1. Poetry for Children
(Members only, fee $3.) Up to 40 lines. Written for children
in age-appropriate language, such as for a children’s book
or magazine. Any form. One poem per fee.
2. Free Style Poetry
(Members only, fee $3.) Up to 40 lines. Any subject. No
patterned rhyming. One poem per fee.
3. Rhyming Poetry
(Members only, fee $3.) Up to 40 lines. Any subject, any
meter. One poem per fee.
4. New Talent Poetry, Free
Verse (Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 40
lines. Any style of free verse. Any subject. Open to anyone
who has not won a LUW cash award in this category. One poem
per fee.
5. New Talent Poetry, Rhyming
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 40 lines.
A rhyming poem, any topic. Open to anyone who has not won a
cash award from LUW in this category. One poem per fee.
6. Haiku (Members only,
fee $3.) Up to three lines. Up to three haiku per entry fee.
Put each haiku on a separate page with line count, category
name and number on each page.
7. Narrative Poetry
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 50 lines. Any
style or subject. A poem that tells a story. One poem per
fee.
8. Historical Poetry
(Members only, fee $3.) Up to 40 lines. Features a moment in
history. May be family or local history as well as world or
U.S. history. One poem per fee.
9. Children’s Story, Ages 4-8
(Member fee $3, non-member fee $6.) Up to 2,000
words. A fictional, prose narrative written for children.
Indicate target group under title. Excerpt required.
10. Children’s Story, Ages 9-12
(Member fee $3, non-member fee $6.) Up to
3,000 words. A fictional, prose narrative, written for
children. Indicate target group under title. Excerpt
required.
11. Children’s Story, Ages
13-18 (Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to
3,000 words. A fictional, prose narrative written for
children. Indicate target group under title. Excerpt
required.
12. Middle Grade Nonfiction
Article (Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to
3,000 words. Any topic of interest for youth, fifth through
eighth grades. Helps youth broaden their knowledge of the
world around them. May enrich school subjects such as
history, social studies, or science. Excerpt required.
13. Teen Story (Member fee $3;
non-member fee $6.) Up to 3,000 words. This story is a
concise, sharply-focused work of fiction that explores a
single idea or emotion, set off by conflict. Written for
ages 13-18. The action and plot of the story should center
on teenagers. Excerpt required.
14. New Talent Personal Essay
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 1,200
words. Nonfiction prose expresses personal experiences and
opinions dealing with aspects of everyday life. It can be
entertaining or persuasive in nature, varying from serious
to light and humorous. Open to anyone who has not won a cash
award from LUW in this category. Excerpt required.
15. New Talent Short Story
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 3,000 words.
Imaginative narrative typically deals with a limited group
of characters involved in a single event or situation.
Character is demonstrated through action, which ultimately
reveals the message or purpose of the story. Open to anyone
who has not won a cash award from LUW in this category.
Excerpt required.
16. Short Story (Member
fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 3,000 words. Imaginative
narrative typically deals with a limited group of characters
involved in a single event or situation. Character is
demonstrated through action, which ultimately reveals the
message or purpose of the story. Open to anyone. Excerpt
required.
17. Anecdote (Member fee $3;
nonmember fee $6.) Up to 150 words. A short narrative
detailing the particulars of an interesting, true episode.
It is often biographical and dramatizes a situation of human
interest. Slice of life, humor, and reflections are also
appropriate in this category.
18. Historical Fiction
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 1,200 words.
Fictional story centered around an actual historical event.
May be a little known event. Family history or local legend.
Be careful not to plagiarize. References may be listed at
the end. Excerpt required.
19. Article (Members
only, fee $3.) Up to 1,500 words. A prose, nonfiction
composition that deals with a single topic. It may be
instructive, informational, or persuasive, and focus on
people, new ideas, how-to, or personal experience. May
include sidebars and references. Usually appears in
magazines, newspapers, and journals, and often involves
research. Excerpt required.
20. Character Sketch
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 500 words. Create
a believable character. Show your character in a scene doing
something typical that defines his or her unique
personality.
21. Personal Essay
(Members only, fee $3.) Up to 1,200 words. A personal essay
is nonfiction prose that expresses personal experiences and
opinions dealing with aspects of every day life. It can be
entertaining or persuasive in nature, varying from serious
to light and humorous. Excerpt required.
22. Inspirational Personal
Experience (Members only, fee $3.) Up to 1,200
words. A nonfiction narrative that demonstrates personal
insight, reveals heroic conduct, reveals an individual’s
faith or beliefs, or shows personal stamina. The central
character often experiences an epiphany resulting in
lifealtering action. Excerpt required.
23. Short Short Story
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 750 words. This
story is a concise, sharply-focused work of fiction that
explores a single idea or emotion, set off by conflict.
24. Speculative Fiction
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 3,000 words.
Science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Science fiction must be
based on actual or projected scientific principles in
biology, physics, social science, mathematics, or logic.
Fantasy deals with a world based on magical or mythical
elements. It considers questions of morality, principle, and
duty. Horror usually takes place in a contemporary setting
and deals with aspects of nature that cannot be understood
or controlled. Excerpt required.
25. Historical Article
(Member fee $3; non-member fee $6.) Up to 3,000 words. A
nonfiction composition that deals with a single topic. It
may be instructive, informational, or persuasive, and focus
on people, or personal experience, or family genealogy. May
include sidebars and references. Usually appears in
magazines, newspapers, and journals, and often involves
research. (Be careful not to plagiarize.) Excerpt
required.
26. Edgy Short Story
(Members only, fee $3.) Up to 3,000 words. Edgy fiction
stories are dark, offbeat and gritty, and deal with the
hidden and dangerous recesses of human behavior. In content
and language, they push the edges of acceptable conduct that
the greater adult society generally follows. See page 7 of
the February 2007 Lariat for more information.
