Sharpen your pencils and fire up your
laptops because we are looking for more great Idaho fiction. We want
imaginative, well-developed stories with interesting characters,
emotional punch, and a distinctly Idaho flavor. You may write about
anything, as long as it has an Idaho setting, theme, or an Idaho
character as a central element of the story. All stories must be
unpublished.
Teachers: please
call regarding class projects!
The annual IDAHO
magazine Fiction Contest is open to residents, nonresidents, and
visitors of the great Gem State. Submissions will be organized into
the following categories:
Categories & Prizes:
-
Junior
Youth (14 and younger) $50 first
place
-
Senior
Youth (15-18 years of age) $50 first
place
-
Adult
(over 18 years of age) $100 first place
-
NEW! Winner's Circle (Previous 1st Place Adult Winners) $100 first
place
Entry Fees:
Submissions
should be between approximately 5002,500 words. No entries over
2,800 words will be considered. Please send a
cover letter containing your name, contact information, category,
and the title of your story. Entries
with insufficient postage will be returned to sender. Successful entries will
not be returned. All entries must be postmarked by January 31.
Please send a hard copy to:
Attention
Fiction Contest
IDAHO magazine
P.O. Box 586
Boise, ID 83701-0586
Is your story fiction or science fiction?
Over the years we've found that many of our youth division writers aren't familiar with the difference between fiction stories and science fiction, so here's a short explanation:
The kinds of fiction stories we are seeking are stories that are not true, but they should be things that could be true, so they need to be based on things that are possible. We are not looking for stories of the supernatural creatures (elves, leprechauns, fairies, etc.), nor things that are beyond the realm of science (things that "morph" from one type of creature to another, creatures from outer space).
You might consider writing a story that is "creative non-fiction," which is based on actual characters or a real historical event, but since you weren't there, you could make up conversations and details of the incident which have been lost to history.
Another popular element of fiction, which is acceptable, is the "Tall Tale," where you're obviously pulling your readers' legs with stories of things which are impossible, but entertaining, and they fit the story in some humorous vein (talking animals, superhuman feats performed by real human beings, etc.) without the intent of them being taken seriously.
All stories have to have either locations or characters which are strongly tied to Idaho.
Here are links to a few stories that will give you some ideas about the kinds of stories which have scored very highly in the youth categories:
The Legend of Andrea Cerameline
The Wildflower
Chasing the Salmon
