SHORT STORY CONTEST FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Do you have an author in the family? Is your teen interested in writing short stories? Then they need to enter their literary masterpiece in the  Ventura County Writers Club's (VCWC)  13th Annual Short Story Contest, which for the first time, will be accepting entries from High School students. The deadline to enter is October 15th.

This is an annual contest in its 13th year and because it was such a popular contest, organizers decided to add a new category for High School students. In this very special youth category, winners will also receive cash prizes as follows: first place $100; second place $75; and third place $50.

“We are excited to add the youth category this year,” said Kate Sexton, club president. “The club’s motto ‘to encourage the craft’ begins with mentoring the youth of the community on creative writing. Stories are the groundwork of societies and we need to keep a focus on producing the next generation of great American writers.”

PRIZES
In addition to the cash prize, the Ventura County Star newspaper will publish the first-place winning entry in the January 2013 Sunday edition. The paper will publish first, second, and third-place winning entries in their online edition. 

There are additional perks for the winners. The 2014 VCWC Anthology will publish winning entries. The VCWC will host a reception in January, 2013, for the winners and will invite them to read highlights from their stories. 

HOW THE CONTEST WORKS
All stories are logged in and assigned a number for the sake of anonymity. VCWC employs a scored, tiered process of judging, with editors at the newspaper working as the final third tier. The contest provides an opportunity for many writers to be published for the first time, and to see their writing enjoyed by a wide reading audience.

• All submitted stories must be original and may not have been previously published in any newspaper, magazine, or book, whether or not the author received compensation. Self-published and electronicallypublished works are considered to be previously published.

• Submissions may be in any genre.

• You may enter as many stories as you like.

• Those who have won first place in this contest in the last three years are not eligible to enter.

• If entering via postal mail, include three copies of each short story being submitted. This year, entries will also be accepted online.

• Make sure your name does not appear on any page of your story. Only put your name on the entry form.

• Each submitted short story must be typed and double spaced using 12-point type, in Courier or Times New Roman font, on white 8½ x 11 inch paper, with left and right margins 1.25-inch and top and bottom margins 1-inch. 

• Indent the first line of each paragraph and number all pages at top or bottom.

• Story must be 10 pages or fewer.

• Put the story title at the top of each page.

• Do not put the author’s name on any pages of the submitted stories.

• Each Youth entry is $10.

• All story submissions may be paid with a single check. (Please note the number of submissions on the reference line of the check. )

• Mail entry form, story submissions and check (payable to VCWC) to: VCWC Short Story Contest, P.O. Box 3373, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359. 

• Online entries may be paid through PayPal and submitted directly through the club’s website 

• No person may win more than one prize.

Rules and entry applications are located on the club’s website http://www.venturacountywriters.com/.

To download a flier on the contest click HERE

To download an application click HERE

For more information go to  http://www.venturacountywriters.com/contests/short-story