTEST WINNERS

From President, Amy Harke-Moore:  Thanks to all who entered Saturday Writers 4th Annual Short Story Contest. Our judges, Donna Volkenannt and Lou Turner, chose these Top Ten and Notable Entries from among the 88 entries we received this year.


A note from the judges:  It was an honor to judge this year's contest. By submitting your story you showed you are serious about your writing and want to improve your craft.  Many of the stories in this year's competition were memorable.  Some were light and humorous, others dark and somber; some made us laugh out loud, while others moved us to tears or caused us to stop and think.  Each winning story had something special that set it apart from the others.  The stories that placed in the top ten and the notable entries had qualities such as: a unique voice, memorable characters, an intriguing story, strong writing, a dash of humor, or a splash of insight.  Many entries that did not make the final cut may have came close, but were missing something. A few entries weren't short stories, but were essays or narratives with no story arc.  The winning entries had the elements of a story: a beginning, a middle, and an end; strong writing, compelling characters, realistic dialogue, conflict, resolution, and lovely language.  The strongest stories showed rather than told--they painted pictures and scenes with words--and surprised and delighted us, as readers.  Congratulations to those writers whose work finished in the top ten or whose stories were recognized as notable entries.  Best of luck to everyone who entered, and we hope you will keep on writing and submitting.   It was a pleasure to read your work.    

AND THE TOP TEN ENTRIES ARE:
    First - "Fighting Instinct" by Adrian S. Potter of Minneapolis, MN
    Second - "The Removeds" by Eugene H. Bales of Savannah, MO
    Third - "Tilly and the Mouth Organ" by Mary Chandler of Rancho Santa Fe, CA
    Fourth - "God's Children" by Charlotte Ann Zuzak of Grove City, PA
    Fifth -  "Huley's Place" by Betty Wallace Kinser of Mountain View, AR
    Sixth - "The Venus Mysteria Show" by Laura Loomis of Pittsburg, CA
    Seventh - "The Morning After" by Richard Crowhurst of Lincolnshire, UK
    Eighth - "Mystic Crystal, Ancient Gold" by Jerrel Swingle of O'Fallon, MO
    Ninth - "Grandmother and the Home Baked Cookies" by Gayle B. Miller of Oklahoma City, OK
    Tenth - "Hello Neighbor" by Aaron Jacobs of Los Angeles, CA

Notable Entries

    "Jessica's Surprise" by Sally A. Roberts of Richardson, TX
    "Smoking is Hazardous to your Health" by Judith A. Gallardo of Bass Lake, CA
    "Dragan" by Mary Chandler of Rancho Santa Fe, CA
    "Thumping the Bible" by Brett Pransky of Reynoldsburg, OH
    "Waterproofing Dirt" by Michael Colonnese of Fayetteville, NC
    "The Living Winds" by Carole C. Douglas of Kansas City, MO
    "Two Shorts and a Long" by Julia Dee Lyle of Burlington Junction, MO
    "Gold Star" by Sue Howell of Carbondale, IL
    "Regret" by David Norton of Sacramento, CA
    "Roberto" by George J. Dirkers of Godfrey, IL
    "Homecoming" by Bob Jones of North Little Rock, AR
    "The Storyteller" by Myrna Beth Lambert of Glenview, IL
    "Triumph in Tragedy" by Barbara Anton of Sarasota, FL
    "Tattered Angel" by Betty Wallace Kinser of Mountain View, AR
    "Trampling Out the Vintage" by Jerry Abrams of Burleson, TX

********************************

2005 poetry contest

Congratulations to everyone who entered the 2005 poetry contest.  There were more than 150 entries, so the competition was fierce. AND THE WINNERS ARE

1st place--  “Fiat Lux”                                               Catherine Moran
2nd place--  “Twilight”                                               Adam Cohen
3rd place--  “Unending Memory”                                    Candace Rice

Honorable Mentions

4th place--  “First Week of Physioball Class”                   Margaret Hoehn
5th place--  “Wishbone in Moonglow”                            Mary Langer Thompson
6th place--  “What Happened on Flat Creek. . .”               Aly Goodwin
7th place--  “April”                                            Jane M. Frutchey
8th place--  “Stretch Marks”                                  William Roetzheim
9th place--  “Morning Ritual”                                   Dulce Moore
10th place--  “The Suede Shoes”                               Diana Davis

