Now, says Rebecca Morean, professor of English at Sinclair and director of the contest, two of those opportunities are going digital and, in the process, elevating their profiles in the literary world.
“The contest and Flights have been managed separately until now,” Rebecca says. “What’s more, for a long time both were managed in the traditional way of putting out a call for entries and accepting submissions via postal mail. Recently, Flights began accepting submissions online via a program well-known in the literary world, Submittable. Now, we’ve merged Flights and the contest under the Flights website and added the ability for writers to submit to both the journal and the contest from the same site.”
In the digital age, this may sound like a simple change, but Rebecca explains that it’s one that elevates the profile of both the journal and the contest in the literary world.
“Most colleges and universities run their literary magazine and their creative writing contest together,” Rebecca says. “We’re doing that now. Additionally, by making it possible to submit to either or both via Submittable, we’re expanding the possibility of receiving submissions from virtually around the world.”
Flights is published annually in the fall and is edited by Kate Geiselman, professor of English at Sinclair. Submissions of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction are open to writers everywhere; deadline for submitting this year is March 31.
Submissions for the Sinclair Community College Creative Writing Contest will be accepted through Feb. 28, with categories for both teens and adults in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.
Winning entries will be published in Flights and receive small financial awards as well as certificates.
“The big prize though,” says Rebecca, “is a full scholarship to this year’s 30th annual summer program of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop, which will be held July 11-17. Smaller scholarships are also awarded.”
“I really want to encourage all writers, especially high school aged students, to participate in the contest,” says Rebecca, who is also president of the Board of Trustees of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop.
Learn more about "Flights" and how to submit at https://flightsscc.wordpress.com.
For more information about the Sinclair Community College Creative Writing Contest and how to enter, visit the "Flights" site and click on the Contest tab: https://flightsscc.wordpress.com/contest/.
Information on the Antioch Writers’ Workshop is available at www.antiochwritersworkshop.com.
Rebecca, who is also a creative writer (learn more about her work at http://www.ramorean.com/) offers these tips for writers entering the contest and/or submitting to the journal: "Read the directions carefully, and follow them exactly. And tell your story — whether through fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry — as honestly as you can, drawing from your own vision and truth."
Events
• Sunday, February 8, 2-3:30 p.m., Books & Co. at The Greene, Beavercreek: The Antioch Writers’ Workshop sponsors a free Mini-Writers’ Workshop on the topic of “Demystifying Social Media,” led by Ashley Bethard, a digital and new media specialist for Cox Media Group Ohio (owner of the Dayton Daily News).
• Tuesday, February 10, 7 p.m., Books & Co.: Local author Trudy Krisher will introduce her new book, “Fanny Seward: A Life,” about the daughter of President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of state William Seward. Trudy is also the author of “Spite Fences” and other award-winning books and is a retired professor in the Department of Liberal Arts, Communication, and Social Sciences at Sinclair Community College.
• Wednesday, February 11, 7 p.m., Books & Co. at The Greene: Author Erin Hunter will introduce “Storm of Dogs,” book 6 in her Survivors Series.
• Saturday, February 14, 1 p.m., Barnes & Noble in West Chester (The Streets of Westchester, 9455 Civic Centre Blvd., West Chester): Local author Jessica Lemmon (www.jessicalemmon.com) will introduce her new romance, "The Millionaire Affair," in a romance authors' Valentine's Day extravaganza, featuring Jessica and eight other regional romance authors. Giveaways and drawings will be featured as part of the event.
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