The Merlyn's Pen Writing Contest:
Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sails' shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied. . . . "

 

from “Sea Fever,” by John Masefield

Eligibility

Writers must be 13 to 17 years old as of June 22, 2008. The winner earns a full scholarship, and up to $300 in travel, to attend the Merlyn's Pen writing & sailing adventure this June: Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen.  Students need not apply to the program to enter the contest. Your contest entry is not an application to Down to the Sea. To receive an application for Down to the Sea or to learn more about it, please click the link above.

Contest Topic

Has something in nature ever called to you? Has your soul been tugged by something not quite seen, only felt? Have you been outside in a storm or shower and felt, yes, I belong here. Writers, artists and adventurers share a sensitivity to nature’s claim on us. In their art and exploration, they are attuned to a hidden, even incomprehensible connection to the natural world.

 

For the young poet John Masefield, whose phrase “down to the seas” is never far from a sailor’s mind when he or she has been too long on land, it was the ocean that tugged at his soul, called out to him. For others, it might be the sky that beckons, or the mountains, a desert, or a grove. Or the beckoning could come from a simple tree, a creek, a pond, a country path, an arrangement of stones. This contest asks: What in nature calls, or has called out, to you?

How to Enter the Contest

Go to www.merlynspen.org, and on the home page click Submit Your Writing Here,  or click to You Write, then Submit Your Writing.

 

Click here for inspiration! See how some teen poets have written about nature.

Ways to Think About the Topic

All genres are welcome, including short plays and monologues. This contest invites your poetry or prose, your nonfiction, or even a fictional treatment. The theme's the thing: you’re invited to explore where, when, or how nature speaks to you.

 

There are many ways to write well on this topic, so trust your instincts. To be successful, though, you’ll need to make use of your firsthand experiences, the moments in nature you’ve seen, heard, smelled, touched, or tasted. It’s hard to write convincingly – in fiction or nonfiction – without the expertise that comes from personal observation of things.

 

While pre-writing, think also about how nature, even one brief moment when you were in its grip, may have changed you, transformed you, or taught you something -- about yourself, your family, your community, or the world. Are you a city dweller? It doesn't matter! If you’ve never walked a forest trail or dug your toes into beach sand, you can still write powerfully about a moonrise seen from a rooftop, an autumn chill felt on the street, a sudden wind, a favorite tree in a park. If you choose a fictional treatment of the theme, simply reframe the main question so that it asks: What in nature has called out to your main character, and what did it say?

Word Count

There is no minimum word count in this contest; the maximum count is 2500 words. A startling haiku of three lines can say more than a 50-page story!

Questions about the Topic

Feel free to email your questions to Merlyn's Pen editors at Merlyn@merlynspen.org.  For information about next June's writing & sailing adventure for teen writers, Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen, visit  www.merlynspen.org.

Copyright, Legal & Fine Print

Contest entrants retain copyrights to their entries, published or not, and contributors agree to give Merlyn’s Pen, Inc. nonexclusive rights to reprint entries in any format, in part or in whole, without prior permission from the author, for promotional or editorial purposes. If the first-prize winner is unable to attend Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen or elects not to attend the June 2008 literary sailing adventure, she or he may either (1) apply the scholarship to the following year’s program, unless the program is discontinued, or (2) receive from Merlyn’s Pen, Inc. an Alternative First Prize of $500, or (3) assign the scholarship benefits to another student, age 13-17, who meets the enrollment requirements of “Down to the Sea,” subject to the approval of Merlyn’s Pen, Inc.  Students enrolled in Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen as of March 1, 2008, are eligible for all prizes, except that if the First Prize is received, the scholarship is to be applied to the 2009 program, or the Alternative First Prize of $500 will be awarded.

 

FIRST PRIZE: A full scholarship to the Merlyn’s Pen one-week literary sailing adventure in June 2008, “Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen.” The normal tuition to this program is $1695. Also read about the Alternative First Prize of $500, above under “Copyright, Legal and Fine Print.” Read more about Down to the Sea with Paper & Pen.

SECOND PRIZE: One hundred dollars and a four-volume set of Merlyn’s Pen: Fiction, Essays, and Poems by American Teen Writers.

THIRD PRIZE: A beautiful leather-bound writing journal, courtesy of Barnes & Noble, and a copy of the popular Merlyn’s Pen hardcover anthology, License to Write: New Writing from Today's Authors Under 20.

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Merlyn's Pen & The New Library of Young Adult Writing, 11 South Angell St., Suite 301, Providence, RI 02906  1-800-247-2027  401-751-3766  merlyn@merlynspen.org