Writers Contests - Houston Writers Guild
Click here for Fall 2009 Contests Winners!
Click here for Spring 2009 Contests Winners!
NDEADLINE ALL CONTESTS - MARCH 3, 2010
Contest 1: NOVELS & SCREENPLAYS - ANY GENRE
Mainstream, Literary, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Historical, Saga, Mystery, Thriller, Spy, Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Non-Fiction
First Place Prize: $1,000 - 2nd Place: $500 - 3rd Place: $250
$20 per entry - 2 copies - first 15 pages your Novel, Book, or Screenplay + Synopsis
In case of ties, prize money will be divided among tie holders - General Rules Apply
Contest 2: Short Story - Any Genre
$100 First Place; $15 per entry: 3500 words limit; 2 copies - 3 Mar 2010 Deadline
In case of ties, prize money will be divided among tie holders - General Rules Apply
Contest 3: Personal Essay
$100 First Place Prize; $15 per entry; 3500 word limit; 2 copies - 3 Mar 2010 Deadline
In case of ties, prize money will be divided among tie holders - General Rules Apply
Click here for Entry Blank
You May Send Payment by PayPal
GENERAL RULES APPLY TO ALL ENTRIES
1. New rule: Even though you won first place in a previous contest, you may enter this contest with a different novel.
2. You do not have to pay/attend the workshop in order to enter the contest. Membership is not required to attend workshop or enter contests.
3. YOU MAY SEND MORE THAN ONE ENTRY.
4. All entries must be in English.
5. All entries in the Novel & Screenplay Contest must be from unpublished writers who are not under contract to any publisher anywhere or receive royalties for a published novel or screenplay that they did not pay to have printed. Published short story writers may enter new, unpublished novel or screenplay manuscripts. All entries must not have been published anywhere by anyone (royalty paying publisher or self-published) in whole or in part.
6. Do not send the entire manuscript. Send the first 15 pages only.
7. SEND TWO (2) COPIES OF EACH ENTRY. Failure to do so may disqualify your entry.
8. Leave your name off the MS. Use the "header" to install like this:
Title of your novel/Genre (Insert page # on right)
9. Your name should only appear on the cover page. One cover page is sufficient if you detail all your entries on it.
10. Novels require a brief synopsis, no more that one page single-spaced (two copies). Less is better. Give us a two-sentence dramatic statement that explains the direct line of action of your main character. State your genre. The synopsis will be judged. Work on it! Send two copies of the one page single-spaced synopsis.
11. The title counts as part of the scoring. The title should be exciting.
12. All entries must be double-spaced in Times New Roman or Courier 12-point font. Do not use a smaller font in order to crowd more words on the page as our judges are already half blind. The title page does not count as a page.
13. Margins should be at least 1 inch (22-24 lines per page).
14. Pages must be numbered.
15. Chapter should start 1/3 of the way down the page. Failure to do will cost you points.
16. You may resubmit any novel that has not won first place in a previous contest of ours. If you placed 2nd, 3rd, etc., you may re-enter the same novel, but bring it up to snuff.
17. No staples. Paper clips only.
18. We cannot accept e-mail attachments. Our poor old computer is already overloaded.
19. We can accept payment through PayPal on our Entry Blank page on this website.
20. Prize money for any category will be divided among tie winners for that category and prize.
HINT! The most ignored rule in contests was failure to send TWO (2) copies. If you send less than two (2) copies, your entry will be discarded, but NOT your check! Look over your entry very carefully before sealing the envelope.
Click here for Entry Blank
You May Send Payment by PayPal
Winners of the screenplay-novel contest will be announced at the pre-conference party and all winners will be announced at the workshop and posted to this website.
Scored manuscripts will be returned to Workshop attendees. Other manuscripts will receive score sheets from judges if SASE is provided with entry.
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HOUSTON WRITERS GUILD
12523 Folkcrest Way :: Stafford, TX :: USA :: 77477
