Enter Fall Contest!

Have you submitted your entry yet? 

Our members only Fall Contest is for all writers, regardless of experience. It’s a safe place to try a new genre and get professional feedback on your unpublished work.

Categories:

                  Poetry (any style, up to 40 lines)

                  Devotional – 300 words or less including Scripture

                  Adult Fiction – 1500 words or less

                  Nonfiction to Conference Theme – 1500 words or less  “Writing with Unflinching Boldness” (Acts 28:31)

Deadline: Entries must be emailed to contests@inscribe..org by midnight, September 1^st, your local time.  See website for specific email instructions. 

Prizes: $100 for first; $50 for second; $30 for third

(InScribe may require a minimum of four entries per category to award 1^st; a minimum of five to award 2^nd; a minimum of six to award 3^rd. The more entries that come in, the more prizes that will be awarded. We do not want to close any categories due to insufficient entries! Encourage other members to enter!)

$30 per entry, which includes professional commentary on each piece.

Free entry for ages 18 and under

Publication in FellowScript or online for award-winning pieces

All winners will be announced at the Conference September 25-26^th  and in FellowScript.

Cheques, commentaries, and certificates will be sent after Conference.

For more detailed guidelines, rubrics and payment, please go to website:)  https://inscribe.org/contests/fall-contest/

 https://inscribe.org/contests/fall-contest/inscribe-fall-contest-2019-rubrics/

Fall Contest! Start now!

Time to start writing those Fall Contest entries, folks! Here are the categories:

Children’s Fiction – Maximum 1000 words. No pictures.

Drama Script – Maximum 1500 words plus stage directions.

Non-Fiction to Conference Theme “Come to the Well” (John 4:14b) – Maximum 1500 words

Song Writing – 1-2 pages of lyrics with chord symbols, plus an MP3 vocal recording. Instruments optional. Voice quality is not judged.

Poetry – Maximum 40 lines, any style. Please state the style on your submission (eg: free verse, rhymed, sonnet, etc.)

Devotional – Maximum 300 words. Scripture must be included.

As you probably know, the Fall Contest is a 'PERK' of membership so if you are not a member or have let your membership lapse, now is the time to fix that! For more info about the Fall Contest go to our website:
inscribe.org/contests/fall-contest

Fall Contests!

Fall Contest 2018 is opening soon. This is an opportunity for you to refine your work, get feedback from a judge/professional writer, and maybe win a cash prize.

Here are the categories you can enter:

            Devotional – Up to 300 words, including scripture.

            Poetry – Any style, up to 40 lines

            Nonfiction Essay to Conference theme, “The Art of Words”, up to 1500 words

            Adult Fiction – Any genre, up to 1250 words

            Songwriting – Any genre, MP3 recording & 1-2 pages lyrics with chords

Judges are chosen from professional writers and will provide feedback according to a set of marking guidelines called rubrics. It is to your advantage to look these over before you write your piece. They are specific for each category, and will help refine your writing. For example, one of the criteria on the rubrics is Format. If you follow the correct format, you will be awarded 5 marks. The 2018 rubrics will be posted on the website. Keep checking for them.  

Several contestants last year were really encouraged with their helpful critiques. A couple members share below: 

"I entered the Children's Easy Read - a category and genre I have never attempted to write. I anticipated the critique because I really wanted to learn from the judge’s comments about what I still needed in this new venture. I was not disappointed." (Carol Harrison)

When I ask for critique, I want more than a pat on the shoulder. The judge who offered comments on my contest entry gave me good critique, the kind that pushes me to improve. If I don’t know what I have missed or where I have written poorly, it’s very hard to know how to improve it! I appreciate the judge who trusted me with what I need.” (Pat Gerbrandt)

The deadline to send your entries is September 1^st, 2018, and you will email your entries in an attached Word document to contests@inscribe.org

Our Fall Contest 2018 Guidelines and Entry Form are being updated. Go to www.inscribe.org and select the “Contests” tab. Keep checking the website until you see the guidelines for 2018.

There is lots of time yet, so try writing several entries, and explore a new genre. You might surprise yourself with how much you like it! Have fun writing! We look forward to seeing everyone’s unique ideas.

Do you have questions? Please contact the contest coordinator at contests@inscribe.org

Pam Mytroen

A Call to Prayer - Ruth L. Snyder

Have you ever wondered how your actions would be different if you could see activity in spiritual realms? The Bible gives us glimpses, like Satan's discussion with God about Job, Isaiah's vision of a seraphim who cleansed his unclean lips with a live coal, and Daniel's vision where the prince of the kingdom of Persia delayed the answer to his prayer by twenty-one days.

Sometimes it's easy to forget we are in a spiritual battle. However, the battle is real, whether we acknowledge it or not. Each time we as Christians write for the glory of God, we are engaging in battle. When we meet for fall conference so that we are better prepared and armed to write, we will face opposition.

Whether you are attending conference this year or not, I invite you to join the executive in prayer. Pray daily if possible. If God leads you to do so, set aside a day to fast and pray. Here are some ideas (based on ideas which Janet Sketchley "borrowed" from ACFW):

• Promotion: that the message gets out to those who God wants to hear it
• Enough volunteers to share the load
• More than enough registrations to cover costs
• Clear communication with speakers and workshop leaders
• Registration process online to work properly
• Fall Contest judges as they select winners
• Sponsorships to cover some costs
• God's Spirit to cover the Sawridge Inn and protect attendees from spiritual attacks
• Keynote speakers: Jeff Goins, Caleb J. Seeling
• Workshop instructors - preparation, clarity of thought, ability to explain well
• Ruth L. Snyder (our fearless leader)
• Conference Registrar: Gwen Mathieu
• Bookstore preparation
• Health and allergy protection, safety onsite
• Divine appointments, making contacts and friends
• Travel to/from safely and uninterrupted, belongings not to get misplaced
• Good rest, adjustment to time zones, peace about (and protection for) families at home
• Prayer times and worship sessions
• Spiritual blessings and tangible presence of the Spirit
• First-time attendees
• Flow of creative ideas
• Encouragement for each participant
• For people who don't win awards or who get disappointing results from critiques or appointments
• Banquet and celebration of Fall Contest participants
• Launch of paperback edition of 7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers
• Blue pencil critiques
• Sound equipment, projectors, laptops, recordings etc to work well
• Practical learning for each participant
• God's anointing on whole event
• God to surprise us
• Participants to go home equipped and encouraged 
• Re-entry into the “real world”
• Protection on each one’s spirit
• Processing of what was learned
• Following up on opportunities and contacts
• Enthusiasm to apply what’s learned, even with winter coming on
• Career plans, God's leading
• Participants to feel "courageous in becoming word warriors - that they would have a greater sense of the contribution they can make in proclaiming truth through the written word

"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31