Notable Entries

11th place--  “The Seventh Circle”                                    William Roetzheim
12th place--  “Fading into Background”                                William Roetzheim
13th place--  “The Return”                                            Louis E. Bougeois
14th place--  “A Talking Doll That No Longer Speaks”                Eileen Malone
15th place--  “Written Sitting In the Ruins of Old Sheldon. . ."      Aly Goodwin
16th place--  “Annie”                                                Brandy Mars
17th place--  “The Scent of Memories”                              Helen Hensley
18th place--  “Hole in the Sky”                                      Jerry Swingle
19th place--  “Words”                                               Helen Hensley
20th place--  “Happiest in London”                                   Emily Ward
21st place--  “Vintage Memory”                                      Maureen Lavender
22nd place--  “Driving Through Midnight”                             Margaret Hoehn
23rd place--  “Distance”                                             Arleta Witwer
24th place--  “Making Molasses”                                     Christy Lenzi
25th place--  “My Mother’s Hands”                                  Fayrene Mayes

*****************

 Margo Dill did a wonderful job judging the 66 stories from third and fourth grade students in St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren Counties.  Margo is a multi-published writer and winner of numerous writing contests.  She teaches in the Booneville School District. 

Here are the stories she selected as the best.

 2nd Annual Third and Fourth Grade Writing Contest

Sponsored by: Saturday Writers (a chapter of the MO Writer’s Guild)

And the Winners are . . .

    1st prize: Blue ribbon and $15 gift certificate to Borders

    2nd prize: Red ribbon and $10 gift certificate to Borders

    3rd prize: White ribbon and $5 gift certificate to Borders

   1st place: "Crazy Aunt Cloe" Cari O’ Donnell Mrs. Bushway Forest Park Elementary

    2nd place: "Henry the Hedgehog" Katie Eisenbath Mrs. Schlenke Assumption School

    3rd place: "The World’s Largest Pumpkin" Luke Joslin Mrs. Elek St. Peter School

    4th-10th prize: Green ribbons and Wonderful Writer Award Certificates

   4th place: "Was it Really a Dream?" Alexandra Dultz Mrs. Elek St. Peter School

    5th place: "Goober" Hannah Pipitone Mrs. Elek St. Peter School

    6th place: "The Leaf Burning" Lilly Boenker Mr. Gloe St. Alphonsus School

    7th place: "The Witch on the Block" Céile Cassidy Mrs. Lammert Assumption School

    8th place: "The Halloween Pumpkin!" Danielle Vassallo Mrs. Hartweger St. Peter School

    9th place: "Where is all my Halloween Candy?" Abby Wootten Mrs. Hartweger St. Peter School

    10th place: "Halloween Night" William Schneider Mrs. Elek St. Peter School

Special Recognition: Participation Ribbons and Wonderful Writer Award Certificates

   "The Big Surprise" Nick Braun Mrs. Elek St. Peter School

    "The Haunted Grave" Skylar __________ St. Alphonsus School???

    "Missouri to Space" Ellie Pohlman Mrs. Elek St. Peter School

                All entrants will receive a ribbon for participation.

Judge’s Note: We had 66 entries in our contest this year. Even if your students entered and did not win one of the first ten prizes or special recognition, they will receive a yellow participation ribbon. If your students can not attend the awards ceremony, their prizes will be mailed to you. Thank you for entering!!! The stories were wonderful!!!! I looked for creativity, complete stories, and original ideas.

