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Post #72 – Women’s Memoirs, News – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler

Memoir Writing Contest Featuring StoryMap

January is winding down and February’s 29 days will fly by. But before all of that happens, we want to remind you about the two types of memoir writing contests that we’re sponsoring this year. Here are the full details.

The first deadline for our StoryMap: The Neverending Writing Prompt Contest is almost here. Entries are due February 29. This is just a quick reminder so that you can still order your StoryMap and enter. If you already have your StoryMap, then it’s time to get to writing.

This first contest is called Snow Moon, No Moon and requires that you have our StoryMap. Read below to find out the background of this contest, what you need to do to enter, and how much fun it will be.

StoryMap Contest #1 for 2012:
Have you heard about our exciting new product — StoryMap: The Neverending Story Prompt? It is a never-ending source of ideas to make writing prompts fun even if you don’t enter our contests. If you haven’t heard about StoryMap, click here to read about it.

StoryMap is the map of Five Points, Oklahoma where the establishments, their owners, and the locations give you all the elements you need to create fun stories and to stretch your writing ability. You’ll find embedded in this map the five essential ingredients — characters, emotions, the five senses, time and place, and even a few bits of dialogue. Each time you sit to write, start your session with a 10 minute story based in Five Points. Have fun. Put yourself into the story and see what develops. Then, once your creative juices are flowing, switch to your memoir writing. StoryMap puts FUN into the FUNdamentals of writing.

Well, back to our StoryMap Contest…

StoryMap Contest #1: A great way to test your writing skills is to pick up a story started by someone else and finish it. This requires that you understand how the characters are developed, what is happening with the plot, and how you can bring the story to conclusion. Kendra has written the first five episodes of a story. We’ve provided the five links below:

Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon, Part 1

Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon, Part 2

Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon, Part 3

Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon, Part 4

Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon, Part 5

Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon, Part 6 — written by YOU. That’s right. Read parts 1 through 5 and then write the conclusion to the story. Be sure to work yourself into the story. In Part 5, you’ll see that Kendra worked both of us into Five Points, OK: Snow Moon, No Moon.

Then just send us your conclusion and we’ll publish it. Of course, we reserve the right to reject entries that are poorly written or haven’t been polished. So:

1 – You need to purchase a copy of StoryMap in order to submit your contest entry. There will be multiple StoryMap contests throughout the year — all based on the StoryMap of Five Points, Oklahoma. The regular price of StoryMap: The Neverending Writing Prompt is $19.97. Here’s a discount coupon code for $2 off since you’ll be using it to enter one or more contest entries: COUPON CODE: CONTEST This coupon code will be valid for all of 2012. Here’s the link to purchase StoryMap.

Even if you forget the coupon code, the regular price of $19.97 is a real bargain because it is truly a neverending writing prompt. StoryMap will provide you an endless supply of fun ways to get writing. Then, with fun in place and a light heart, you can turn to your memoir writing. So even when your personal life stories take you to dark places, you know you can always return to Five Points, OK the following day to again have fun with the locals.

2 — Be sure to give yourself enough time to craft a great conclusion to the story — between 500 – 1200 words.

3 — You need to write yourself and some part of your life story into the conclusion.

4 — Read your story aloud as that will help you spot problems. Edit to create a polished story.

5 — Email your conclusion to Snow Moon, No Moon to:
matilda (at) womensmemoirs (dot) com

6 — Be sure that you send your entry no later than February 29, 2012.

Throughout 2012, we’ll be announcing more StoryMap contests.

Have fun. We look forward to getting your entries.

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