2020 Writing Contest
Submissions open from January 1 – February 29, 2020
$50 cash prize for Winners in each Category
Second place winners: $25
All First and Second Place winners will read their winning pieces
at the COWG Winners Showcase Event on October 10, 2020
Guidelines:
One entry per category. Entry must be original, unpublished work (traditionally- or self-published work may not be submitted). Maximum length 1,200 words. Word.doc or .docx. Double-spaced. Electronic submissions only.
Submittable Submissions Manager will be open on January 1, 2020.
Categories:
Adult Categories (Writers age 19 and over on Jan 1, 2020)
· Fiction – One complete short story, or novel excerpt, in any fiction genre.
· Nonfiction – One complete piece or excerpt in any nonfiction genre.
· Poetry – One complete poem.
Youth Categories (Writers age 18 and under on Jan 1, 2020)
· Fiction – One complete short story, or novel excerpt, in any fiction genre.
· Nonfiction – One complete piece or excerpt in any nonfiction genre.
· Poetry – One complete poem.
Children’s Literature (Adult and Youth writers) - Middle grade, Picture Books, etc.
Maximum length 1,200 words. Picture books: Maximum 500 words.
* * *
$50 cash prize for Winners in each Category
Second place winners: $25
All First and Second Place winners will read their winning pieces
at the COWG Winners Showcase Event on October 10, 2020
Guidelines:
One entry per category. Entry must be original, unpublished work (traditionally- or self-published work may not be submitted). Maximum length 1,200 words. Word.doc or .docx. Double-spaced. Electronic submissions only.
Submittable Submissions Manager will be open on January 1, 2020.
Categories:
Adult Categories (Writers age 19 and over on Jan 1, 2020)
· Fiction – One complete short story, or novel excerpt, in any fiction genre.
· Nonfiction – One complete piece or excerpt in any nonfiction genre.
· Poetry – One complete poem.
Youth Categories (Writers age 18 and under on Jan 1, 2020)
· Fiction – One complete short story, or novel excerpt, in any fiction genre.
· Nonfiction – One complete piece or excerpt in any nonfiction genre.
· Poetry – One complete poem.
Children’s Literature (Adult and Youth writers) - Middle grade, Picture Books, etc.
Maximum length 1,200 words. Picture books: Maximum 500 words.
* * *
COWG Winners Showcase Event: First and second place winners from each category will read their winning pieces on October 10, 2020. Location TBA
Author Readings: Winners may be invited to an Author Reading event at local bookstores or other venues.
Notification: Winners will be notified via email in early April 2020.
Rules for Submissions:
Put the word “contest” in the subject line.
Submittable Submission Manager will be open until Midnight February 29th, 2020
Author Readings: Winners may be invited to an Author Reading event at local bookstores or other venues.
Notification: Winners will be notified via email in early April 2020.
Rules for Submissions:
- Eligibility: The COWG Harvest Writing Contest is open to Oregon residents and all current members of Central Oregon Writers Guild, regardless of residence. One entry is allowed per category, including poetry.
- Contest Timeframe: Submissions will be accepted beginning 12:00 am January 1, 2020 through midnight February 29, 2020. Submissions received after midnight on February 29, 2020 will not be accepted.
- General Formatting: Entries must be typed, double spaced (Poetry can be double or single-spaced), in 12-point legible font (e.g. Times New Roman), pages numbered, and submitted as a .doc or .docx.
- Title: All entries must have a TITLE on the top of the first page.
- Confidentiality: All entries will be judged blind. Do not put author’s name anywhere on manuscript.
- Original work: All entries must be the original, unpublished work of the author. Traditionally- or self-published work, including articles and books in any format, cannot be submitted to this contest.
- Judging: Entries will be judged anonymously, and judges’ decisions will be final.
- Fees: COWG Members $10.00. Adult Non-members $35.00 (Includes a one-year membership to COWG). Non-member Youth writers (18 and under before Jan 1, 2020) $15.00 (includes one-year membership to COWG). The fee for each submission after your first is $10. Contest fees are not refundable.
- Notification to entrants: Each entrant will be notified by Submittable that their entry has been received.
Put the word “contest” in the subject line.
