Member-Sponsored State of the Union Contest

Details

We know November is rapidly approaching, based on the sheer volume of political posts on Facebook. You may not comment, may have even blocked these posts, but you definitely have an opinion on them. Now is your chance to explore your views on the US ballot issues, thanks to Scottish Scribber Ryan Molinero. He has been kind enough to sponsor this month’s contest. Here is what he’s looking for:

In no more than 1000 words, tell a story set against the backdrop of the current presidential election and social/political issues that are setting the national agenda (which may include but don't have to: the economy, healthcare, national defence, gay marriage, abortion, etc.). The story should not merely deal with an issue, but make some kind of comment about it. It must be set somewhere in the USA and feature a US town/city/state in the title. You are not limited by style for this contest (meaning it can be fiction, nonfiction, or poetry).

To help you find the ballot issues for each state (should you want to get so specific and branch beyond the biggest issues on the ballot), try http://votesmart.org/elections/ballot-measures

A word of caution: Do not critique based on the author’s political views. It’s alright to disagree with the author, but telling them why their take on the issue is stupid while yours is correct is not helping improve their writing. If you critique a piece in this contest attacking the writer for their views or karma padding with long expositions as to why their view is wrong, you will be disqualified from the contest. It isn't helping someone's writing if you focus on the political issue and not their piece. If you want to discuss the political opinion in the piece, do so in a private message. Better yet, write a rebuttal piece. But you will not argue politics in your critique. Because I know not everyone will be aware of this, please put the following note in your piece’s description:

This piece is an entry in the State of the Union Contest. Please focus on my writing and not on the politics in the piece, or Cassidy Swackhammer will put the hurt on you.

Let the race to the White House begin!

Winning entries

Winners haven’t been picked yet. Check back soon!

Prizes

Rules

• Your entry must be no more than 1000 words as counted by Scribophile.

• Entries must be received before midnight on September 30, 2012 (UTC time), and winners will be announced within two weeks of that date.

• Entries will be judged by the member who sponsored the contest. All decisions are final.

• Only one entry is allowed per member. Multiple entries will all be disqualified.

• Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.

• Any critiquers who focus on the politics of the piece rather than the piece's writing will be disqualified from this contest. If you have questions about this rule, please send Cassidy Swackhammer a private message about it.

Submission guidelines

• To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says "Enter this work into the Member-Sponsored State of the Union Contest". Your work will automatically be considered. The checkbox will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.

• Entry is free, but you'll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.

• If you have placed in a contest in the past with a particular piece, you may not resubmit that piece to other contests.