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Young Voices of America Rewrite a Story
Open to Students in Grades 6 -12
Rewriting is as important as everything else a writer does when creating a piece. No matter how good an essay, short story, article or novel seems to be when you finish the last line, trust me, it still needs work.
Sometimes it’s spelling or punctuation that must to be corrected. Often the point of view gets muddled. That happens when one of your characters know something without having seen, heard or been told about it. And sometimes – as in this contest - the characters speak in a manner that doesn’t fit the time and place.
Young Voices Foundation is pleased to offer students in Grades 6 -12 the opportunity to participate in a unique and exciting writing experience.
Students are invited to rewrite the first three chapters of a Young Adult novel written in 1990 by Dr. Sacra Nicholas, Nancy Hendrix and Barbara Fite.
The dialogue needs to be updated and the characterization and setting adjusted to reflect the way young people speak to and interact with one another in today’s world.
Cash prizes will be awarded for First, Second and Third Place for entries that best bring the writing up to date while maintaining the original story line and message.
After the close of the contest and based on the quality of the entries received, the writer with the best adaptation may be offered an opportunity to do additional rewriting at the discretion of the original authors. However, there is no guarantee that an offer will be made.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Participants must comply with all contest guidelines. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
- Each entry must include the author’s name, grade level, address, telephone number, email and category entered at the top of page 1.
- Entries containing violent and/or sexually explicit material are not considered appropriate for this contest and will not be considered.
- Entries MUST be written in English.
- Use Times New Roman font size 12 or equivalent.
- Email submisiions are preferred. Send emails to Bobbi Carducci at bobbi.carducci@youngvoicesfoundation.org Send entry in the body of the email. Attachments will not be opened.
- If you do not have access to email: Submissions may be sent by regular mail service only. DO NOT send entry by any method that requires a signature upon delivery. Any manuscript sent in this manner will be refused.
Mail entries to:Young Voices Foundation, 17141 Magic Mountain Drive, Round Hill, VA 20141
Entries must be received by midnight May 4, 2009
Entries WILL NOT be returned. It is important that you maintain a copy for your files.
Email entries will be acknowledged by return email. If you want confirmation that entry sent via snail mail has been received, include a postage paid, self addressed post card with your entry packet.
Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at a date and time to be determined. Information about the event will be made public via press release and on the Young Voices FoundationTM website.
Decision of the judges is final.
Click Here For Chapters 1-3 of THROUGH ALOOKING GLASS DARKLY
By Barbara Fite, Nancy Hendrix and Sacra Nicholas
About the authors:
Dr. Sacra Nicholas graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma (BS in Elementary Education), the University of Texas (M.Ed in Math Education/Elementary Education), Boston College (M.Ed - Special Education) and the University of Oklahoma (Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum). Following teaching positions in San Antonio, TX (1st grade), Austin, TX (Reading Specialist K-6), the Boston area (Special Education), and Norman, OK (middle school math, computers and gifted and talented program), she coordinated education programs at the Oklahoma Museum of Science, served as the Director of Mathematics for the state of Oklahoma and is currently an assistant professor of education at the University of Oklahoma (OU). Dr. Sacra has been married to Kenneth Nicholas (Chemistry Professor at OU) for 38 years. They have two children - Claire (32 years old currently completing a Ph.D. in anthropology at Princeton) and Philip (28 year old business graduate from the University of Oklahoma).
Nancy Hendrix graduated from Oklahoma Christian University of Science and
Arts in 1978 with a BA in English. She earned a masters degree in
secondary education from the University of Oklahoma in 1990. Mrs. Hendrix taught eighth grade language arts in Norman, Oklahoma for thirteen years before starting her family. She has been a stay-at-home mom since 1994, except a few long-term substitute teaching assignments. She is an active church and PTA volunteer. She has been married for thirty years to Randy Hendrix, who is a therapist in private practice. She has two sons, Josh (14) and Lincoln (12).Other family members include a Pug named Bruno and a cat named Zoie.
Barbara Fite graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BS in Sociology and Masters in Student Personnel & Guidance. She spent 14 years teaching middle school social studies. Since 1996 she has been an entrepreneur with a retail store on the campus corner of University of Oklahoma. She has been married to Dennis Fite for 26 years and has three children and three grandchildren.
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