General rules and information
All students who either live or go to school in Shawano or Menominee Counties are allowed to submit entries to the contest. Students living in Shawano or Menominee County, even though they are attending a school outside of these two counties, are allowed to enter. The contest is coordinated and sponsored by the Shawano Area Writers. The 2024 contest is now open.
Students from first grade through high school are invited to participate in this contest. There are four grade groups, and they will be competing only in their grade group.
Grades 1 and 2
Grades 3 and 4
Grades 5 through 8
Grades 9 through 12
There are three categories that each grade group can enter: Fiction, Nonfiction, and/or Poetry. A student may enter as many times as they want, in any category, and each entry must have a separate entry form but can be mailed in the same envelope. There will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner in each category, of each age group. The prize for grades 1 through 8 is: 1st place is $25, 2nd place is $15, and $10 for 3rd place. For grades 9 through 12 1st place $50, 2nd place is $25, and $15 for 3rd place. Judges can also pick honorable mentions in each category/grade group. Winning students will also receive a certificate of achievement.
The judges for this contest will be from outside of Shawano/Menominee counties. If the judges are having a problem deciding between two entries, they are directed to pick the entry with the least misspelled words, and the fewest punctuation mistakes.
An awards presentation will be held for all winners of the contest, and it is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 19th, 2024 at the Mielke Center. The public is invited.
A copy of these rules and an example of the entry form will be posted on SAW’s website: www.shawanoareawriters.org For questions either email our website or call 715-524-4520.
Student contest entry rules
1. There are limits to how long an entry can be. A poem can be no longer than two pages, a fiction or nonfiction story can be no longer than 1,000 words. Entries that exceed these limits will be disqualified. Only the title and page number should be on the entry.
2. All entries should be on one side of white pieces of paper, in no smaller type than 12 point. Poetry can be single-spaced, but fiction and nonfiction entries must be double-spaced.
3. Each entry must have a title at the beginning of the story or poem.
4. Each entry must have an entry form with the student’s name, phone number, name of the student’s school, grade group, entry title, word count, and category (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry).
5. At the end of the student’s entry, type or print the words, The End.
6. Students may not copy the work of any other person, including things on computers.
7. The deadline for the 2024 contest is April 6, 2024. Entries will need to be postmarked no later than that date. Entries and entry forms should be sent by U.S. Mail to Shawano Area Writers, P.O. Box 657, Shawano, WI 54166, or emailed to John J. Mutter Jr. at jjmutter@athenet.net with the subject line “Student Writing Contest entry.” Winners will be notified by May 1, 2024.
Each emailed entry will be acknowledged and if it isn’t, please resend until you hear that we’ve received it.
GOOD LUCK!