Essay Competition: The Teacher Who Changed My Life

Azizah Magazine is partnering with New America Media (NAM) and other media partners in Atlanta, GA to organize an essay contest to honor teachers.

If you are a resident of Atlanta or its surrounding counties, you can enter the competition in one of the following categories:

1) Teenagers between 14 to 18 years old: Write about a teacher, who is not your relative, who teaches in public or private school in the city of Atlanta or surrounding counties.

Awards of $500 to both the winner and the teacher profiled.

2) Adults 19 years of age and older: Write about a teacher, who is not your relative, who teaches in public or private school in the city of Atlanta or surrounding counties who have changed your life or the life of your child.

Awards of $500 to both the winner and the teacher profiled.

3) Teachers in Memory: Write about a teacher, who is not your relative, who might have passed away or lost contact with, or a teacher who taught you in your home country.

$500 awarded to local school of winner's choice.

Essays can be up to 500 words and must be submitted by January 14, 2013.

Continue reading here for more details and official contest rules.

Deadline Extended!

Remember the two writing competitions at the IWA I told you about last month? Originally, the deadline for submissions was supposed to be November 8, 2011, but it has now been extended to November 18, 2011.

It's that time of year again...

It's hard to believe that it is already time for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). If you're unfamiliar with the event, each November participating writers from around the world spend the month working to complete the rough draft of a 50,000-word novel. It sounds like a lot of work, but it is basically writing a little more than 1,600 words each day, which is very doable if you are motivated. Good things can come out of NaNoWriMo. I personally know a few authors who completed novels during the month and went on to have them published. Others broke out of their longstanding writer's block to find that they are capable of writing a full-length novel. There is even a NaNoWriMo for young writers.

Are you participating? Let us know by leaving a comment.

Creative Inspiration from 1001 Inventions

Abbas ibn Firnas

 

 

Unfortunately, I did not find out about the Creative Story Writing Competition taking place at 1001 Inventions until after the deadline for participation had passed, but the guidelines are worth taking a look at anyway, especially if you are a teacher, a homeschooling parent, or a writer who simply needs a burst of creativity. The guidelines provide you with a list of eleven figures from the Golden Age of Muslim civilization. The idea is to choose one and write a 5,000-word story that includes the character. Historical accuracy is encouraged, but the rules also allow for some artistic license. I can definitely see a story like this making a nifty book for kids or even turning into a full-length novel.

Did you participate in this competition?

If so, tell us about it by leaving a comment below.

Two Writing Competitions at the IWA

The Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) is currently sponsoring two writing competitions:

Islamic Fiction Stories Contest

• Contest Theme: The writer may choose the topic/genre/theme as long as the story is Islamic fiction.
• Maximum word count: 2,500 words
• Submissions: October 15, 2011 through November 8, 2011

Essay Writing Contest 
(co-sponsored with the Zakat Foundation of America)

• Contest Theme: A Muslim’s Responsibility to Neighbors and Community
• Maximum word count: 1,200 words
• Submissions: October 15, 2011 through November 8, 2011

For each competition, there are three categories in which one can participate:

• IWA Member
• Adult Muslim (general public)
• Young Adult Muslim (ages 13-17)

The first-place winner in each category will receive $50 and a copy of the soon-to-be-published IWA cookbook, Serving Up Faith.

Poetry Contest at the IWA

The Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) is currently holding its seventh annual Islamic poetry contest. The deadline for submitting poems is April 30, 2011, and guidelines are available here. There are three categories for submissions:

• IWA members
• Adults 18 and over who are not members of the IWA
• Youth under 18 who are not members of the IWA

Although there is no mention of a prize on the IWA website, a cash prize is usually awarded to the winner in each category. Write to the IWA for confirmation.

Islamic Fiction Contest at the IWA

The Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) is holding its 2nd annual Islamic Fiction Contest. The competition is open to three categories of participants:

• IWA Members
• Adults – authors 18 and over who are not members of IWA
• Youth – authors between the ages of 13 and 17

According to the IWA website:

Entries may be of any genre, including but not limited to: adventure, comic, crime, detective, fantasy, family historical fiction, mystery, romance, thriller, western

Stories submitted to the competition must be received by November 10, 2010. Winning authors will be awarded cash prizes (typically $50 per winning entry but not yet confirmed for this year).

Complete guidelines are available here.