 

*****

Winners of the 2004 Short Story Contest



1st place                      "Two Funerals" by Doyle Suit, St. Charles, MO
2nd place                      "The Homecoming" by Carol Chandler, Harrisburg, AR
3rd place                      "Snows of Lebanon" by Robert Walton, King City, CA
1st Hon Mention            "Sometimes, on Mondays" by Rick Jankowski, Tinley Park, IL
2nd HM                          "Regrets" by James R. Cooley, Kansas City, MO
3rd HM                      "Sweet Love Remembered" by Marian Blue, Clinton, WA
4th HM                      "Career Options" by Marsha Porter, Sacramento, CA
5th HM                     "Red, Blue and Not White" by Elizabeth Parker, Godfrey, IL
6th HM                     "Conventional Wisdom" by Tammy Wilson, Newton, NC
7th HM                     "Pony Boy" by Erv Bobo, Florissant, MO
8th HM                    "Give and Go" by Ed Mason, Kansas City, MO
9th HM                    "Eyes of the Heart" by Barbara Anton, Sarasota, FL
10th HM                      "Trade Day" by Kory Wells, Murfreesboro, TN
1st Notable Entry       "Isabella's Pond" by Carol E. Brown, Mountain Home, AR
2nd NE                    "Mom is a Palindrome" by Linda Maxwell, Richmond, KY
3rd NE                   "Relics" by Lee Ann Russell, Springfield, MO
4th NE                   "About Mamma" by Morgan Elliot, St. Louis, MO
5th NE                   "Mirrored Wishes" by Carol Michaels, Agawam, MA
6th NE                   "Suddenly Famous" by Jodie L. Ball, Arvada, CO
7th NE                   "Mistaken Identity" by Paul Alan Fahey, Nipomo, CA
8th NE                   "Rules Before Sense" by Warren Vickery, Edmonton, Alberta CANADA
9th NE                   "The Grail" by Joseph Shaffer, Albuquerque, NM
10th NE                     "Arramanche" by Sophie Broderick, London UNITED KINGDOM

Congratulations to everyone whose story was among those selected.

Checks will be sent to the top three winners by the end of October.  Certificates also will be mailed to top ten winners by the end of October. 

***

Here are comments from some of the winners in the 2004 short story contest:

I received the award certificate for my story's third place finish in this year's contest.  It is an honor to have one's writing singled out from among many distinguished entries and I thank you for it.    Robert Walton, King City, CA

**

I wanted to thank you and your organization for conducting the recent
short story contest and for publishing the list of honorable mentions and
honorable entries. As a writer, I find it so helpful to know that even
though I may not have placed first, second or third, my work is showing up
on the radar, so to speak. So many contests don't provide that type of
feedback. Your letter was also very encouraging. I appreciate your
organization taking the time and effort to recognize the work of so many
writers.
Kind regards,

Kory Wells,  Murfreesboro, TN
www.korywells.com

**

Just saw the list of contest winners and I am dancing the Dance of Joy!
Whew - gotta catch my wind - Okay, I'm better now.

I'm very proud to have placed 4th (First Honorable Mention) in your contest.
As there is always room for improvement, I always ask -  If the judges or
anyone who read my story has suggestions as to how I can improve my writing, I am extremely open to them.

Have a great day - you just made mine!

Rick Jankowski
Chicago, IL

**********

2004 POETRY CONTEST SELECTED POEMS:

     
1) RICK WHO?  (Marianne Vincent; Syracuse, NY)

2) Homage to Soren Kierkegaard  (Louis E. Bourgeois; University, MS)

3) In Lacombe, Louisiana (Louis E. Bourgeois; University, MS)

4) Poem of Our Dissolution (Joy St. John-Johnson; Huntsville, AL)

5) Cabin Fever  (Catherine Moran; Little Rock, AR)

6) CUSHENDALL  (Elizabeth Parker; Waterloo, IL)

7) Biography (Joy St. John-Johnson; Huntsville, AL)

8) My Jewish Mother (Lynn Sadler; Sandord, NC)

9) Flight Notes (Eugene Bales; Savannah, MO)

10) The Gar in the Tub (Louis E. Bourgeois; University, MS)


NOTABLE ENTRIES (In alphabetical order of poem title)

