Enter your 600-750 word personal essay by September 22 and you could win the $250 grand prize.
Do you have an unusual or compelling Mormon experience to share?
Then I want to hear it. And possibly even pay you for it.
Maybe this is the time to tell that inexplicable story from your mission, or explain what it was like to be the only kid in Primary with autism, or describe the moment when you washed and dressed your father in temple clothing to prepare his body for burial. Maybe you need to tell a sacrament story or explain how you’ve been empowered by the example of your pioneer ancestors.
Over the next two weeks, I will be receiving short personal essays about Mormon life, three of which will be published here on the blog in the days leading up to General Conference and one of which will receive $250.
Details are below. My readers and I hope to hear from you. — JKR
Grand Prize: $250 and online publication in the “Flunking Sainthood” RNS blog
2 Runner-up prizes: $50 to the charity of your choice and online publication in the “Flunking Sainthood” RNS blog
Deadline: Monday, September 22
Entry fee: None
Rules:
1) All entries must be original, never-before-published first-person essays that address a specific aspect of Mormon life, culture, or belief as the author has experienced it. Tell us a good story, one we have not necessarily heard before about Mormon life. Help us to see the familiar from a new angle by delving into one topic deeply and memorably. (Hint 1: Go narrow. The best short personal essays take on a single issue, memory, or moment in your life. Hint 2: Help readers connect emotionally and to feel what you have been through.)
2) Essays will be judged based on their clarity, emotional resonance, and spiritual content.
3) Entries must not exceed 750 words. The best candidates will fall between 600 and 750 words.
4) Essayists must write under their real names unless they have a compelling reason not to do so, like protecting privacy after a traumatic event.
5) Writers who have had their posts previously published on the Flunking Sainthood blog are ineligible for the “New Voices” contest. (Comments do not count.)
6) Entries must be received no later than midnight on Monday, September 22, 2014 at this email address: [email protected]. They should be typed in a Microsoft Word document and double-spaced, then attached to an email with “Flunking Sainthood contest submission” in the subject line. Entrants should provide their name, email address, and phone number.
7) Entries may be edited for publication, but writers will have the chance to approve all editorial changes prior to publication.
8) The Grand Prize will be $250 and online publication on the “Flunking Sainthood” blog at RNS. Two or more runners-up will each receive $50 donated to the charity of their choice and online publication on the blog.
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