Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact Ryan O'Connor, Learning Centre Instructor, at oconnorr3@douglascollege.ca.
Hey student writers!
Are you interested in sharing your voice with the Douglas College community and getting the chance to win a cash prize? If so, this writing competition is just the thing for you!
The Douglas College Learning Centre is proud to announce the first ever interdisciplinary student writing contest. The top three submissions will receive a cash prize. Winners and honourable mentions will be featured in a digital publication. All participants will be invited to a celebration hosted by the Library and Learning Centre.
How it Works
We'll give you a prompt and, using 1500 words or fewer, and the evaluation criteria below, you write a response to that prompt. You decide how to respond. Fiction or non-fiction. Poetry or prose. Comedy or horror. Anything goes. It's your chance to express your unique style, voice, experience, and creativity!
Here's the prompt!
You are free to interpret the prompt as you wish. This means that you could submit a personal response, narrative, essay, creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, etc. There are no restrictions or limitations on format, genre, or content.
Guidelines
Your submission will be evaluated on how well it responds to the prompt based on the following guidelines:
Originality - Tell us something we haven't heard before and/or in a way we haven't experienced.
Clarity - Ensure that the writing is clear and concise. It's okay if the writing isn’t perfect (i.e. “has an accent") as long as we understand the message(s).
Substance - Tell us something meaningful, compelling, and/or fascinating. Give us depth. Have an answer to the question "so what?" Make a connection with your reader.
Persuasion - Convince, affect, or move us. Tell us something that we will still be thinking about on our commute home (and maybe even after we get home).
Coherence - Ensure that there is unity in your submission. Tell us something cohesive and precise. Your submission does not have to follow any particular organizational structure, but it should make sense!
Your submission does not need to include research. However, any sources used must be acknowledged and cited using an appropriate and consistent format (ex. APA or MLA). Word limit does not include references or title page. Your submission must be entirely your own work (i.e. use of professional writing and editing services, generative artificial intelligence, or other outside help is strictly prohibited).
There is one exception: You are permitted (and encouraged) to work with a tutor from the Douglas College Learning Centre to get feedback on your submission. Book an appointment with a Writing Tutor now.
Your submission may include visuals (drawings, photos, graphs, etc.). Any visuals that are not the intellectual property of the author must be cited.
- 1st place: $500
- 2nd place: $300
- 3rd place: $150
- Top 6-10 submissions will be featured in a digital Douglas College publication
- One submission per person
- Submissions are accepted from Douglas College students only
- Submissions must be an original work of the author alone
- Submissions must be received by the deadline
Submissions will be accepted until midnight of May 30, 2024 and then reviewed by a panel of judges through the Summer semester. Winners will be notified in September 2024.
How to Submit Your Work
- Ensure your submission is typed, double-space, in 12-point font, with a title page that includes the title of your work, your name, student ID, and email address.
- Ensure your response is saved in .docx or .pdf format.
- Email your submission to Ryan O'Connor at oconnorr3@douglascollege.ca with the subject line "Submission for Student Writing Competition".
Submit Your Creative Writing Now