Bird Woman's Visions (Virginia Fortner; Shawnee Mission, KS)
Black Ties and Fireflies (Chris Moyer; Ooltewah, TN)
Calling for James  (Alice Soules; Danville, CA)
Generations  (Pat Avery; Kimberling City, MO)
Green Slander (Jennifer Ostyn; Twin Falls, ID)
THE HOOK (Aly Goodwin; Spartenburg, SC)
Lamp Life  (Faye Williams-Jones; N. Little Rock, AR)
Las Putas de la Casa (Joan Yeagley; Stella, MO)
Onion Soup (Alice Soules; Danville, CA)
PULL ME FROM THE GROUND (Plea from a roadside cross) (Ed Wright, Jr.; St. Louis, MO)  
The Rider (Eugene Bales; Savannah, MO)
Searching for definition (Catherine Moran; Little Rock, AR)
Suspension of Disbelief (Marie Chewe-Elliott; St. Louis, MO)
A Teenage Girl's Request (Eugene Bales; Savannah, MO)
WAITING FOR MY BELOVED (Caroline LeBlanc; Adams, NY)

*****

Saturday Writers First Annual Third Grade Writing Contest

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who entered the Saturday Writers First Annual Third Grade Writing Contest.  We had 17 WONDERFUL Fall stories entered.  Thanks to the parents and teachers who encouraged their third graders to write and submit their stories.  Special thanks to our judge, Ms. Margo Dill, who teaches writing to students in K-5 at Fairmont Elementary in St. Peters.   Ms. Dill said it was very hard to choose a winner.

And the winners are:

1.  Jacob Wilmes, "The Halloween Freakout," Mrs. Ballmann, St. Theodore School

2.  Brittany Marino, "The Odd Tree," Mrs. Lammert, Assumption School

3.  Alec Hacker, "Dragon Times, " Mrs. Pope, Twin Chimneys Elementary

4.  Brittany Beckett, "The Halloween Scare," Mrs. Elek, St. Peters Catholic School

5.  Cari O'Donnell, "Jesse's Halloween Story," Mrs. Martin, Forest Park Elementary

6.  Tyler Brettnacher, "Tyler's Fantastic Fall Ball Team, " Ms. Myer, Green Tree Elementary

7.  Emily Fitzgerald, "All About Autumn," Mrs. Neal, Assumption School

8.  Morgan Wagner, "The Scariest Night of My Life," Mrs. Pope, Twin Chimneys

9.  Allison Call, "The Magic Leaf, " Mrs. Lammert, Assumption School

10.  Dana Gileza, 'Mallory's First Soccer Season," Mrs. Wiant, Twin Chimneys

Participation Awards:

*Autumn Eaves, "More the Moose and the Mysterious Mushrooms," Mrs. Wiant, Twin Chimneys

*Jordan Garner, "Autumn of the Horses," Mrs. Oehmke, Twin Chimneys Elementary

*Nicholas Keeven, "The Life of a Leaf," Mrs. Ludwig, Sts. Joachim and Ann

*Jordan Shawkey, "The Scary Halloween," Ms. Meyer, Green Tree Elementary

*Audrey Arns, "Fall Days," Mrs. Meyer, Green Tree Elementary

*Shelby Palitzsch, "The Haunted Camp Sight," Ms. Meyer, Green Tree Elementary

*Amy Sweeney, "Happy Halloween!" Mrs. Linneman, Becky-David

*********************

2003 Fiction contest

Congratulations and best wishes to all who submitted stories for Saturday Writers Second Annual Fiction contest.  Even if your story was not selected as one of the top ten, writing your stories and submitting them for judging are positive steps on the road to publication.   

With more than 100 entries from across the United States, and one from Canada, the competition in our second annual short story contest was intense.    Whether it was an intriguing title, a compelling character, a clever plot line, realistic or witty dialogue, a strong and unique voice, graceful description, or a surprise ending, all 102 stories had something to offer.  Each judge selected their top stories, then discussed each of the more than 20 finalists in detail before coming to consensus on the top ten.  The judges' final decisions were based on the effective combination of all the elements of a first-rate short story, along with the passion and unique voice of the storyteller. 

The highest rated stories touched or moved the judges in some way.   In addition to being well written, the final test of a winning story was:  Is this a story I will remember a year from now?   

The checks for the money winners and the certificates for all of the top ten stories were mailed in October. 

