Humor Contest Has Ended: Winners to be Announced Before March 20, 2010
| Start Date | September 20, 2009 |
| End Date | December 15, 2009 |
| Eligibility | Students in grades 5-12 or homeschool or international equivalent. Entry is free, at merlynspen.org |
Merlyn's Pen Humor Contest Background: CONTEST IS CLOSED.
Deadline was December 15, 2009. Laughter is the best medicine, the old saying goes. When we laugh, we forget our troubles and, if only for a moment, our pains. To write about growing up (that is, to write about anything that happened up to one minute ago!) recalls events that challenged, scared, confused or even shocked us. Hmmm, that doesn’t sound like fun. Yet, when we talk or write about life-changing events, don’t we sometimes find ourselves smiling or laughing and acknowledging some “good” that resulted? If they lead to nothing else, unexpected, arduous, or frightening experiences can lead to a story. Often a good story others enjoy hearing. The one you write may re-tell an event as it happened (nonfiction), or you may let your experience inspire and give believability to a new story and a new voice you create (fiction).
Humor Contest Mission
This humor contest seeks stories about an event that changes or shapes the main character’s identity or outlook on life. “True” (nonfiction) stories are welcome, and so is fiction. Even if you take the fiction route, recall another old saying: “write what you know.” Only your life experience can give muscle and expertise to the fictional persona you develop.
Writing Guidelines
Narratives (fiction or nonfiction) up to 3000 words are welcome. Poetry, dramatic scripts, and song lyrics should not be entered.
Where to Enter
Entries must be submitted electronically on the Submit Your Writing page at www.merlynspen.org. Confirmation of your entry is immediate, and writers receive a “tracking” code to follow their submission as it moves among editors. There is no entry fee.
Who is Eligible
Writers in grades 5 through 12, or the home-school or international equivalent, may enter. Students in any country may participate. In addition to a confirmation (see above), each entry receives an editorial response.
Contest Categories
Winning entries will be picked from two divisions: High school (grades 9-12) and Middle School (grades 5-8). Editors may determine the division for entries from international and home-schooled students.
About the Prizes (see below)
Merlyn’s Pen will award one First Place and several Honorable Mentions in each division, announced in late February 2010. First Place winners will receive a cash prize of $250 (in the senior division) and $100 (middle school division) plus showcasing in the New Library of Young Adult Writing, at merlynspen.org. First Place authors retain the copyright to their work and grant Merlyn’s Pen and third-party publishers the right to non-exclusively publish their work in print and electronic formats. Winning authors sign a “promise of originality” and a “permission and release” prior to publication.
Get Inspired!
See how other teen writers have written with humor about life-changing events. Link to the SPECIAL COLLECTION of HUMOR WRITING at the www.merlynspen.org home page. How would you respond if asked to drive a monster school bus that's stuck in a roadside ditch? Where would YOU hide fresh eggs you've just stolen from the barn -- in your sock drawer? And see how a nervous public speaker tries to disguise an enormous zit while making a presentation to her class. Good Luck! With questions, email Merlyn@merlynspen.org, or call Merlyn’s Pen at 1-800-247-2027.
Awards