Submittable Submission Manager will be open until Midnight February 29th, 2020
2020 Contest Judges:
Ginger Dehlinger
Ginger writes in multiple genres. She has received awards for her essays, including Best Creative Non-fiction for “Brown, Anyone?” in the 2017 COWG annual writing competition. Her research has appeared in The Bulletin, The Small Farmer’s Journal, and Horsefly. She also dabbles in poetry and short stories and has published two novels--Brute Heart and Never Done. She can be found at http://gdehlinger.blogspot.com
Mary Krakow
Mary is a writing nerd. Her favorite part of the school day, besides recess, was creative writing. Mary retired in 2015 with the intent to realize her dream of becoming an author. So far, she has written three manuscripts for Middle Grade readers, a few magazine articles, and over two hundred flash fiction stories. Visit Mary’s website for writers at www.findyourwritingnerd.com
Paige M. Ferro
Paige is a writer and editor living in Bend, Oregon. By day, and sometimes night, she is the Adult Programs Coordinator with Deschutes Public Library. When not writing, she can be found dabbling in the Tarot and picking cat hair off her various sweaters. Her work has been published with Crab Fat Review, Foliate Oak, Not Your Mother’s Breast Milk, Heavy Feather Review, Alternating Current Press, Paleo Magazine, and others.
Irene Cooper
Irene’s poems, reviews, and essays appear in print and online at The Feminist Wire, Utterance: A Journal, VoiceCatcher, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She is a freelance copywriter and editor, facilitates creative writing workshops in Central Oregon, and co-edits The Stay Project. Committal, a spyfy thriller and her first novel, is forthcoming from Vegetarian Alcoholic Press in 2020. She served three years as an editorial reader for The Masters Review. Last year she had the pleasure of judging the nonfiction category for the COWG contest.
Mike Lankford
Mike is a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and has been an editor/teacher for thirty years. His previous works include essays, newspaper opinion columns, short stories, and book reviews. He is the author of Life in Double Time: Confessions of an American Drummer, a top ten music critic’s book of the year, and, Becoming Leonardo: An Exploded View of the Life of Leonardo da Vinci, a Wall Street Journal top ten nonfiction book of the year. He currently teaches at Central Oregon Community College.
Don Kunz
Don taught literature, creative writing, and film studies at the University of Rhode Island for 36 years, retiring in 2004 as Emeritus Professor and moving to Bend. His essays, poems, and short stories have appeared in over 80 literary journals. He continues to write for publication during retirement and is a member of the High Desert Poetry Cell (founded in 2007)—five men from Bend who meet monthly for dinner and critiques as well as give public readings. They have self-published three collections of their poems, donating all proceeds from sales and readings to Bend area non-profits like Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, Saving Grace, Family Kitchen, and Central Oregon Veterans Ranch.
Kathleen Valenti
Kathleen is the author of the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series, including her Agatha- and Lefty-nominated debut novel, Protocol, fan favorite 39 Winks, and acclaimed new release, As Directed. When Kathleen isn’t writing page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. She lives in Bend with her family where she pretends to enjoy running. Learn more at www.kathleenvalenti.com.
Karen Brodsky
Karen’s love for the written word can best be described as a search for something that dazzles her senses and makes her catch her breath with anticipation. Along with her ‘real’ career as an ER nurse, she has worked on the horse racing circuit, owned a preschool, tended bar on the train to Denali, worked as a veterinary technician, and most recently was employed in a local independent bookstore. Through it all she wrote and read endlessly. One of her poems won first place in the 2016 COWG writing competition.
Kristen Riggle
Kristen is an author and artist making work that encourages creativity, exploration, and most importantly, doing what you love! She has published two children’s books including Little Bird Explores Bend! and The Busy Birds Adventures: Hello Bend! The former being included in the Roundabout Books Top 10 Bestsellers List for the past two years. Kristen is also a visiting author at local schools to help educate and empower children to write and create. If she’s not in her studio writing, painting, or imagining, she’s probably off with her husband exploring the deserts and mountains that surround their happy home in Bend, Oregon.
Ginger Dehlinger
Ginger writes in multiple genres. She has received awards for her essays, including Best Creative Non-fiction for “Brown, Anyone?” in the 2017 COWG annual writing competition. Her research has appeared in The Bulletin, The Small Farmer’s Journal, and Horsefly. She also dabbles in poetry and short stories and has published two novels--Brute Heart and Never Done. She can be found at http://gdehlinger.blogspot.com
Mary Krakow
Mary is a writing nerd. Her favorite part of the school day, besides recess, was creative writing. Mary retired in 2015 with the intent to realize her dream of becoming an author. So far, she has written three manuscripts for Middle Grade readers, a few magazine articles, and over two hundred flash fiction stories. Visit Mary’s website for writers at www.findyourwritingnerd.com
Paige M. Ferro
Paige is a writer and editor living in Bend, Oregon. By day, and sometimes night, she is the Adult Programs Coordinator with Deschutes Public Library. When not writing, she can be found dabbling in the Tarot and picking cat hair off her various sweaters. Her work has been published with Crab Fat Review, Foliate Oak, Not Your Mother’s Breast Milk, Heavy Feather Review, Alternating Current Press, Paleo Magazine, and others.