AND THE TOP TEN STORIES ARE:

1.  Rewind: The Boy Without Birthdays, Ed Wright, Jr. Brentwood, MO

2.  Play a Little Song, Joel M. Vance, Russellville, MO

3.  Accounting, Carolyn Moore, Tigard, OR

4.  Bottle Caps and Spanish Gypsies, Amy Burle, Warrenton, MO

5.  Scissor Man, Meta E. Lee, Davie, FL

6.  The Kearney Legend, Erv Bobo, Florissant, MO

7.  In Hiding, Lauren Hilger, Allendale, NJ

8.  The Old Man, Florence Baurys, San Antonio, TX

9.  The Leaping Bavarians, Lisa Swanstrom, Port Hueneme, CA

10. Proteus Syndrome, Reggie J. Poche’, Garyville, LA

**************************************
2003 One-Page Poem Contest Results

Poets from 17 states and Canada submitted more than 90 poems in the first annual Saturday Writers One-Page Poetry Contest. In accordance with the contest rules, each poet could submit only three poems, all submitted poems were to be accompanied by appropriate fees and to be unpublished at time of submission, and poets would retain all rights to publication.

Poems were submitted from: Missouri (37), Illinois (9), New Jersey (8), California (6), New York (6). Between 1-3 poems were submitted from poets in: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin, and Canada.

Prize amounts awarded: First Place, $100; Second Place $50, Third through Seventh Places $10 each, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Honorable Mention certificates. All top ten poems were recognized with a certificate.

Judges Amy Harke-Moore and David "Kirk" Kirkland selected the following as the top ten poems. (The titles of the poems are as shown on the entries):

1. My Mother Does Not Weep, Lottie E. Porch, Hackensack, NJ

2. FINALITY, C.J. Clark, Hardy, AR

3. Cotes-du-Nord, Kaavya Viswanathan, Franklin Lakes, NJ

4. Letters from April, Kaavya Viswanathan, Franklin Lakes, NJ

5. Inheritance 2*, Lottie E. Porch, Hackensack, NJ

6. Gim’me some Soul, David Silverstein, Sands Point, NY

7. Coffee Break, Frederick T. Williams, St. Louis, MO

8. Untitled, Sarah D. Bunting, New York, NY

9. INSINUATION OF WINGS, Eileen Malone, Broadmoor/Colma, CA

10. Family Reunion, Elaine Derendinger, Franklin, MO

* Two poems were received with the title Inheritance, so the number "2" was added by the contest chair to distinguish between the poems.

Notable Entries. The following poems were selected as contest finalists by at least one of the judges:

Uncle Harry Gets His Wings, Carol Papenhausen (Knoxville, TN)

Angel @ Club Mave, Lauren Hilger (Allendale, NJ)
Kryptonite, Ezekiel Jarvis (Milwaukee, WI)

Several Silent Sorrys, Dr. Jim Wilson (Abileen, TX)
Imperfect, Kaavya Viswanathan (Franklin Lakes, NJ)
From the Third Floor Balcony, Roselyn Mathews (Waterloo, IL)

Yellow Fences, Nadine Breslo (Torrance, CA)
SONG AND DANCE, Bartie Jones (St. Louis, MO)
Passenger-side Scenario, JoAnn Ridings (Durant, OK)
I long, Rachelle Hosty (St. Charles, MO)
MOUNTAIN CLIMB, Bartie Jones (St. Louis, MO)
HIDDEN THERE, Patricia North (St. Joseph, MO)

Judges Bios

Amy Harke-Moore lives and works on her family's farm in rural Missouri. She's won multiple awards in poetry, including the Seven Oaks Publishing Company Poetry Award; Byline Magazine Haiku Contest; Springfield Writers Guild Haiku Contest; and North Texas Professional Writers Association Poetry Award. Her work has appeared in The MacGuffin, Permafrost, Grit, and Writers' Journal. Currently she is editor of the guild's newsletter, Saturday Writers.

David Kirkland lives in St. Charles, has multiple credits for both short fiction and poetry, and is the Treasurer for the Missouri Writers Guild. More information is available at his writer Website:
www.davidleekirkland.com

Judges’ Comments

Amy Harke-Moore: I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for entering the poetry contest. I enjoyed judging the contest. To me, it’s like receiving a present even though it’s not a holiday—bringing home a folder stuffed full of poems to read!

