SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARD SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR GIRLS WRITE NOW MENTEES

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1 SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARD SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR GIRLS WRITE NOW MENTEES The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is a prestigious national teen writing competition. It is a program requirement that all mentees submit at least one piece of writing to the Art & Writing Awards. The piece(s) you submit you may submit in more than one category must be your own writing; it can be something that you ve already written, and then edited with your mentor, or something new from this year at GWN. **These submission guidelines are specific and designed exclusively for GWN mentees. ** Girls Write Now has a special arrangement with Scholastic that allows for the submission fee to be waived for all GWN mentees; however, in order to ensure the fee is waived, you must submit according to the guidelines below. Step 1: Step 2: Select your piece(s)! Then, edit/review it with your mentor until you arrive at an outcome that is polished in terms of both grammar and content and that you are satisfied with. See the guidelines on the following few pages for detailed instructions of all eligible writing categories, definitions of the different genres, word counts, and other details specific to each category. Make sure your piece fulfills all guideline requirements, that it doesn t have any typos, and that you get it in on time! For further guidance on how to properly submit your work, visit the How do I prepare my work? section of this packet. Create your profile and upload your work! To register with the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, first create a profile at Once you have completed your profile, you can follow instructions to upload your work. All Scholastic pieces must be submitted by 10 AM on the day of the Memoir Workshop, Sat., Dec. 8. You will be responsible for registering and submitting your work online. Please note, like last year, this is different than the process we ve used in years past GWN staff will not be responsible for submitting any mentees work. (If you created a profile to submit your writing last year, login using the same username and password you created then, but update your contact information. If you do not remember your login information, follow instructions on the registration page to retrieve it.) **When completing your profile online, you must select Girls Write Now as your AFTERSCHOOL program. DO NOT forget this step, otherwise your submission fee will NOT be waived. **

2 Before you register, you will need to know: Date of birth Student (where Scholastic can send you program materials/ updates) Parent/Guardian name(s) Home mailing address School name and address Teacher name (THIS IS YOUR GWN MENTOR) Teacher (THIS IS YOUR GWN MENTOR S ) Parent/Guardian Parent/Guardian cell phone number Parent/Guardian occupation Home/ cell phone number Step 3: Complete your submission form! All submission forms must be signed by you, the mentee, your mentor, AND a parent or guardian. Submissions without these three signatures will NOT be accepted. Bring your signed submission form to the Memoir Workshop on Sat., Dec. 8. You are allowed to submit multiple pieces, both within the same and in different categories. Each submission must have a completed Mentee Submission Form 2012 to accompany it. That s one submission form per completed submission. You must bring a HARD COPY of the completed submission form(s) with you to the Memoir Workshop on Dec. 8. If you have any questions about the submission process, you can reach Anusha at or anusha@girlswritenow.org. Good luck!

3 ALLIANCE FOR YOUND ARTISTS & WRITERS presents THE SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS 2012 Categories and Special Awards Please Note: Students may not submit the same Work in different categories Writing Categories Dramatic Script Flash Fiction Humor Journalism Novel Writing ** Seniors may submit two Art Portfolios Personal Essay / Memoir and one Writing Portfolio. Persuasive Writing Poetry Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story Writing Portfolio * Special Awards Creative Challenges Creative Challenges and Special Awards provide additional National recognition that is either cross category or outside of the Awards 27 art and writing categories. The 2013 creative challenges and special awards for writing are as follows: Please Note: Visit the Scholastic Art & Writing website for more information on these special awards: The Future New Awards New York Life Awards Ovation Film & Animation Awards Ovation Inspired Teacher Awards * Only graduating seniors may submit Art and Writing Portfolios ** All Novel Writing and Video Game Design categories are judged in New York. Please read the category submissions for information about where to send your submission forms.

4 Writing Categories INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL WRITING CATEGORIES Font: 12 pt. Times New Roman or Arial Titles: Titles at the top of the first page only. Do not use a separate title page. Poems should be titled individually. Do Not Use Real Names: Real names should not be used. Winning work is displayed publicly and the identities of real people must be protected. No Name: The student s name should NOT appear anywhere on the manuscript. No Images: No illustrations, photographs or graphics. Sources: Sources must be cited. Footnotes/works cited are not considered part of the word count. Collaboration: Collaborative works are not allowed in any writing categories. Dramatic Script Writing that uses dialogue, action and stage direction to tell a story, including scripts for television, film, or stage. Maximum 30 pages. Excerpts can be submitted. Flash Fiction A highly-focused story characterized by its brevity. A short form of storytelling. Maximum 1,300 words. Please note word length for Flash Fiction compared to Short Story. Stories in which humor or science fiction/fantasy are key elements should be submitted in those respective categories. Humor Writing that uses satire, parody or humorous anecdote ,000 words. Work in any genre in which humor is the key element should be submitted in this category.

