How to Win Our Writing Contest

Over the past 2 weeks I've visited nearly 600 students in Central Kentucky, talking to them about our 10th annual Writing Contest. Nearly all of them (or their teachers) assured me that they plan to enter the contest. Add that to the hundreds of essays I'm expecting from other classrooms and the 50 entries I already have in hand, our total number of entries will be well over 1,000 this year. With only 6 grand prizes to hand out and only 12 Honorable Mentions, only the best 1-2% of the stories we receive will be chosen as winners.

So how do you write a winning essay for Lexington Family's Writing Contest? Here's a few hints from the head judge (me!):

1. The first question I ask myself when I read an essay is: Did the writer follow my topic? This year the assigned topic is "The Day I Traded Places with My Pet....." That means that somewhere in the story there had better be a pet and somebody better be trading places with it. Here's are some good rules to follow:

YES, your main character must trade places with a pet.
YES, it can be a real pet that you already own, your neighbor's pet, a pet you imagine, or a pet you wish you had.
YES, it can be a creature you image: a rainbow-striped unicorn, a three-headed dog, or a flying horse.
YES, it can be a pet from your favorite book, like Clifford the Big Red Dog, or Hagrid's pet dragon.

While visiting the 5th graders at Eastern Elementary in Scott County, a young man asked me if he could write his story about the day he walked into his classroom and found his teacher had traded places with a pet. I thought that was a very creative idea, so YES, you may write about the day your teacher traded places with a pet.

NO, you cannot trade places with a superhero. Now, if you trade places with your dog and then turn into a dog superhero, that works!
NO, you cannot trade places with a robot, or transformer, or a space alien (unless that alien is your pet).

2. This is a WRITING contest so do your best writing. That means give me your best hand-writing (or careful typing), check for spelling mistakes, use the grammar rules your teachers have been teaching you, and for older students, use good story development.

YES, you may hand write or type your story. Stories may be e-mailed or snail-mailed in.
YES, neatness counts. If I can't read your story I can't judge it. Don't send me your "sloppy copy," once you get your ideas on paper, read it over and re-copy it. 
YES, you are limited to 100 words. I don't count the words in each essay. I'd never get time to read them all. But, after 10 years I can spot an essay that is way too long in a heartbeat. If your story is 105 words or 106 words, I'll never know, but try to keep it as close to 100 as possible.
YES,  I expect good story development from older students. Stories with a good "hook" at the beginning will draw me in. A good fiction story has an element of conflict in it, and there is action and there is a resolution.
YES, younger students or special needs students may dictate their story to a scribe.
NO copying off your neighbor. It's fine to discuss your ideas with a friend, but you and your friend should not submit stories that have the same plot.
YES, your story may be written as a poem (I love getting poems). YES, your story may be written as a play.

3. Be creative! Winning stories are always interesting.

YES, turn on your imagination before you write.
YES, spend a little time daydreaming before you write. Not during math class, but perhaps at recess, or while you are brushing your teeth, or riding the bus.
NO, you may not put me to sleep with your story. "The day I trade places with my dog I drank water from my water bowl. I ate food from my food bowl. I went outside and barked at the neighbors." ZZZZZZzzzzzz. That story would put anyone to sleep! After you trade places with your pet, be sure to do something fun, or exciting, or interesting.
NO, once you trade places with your pet you do not have to do something extraordinary, like flying into space or becoming the first canine bullfighter. Just imagine what life would be like if you became your pet. Imagine if you turned into hamster and had to navigate your way across your classroom, where table legs seem like enormous tree trunks and students look like giants.
NO, you do not need to start your story with the words "The Day I Traded Places With My Pet....."

You can find all the details on entering our contest right HERE. I can't wait to hear from you. Entries are due by March 28.

Moms, Dads, Teachers - if you have any further questions please feel free to call me, Laurie Evans, at our office at 223-1765.