While it inevitably comes down to those who placed and those who didn’t, I’d like to encourage those of you who didn’t win to keep on keeping on. Poetry selections often come down to personal taste. What strikes a chord with one person might not with another. Kirk and I found ourselves in this predicament with several of the poems.

Speaking personally, all 90 entries had something to offer, whether a well-chosen word or phrase, a title that invited me to read on, or something to think about in the course of my day. I would also like to add, that any time a writer makes the effort to enter a contest or submit a work for publication, it is never a waste of time. It’s how we learn and grow and strive to write better things.

Keep writing, keep reading, and keep entering.

David "Kirk" Kirkland: First, thank you for entering. Being a judge is always interesting, providing the opportunity and impulse not merely to consider which works are viewed as being the top contenders but to develop cogent critiques and arguments to sway others. This contest spurred an unusually lively debate between judges.

Why? Ah, in the end for poetry once past the art and all the craft there is still the matter of voice, of being spoken to; poetry can resonate at a level different than is usually touched by essay or fiction. This year, certain entries received sharply different scoring in the preliminary reviews, and that became the subject of spirited (though friendly) contention.

If I were to offer only a single word of advice, it would be this--proofread. In a line of poetry the difference between 'real' and 'realm' is enormous. Beyond that most obvious suggestion, however, one more--try reading your work aloud.

Why? Because the judges did. The eye too easily misses what the ear will detect, sound conveying an impression that includes rhyme and meter but going beyond that, to the creation of mood in speaking the words. Give voice to the voice of your work by reading it aloud, listening for sounds jarring to the mood of the poem. This year, for example, a storm arose over the word cubicle as the judges read aloud. Word choice is important not merely for meaning but also both for what is evoked and the sound of the word where used.

To our winners, congratulations! To everyone else--do not be disheartened. Persistence is for us all the cardinal virtue, and all of us have the experience of near-misses and rejections--but our craft improves, our ear becomes more sensitive, and our expression more evocative. We are writers, and--more than writers--poets.

********

2002 Fiction Contest

RESULTS

A total of 34 writers from nine states and Canada submitted 47 manuscripts in the first annual Fiction 2002 Writing Contest. Writers from Missouri submitted 29 stories, Arkansas 5, Virginia 3, Illinois 2, Massachusetts 2, California 2, Georgia 1, Maine 1, New Jersey 1, and Canada 1.

Contest was judged "blindly," i.e. the writer’s name did not appear on the manuscript. Judge Julie Earhart has a master of fine arts degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has written for Saint Louis Events Magazine, the St. Louis Public Library, The Tunica Times, and The Historic Daniel Boone Home and Boonesfield Village, and has been a reviewer of fiction for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Charlotte Austin Review, Booksights (in the UK) and Amazing Authors Showcase.

Julie first read through all the manuscripts and eliminated those that didn't follow basic fiction mechanics. Her second read was devoted to how well the craft was utilized and the strength of the story being told. The third read and deciding factors were: How well were conflict peaks handled? Do I want to read more of this story, yet be satisfied with the story on its own? Would I give this to someone else to read? Using these criteria, she selected the following manuscripts as the top ten. Also listed are the writers’ names and states.

1.  Hoot Greerson, David Kirkland, Missouri

2.  Memories and Magnolias, Luella Turner, Missouri

3.  The Mailbox, Linda H. Hoagland, Virginia

4.  Dancin' is Good for the Soul, Luella Turner, Missouri

5.  The Day Booger Johnson Died, Neil Chandler, Arkansas

6.  The Pied Piper of Saint Charles County, Tim Hammack, Missouri

7.  Little Green Men, Luella Turner, Missouri

8.  Broccoli and Cheese Cake, Kim Kiker, Missouri

9.  The Shopping Trip, Linda H. Hoagland, Virginia

10.  La Toya's Downtown Day, Patricia Moore, Illinois

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. With almost 50 manuscripts, the competition was very strong. Regardless if your story was in the top 10 or not, everyone who entered is a "winner" for following your passion of writing and submitting to contests. Best of luck in all your future writing endeavors.

Donna Volkenannt, President


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