Blue Zoo Announces March 2009 Writing Contest for Young Writers: Best Story about Food

March 3, 2009 - PRLog -- Milwaukee, Wis. — Blue Zoo Young Writers announces its first monthly writing contest for young writers between the ages of 8 and 14.

What: Contest for a short story or nonfiction essay about food.
Who: young writers, ages 8-14
Length: short pieces (flexible length, 1-2 pages is fine)
Deadline: March 31, 2009

Each entry should be an original, unpublished short piece of writing . . . involving food (in some way). Young writers can submit a fictional, made-up story . . .  or a descriptive essay about a real-life event . . . or even a “how-to” piece. Just so it involves food!

There is no entry fee.

Seven top entries will be chosen as finalists (one from each age group, 8 to 14 years old). These will be posted (with the writer’s and his/her parents’ permission) on a Young Writers Hall of Fame page.

In addition, the best two stories or essays from those seven age-group finalists will be selected for an overall 1st and 2nd prize. The 1st prize winner (Grand Prize) will get a $50 gift certificate, good at the winner’s local bookstore. The 2nd prize winner (Award of Merit) will receive a $25 certificate for a local bookstore.

The Topic: Food!
Young writers can submit a fictional story or a true story or an essay about some food-related experience (eating it, preparing it, shopping for it, or . . . ). Just so it involves food in some way. It can be about food you like or food you don’t. It can be funny, or practical. It can be a story about something that happened involving food, or even just with food in the background as a part of the story. It can be about people, about friends or family. It can even feature a recipe (but it should include some story or observation besides just the recipe.

Length: Short. 1-2 pages is fine.
There’s no minimum; very short is fine. And there’s no maximum, but keep in mind, a good story doesn’t go on and on! Write the story, edit it so it’s nice and tight, with some interesting details and observations . . . and send it in!

For tips and full contest rules, visit:
http://bluezoowriters.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/march-cont...

Note to Parents & Educators
This contest for young writers is a good way to encourage the young writer in your family or classroom (public, private, or homeschool) to write a short piece about any aspect of food and what it means. Remember: the point of it all is to enjoy the writing!

About Blue Zoo Young Writers Blog
Blue Zoo (http://bluezoowriters.wordpress.com) offers lots of fun ideas and activities to help middle school and young teen writers with all sort of writing projects: poetry, stories, articles for a school paper, book reviews, and lots more.

Ideas range from story starters to samples to quick exercises for a writing journal, all to teach writing techniques used by successful writers. Blue Zoo also suggests places to submit work for publication (print magazines or online sites), and recommends good writing contests.

Blue Zoo is focused on fun and good writing. It has application for homeschooling assignments or in classroom literary arts programs. The focus is on motivating young writers to write well for their own satisfaction.

Please pass on the Blue Zoo link to local teachers, librarians, and parents . . . and online to friends and bloggers interested in writing and encouraging young writers.

Blue Zoo is sponsored by the publishers of The I Love To Write Book: Ideas & Tips for Young Writers, by Mary-Lane Kamberg. Kamberg is director of a summer writing camp in Kansas for young writers.

To read more about the contents, visit Crickhollow Books (http://www.CrickhollowBooks.com).
The I Love To Write Book is available at local bookstores everywhere or from online retailers.

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Great Lakes Literary, LLC works with writers, independent presses, and small businesses to create works of lasting quality and meaningful impact. Great Lakes Literary is the publisher of Crickhollow Books and sponsors the blog of tips and advice for young writers, Blue Zoo Young Writers.