Let your writing shine with up to two writers competition entries

This year you can focus on writing quality and not worry about quantity with your entries in the Writers Competition at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library.The rules for the competition have changed for 2010. Participants may submit up to two entries - two fiction, two nonfiction, OR one in each category.

This is the 22nd year of the competition and we are victims, of a sort, of our own success. We depend on volunteer judges - professional and published writers; editors; and educators - and in previous years the packets they receive might have up to 50 entries each. That's quite a load for a person to read through and judge.This is an effort to make that load a little more manageable and to keep our volunteers coming back each year.

Writers Competition forms/rules can be picked up at the library or can be received by mail by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Writers Competition, Coeur d'Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814-4012. The forms can also be downloaded at www.cdalibrary.org. Click on "About Us" and then "Annual Events" for the competition page. Be sure to download both pages - the entry forms and the rules.The deadline for entries is March 31. Entries mailed to the library should be postmarked no later than March 29.

The competition is for previously unpublished, fiction and nonfiction prose of 2,000 words or less. No entry is too short. Because of the special judging criteria, there is no poetry category. Age groups are 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18 and 19-plus. Entry fees are $1 for competitors ages 6-11 and $2 for ages 12 and older.Entries in the 6-8-year-old category can be handwritten - but not in cursive. Children are encouraged to illustrate their stories. An adult may retype a child's entry, but only if the wording is not changed. Submit the original handwritten entry along with the typed versions.

Cash prizes are awarded in each category and age group at a ceremony in May hosted by the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Public Library. Prizes are $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third.Each year all entries in the competition - not only the winners - are included in professionally bound volumes added to the library's collection. These volumes can be reviewed in the Nelson Memorial Room at the library. Reviewing the winning entries in these volumes is one way competitors can work to improve their writing.

Here are some other tips for better entries:n Before you begin to write, read the rules on your entry form and then reread them. Follow the required format. The entry should be double-spaced. Margins are 2 inches on the left and 1 inch for other margins. Use plain white copy- or printer-style paper and print on just one side. The writer's name should only appear on the title page.

Look for stories in the world around you. A good story may be right under your nose. Often the best stories are those about subjects the writer is familiar with. Even fantasy and science fiction writing have to have a foundation of believability.n Avoid overly complicated or heavy fonts. Script is not acceptable. Just because you can do something spectacular with your word processor does not mean you should. You may think a fancy type improves the look of your work, but it may just make it harder for the judge to read. Take a look at different styles of printing in magazines and books. Which fonts are easier or harder to read?

New writers may feel they need to use grandiose language. The best writing reflects the way people actually talk. Try reading your entry aloud. Do the words and sentences sound natural to you? Have you created something that you, personally, would want to read?n Take a look at published short stories and articles in newspapers and magazines. Ask yourself what you enjoy reading and why.

Spelling and grammar are factors in judging. Use a dictionary, a thesaurus, and other reference books - don't rely on a computer.n You will find it helpful to have another person read your entry before you submit it. Another pair of eyes will often spot errors and problems a writer can overlook. But remember that your entry must be your work. Do the rewriting yourself.

Anyone with questions about the Writers Competition at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library can contact David Townsend at 208/769-2315 Ext. 426 or by e-mail at dtown@cdalibrary.org.Good luck with your entry.

David Townsend is the Public Relations/Volunteer Coordinator for the Coeur d'Alene Public Library. He is available for presentations on the Writers Competition and other library matters.