Announcing Winners of the YA/MG Spring Writing Contest in post 11!

Sage

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Update: Winners are posted in post #11!


Warning: this is not a joke! But it is spring and today is April Fool's Day, so I bounce :e2bouncey into the forum and announce:

THE YA/MG SPRING STORY CONTEST! :e2flowers


What It’s About
  • Entries must include: a practical joke or prank
  • Entries must be titled.
  • Entries must be 600 words or less (not including the title).
  • Entries must be written for teens or tweens! All genres are welcome.
People vote for their top three favorites. First-place votes get three points; second-place votes get two points; third-place votes get one point.

The entry with the most points wins.


The Grand Prize
  • $50.00 gift certificate to a book dealer of winner's choice
Prize for Second Place
  • $20.00 gift certificate to a book dealer of winner's choice
Prize for Third Place
  • $10.00 gift certificate to a book dealer of winner's choice
Rules
  • Entrants must be members of AW in good standing since at least March 31, 2020 (members who joined later than March 31st will not be eligible for this contest). Limit ONE entry per member.
  • Entries will be posted exactly as entered – except that they will all be posted in the same font. Please make sure your spelling and formatting--including spacing--are exactly as you want them before you submit your entry. I will not proofread or edit the entries.
  • All AW members in good standing since at least March 31, 2020, are eligible to vote.
  • Entrants must vote to be eligible to win (but they can vote for themselves).

How to Enter

Using the board's private message function, send me your entry by Thursday, April 16, at 11:59 p.m. PDT (Know your time zones).
I will post the entries on Friday, April 17 and open the voting.

Do NOT post entries in public. They will be deleted and disqualified (all entries must remain anonymous to ensure fair voting).

How to Vote

Once the entries are posted, you may send me your vote – one vote (for your top 3 entries) per current AW member in good standing since at least March 31, also using the private message function.

In the subject line of your private message, type VOTE: CONTEST

In the body of the message, include up to three votes in order, from first to third. List both the entry number and the title. For example:

15. An April Fool
2. Ha ha ha...oops
7. All Joking Aside

Voting will close at 11:59 p.m. PDT on April 30, 2020. Any votes received after that time won't count.

I will then post complete results with vote totals for every entry, and announce the winners on May 1.

:e2salute: Okay, I'm off to clear out my inbox

HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK! :TheWave:

(Thanks to Smish for the kidlit contest format, which I absolutely stole)
 
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Sage

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Feel free to ask questions in this thread.

Do not post your stories or any details about them in this thread! I will post a separate thread with all the stories inside.
 

Sage

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1 week left to enter!

Pretty good odds at this point of winning a prize, but I know how we all like to polish our stories until they shine (or we reach the deadline :greenie )
 

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Just a couple days left to enter
 

Sage

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I will initially post entries here, but they’ll be sent to YA SYW after voting so the authors can send them out. I had a story from an early contest published after Smish sent them to SYW, so I know they’ll be good to submit.
 

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Last day! I will close to entries at midnight PDT
 

Sage

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Don't forget to vote for your favorite story. Deadline is in 3 days.
 

Sage

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Hey, everyone, today is May 1, and you know what that means. It's time to announced the winners of the YA/MG Spring Writing contest!

In first place with four votes is Brightdreamer's "The Alchemist's Surprise."

In second place with two votes is Netz's "Quest to Prank My Best Friend Beane on Mischief Day."

Winners, please let me know the book-seller of your choice and the best way to get you your prize by PMing me. Just a reminder, Brightdreamer has won a $55 gift certificate, and Netz has won a $25 gift certificate.

Stories will remain up in the YA forum for about another week, and then I'll send them to SYW, so the winners can choose to submit them for publication.
 

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Gift cards sent out. Congrats again to both of you!
 

MaeZe

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Yay Brightdreamer, I loved that story and voted for it. :hooray:

Yay Netz, also a very good story. :hooray:

I'm disappointed there are only six votes, but such is the life of forum contests. :(

The requirement of incorporating a joke into the story intimidated me. I couldn't think of how to do it. Now that I see how both authors did it, it appears I simply lacked creativity. :(

:hooray: :hooray: :hooray: :hooray:
 
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Netz

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It intimidated me too, MaeZe, until I figured out I could use characters and a setting from an ms I'd entered in Sage's Beta Project last year, lol. It was good to put them in a new situation. :)

Congrats on winning, Brightdreamer! :partyguy:

Thanks for the contest and the gift card, Sage! :) :Hug2:
 

Brightdreamer

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I honestly didn't expect to win; Netz's story was very fun.

(And I also wasn't sure how to incorporate a prank until I started writing...)

Anyway, this was a very enjoyable contest!