The Wright State University Creative Writing Program is taking submissions for the second annual creative writing contest offered to all undergraduate students at WSU with a penchant for poetry or fiction.
Submissions for fiction should be one piece, 1,000 to 5,000 words long and double spaced, whereas poetry submissions should be three pieces and single spaced. Works will be accepted until Friday Feb. 13.
Once decided, there will be a public reading of the winners works and an announcement of the runners-up on April 17 at 3:30-5pm in the Millett Atrium. Winners will win a publication of their submitted works in The Fogdog Review as well as $50 Barnes and Noble gift card.
The contest was birthed as an attempt by the creative writing program to showcase the work of the students both in and outside of the creative writing program, according to Erin Flanagan, Associate Professor of English.
“At its heart,” said Flanagan, “its a way to celebrate the great work we’ve been seeing come out of our classes and from students in general.”
However, the contest also serves as a way to provide writers more experience with the ins and outs of the industry.
“Beginning to submit your work is really scary, and rejection is just part of the gig for creative writers,” said Flanagan. “Getting your toe in the water, submitting to something with a smaller pool, can take some of the fear out of it.”
Although, Flanagan admits that the contest is not completely stress-free.
“There is the added stress of competing against your peers, but I also think that’s a good thing to get used to,” said Flanagan. “All of your writer friends will submit to the same things. Being able support your friend when they get an honorable mention and you don’t is important.”
Students interested in submitting to the creative writing contest should send their works as attachments through email to the address creativewritingprogram@wright.edu. The subject line should be “poetry submission” or “fiction submission” and the body of the email should include a name, phone number, and the titles of your submissions.
