All right folks, it was about time to run a writing competition over here. The first one will be a short story competition. You have until next Sunday (July 20th) to send your story to us via email, on the infoATdailywritingtips.com address.
The Prizes
The competition will be sponsored by WhiteSmoke. It will offer 3 full licenses to the executive edition of its writing software (with a value of $250 each).
The WhiteSmoke Writing Software has the most advanced spelling, punctuation and grammar checkers on the market, as well as a patented style checker to improve your text pieces.
The Rules
- The deadline for the submission is the 20th of July (midnight). Submissions must be made via email to infoATdailywritingtips.com
- Send your story either in the body of the email, or as a .doc attachment.
- The stories must be in English, original, and must not have been published in the past.
- Your story must have 500 words or fewer. All topics and formats are allowed.
- By taking part on the competition you allow DWT to publish your story online one time. After that we will not hold any publishing rights over the material.
- All the stories will be published here on the following week. Depending on the number of entries we might break them down in batches.
- Once all stories are published, our readers will vote on their favorite ones, and the three stories with the highest number of votes will win the prizes.
Will the stories be judged more upon the content and originality of ideas more than upon the grammar and spelling etc?
Do you really want to take a chance? Spelling mistakes are ugly and even grammar.
Tyf,
Surely you wouldn’t think of submitting an unedited story!
As one who has critiqued many a story and student essay, I can tell you that errors of grammar and spelling tend to distract a reader from content and originality.
The readers will vote on their favorite ones, so I guess content and originality. As Maeve said, though, grammatical mistakes can distract the reader.
I agree with Daniel. If there’s a story that has a lot of errors; spelling or otherwise, I will stop reading it and move on.
It is but mandatory for a short story that is meant to be judged to be free from grammatical and spelling errors. However, I am sure the readers will have their own parameters of judging. In fact, being ‘correct’ is again subjective as the spellings and sentence construction depends on the region where the writer is from, the region of the character conceived (in case of direct speech) and most important, the region of the reader. Since these minor things can be proofread, the writer should focus more on the concept and the flow of thought being brought out in a beautiful way. Once this is achieved, a thorough proofread will make the story worth publishing. But don’t be surprised if a story with a great concept but with a few errors wins over a technically correct, dud story.
When I read, I’ll keep in mind that some submissions will have been written in under a week. What about work, kids, and the time one sets aside between re-writes?
Perhaps I misread the first comment. Did TYF ask permission to submit a story full of errors, or did TYF ask about the criteria? A dull story causes me more pain than an occasional misplaced modifier.
What is the point of competing for software that checks grammar, punctuation, and spelling if one doesn’t make those mistakes?
I sent my story to [email protected] . Shall I be informed if it has reached you?
@Mary, keep in mind its a 500 words or fewer story 🙂 . One could write it in one day, and he still would have 6 days to review and rewrite it.
I got 4 submissions within 2 hours of posting this…
Am I right in thinking that infoATdailywritingtips.com should read. Anyway I have sent mine to the latter so I hope you get it.
How will the voting be regulated? For example, can I vote for my own entry? Can I vote for it ten times? Can I ask my grandmother and my best friend to vote for my entry? (Neither of them is a regular reader.) Not that I would ever do such a thing :-), but I’m just wondering how you will regulate who votes.
I can’t wait to enter! I’m so glad you’re finally doing this.
@Emily, one vote per IP address, that is the only rule that we will have.
Here’s something I just thought of, in the five hundred words does that include the title of the story?
“Here’s something I just thought of, in the five hundred words does that include the title of the story?”
I have a 200 word title. 🙂
Can anyone enter?
Another question: will the voters be able to give feedback on the entries? I’d love to know why someone did or didn’t vote for mine. 🙂
What a great opportunity! Thanks, Daniel.
Thanks for running this competition!
Reader feed-back is a great idea!
kJ
@CG, yes.
@Tony, that is correct. Due to the large number of submissions we won’t be able to reply to each confirming. But we should get all of them.
@Emily, yeah we can ask for that also, on the comments section.
ALL RIGHT NOW. It’s the 20th. One day till we get to see our stories published in this site. I can barely wait!
Erm…. Where can we actually see the stories?
Is there still time to submit?
Like are you going by GMT time or what?
I think it will be fun to read everyone’s submission.
@Soham, I will publish an article with them every Monday.
what is the timing and will it be online??????
hi,i am chelsey and i am ten ,ten year olds should be able to write stories because i am really good i got all a’s on my writing ,reading and story telling skills so email me and please let us preteens submit our stories and we will become the best writers in the universe have a great day asta mannana senor/senorita.
Little kids should not be able to send in their stories because they are under the legal age of 18. Also because they write rubbish and never spell anything properly for us adults and teens to be able to read. I do not mean to sound aggressive but i am only saying what matters and speaking my mind. This is what i think. A load of shxt is published by kids. Adults are the boss and it should be kept that way.
Question…it is now 2009…are there going to be new writing competitions at this site? I am so interested in submitting a short story.
It takes time for the mind to decide what is right and a laugh usually follows to withdraw the full enjoyment of a thought. Many are the times that we focus on alot of things and suddenly every is carried.
Have always wanted to participate in the competitions and it pains me for i don’t usually get the feed back
Knowing the quality of the WhiteSmoke software, I would imagine that if they say there will be another quiz, then it will happen.
If we all, who are interested in this happening, we should write to their support of queries and suggest it.
That is what I plan to do.
Hi. My name Marcella Tippit and I’m 12 years old.My life long dream is to be a top selling book writer and I belive I can and thats just what I’m goning to be I just wish I could enter a competition and win so please email me and tell me about a competition [black,female]
hi i want be a succesful book writer can you help me
how 2 take part in online writing competitions?
I have written many short stories mainly for recreation purposes, one or two are worthwhile, at least I think so. This year (2010) has drawn to the month of September, is there an opportunity to submit, and when?
Gabrielle T
I did it I’m still trying I wrote my first book and have’nt published yet but going to i said what i was goind to do and did it because i but my mind to it and when you but your mind to somthing you sucessfully suceed
i’ll send a lot of stories to you, promiss.
23/10/10 Can you let me know via email what the deadline is for the next short story competition?
Thanks,
Gabrielle T.
Is there any short story competitions(500 words) for 2010-2011?..and
can it have an age gruop of 8-9….please….
when you enter your story by email do you have to put your name and address as well as the story attached ?????
it does not let me send it to the email address???? is this the right email address-infoATdailywritingtips.com ?????
i’ve written loads of books, not published because i haven’t tried even though i’d love to get one published, but none of them are really adventure so i’ve started a new one and i’ll try and enter it in the competition. 🙂
i LOVE books! i wsh 2 bee a famous writer 1 day!
do what ever your minds tells you to do because you are all brilliant
llHey u called me n I was just letting you no ill be callin u in the moring thanks
Is this contest still on? Is that last date for submission on 20th July 2011? Please someone throw some light on this.
Thank you.