By Emma Gomez, News Editor
Do you have works of writing that you wish to share with the world? Well look no further! Moraine Valley’s literary competition is an opportunity for student voices to be heard and for students to believe in themselves. The deadline to enter is Oct. 13.
Students can submit their work in any of four categories: fictional short story (3,500 words maximum), poetry (67 lines maximum), one-act play (3,500 words maximum), and personal essay (2,500 words maximum). The submission form is available here.
The competition is coordinated by MV communications and journalism professor Lisa Couch.
“I get involved in these writing contests and competitions because I really believe in them as a way of letting students know that they are real writers,” Couch said.
“A lot of times students don’t believe in their own writing ability enough, but then they’ll enter and do well. I just love that moment where a student suddenly realizes that they can write.”
The top three winners in each of the four categories in the Moraine Valley contest are published in an art and literature anthology and recognized during an MV board of trustees meeting.
The top five entries in each category of Moraine’s contest will advance to compete at the conference level. Moraine Valley belongs to the Skyway Conference, along with seven other community colleges.
Winners at the conference level are announced during the annual Skyway Writers Festival & Competition. This year’s festival will take place Nov. 17 from 3-8 p.m. at Waubonsee Community College. The hosting duties rotate around to the eight schools in the conference; next year Moraine will host.
“It’s really fun,” Couch said. “The past couple of years, of course, it’s had to be virtual, but we’re back face-to-face this year.”
The conference includes workshops on the different types of writing–poetry, fiction, drama, and creative non-fiction. The workshops are typically led by the published authors that have judged in that specific category. The conference also has an open mic for readings and performances, as well as a dinner for all attendees, followed by awards.
All Moraine Valley students are welcome to attend the conference even if they don’t submit any work. A bus will take people from Moraine to Waubonsee.
The first-place winners in each category of Moraine Valley’s contest will advance to compete at the international level through a competition sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College, where they may win cash prizes and be published in an anthology distributed to all of the colleges in the League.
The submission form and guidelines can be found at https://tinyurl.com/mvlitcontest22. If you have questions about submitting to the competition, you can contact Lisa Couch at couchl3@morainevalley.edu
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