Rules
The contest is currently open to Conway County 8th graders only (public and Sacred Heart students.) Submissions must be a short story 3-8 pages in length, typed, and in 10-12 point font. (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri fonts are appropriate.) Students may only submit one entry.
Prizes
- First Prize: $100 Cash
- Second Prize: $50 Cash
- Third Prize: $25 Cash
- Fourth Place: Honorable Mention
- Fifth Place: Honorable Mention
Winners will be announced by May 13, 2025.
Judging
- The Creative Writing instructor will organize a student-selection process as part of a credit-based class project. (See rubric.)
- Creative Writing students will narrow the selections down to the top five rubric scores and arrive at a consensus on first, second, and third place winners using the rubric. Students will judge the selection based on literary impact, creativity, fluency, style, and word choice.
- The Creative Writing instructor will collect the list of winners and coordinate with the Dean of General Education to notify winners and return submissions before the semester ends.
Notification and Return Process
- All winners will be notified by mail and posted on the UACCM website by the end of the semester.
- Upon receipt of parental consent, all of the top-five selected poems by the three winners and the two runners up will be posted on UACCM’s website for at least one month. UACCM reserves the right to determine if a poem will be published on the website.
- Through a coordinated effort between the Creative Writing instructor and Creative Writing students, all submissions to the contest will be returned to the writers with feedback provided by the Creative Writing students.