National Grandparents Day Writing Contest Sponsored by the Writers of Chantilly

Deadline: July 15, 2013

To celebrate National Grandparents Day on September 8, 2013, the Writers of Chantilly, a not-for-profit organization of local professional and aspiring writers in Chantilly, Virginia, is sponsoring a free writing contest open to high school students in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Students are invited to write an original essay, short story or poem about a special memory with a grandparent(s) or lesson learned from a grandparent(s).

First through third place winners will be chosen to read their work at a National Grandparents Day author event held on Sunday, September 8, 2013, from 2--4 p.m., at the Chantilly Regional Library in Chantilly, Virginia. Winners also will receive a writing prize package, and have their work published in a future Writers of Chantilly story collection.

Rules:

• Only one entry per author may be entered
• Entries must be received by July 15, 2013 to be eligible
• Works must be written by students, and reflect their own original ideas
• Pieces will be judged on creativity, content and structure (stories and essays should have a beginning, middle and end; poems may be free verse)
• Stories can be fiction or nonfiction
• Only unpublished works are eligible
• Entries must be typed in English
• Maximum word count of 1,000
• Open to Fairfax County, Virginia high school students only

Please enclude your name, grade, mailing address, email address and phone number with your entry (your information will be kept confidential), and note if your piece is fiction or nonfiction. All entries will be acknowledged; winners will be notified by July 31, 2013.

Email entries to: WOCwritingcontest@gmail.com

Students interested in participating in a workshop for young writers led by the Writers of Chantilly, please email WOCwritingcontest@gmail.com

About the Writers of Chantilly

The Writers of Chantilly meet twice monthly at the Chantilly Library, Chantilly, VA, to encourage and support writers at all levels--newcomers warmly welcomed. WOC has published several anthologies, the most recent being Nana...And Other Grandmothers, available on Amazon.com or through the Fairfax Public Library System.