Rising Star Creative Writing Competition

The 2012 Rising Star Creative Writing Competition Is Accepting Entries!

The Nature of Words has issued the call for entries to the seventh annual Rising Star Creative Writing Competition for emerging writers. Entries for the 2012 competition are due by March 10, 2012 in three genres—fiction, literary nonfiction and poetry—and in three age categories: 15-18, 19-25 and 25+. The competition is open to writers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. All entries must be submitted to The Nature of Words via this entry link http://thenatureofwords.submishmash.com/submit. No submissions will be accepted through mail or email.

The Nature of Words Rising Star Creative Writing Competition is sponsored by the University of Oregon.

Winners and honorable mentions of the competition are recognized in an awards ceremony at The Nature of Words literary festival, scheduled for November 7-11, 2012. Winners receive a trophy, a $50 cash prize, inclusion of their winning entry in The Nature of Words’ annual anthology of student writing, and a scholarship to a workshop in their winning genre during The Nature of Words festival. Honorable mentions also see their work included in the anthology and are recognized at the awards ceremony. Judges for the 2012 competition will be announced in January.

Submission Guidelines are as follows:

• The competition is open to writers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho in three age categories: 15-18, 19-25, and 25+.
• Genres include Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, and Poetry.
• 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.
• Poets may submit two unpublished poems (no more than four single-spaced pages, total); prose writers may submit one unpublished double-spaced piece of no more than 3,000 words per genre.
• “Publication” includes appearance on any Internet source except a blog.
• Use one-inch margins, Times Roman Typeface, and 12-point type. Submissions must be in Microsoft Word® format. Entries will not be returned.
• The authors’ name, mailing address, phone number, email address, genre of submission, age category, and word count must appear on a cover sheet with entry.
• A $5 entry fee is required for each submission in each category.
• Entrant’s short bio should include information about themselves and their interest in writing. Winners, when notified, must submit a photo (headshot preferred) for use in publicity and the annual anthology of student writing.

Entries must be received via the required online link no later than 12 midnight on the submission deadline of March 10, 2012. Entries dated after this date will not be read.

For more information, email programs@thenatureofwords.org or call 541.647.2233.