The EPIC New Voices Writing Competition is a project dear to my heart. I, along with a few other EPIC members, started the contest in 2006, and I chaired the competition for the first two years.
EPIC is gearing up to start accepting entries in this year’s competition, and the organization needs volunteer judges. Teachers, librarians, published authors, editors, and publishers are eligible to judge. In the first round, judges complete a score sheet for each entry including constructive commentary and positive encouragement.
The entries are short: a maximum of 750 words in the short story and essay categories and a maximum of 20 lines in the poetry category. Judging won’t take much time, but it will encourage high school and middle school writers and help them improve their skills. I’ve written about how early feedback on my writing made a huge difference to me. By judging in the New Voices contest, you can make a huge difference to a young person who loves to write.
For more information or to volunteer, download the judge application form.
Soon I’ll be posting a link to the guidelines for young writers to enter the contest. If you have a child, grandchild, teenage relative, high school friend, or young neighbor who likes to write, please share the information.