Irene Cooper
Irene’s poems, reviews, and essays appear in print and online at The Feminist Wire, Utterance: A Journal, VoiceCatcher, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She is a freelance copywriter and editor, facilitates creative writing workshops in Central Oregon, and co-edits The Stay Project. Committal, a spyfy thriller and her first novel, is forthcoming from Vegetarian Alcoholic Press in 2020. She served three years as an editorial reader for The Masters Review. Last year she had the pleasure of judging the nonfiction category for the COWG contest.
Mike Lankford
Mike is a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and has been an editor/teacher for thirty years. His previous works include essays, newspaper opinion columns, short stories, and book reviews. He is the author of Life in Double Time: Confessions of an American Drummer, a top ten music critic’s book of the year, and, Becoming Leonardo: An Exploded View of the Life of Leonardo da Vinci, a Wall Street Journal top ten nonfiction book of the year. He currently teaches at Central Oregon Community College.
Don Kunz
Don taught literature, creative writing, and film studies at the University of Rhode Island for 36 years, retiring in 2004 as Emeritus Professor and moving to Bend. His essays, poems, and short stories have appeared in over 80 literary journals. He continues to write for publication during retirement and is a member of the High Desert Poetry Cell (founded in 2007)—five men from Bend who meet monthly for dinner and critiques as well as give public readings. They have self-published three collections of their poems, donating all proceeds from sales and readings to Bend area non-profits like Central Oregon Veterans Outreach, Saving Grace, Family Kitchen, and Central Oregon Veterans Ranch.
Kathleen Valenti
Kathleen is the author of the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series, including her Agatha- and Lefty-nominated debut novel, Protocol, fan favorite 39 Winks, and acclaimed new release, As Directed. When Kathleen isn’t writing page-turning mysteries that combine humor and suspense, she works as a nationally award-winning advertising copywriter. She lives in Bend with her family where she pretends to enjoy running. Learn more at www.kathleenvalenti.com.
Karen Brodsky
Karen’s love for the written word can best be described as a search for something that dazzles her senses and makes her catch her breath with anticipation. Along with her ‘real’ career as an ER nurse, she has worked on the horse racing circuit, owned a preschool, tended bar on the train to Denali, worked as a veterinary technician, and most recently was employed in a local independent bookstore. Through it all she wrote and read endlessly. One of her poems won first place in the 2016 COWG writing competition.
Kristen Riggle
Kristen is an author and artist making work that encourages creativity, exploration, and most importantly, doing what you love! She has published two children’s books including Little Bird Explores Bend! and The Busy Birds Adventures: Hello Bend! The former being included in the Roundabout Books Top 10 Bestsellers List for the past two years. Kristen is also a visiting author at local schools to help educate and empower children to write and create. If she’s not in her studio writing, painting, or imagining, she’s probably off with her husband exploring the deserts and mountains that surround their happy home in Bend, Oregon.
Congratulation 2019 COWG Contest Winners!
~Adult Fiction:
1st Place- Judith Miller "The Man with Teeth Too Big For His Head"
2nd Place- Jake Sheaffer "In the Park"
3rd Place- Craig Gipson "P.O.W."
3rd Place- Mary Krakow "Geoff's Travels"
~Adult Poetry:
1st Place- Chet Holland "Wickedly Yours"
2nd Place- Rebecca Locklear "Europe BRATS- Looking Back"
3rd Place- Pattie Palmer-Baker "The Air We Breathe"
~Youth Fiction:
1st Place- Fiona Curley "Regretfully Strong"
2nd Place- Emily Harris "Imagine"
3rd Place- Nicole Morgen "Monster Slayer"
~Youth Poetry:
1st Place- Harper Rich "Golden Summer"
2nd Place- Darcy Hays "A Spider in the Skin"
3rd Place- Paige Vancil "Left Bench"
~Non-Fiction:
1st Place- Geri Servi "Sweet Dreams"
2nd Place- Christina Tavares "Houseplant"
3rd Place- Gerry Pare "Our Search"
~Children's Literature/ Young Adult/ Picture Books:
1st Place- Siobhan Sullivan "How the River Falls Came to Be"
2nd Place- Rhiannon Curley "Reflection"
3rd Place- Suzy Beal "Decision at Sea
1st Place- Judith Miller "The Man with Teeth Too Big For His Head"
2nd Place- Jake Sheaffer "In the Park"
3rd Place- Craig Gipson "P.O.W."
