CCF Writer: An Online Writing Contest

Source: Children Come First
http://www.childrencomefirst.com/onlinewriter.shtml

Contests
CCF Writer: An Online Writing Contest
By staff writer, Online Writing Contest

bird typing at a computer This online writing contest is for both published and yet-to-be-published writers of all ages. The RULES are simple: use the "first line" we provide and keep your entry under 200 words. Where you go from there is up to you. Whether you write a humorous, sad, educational or even a horror story is what will make your story uniquely yours! Make sure your story contains the classic story elements as detailed in the rules below. Even within 200 words the story you submit must have a clear storyline, a protagonist, conflict, obstacles or complications, and a resolution. Check the RULES and submit your entry using the form on this page. Past winning entries are posted at the CCF Contest Entries page.

Check out some facts about this month's first line. Send your first line suggestions and we may just use them!

First line:	"It was a dark and stormy night..."
Deadline:	October 31, 2008

CCF Writer Contest Entry Form

Fill out and submit this form. If you're under 18, give us your age and grade in school and have your parents fill out the second part and click the "yes" button at the end of the form giving you permission to send your contest entry in. Check the Contest entries page to read past winning entries.

1. First & Last Name:
2. City & State:
3. Country:
4. Email:
5. Entry title:	What is the title of your story?
6. Contest entry:	Keep your entry under 200 words. Type it in another program and then cut and paste it in the space below. Grammar, spelling and punctuation count!
7. Byline:	Tell us about yourself. Include link(s) to your website/blog. Write your byline in third person.
FAMILY INFORMATION and CONSENT	(If you're under 18, give us your age and grade in school and have your parent or guardian fill out this part of the form.)
8. Age and Grade in school:
9. Parent's name:
10. Email:
11. Parents' consent:	My child has my permission to send his/her contest entry to Children Come First to be posted to the CCF site. Yes
12. Any comments?	Additional comments/questions/suggestions.

Submit this form to send your contest entry to CCF.

Clear this form and start over.

CCF Writer Contest Rules

All stories must start with the first line provided.
No entry fee required.
Open to all ages, from elementary school students to senior citizens.
Word limit: 200 words or less.
NO poetry or rhymed prose.
This is a flash fiction contest. Your story must contain the classic story elements: protagonist, conflict, obstacles or complications, AND resolution. Because of the word limit, some of these elements will have to be implied rather than written but they should be clearly understood by the reader. Stories without a clear resolution will NOT be posted.
CCF reserves the right to edit and/or not post entries it receives. Not all entries we receive get posted online.
Everyone who enters has a chance to win. The prize is seeing your entry posted to the CCF site.
It can take anywhere from three weeks to three months from the time you submit your story until you hear from us. If you do not hear from us after three months your story didn't make the cut.
By entering you allow us to post your entry and name on the CCF site, either as a single entry or as part of a collection of entries in an eBook.
You must include your name, city and state. You may also inlcude a link to your website, blog, or social network site.
Students under 18 must have their parent or guardian sign off on the entry form before submitting their entry.
You keep the copyright and CCF keeps first electronic rights for one month and the rights to archive the entries indefinitely and include them in an eBook anthology. You are free to submit your story to other venues a month after it's posted to the CCF site. If you need to submit it before the month is out, just drop us a note. We ask that, whenever possible, you mention it was first published on the www.childrencomefirst.com site. Also, if you post your story to your own website or blog, it'd be great if you linked back to the CCF contest pages.