WV Young Writers Contest Guidelines

2014 WV Young Writers Contest (YWC) Guidelines

Teachers and administrators in each county will emphasize writing and encourage students to submit writing for judging, first at the school, and then the county level. Writings submitted for judging may be on any topic and must be composed during the current school year, during school hours and supervised by a teacher. Submissions may be in any prose genre: fiction, nonfiction, narrative, memoir, or essays of informative, opinion, or argument. Poetry will be disqualified.

Teachers affiliated with Central WV Writing Project at Marshall University will judge entries analytically and holistically. State winners will be notified in April, 2014, but not announced publically until West Virginia Young Writers Day, May 9, 2014 at the University of Charleston. Entries will be judged on Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions.

Entries submitted for state competition at categories below must not exceed word length limits:

·  Grade 1-2 300 words

·  Grade 3-4 500 words

·  Grade 5-6; 7-8 700 words

·  Grade 9-10 1,000 words

·  Grade 11-12 1.200 words

Entries must be word-processed and double-spaced on 8½” X 11” paper. Each entry must be titled. The student’s name and other identifying information may not appear on the entry. A Cover Sheet and Permission Release and Website Form must also be completed. An electronic submission system is being considered for entries and forms. Directions for submission will be available no later than February 1, 2014. Only YWC County Coordinators may submit entries to the state level contest. No entries will be accepted from students, teachers, or school personnel.

Students in private schools within the county district may participate. YWC County Coordinators are encouraged to share this information with personnel at private schools. Winning entries submitted from private schools must be judged at the county level. Home schooled students may participate subject to the guidelines and/or supervision of the county where they reside.

1st place county winners from each of the six contest categories will receive certificates commemorating their achievement and be treated to programs and workshops with published authors/presenters on WV Young Writers Day at the University of Charleston on May 9, 2014. State winners in each of the 6 contest categories will receive a check of $100 for 1st place, $50 for 2nd place, and $25 for 3rd place.

Additional information is located at http://www.marshall.edu/cwvwp

Your YWC County Coordinator is: ______

He or she can be reached at: ______

If your YWC County Coordinator cannot answer your questions, you can contact

Paul Epstein, YWC Director, , 304-343-5074 with questions.