CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST
RULES AND GUIDELINES
To: Local Chairperson of Creative Writing Committee
Local President of Iowa Reading Council
From: Lynn Kilpatrick, State Creative Writing Chair
Debra Wake, State Poetry Chair
Re: Creative Writing / Poetry Guidelines, 2009-2010
Local chairpersons should announce the Young Authors Creative Writing/Poetry project as soon as possible.
Copies of the attached guidelines should be distributed to all schools in your council area. And, please, promote
the Young Authors Poetry and Writing Celebration!
Establish a realistic deadline for your local council to ensure that the winning manuscripts are post-marked no
later than January 20, 2010. Chairpersons, please have your return address, including council name on the
envelope you submit your manuscripts. It certainly helps for identification in the case that your council name is
not on the back of an entry. Also please send us your name, as Creative Writing Chair or Poetry Chair, via email (addresses below). THANKS!
Local councils should send only the first-place manuscripts in each grade level category to the State
competition. At the state level there will be three places recognized in each of the thirteen grade categories.
First place winners will be notified by mail, everyone else should check the Iowa Reading website.
First place winners will be honored at the Iowa Reading Association’s Spring Conference in Des Moines.
Certificates will be sent to the second and third place winners in each category (Creative Writing and Poetry).
Send winning manuscripts by January 20, 2010 to:
Creative Writing Chair:
Lynn Kilpatrick
c/o Chantry Elementary School
409 East 9th St.
Malvern, IA 51551
(712) 624-8681
lynnprin@gmail.com
Poetry Chair
Debra Wake
c/o Fremont-Mills Elementary School
PO Box 310
Tabor, IA 51653
(712) 629-7335
dwake@fmtabor.k12.ia.us
Please remember…
Three typed copies of each winning manuscript/poem need to be sent to the state chairperson (Lynn Kilpatrick
or Debra Wake). Make sure each copy has a completed label attached/stapled behind the final page of each
manuscript. All information must be included to be considered as a final entry. Forms to be used are in this
information, available online at our Iowa Reading Association website. http://www.iowareading.org
When submitting winning manuscripts, please make sure all sections of the label are completed.
YOUNG AUTHORS CREATIVE WRITING
The Iowa Reading Association is sponsoring our annual Young Authors Creative Writing/Poetry Celebration
for students in Kindergarten through Twelfth grade during the fall of the 2009-2010 school year. Local councils
should encourage students to enter the celebration and participate by writing and submitting a creative writing
story (in prose form) and/or a poem.
Classroom teachers should offer the opportunity to all students, but should respect any student who is not
interested in participating. All manuscripts must be submitted to the local council for judging. Manuscripts that
are selected as first place at the local level advance to the state competition.
There will be three places recognized in each of the thirteen entry categories. First place winners will be
notified by mail and invited to attend the Young Author’s Celebration during the Iowa Reading Association’s
Spring Conference in Des Moines where they will be recognized and honored at a reception in their honor.
Certificates will be awarded to the second and third place winners in each category.
There will be thirteen entry categories as follows:
Kindergarten - First Grade: Students may dictate a story to a person who would be responsible for
writing the story for the student if the student’s writing skills are still being
developed.
Second - Twelfth Grades:
These students must write their own stories and/or poems unless unable to
do so.
In all cases, the entries must be proofread before entering any contest. Spelling, grammatical, and punctuation
errors must be corrected to be able to produce the final manuscript. Doing so not only provides opportunity for
further story-writing education, but it also produces the desired finished product.
Creative Writing entries are judged by a rubric that includes continuity, creativity/originality, clearly defined
and developed story elements, and technical mechanics. Stories that intentionally do not follow the
requirements, as outlined below, will be disqualified.
THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE FOLLOWED FOR THE
ENTRY TO BE CONSIDERED
*Manuscripts must be written in prose (story format). Please follow the following length requirements:
Kindergarten – Grade Three: 500 words or less
Grade Four – Grade Eight:
750 words or less
Grade Nine – Grade Twelve: 1,000 words or less
*Student’s name should NOT be on the front of the manuscript.
*Manuscripts must be double spaced and typed. NO ILLUSTRATIONS!
*Manuscripts will be judged according to: creativity, originality, organization and mechanics.