5 Journalism Writing that informs and educates about newsworthy topics or current events. Examples (including but not limited to) Writing intended for publication in newspapers, magazines or online media and characterized by a presentation of facts or description of events. Grades 7 8: 400 2,000 words. Grades 9 12: 500 3,000 words. This category includes nonfiction work only. Fictional essays should be submitted in the Short Story or Flash Fiction categories. Sources must be cited. Works cited are not considered part of the word count. Novel Writing Include an outline (up to two pages) for the entire novel. The outline is meant to provide readers with a full understanding of the scope of your novel. It does not count toward the maximum page limit. The outline should include: A plot overview summarizing your complete story. A brief summary of each chapter (one or two sentences per chapter). A brief character development summary for each of your main characters (one or two sentences per character). Submit an excerpt of up to 50 pages of your manuscript (not including outline). Please note the following. Submissions must be uploaded online AND printed and mailed to the address below, along with the submission form. Printed work must be double-spaced in 12-point font with one-inch margins (does not apply for work entered in the text editor online). The title of the work should appear at the top of the first page only. Do not use a separate title page. The student s name and school must NOT appear anywhere on the manuscript itself. Adaptations of or sequels to existing published series are not accepted. Due to the large volume of submissions, we re unable to give feedback on manuscripts. Deadline Novel Writing submissions are judged in New York. The same deadline applies for Novel Writing as for all other Writing categories. Submission forms for Novel Writing should be mailed directly to: Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Attn: Novel Writing Submission 557 Broadway New York, NY Novel winners will be notified in May info@artandwriting.org if you have questions.

6 Personal Essay / Memoir A self-revelatory work dealing with individual experience. Grades 7 8: 500 3,000 words. Grades 9 12: 750 3,000 words. This category includes nonfiction work only. Fictional essays should be submitted in the Short Story or Flash Fiction categories. Persuasive Writing Writing that makes an argument to support a particular point of view or position. The writer presents a clear stand or opinion, and then provides facts and data to support it. Examples of persuasive writing include: editorials, position papers, essays prepared for debate or speech. Grades 7 8: 400 2,000 words. Grades 9 12: 500 3,000 words. Sources must be cited. Footnotes/works cited are not considered part of the word count. Poetry Writing in verse. May include but is not limited to prose poetry, free verse, structured poetry, song lyrics, and spoken word. Grades 7-8: lines (total for the entire collection). Grades 9 12: lines (total for the entire collection). Each submission consists of 1 5 poems to be considered as a collection. Each collection of 1 5 poems counts as one submission. Students may submit more than one collection, but must register each as a separate collection. Science Fiction / Fantasy Writing that uses supernatural, magical, futuristic, scientific and technological themes as a key element of the plot ,000 words. Work in any genre in which science fiction/fantasy is the key element should be submitted in this category. Do not base characters or plots on already published works (books, movies, comics, etc.).

7 Short Story A fictional narrative written in prose. 1,300 3,000 words. Please note word length limits for Flash Fiction compared to Short Story. Short Stories in which humor or science fiction/fantasy are key elements should be submitted in those respective categories. Writing Portfolio (For Graduating Seniors Only) Writing Portfolios must include 4-8 different works from varying categories (outlined above) or from the same category. Novels may not be submitted as part of a Writing Portfolio. The word count for each piece submitted in a writing portfolio should adhere to the length limits listed in each individual category. The maximum length for a writing portfolio is 24,000 words (not including the table of contents or writer s statement). Please do a word count before submitting work. The Writing Portfolio must include a writer s statement. The statement should be words and answer the following questions: Why did you select the work you submitted for your Writing Portfolio? How do you hope people will react when they read your work? What role does writing play in your life? Students may submit individual pieces in their portfolios to be considered for individual awards. However, for a piece to be considered for an individual award, it must be separately registered in that category. Seniors may resubmit writing works submitted in a previous Scholastic Awards competition as part of their Writing Portfolio, but should note the previous title and award. Graduating Seniors are allowed one Writing Portfolio per student. Please be aware of these guideline changes, new for 2012: If you re submitting poems, you are permitted to submit 1-5 poems (1-5 poems = 1 collection = 1 Scholastic poetry submission). There is no limit to the number of poetry collections you are able to submit, but no single collection can fail to meet the minimum length of 30 lines, or exceed the maximum length of 200 lines. Graduating seniors are allowed to submit ONE Senior Portfolio. Pieces are not required to adhere to the same genre/category; this is a general collection of 4-8 pieces of your best work. You are permitted to include works in your portfolio that have won Awards in the past; however, you are NOT permitted to submit pieces that have won Awards in the past in individual categories. You ARE permitted to submit NEW pieces from the portfolio as individual submissions.

