Please join our nature community to discuss the contest or just to chat about climate change fiction!
Note that this contest ended in the summer of 2014.
This is a short story contest, not a poetry contest. 100,000 Poets for Change is a broad event that includes all types of art, and we have chosen climate change as the subject of our contest.
As announced today at the Vanpoet’s blog, we will be hosting Vancouver’s 3rd annual 100,000 Poets for Change event–an event that takes place around the world in hundreds of cities simultaneously. This year, unlike in past years, we will be hosting a virtual event in the form of a short story contest. The contest begins whenever you are ready (now if you want!) and ends sharply at August 30, midnight EST. I will try to get the Vancouver authors I know on board, but this contest is global and EVERYONE is welcome to join. Even though we’re based out of Vancouver, we need to stand together from all corners of the Earth when it comes to climate change. In a potential multi-media presentation, Vancouver will be represented well.
Visit the Vanpoet’s blog above or join our newly formed nature community group on Google to stay updated!
Here are the contest rules. Please follow them. I’d hate to see any disqualifications. Click here to submit your story.
- The stories will be due at midnight EST, August 30, but in order to carefully read the stories, we will not announce the winner until September 26, the day before the 100,000 Poets for Change event. We’ll have a big to-do about it on the 27th, the big day of the event. (Keep in mind “poets for change” is for all artists–short story writers included!)
- The winner will receive $100.00 USD (there is no entry fee). The award is offered via Paypal, or, if you prefer, as an Amazon gift card.
- The story must be between 3,500-5,000 words.
- Your story must relate to climate change and must be fiction.
- The story must be your own. You may not plagiarize another story.
- The story will be judged by Mary Woodbury, of Nature Fiction (ClifiBooks). If available, we may get a panel to help judge the stories.
- The submission form requires you to upload your story (and optionally a photo, explained below) and check off a few boxes that say you agree we can host your story at our site. For instance, the story must not have been previously published. While you retain copyright, we want to host the story at Nature Fiction (ClifiBooks) for a short period of time after the contest ends.
- You must be at least age 18, and if not, you must send in writing a permission form signed by a parent or legal guardian to us.
- For each story submission, there will be extra credit given if you also submit a photo of your city showing any nature scene, environment being impacted, climate change impact, or something similar. The photo doesn’t need to synch with your story, just with your city! Please tell us the name of your city (and country).
- What is extra credit? Your story will be judged on grammar, tone, style, coherency, readability, imagination, and appeal. Attaching a photo of your city, which adds a visual component to the international contest, will boost your story as well.
- The photo you provide MUST be one that you have taken and have the rights to share. You will be credited as the photographer.
- Permissions to use these photos in a collage, on the website, and potentially in video, must be given. While it will help if the photos are in early (you can submit any time), they are due no later than August 30.
- Your full name and email address is required for the stories and photos to make it into this contest! Your email must match either a Paypal or Amazon account so that we can properly transfer you the reward if you win. Only one entry per person. Your email address will not be published.
- The story must written in English.
