Four Writing Contests to Enter Now

Visit these sites and read the guidelines. Some are for North Carolina residents only and some are open to all. Get your work in now before the deadlines.  

1.       The Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition encourages the creation of lasting nonfiction work that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will receive $300, $200, and $100 respectively. The winning entry will be considered for publication by Southern Cultures magazine. The deadline is January 17.

2.       The Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize honors internationally celebrated North Carolina novelist, Thomas Wolfe. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in The Thomas Wolfe Review. The deadline is January 30.

3.       The Doris Betts Fiction Prize awards the first-prize winner $250. Up to ten finalists will be considered for publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. The deadline is February 15.

4.       The Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition awards the winner publication in storySouth and $200. This contest opens January 15 and run through March 1.

WRITING CONTESTS DEADLINES APPROACHING

Deadlines are near. Get your entries into the contests listed below before it is too late. Let's see some Netwest writers among the winners next year.


NCWN Writing Contests

Written by Ed Southern
Tuesday, 18 November 2008 16:43


The deadlines for the North Carolina Writers' Network's writing competitions are fast approaching.
Each year, the Network awards more than $30,000 in prizes, honoraria, and stipends through its four writing contests. These contests are an excellent opportunity for writers to gain exposure and publication for themselves and their work. Network members receive a discount on the entry fees.
Follow the highlighted links for further information on the following competitions, including submission guidelines:
The Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition encourages the creation of lasting nonfiction work that is outside the realm of conventional journalism. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will receive $300, $200, and $100, respectively. Additionally, the Rambler magazine will consider the winner for publication. Submissions must be postmarked by November 30.

The Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize honors internationally celebrated North Carolina novelist Thomas Wolfe. The winner receives $1,000 and possible publication in the Thomas Wolfe Review. Submissions must be postmarked by December 20.

The Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition is named for UNC-Greensboro's legendary poet and teacher. The winner receives $200, and publication of the winning poem in the Crucible literary journal. Submissions must be postmarked by January 31.

The Doris Betts Fiction Prize awards the first-place winner with a prize of $250. Winners and finalists will be considered for publication in the North Carolina Literary Review. Submissions must be postmarked by February 1.

Past winners of NCWN contests include Malcolm Campbell, David Poston, Alex Grant, and Marjorie Hudson.

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Folk Drama

NET WEST FOLK DRAMA??
Almost one hundred years ago, a remarkable man named Fredrick Koch began teaching drama at the University of North Dakota. Within a decade, his accomplishments were noted by other universities, including the University of North Carolina and he was “invited” to design and launch a Carolina-based theatre program.

Koch pulled up stakes and came to Chapel Hill. The results changed American theatre forever. Koch encouraged his students to write one-act plays based on events drawn from the history of their home towns, their state and regional folklore. The results were remarkable. Over the next decade, his students wrote hundreds of plays on subjects ranging from ghost stories (Elizabeth Lay’s “When Witches Ride”) moonshine and bootlegging (Herbert Heffner’s ‘Don Gast Ye Both”), legends of outlaws (Paul Green’s “The Last of the Lowries,” and Thomas Wolfe’s “The Return of Buck Gavin,”) and the birth of Abraham Lincoln (“Nancy Hanks, Bondswoman.”)So began the Carolina Playmakers, one of America’s greatest theatrical movements. In time, these fledgling saw their plays produced and toured throughout the state. In the process, the Playmakers learned to build portable sets, design costumes and create essential lighting. Eventually, Koch published eleven volumes of folk drama and the folk drama movements spread, eventually taking root in other countries.

Many school children in North Carolina (circa 1920-1940) saw their first plays when the old Playmakers van arrived at their school. (I was in the 5th grade when I saw“Lost Horizon” and went back stage to see the airplane that flew over the town at the play’s conclusion. (It was a piece of cardboard pushed into an electric fan). Since the primary goal of the Playmakers was to promote an interest in theatre, their productions stressed simplicity – plays that could be done with a minimum of resources. Playmaker productions were often done in gyms, cafeterias and classrooms. The benefits were impressive. In addition to seeing a dramatic work, students learned about their region’s history and culture. Assuredly, the children who participated in these events found their lives immeasurably enriched and the memory of the Playmakers’ visit gave them a sense of pride in who they were and were they lived.

Which brings me to this conclusion. I think it is time to do it again. Is it within the realm of the possible that Writers Network West could be instrumental in launching a new “folk play movement”? Are there students in the high school in Hayesville or the Community College at Blue Ridge Community College who are capable of writing a one-act play? Could Writers’ Network West nurture this movement by monitoring progress? Arranging for productions of student-written play, planning a festival?
Comment, please.
Gary Carden

Gary reviews books at www.blogholler.blogspot.com