8 How do I prepare my work? Writing submissions must adhere to the following guidelines: Length: See s (above) for length limits. Fonts: Times New Roman 12 pt. or Arial 12 pt. Titles: Titles at the top of the first page only. Do not add a separate title page. Poems should be titled individually. Do Not Use Real Names: Real names should not be used. Winning work is displayed publicly and the identities of real people must be protected. No Name: The student s name must NOT appear anywhere on the manuscript. No Images: No illustrations, photographs or graphics. Sources: Sources must be cited. Footnotes/works cited are not considered part of the word count. Collaboration: Collaborative works are not allowed in any writing categories. Signatures: Obtain required signatures from a teacher and parent/guardian on the submission forms. Students, teachers and parents/guardians should carefully review the Authorship and Plagiarism and Copyright Release sections. By signing, students, teachers and parents/guardians agree to all terms and conditions. How do I prepare a senior writing portfolio? Portfolios must include the following: 4 8 works per portfolio from varying categories or from the same category (outlined above). Table of contents listing the title and category of each piece. Writer s statement focusing on the author s approach to writing and why works were included in the portfolio (should be around 500 words). Copyright and Plagiarism All works submitted in any category must be your own, original work, without exception. We encourage you to visit Scholastic s Copyright and Plagiarism section of their website if you are unsure on what constitutes original work: What are the judging criteria? The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards follow blind adjudication, meaning judging is determined on a merit basis with only the art object under review, without any knowledge to student identity (gender, race, background, etc.). Jurors are instructed to select writing that excels in the following 3 categories: Originality Originality is hard to define. We encourage our jurors to look for works of art and writing that, first and foremost, surprise them. Many of the works submitted to The Awards begin as classroom assignments. A functional definition of originality is work that goes beyond the classroom assignment and takes on its own reason for existing in the world. A pristinely rendered portrait will likely not win an award unless it innovates upon how a portrait can be drawn. Works of high originality challenge conventions, blur the

9 boundaries between genres, and shift jurors notions of how a particular concept or emotion can be expressed. Our jurors are looking for works of paradigm-shifting innovation and originality. Technical Skill Each year, we bring thousands of professional artists, writers, educators, and scholars together, with functional expertise in specific genres, to evaluate the skills demonstrated by students who submit works to The Awards. Technical skill is judged on how it is used to advance an original perspective or a personal vision or voice. Rather than being evaluated for specific skill proficiencies, students will be evaluated on how they used their skills to create something unique, powerful, and innovative. Personal Vision or Voice We all know what the personal visions and voices of Awards alumni Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, and Sylvia Plath looked and sounded like when they became professional artists and writers. But what did their works look and sound like when they were teenagers? This is precisely the question we ask our jurors to consider during the judging process. It s no coincidence that The Awards have identified some of the most important creative minds of the past nine decades. We are in the business of identifying the self-possessed, idiosyncratic voices and visions of teenage artists and writers. What is The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Process? Submit the Work to the Regional Affiliate Submit work by the deadline as indicated in the Regional Information section. Regional Adjudication Manuscripts will be reviewed by panels of professional authors, poets, publishers and literary arts professionals. Works are reviewed in their respective grade groups and categories. Grade groups may vary by region, but in general, works by students in grades 7 and 8 are reviewed separately from works by students in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. How will I be notified if my work is selected for a National Medal? National award winners receive an award notification packet mailed to the students home addresses. Portfolio Award recipients in art and writing are notified, with instructions on how to leverage scholarships from the Alliance Scholarship Provider Network. Other award recipients are notified during the 3rd week of March. Student notification packets include a final release form and information about the National Awards Celebration in May/June National Gold Award recipients MUST mail their artwork to the Alliance within one week of receiving notification. A selection of the National Silver Award artwork may be requested by the Alliance as well. This artwork should also be mailed to the Alliance within one week of notification. In some areas of the country, the Regional Affiliate may mail the work on behalf of the student. Contact your Regional Affiliate for details. What happens to my work if I win on the national level? Gold Key works are automatically entered into the National Judging. There are no additional steps required. In New York City, panels of nationally renowned artists, art professionals, and arts educators review Gold Key works from across the country. The artwork is judged in the digital format. Jurors select work for national recognition based on three criteria, 1) Originality, 2) Technique, and 3) Emergence of a Personal

