• The winner in each genre will receive $100 and publication in Incunabula, Salem College's literary magazine.  The two honorable mentions named in each genre will receive $50 each.
• All fiction finalists will receive The Secret Life of Bees by bestselling author Sue Monk Kidd. All poetry finalists will receive Delights and Shadows by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Ted Kooser.
• Contests are open to female students enrolled in high school (grades 9 – 12 or the           equivalent) living in Allegany, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Rutherford, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties as well as all counties in Piedmont North Carolina.   
  
• All participants are invited to a reception featuring an Award Ceremony and Reading on Saturday, November 3 at 4 p.m. at Salem College. Winners must be present to receive prizes.
• By submission, you are acknowledging that this is original work. All submissions must be unpublished.
• For each entry, you must include all of the following:
• One cover sheet per entry with your name,  address, telephone number, e-mail, county   name, high school name, year of high school  graduation, word count (fiction) / line count   (poetry), and the title of the work.
• Two clean typed copies of your manuscript.
  
• The author's name and address must not appear on the manuscript.  Entries are limited to one entry per genre.
• Please do not send us your only copy.  No entries will be returned.
• Previous entrants must submit new material
• Postmark deadline: October 1, 2007. Winners will be announced by mid-October.
  

Send all entries to: 

Click on the links below for more information:

    About a major or minor in Creative Writing.

    To learn more about our Center for Women Writers.

    Admissions Open Houses.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the winners and honorable mentions receive their monetary prizes?

The winner in each genre will be contacted by mid October. The checks for the winners will be presented at the program at Salem on November 3, 2007.  Winners must be present to receive prizes. Please also note that the winners will be announced on Salem’s website and to the media.

Who is eligible to enter this contest? What do you mean by Piedmont North Carolina?

Contests are open to female students enrolled in high school (grades 9 – 12 or the equivalent) living in Allegany, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Rutherford, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties as well as all counties in Piedmont North Carolina. The counties in Piedmont North Carolina are Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Cabarrus, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Iredell, Lee, Lincoln, Orange, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Person, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren and Yadkin.

What do you mean by a clean typed copy?

A clean typed copy is printed on one side only and on white, lightweight paper. No graphics or handwriting should be on the manuscript.

What type of font should I use?

Please make your copies as easy to read as possible by choosing a standard font such as Times New Roman, Helvetica or Arial with at least a 12 point font size.

Should my prose be double-spaced?

Yes.

Should I number my pages?

Yes. The title and page number should appear in the header. Remember, do not put your name in the header. This would automatically disqualify you.

What type of paper should I use to submit my work?

Please use white, lightweight paper.

Should I staple my work or paperclip it?

Please do not staple your poetry. For fiction and nonfiction, you may staple or paperclip it.

What do you mean when you ask for a work that is unpublished?

A work is "published" when it is first made available to the public on an unrestricted basis. This would include selling it or giving certain serial rights to a printed publication or for an e-zine, posting it online (on a website, blog, etc.), or publishing it yourself.

What is the word count limit for fiction?

2,500 words – please include the word count on your cover page!

What is the line count limit for poetry?

30 lines – please include the line count on your cover page! And please note that there is no word limit for poetry.

May I have an extension past the postmark due date?

In fairness to those who send their pieces on time, we will not grant extensions.

A note about the judging:

This contest will be blind-judged, as the name of the contestant will not appear on the manuscript. Final judges for the contest, including Salem College faculty and published writers, will evaluate entries solely on the basis of literary quality.

If you do not adhere to the contest guidelines, your entry will be disqualified and will not be returned.

For any additional questions, please e-mail creativewriting@salem.edu. Thank you!

Salem College presents WRITE PLACE, WRITE TIME
A High School Creative Writing Workshop for Young Women
November 3, 2007 from 1 until 3:30 p.m.
Salem College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Young women grades 9-12 are invited to join us for an afternoon writing experience. “Write Place, Write Time” will offer lectures on the elements of craft, followed by invention exercises and small group workshops. Publishing opportunities for young writers will also be discussed.  Both a poetry and a fiction class will be offered.