3rd Place- Mary Krakow "Geoff's Travels"
~Adult Poetry:
1st Place- Chet Holland "Wickedly Yours"
2nd Place- Rebecca Locklear "Europe BRATS- Looking Back"
3rd Place- Pattie Palmer-Baker "The Air We Breathe"
~Youth Fiction:
1st Place- Fiona Curley "Regretfully Strong"
2nd Place- Emily Harris "Imagine"
3rd Place- Nicole Morgen "Monster Slayer"
~Youth Poetry:
1st Place- Harper Rich "Golden Summer"
2nd Place- Darcy Hays "A Spider in the Skin"
3rd Place- Paige Vancil "Left Bench"
~Non-Fiction:
1st Place- Geri Servi "Sweet Dreams"
2nd Place- Christina Tavares "Houseplant"
3rd Place- Gerry Pare "Our Search"
~Children's Literature/ Young Adult/ Picture Books:
1st Place- Siobhan Sullivan "How the River Falls Came to Be"
2nd Place- Rhiannon Curley "Reflection"
3rd Place- Suzy Beal "Decision at Sea
Congratulations 2017 Harvest Writing Contest Winners!
Youth Fiction: (First) Nicole Morgen “Heart Over Mind” (Second) Logan Harris “Dark” (Third) Darcy Hays “Paradise Week”
Youth Poetry: (First) Lily Greenstone “Stained Glass Saints” (Second) Parker Hill “Night and Day” (Third) Sophie App-Singer “Daybreak”
Adult Nonfiction: (First) Ginger Dehlinger “Brown Anyone?” (Second) Ava Wilson “Shadowy Figures” (Third) Lori Greenstone “Such Unkind Things” and Cecelia Granger “Shot of Mercy”
Adult Fiction: (First) Patricia Barnhart “Mrs. Garrison’s Cat” (Second) David Horn “The Uninvited” (Third) Kai Strand “No Such Thing as Luck”
Adult Poetry: (First) Rosemary Lombard “The Apple’s Attitudes” (Second) Charlotte Oakes “Metolious” (Third) Denise Lewis “Wings” and Ted Haynes “Parting”
In the 2017 Harvest Writing Contest Winners Collection, Central Oregon Writers Guild continues to present the work of both adult and youth Oregon writers who came together to read their winning entries before an audience of friends, family and the Central Oregon writing community at the annual Harvest Writing Contest Showcase Event held each October in the city of Bend, Oregon.
Order your copy of the 2017 Harvest Writing Contest WINNERS COLLECTION on Amazon.
Youth Fiction: (First) Nicole Morgen “Heart Over Mind” (Second) Logan Harris “Dark” (Third) Darcy Hays “Paradise Week”
Youth Poetry: (First) Lily Greenstone “Stained Glass Saints” (Second) Parker Hill “Night and Day” (Third) Sophie App-Singer “Daybreak”
Adult Nonfiction: (First) Ginger Dehlinger “Brown Anyone?” (Second) Ava Wilson “Shadowy Figures” (Third) Lori Greenstone “Such Unkind Things” and Cecelia Granger “Shot of Mercy”
Adult Fiction: (First) Patricia Barnhart “Mrs. Garrison’s Cat” (Second) David Horn “The Uninvited” (Third) Kai Strand “No Such Thing as Luck”
Adult Poetry: (First) Rosemary Lombard “The Apple’s Attitudes” (Second) Charlotte Oakes “Metolious” (Third) Denise Lewis “Wings” and Ted Haynes “Parting”
In the 2017 Harvest Writing Contest Winners Collection, Central Oregon Writers Guild continues to present the work of both adult and youth Oregon writers who came together to read their winning entries before an audience of friends, family and the Central Oregon writing community at the annual Harvest Writing Contest Showcase Event held each October in the city of Bend, Oregon.
Order your copy of the 2017 Harvest Writing Contest WINNERS COLLECTION on Amazon.
Congratulations 2016 Harvest Writing Contest Winners!
Youth Nonfiction: (First) Reese Ringo “Driving an Ice Cream Truck”
Youth Fiction: (First) Devin Riley “Ella’s Secret” (Second) Sage Young “The Many Sizes of Courage” (Third) Joshua Erskine “The Necromancer”
Youth Poetry: (First) Lily Greenstone “Kinds of Hurt” (Second) Chloe Eberz “Black” (Third) Neve Gerard “Courage”
Adult Nonfiction: (First) Eric Marley “Number 8 and What it Means to be a Man” (Second) Breanna Snow “Playing Hostess” (Third) Lorna Hewitt “RAW EDGES”
Adult Fiction: (First) Larry Loudermilk “To Hold Her Hand” (Second) Mary Krakow “The Doll Collector” (Third) Patricia Barnhart “Ring”
Adult Poetry: (First) Karen Brodsky “Setting Sun” (Second) Kathryn Bold “Cherries in the Snow” (Third) Ginger Dehlinger “Ghost Trees at Midnight”
Order your copy of the 2016 anthology at Amazon today!