10 What can I win? RECOGNITION RECOGNITION Students who win at the regional level are celebrated at local ceremonies and have their work showcased in exhibitions, publications and at public readings. National Medalists are celebrated at a prestigious Carnegie Hall ceremony and have their work showcased in reputable galleries in New York City. Regional Awards Gold Key: The highest level of achievement on the regional level. Approximately 7 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for nationallevel recognition. Silver Key: Approximately 10 15% of all regional submissions are recognized with Silver Key Awards. Honorable Mention: This Award recognizes students with artistic potential. Approximately 15 20% of all regional submissions receive Honorable Mention Awards. American Visions & Voices Nominees: Five works are selected out of all Gold Key works (across categories) as the "Best of Show" for each region. National Awards Gold Medal: The most outstanding works in the nation. Silver Medal: Works demonstrating high honors on the national level. American Visions & Voices Medal: An esteemed panel of jurors selects the best of the five American Voices & Visions Nominees from each region to receive national recognition with the American Visions & Voices Medal. EXHIBITION This depends on your Region and the level of your award. Every Regional Program organizes an Awards Ceremony and Exhibition that features the art and/or writing of every Gold Key winner. Due to space and time limitations, not every Region s Awards Ceremony and Exhibition includes Silver Key and Honorable Mention work. The Region-at-Large does not hold an exhibition of Gold Key work. A selection of nationally awarded art and writing will be on display during the National Celebration events in New York City. Due to space limitations, we cannot guarantee that your work will be shown. In past years, the exhibition has included American Voices/Visions Medals, Portfolio Gold Medals and Gold Medal artwork and writing. PUBLICATION All work receiving National Medalist work is included in the Alliance s online gallery at All work by national award recipients is considered for publication, but not all work will be included in the Alliance s publications. Highlights of student artwork and writing from The Awards are featured in the Alliance s National Catalog, Spark (grades 7 & 8), and The Best Teen Writing. Other publishing opportunities may become available throughout the year. Students are notified when their work is published and will receive a copy of the publication in which their work appears.

11 SCHOLARSHIPS The Alliance presents over $250,000 annually in awards and scholarships to top winners of the Awards and their teachers. National Medalist seniors are eligible to receive scholarships through partnerships with esteemed colleges and universities. Some of the scholarships available this year include: AMD Game Changer Awards, sponsored by the AMD Foundation Five (5) awards of $1,000 each presented to the top winners in the video game design category. Creativity & Citizenship Awards, sponsored by the National Constitution Center Three (3) awards of $1,000 each presented to artists and writers with works that deal with voting. Mixed Media Awards, sponsored by Duck Tape Five (5) students will win a $500 prize each for Gold Medal winning works within the Awards Mixed Media category. Duck Tape Brand Award, sponsored by Duck Tape One (1) student will win a $500 prize for a work made specifically with Duck Tape brand duct tape. New York Life Awards, sponsored by the New York Life Foundation Six (6) awards of $1,000 each presented to artists and writers with works that deal with loss or bereavement. Ovation Film & Animation Awards, sponsored by Ovation Five (5) National Gold Medal winners in Film & Animation will win a $2,500 prize to encourage their continued work, study, and experimentation in the fields of film and animation. The Future New Awards, sponsored by 3D Systems Special Award for students submitting innovative work that does not fall into the Awards standard categories. Plus, three $1,000 Awards for students submitting work to The Future New created using 3D Design software. Best in Grade (B.I.G.) Awards, sponsored by Bloomberg Awards of $500 presented to two (2) artists and two (2) writers in each grade level (7-12) of the Awards, chosen from Gold Medal winning work across all categories. Questions? Contact Scott Larner at: slarner@casitamaria.org Copyright 2012 Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. All rights reserved.