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Saturday Writers
"Writers encouraging writers"
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Welcome to Saturday Writers "Writers encouraging writers"
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Friday, July 04, 2008 This page contains upcoming 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." DRUM ROLL, PLEASE While other contests might offer prize money, the Saturday Writers' Short Story Contests offers you the opportunity to win prize money AND have your story considered for publication in our acclaimed CUIVRE RIVER ANTHOLOGY. Read below how you can become "rich AND famous"! 7th Annual Saturday Writers' Short Story Contest 2008Submission Guidelines
DEADLINE: Postmarked by September 15, 2008 ENTRY FEE: $5 per entry, maximum of three entries. Submissions without entry fee or inadequate fee will be discarded or returned to contestant if SASE is provided. PRIZES: 1st Place $100 2nd Place $50 3rd Place $25 4th Place – 10th certificates RULES:
Saturday Writers 2008 Short Story Contest c/o Tricia Sanders 90 Westwood Trails Foristell, MO 63348
Top ten winners may be given the opportunity to have a story included (one-time rights) in Saturday Writers’ literary anthology, published the following year. Contest is open to everyone, both members of Saturday Writers and non-members. For a list of winners, check our website: www.saturdaywriters.org after October 31, 2008. Decision of the judges is final. Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Winners will be announced in the Saturday Writers newsletter. Manuscripts will not be returned. Read more about our past issues of CUIVRE RIVER ANTHOLOGY on our ANTHOLOGY page or visit Amazon.com. Here are some suggestions from past judges: Read the submission guidelines carefully. Your story should be fiction; don't send essays or poetry. Your story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Revise, revise, revise. Read your story out loud before sending it. If you have to check the Thesaurus or you can't pronounce it, it's probably not the right word to use. Speaking of words, do not exceed the word limit. Hook us with an amazing first line. We love clever titles and unusual (but not too bizarre) character names. We love a touch of humor, but not obscenity. Surprise and delight us. Make us laugh or make us cry, but most of all make us remember your story. Make sure your dialogue sounds realistic. Use strong verbs and nouns and concrete words. Go light on the adjectives and even lighter on the adverbs. Appeal to our five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Check out CUIVRE RIVER ANTHOLOGY to read some stories that have won in the past. And once again . . . read the submission guidelines carefully. Good luck!
**** 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 more submission opportunities and contest information, courtesy of Saturday Writers
This call out is courtesy of
Dianna Graveman.
THIN
THREAD
http://www.kiwipublishing.com/content/Thin-Threads-Submission-Guidelines.html ****
For
all you mystery writers, check these two contests in
conjunction with the
Tony
Hillerman Writers Conference and Wordharvest. One
contest is for mystery short stories (Deadline
Sep 15)
and the other for mystery novels (Deadline
July 1).
Both contests offer big prizes. Click on the link above
for complete details.
**** Deadline July 31, 2008. Amazing Story Fiction Contest, sponsored by www.thewritehelper.com **** Deadline September 30, 2008, Hamilton, Ohio, Writers Guild 2008 Fiction Contest. www.hamiltonwritersguild.org
Here are the winners of our 2008 Saturday Writers' One-page Poem Contest:
1st place - Awakenings,
Nancy Tupper Ling, Walpole, MA *********
************************************************************************************************** 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: 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
************* 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 * Checks and/or certificates will be mailed by the end of the month. *************** 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
"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." ************ 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 ListThe 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 “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.
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. ******************************************************** 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:
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. ******************************************************* 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.
AND THE TOP TEN ENTRIES ARE: ******************************** 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
Honorable Mentions Notable Entries 11th place-- “The Seventh Circle” William Roetzheim ***************** 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. *****
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 ** Just saw the list of contest winners
and I am dancing the Dance of Joy! ********** 2004 POETRY CONTEST SELECTED POEMS:
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 ************************************** 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) Several Silent Sorrys, Dr. Jim Wilson (Abileen, TX) Yellow Fences, Nadine Breslo (Torrance, CA) 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. 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. ******** 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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