Youth Nonfiction: (First) Reese Ringo “Driving an Ice Cream Truck”
Youth Fiction: (First) Devin Riley “Ella’s Secret” (Second) Sage Young “The Many Sizes of Courage” (Third) Joshua Erskine “The Necromancer”
Youth Poetry: (First) Lily Greenstone “Kinds of Hurt” (Second) Chloe Eberz “Black” (Third) Neve Gerard “Courage”
Adult Nonfiction: (First) Eric Marley “Number 8 and What it Means to be a Man” (Second) Breanna Snow “Playing Hostess” (Third) Lorna Hewitt “RAW EDGES”
Adult Fiction: (First) Larry Loudermilk “To Hold Her Hand” (Second) Mary Krakow “The Doll Collector” (Third) Patricia Barnhart “Ring”
Adult Poetry: (First) Karen Brodsky “Setting Sun” (Second) Kathryn Bold “Cherries in the Snow” (Third) Ginger Dehlinger “Ghost Trees at Midnight”
Order your copy of the 2016 anthology at Amazon today!
Congratulations 2015 Contest Winners!
In this 2015 Harvest Writing Contest Winners Collection, Central Oregon Writers Guild proudly presents the works of twelve talented writers who came together to read their winning entries before an audience of friends, family and the Central Oregon writing community. The annual Harvest Writing Contest Showcase Event is held each October in the city of Bend, Oregon.
Genres represented in these ten winning pieces include Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Enjoy the diversity of this multi-genre collection of short stories and poetry as you journey through the pages and follow the footprints of the authors sharing their passion in print.
Contributors (Authors): Nickole Harris, Jane Lulay, Ava Wilson, ElsieMarie Rochna, Burky Achilles, Kristin Dorsey, Dean Grosnick, David Horn, Eva Hulett, Mary Krakow, Pat Tellinghusen, and Bob Vancil.
Click here to order your copy now!
In this 2015 Harvest Writing Contest Winners Collection, Central Oregon Writers Guild proudly presents the works of twelve talented writers who came together to read their winning entries before an audience of friends, family and the Central Oregon writing community. The annual Harvest Writing Contest Showcase Event is held each October in the city of Bend, Oregon.
Genres represented in these ten winning pieces include Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Enjoy the diversity of this multi-genre collection of short stories and poetry as you journey through the pages and follow the footprints of the authors sharing their passion in print.
Contributors (Authors): Nickole Harris, Jane Lulay, Ava Wilson, ElsieMarie Rochna, Burky Achilles, Kristin Dorsey, Dean Grosnick, David Horn, Eva Hulett, Mary Krakow, Pat Tellinghusen, and Bob Vancil.
Click here to order your copy now!
Congratulations 2014 Harvest Contest Winners!
In this 2014 Harvest Writing Contest Winners Collection, Central Oregon Writers Guild proudly presents the works of ten talented writers who came together to read their winning entries before an audience of friends, family and the Central Oregon writing community. The annual Harvest Reception is held each October in the city of Bend, Oregon.Genres represented in these ten winning pieces include Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Non-Fiction, Memoir, and Poetry.
Enjoy the diversity of this multi-genre collection of short stories and poetry as you journey through the pages and follow the footprints of the authors sharing their passion in print.
Winning Authors: Nickole Harris, Rosemary Lombard, Cameron Prow, Suzan Noyes, Cindy Adams, Dee Q. Clardy, Amanda Rose, P.J. Stevenson, Tiahna Skye, Ava Wilson
Books can be ordered through Amazon in print or Kindle versions. To order now, just click on the following colored hyperlink for your desired format: Print | Kindle
Enjoy the diversity of this multi-genre collection of short stories and poetry as you journey through the pages and follow the footprints of the authors sharing their passion in print.
Winning Authors: Nickole Harris, Rosemary Lombard, Cameron Prow, Suzan Noyes, Cindy Adams, Dee Q. Clardy, Amanda Rose, P.J. Stevenson, Tiahna Skye, Ava Wilson
Books can be ordered through Amazon in print or Kindle versions. To order now, just click on the following colored hyperlink for your desired format: Print | Kindle