AWG Members-Only Monthly Contest

1. Exclusive: Only Abilene Writers Guild members in good standing may enter the contests.
   
   
2. Your Work: Work must be the member’s original work, unpublished at the entry deadline. Publication on the Internet counts as publication.
   
   
3. Fees: There’s no entry fee.
   
   
4. Eligibility: Any piece of writing can be entered that has not won a money prize in any other AWG contest. These monthly contest entries, even those winning money, may be submitted in the annual contest.
   
   
5. Word count: 1000 words maximum for prose categories, 50 lines for poetry.
   
   
6. Deadline: Works must be postmarked by the 10th day of the month of the competition and mailed to AWG Contest, month (January, etc.), %Karen Witemeyer, 58 Augusta Drive, Abilene TX 79606. Note: Karen will accept entries at any time for any contest. You must clearly mark the topic and month for judging. Only members outside the United States may enter by email.
   
   
7. Prose format: Manuscripts must be double-spaced, typed/printed on one side of paper, with at least one-inch margins. Author’s name appears only on the cover sheet. Number pages.
   
   
8. Poetry format: Manuscripts may be single-spaced. Author’s name appears only on the cover sheet.
   
   
9. Cover sheet: Each entry must have a cover sheet with name, address, telephone, and email information on top left, word or line count on top right, and title of work centered in middle of page.
   
   
10. Judges: Judging will not be by members of the Abilene Writers Guild and will be based on reader reactions. Some may write comments; others will not.
    
    
11. Winners: First, second, third, and honorable mention will be designated.
    
    
12. Return: Manuscripts sent with a self-addressed stamped envelope will be returned. Others, if not claimed at the next monthly meeting, will be discarded.
    
    
13. Topics/Themes: The topics/themes/ideas are:
    • June – Haunting
    • July – Footfalls
    • August – Far Away
    
    
14. The categories are:
    • June – Unrhymed poetry, fiction, article
    • July – Rhymed poetry, for children, article
    • August – Unrhymed poetry, memoir/nostalgia, fiction
    
    
15. You may enter as many times as you wish.
    
    
16. Prizes in each category will be: $15 first prize, $10 second prize, $5 third prize. We are awarding
    up to $90 in prizes each month. Please participate!
    
    
17. If fewer than five entries are received for any monthly category, no money will be awarded for 2nd or 3rd prize. If fewer than three entries are received for any category, no money will be awarded for 1st prize. The judges, at their sole discretion, may find no entry in a category merits an award.
    
    
18. You must enter to win!
    

August AWG Monthly Contest Winners:

The August "Members Only" Contest had 22 entries. Winners are:

Fiction  

• Alice King Greenwood - "The Scarlet Star"  

Memoir/Nostalgia

• 1st - Ashley Larry - "Since 1975"
• 2nd - Debbie Skinner - "The Dog Speaks"
• 3rd - Mary Ann Smith - "Homeless to Helsinki"
• HM - Debbie Skinner - "Child's Play"  

Unrhymed Poetry 

• 1st - Sally Clark - "Westward Sail"
• 2nd - Alice King Greenwood - "Discovery"
• 3rd - Alice King Greenwood - "The Stirring"
• HM - Jennifer Taylor - "This Friend of Mine"