The Nature of Words Announces Third Annual Rising Star Competition for High School and College Writers

Winners Receive Cash Prize And Will Be Featured at Literary Festival Event

The fourth annual The Nature of Words, Central Oregon's premier literary event, gets underway with the announcement of the third year of the Rising Star Creative Writing Competition for young writers. The competition is awarded at the annual literary festival, scheduled for November 5-9, 2008 in Bend, Oregon. Prizes will be awarded in fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry in two age categories: 15-18 and 19-25. Winning writers will receive a cash prize, recognition in an awards ceremony in November 2008, and a scholarship to one of The Nature of Words workshops in their winning genre.

Submission Guidelines

• The competition is open to writers in Oregon , Washington and Idaho .
• All entrants must be a member of one of the eligible age categories: ages 15-18 or ages 19-25.
• Submitting writers who have won in the past two years may not submit in their winning genre(s).
• Submitting writers may not have published a first book or chapbook, but may have had individual stories, essays or poems in print.
• Submit each entry, accompanied by a short biographical summary, either electronically to risingstar@thenatureofwords.org OR via US mail to The Nature of Words, P.O. Box 56 , Bend , OR 97709 . Poets may submit two unpublished poems (4 single-spaced pages, total); prose writers may submit an unpublished double-spaced piece of no more than 3,000 words. "Publication" includes appearance on any Internet source except a blog. Use one inch margins, and 12-pt. type. Electronic submissions must be in Microsoft Word format. Entries will not be returned.
• The author's name, mailing address, phone number, word count and email address must appear on a cover sheet with each entry. 
• Entrants' short bio should include information about themselves and their interest in/experience in writing.
• Winners must submit an electronic version of their entry, accompanied by a photo (head shot preferred), for use in publicity and a chapbook.
• Entrants must mail a check in the amount of $5 (submission fee), payable to The Nature of Words OR pay via the PayPal link at www.thenatureofwords.org/Donate. PayPal payments must include "Rising Star submission fee" in the payment description.
• Electronic entries must be received and mailed entries must be postmarked no later than May 10, 2008. Entries dated after this date will not be read.

The Nature of Words is co-sponsored by Oregon State University-Cascades Campus, Central Oregon Community College and the Writing Ranch.

For more information about the Rising Star Creative Writing Competition and The Nature of Words, visit www.thenatureofwords.org, email info@thenatureofwords.org or call 541.330.4381.

Artists Embassy International honors the tradition of poetry and dance performed together, as an unified art form. We are seeking poetry of a lyrical nature, bringing together the world's culture. Dancers and Poets from around the world have participated in past festivals.

Poetry Submission: Entry Fee $5  for one poem. $10. for 3 poems, by check or international money. No limit on number of entries.

Line Limit: 40 lines maximum.(in order to facilitate choreography) Send two clear typed copies of each poem.

Show: Name, Address, Phone Number and Email on ONE copy only (Anonymous copy goes to the judges.) Judges decisions final.

Poems must be in English or include an English translation.
Send a SASE for Winners List - No poems will be returned.

Send poems & check to:
 
Judy Cheung, AEI Contest Chair
704 Brigham Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
USA

Over $1,000 in prize money to be awarded.

All prize winners will receive a certificate suitable for framing, a ticket to the Dancing Poetry Festival ’08, and be invited to read their prize winning poem at the 2008 Dancing Poetry Festival, in September at the Florence Gould Theater in the Palace of the Legion of Honor Art Museum in San Francisco.

3 Grand Prize winners will receive $100 each plus their poems will be choreographed, costumed, danced, and videotaped for you at the Dancing Poetry Festival.

5 First Prizes will receive $50 each
10 Second Prizes will receive $25 each
25 Third Prizes will receive $10 each

Prize is $100 and publication in Crab Creek Review

Crab Creek Poetry Contest Submission Guidelines

• Submit up to 3 poems
• Unpublished poetry only
• Simultaneous submissions acceptable when noted in cover letter, as long as we are notified immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere
• Entry fee: $10 check payable to Crab Creek Review
• Include SASE  for notification
• No electronic submissions

The winner to be determined by our guest judge -- Kathleen Flenniken.

Kathleen Flenniken's first book, Famous (University of Nebraska, 2006), won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize and was named an ALA Notable Book and a Washington State Book Award Finalist. Other awards include fellowships from the NEA and Artist Trust. She is co-editor and president of Floating Bridge Press.

Please send submissions to:

Crab Creek Review Poetry Contest
c/o 7315 34th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98117