*Three typed copies of the manuscript will be mailed to the chairperson of the local writing committee.
*Three typed copies of the manuscript will be mailed to the state writing committee chairperson. A fourth copy
should remain with the local council as the sent in copies will not be returned.
*The entry label must be attached at the end of each manuscript. Complete all of the
information (Please type or print neatly). There must be an entry label with each submitted manuscript.
Only manuscripts labeled correctly, including all information, will be considered in the state writing contest!
YOUNG AUTHORS POETRY CELEBRATION
The Iowa Reading Association is sponsoring our annual Young Authors Creative Writing/Poetry Celebration
for students in Kindergarten through Twelfth grade during the fall of the 2009-2010 school year. Local councils
should encourage students to enter the celebration and participate by writing and submitting a creative writing
story (in prose form) and/or a poem.
Classroom teachers should offer the opportunity to all students, but should respect any student who is not
interested in participating. All manuscripts must be submitted to the local council for judging. Manuscripts that
are selected as first place at the local level advance to the state competition.
There will be three places recognized in each of the thirteen entry categories. First place winners will be
notified by mail and e-mail and invited to attend the Young Author’s Celebration during the Iowa Reading
Association’s Spring Conference in Des Moines where they will be recognized and honored at a reception in
their honor. Second and third place winners will be posted on the Iowa Reading Website. Certificates will be
awarded and mailed to the second and third place winners in each category.
There will be thirteen entry categories as follows:
Kindergarten - First Grade: Students may dictate a story to a person who would be responsible for
writing the story for the student if the student’s writing skills are still being
developed.
Second - Twelfth Grades:
These students must write their own stories and/or poems unless unable to
do so.
In all cases, the entries must be proofread before entering any contest. Spelling, grammatical, and punctuation
errors must be corrected to be able to produce the final manuscript. Doing so not only provides opportunity for
further poetry-writing education, but it also produces the desired finished product.
Poems will be judged according to: interest stimulated, response evoked, creativity and originality, conciseness
of vocabulary creating an image, rhythm, spelling - unless for effect and appearance. Poetry entries that
intentionally do not follow the requirements, as outlined below, will be disqualified.
THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS MUST BE FOLLOWED FOR THE
ENTRY TO BE CONSIDERED
*Student’s name should NOT be on the front of the manuscript.
*Poems must be double spaced and typed (unless using an unusual format). NO ILLUSTRATIONS!
*Poems will be judged according to: interest stimulated, response evoked, creativity and originality, conciseness
of vocabulary creating an image, rhythm, spelling – unless for effect and appearance.
*Three typed copies of the manuscript will be mailed to the chairperson of the local writing committee.
*Three typed copies of the manuscript will be mailed to the state writing committee chairperson. A fourth copy
should remain with the local council as the sent in copies will not be returned.
*The entry label must be attached to the back page of each manuscript instead of being glued. Complete all the
information (Please type or print neatly). There must be an entry label with each submitted poem.
PLEASE NOTE: Only poems labeled correctly, including all information, will be considered
in the state writing contest!
CREATIVE WRITING / POETRY
(Circle one)
Please include one of these forms at the end of each entry submitted to Local and/or State Contests
Story Title: ________________________________________________________________________________
Grade Level:__________________________
*Word Count (Creative Writing) ________________
Student’s First and Last Name:________________________________________________________________
Student’s Address: __________________________________________________________________________
Street
City
Zip
Student’s Home Phone: ___________________________________
Circle: M (male)
F (female)
Name of School: ___________________________________________________________________________
School Address: ____________________________________________________________________________
Street
City
Zip
Parents’ Name: ____________________________________________________________________________
Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. First
Last
Parent E-Mail address: _______________________________________________________________________
Student e-mail address: ______________________________________________________________________
Teacher’s name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Mr./Mrs./Miss/Ms. First
Last
Teacher’s e-mail address:_____________________________________________________________________
Local Reading Council: _________________________________________________________ Zone: ______
*Creative Writing Manuscripts must be written in prose (story format). Please remember the following length
requirements:
Kindergarten – Grade Three: 500 words or less
Grade Four – Grade Eight:
750 words or less
Grade Nine – Grade Twelve: 1,000 words or less