 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Fifth Annual Lifewriting Contest |
| sponsored by |
| Botetourt Genealogy Club and Botetourt County Historical Society in partnership with Homespun Legacy |
| Everyone has a story! We want to hear yours. |
| First Place Winner receives $100! Second Place $50! Third Place $25! |
We're looking for your personal life stories: how you got your first bike; what you did for fun
on a summer afternoon; how you met your spouse; your vacation stories, pet stories, holiday
stories, military stories. We want to hear your perspective on what life was like where you
were growing up. Compare and contrast today's world with the life you knew at 10 years of
age, at 20, at 30. Where were you doing during the great events of national history?
We are not looking for a fancy literary essay or a college paper. We want your words, your
language and turn of phrase. Paint us a picture; don't be stingy with details. Set the scene
vividly and describe your characters. Provide us with a frame of reference: a date or era.
on a summer afternoon; how you met your spouse; your vacation stories, pet stories, holiday
stories, military stories. We want to hear your perspective on what life was like where you
were growing up. Compare and contrast today's world with the life you knew at 10 years of
age, at 20, at 30. Where were you doing during the great events of national history?
We are not looking for a fancy literary essay or a college paper. We want your words, your
language and turn of phrase. Paint us a picture; don't be stingy with details. Set the scene
vividly and describe your characters. Provide us with a frame of reference: a date or era.
| What is a memoir? An account of the personal experiences of an author. American Heritage Dictionary The thesaurus relates memoir as: journal, reminiscences, confession, life story, diary, profile. |
The 2009 Lifewriting Contest is theme-based. The theme is "Summer Picnics". Your story may feature one
particular picnic from your childhood or a composite of memorable (or infamous) picnics. Be sure your
story includes people, location, food and a timeframe.
Eligibility: You are eligible to enter if you have NOT been nationally published. You must be 21 or older
to enter. Your story must be based in southwest Virginia AND you must have lived or have ties to
southwest Virginia.
Contest Rules: Entries must be at least 500 words and no more than 1,500 words, and of a memoir
nature. Entries greater than 1,500 words or those not adhering to the theme will be disqualified. Count
every word except the title. You may enter as many stories as you have time to write. Each entry must be
accompanied by the $10.00 entry fee (check or money order payable to Homespun Legacy). Entries must be
postmarked between April 25 and May 31, 2009. Your entry must be typed on one side only of 8½ x 11
white paper, double-spaced, with the title on the first page. DO NOT include your name or contact
information on the first page. Include a separate cover sheet with your name, the title of your story,
telephone number, email address, mailing address and word count. DO NOT staple your pages together.
First place winners are required to be on the judging panel for next year's contest.
Judging: Judges’ decision is final. Judging criteria includes both creativity and adherence to rules of
eligibility and formatting. Be liberal with details when describing characters and place. All entries become
eligible for publication without remuneration in a memoir anthology to be donated to the Genealogy
Room of the Fincastle Library, displayed at Homespun Legacy workshops and available for limited sale
to contest participants. Winning entries may be published at the sponsors' discretion in local print media.
Winners will be announced at a Writers' Reception and Reading at the June 17, 2009 meeting of the
Botetourt Genealogy Club and posted on this webpage.
particular picnic from your childhood or a composite of memorable (or infamous) picnics. Be sure your
story includes people, location, food and a timeframe.
Eligibility: You are eligible to enter if you have NOT been nationally published. You must be 21 or older
to enter. Your story must be based in southwest Virginia AND you must have lived or have ties to
southwest Virginia.
Contest Rules: Entries must be at least 500 words and no more than 1,500 words, and of a memoir
nature. Entries greater than 1,500 words or those not adhering to the theme will be disqualified. Count
every word except the title. You may enter as many stories as you have time to write. Each entry must be
accompanied by the $10.00 entry fee (check or money order payable to Homespun Legacy). Entries must be
postmarked between April 25 and May 31, 2009. Your entry must be typed on one side only of 8½ x 11
white paper, double-spaced, with the title on the first page. DO NOT include your name or contact
information on the first page. Include a separate cover sheet with your name, the title of your story,
telephone number, email address, mailing address and word count. DO NOT staple your pages together.
First place winners are required to be on the judging panel for next year's contest.
Judging: Judges’ decision is final. Judging criteria includes both creativity and adherence to rules of
eligibility and formatting. Be liberal with details when describing characters and place. All entries become
eligible for publication without remuneration in a memoir anthology to be donated to the Genealogy
Room of the Fincastle Library, displayed at Homespun Legacy workshops and available for limited sale
to contest participants. Winning entries may be published at the sponsors' discretion in local print media.
Winners will be announced at a Writers' Reception and Reading at the June 17, 2009 meeting of the
Botetourt Genealogy Club and posted on this webpage.
Memoirs are less like a history textbook and
more like a story.
Memoirs share stories of one's self and
experiences.
A memoir is factual from the perspective of
the author's personal truth.
more like a story.
Memoirs share stories of one's self and
experiences.
A memoir is factual from the perspective of
the author's personal truth.
| Fourth Annual Lifewriting Contest Winners |
The winners of the fourth annual lifewriting contest were announced at the regular monthly meeting
of the Botetourt Genealogy Club, June 18, at the Fincastle library, 19 Academy St., Fincastle.
The First Place cash prize of $100 was awarded to Jane Reynolds Lyle of Glen Wilton for her entry ”
Once Upon a Porch" which personified her grandmother's front porch as an esteemed member of the
Reynolds family. The Second Place winner was James E. Womack, Haymarket, for his memoir “Our
Front Porch—A Playground for My Mind”, describing the porch of his childhood, a vantage point
from which he could view thunderstorms building over Tinker Mountain. The Third Place cash prize
went to Sherian Atkins Wills of Bedford for her story “Momma's Porch” which related the memorable
small porch of her childhood in the 1940's.
The impressive variety of entries in this year's contest prompted the judges to award three Honorable
Mentions as well: Amy S. Tate, Boones Mill, for "Porch Memories"; Catherine Thomas, Fincastle, for
"Moses the Front Porch Cat"; and V C Vance, North Tazewell, for "God's Plans, Cherished Memories,
and a Front Porch".
For information about the Botetourt Genealogy Club, call Rena Worthen, President, at 540-473-8339 or
visit their website at www.geocities.com/genclub01.
For information about the Botetourt County Historical Society, call the museum at 540-473-8394 or visit
their website at www.bothistsoc.org.
of the Botetourt Genealogy Club, June 18, at the Fincastle library, 19 Academy St., Fincastle.
The First Place cash prize of $100 was awarded to Jane Reynolds Lyle of Glen Wilton for her entry ”
Once Upon a Porch" which personified her grandmother's front porch as an esteemed member of the
Reynolds family. The Second Place winner was James E. Womack, Haymarket, for his memoir “Our
Front Porch—A Playground for My Mind”, describing the porch of his childhood, a vantage point
from which he could view thunderstorms building over Tinker Mountain. The Third Place cash prize
went to Sherian Atkins Wills of Bedford for her story “Momma's Porch” which related the memorable
small porch of her childhood in the 1940's.
The impressive variety of entries in this year's contest prompted the judges to award three Honorable
Mentions as well: Amy S. Tate, Boones Mill, for "Porch Memories"; Catherine Thomas, Fincastle, for
"Moses the Front Porch Cat"; and V C Vance, North Tazewell, for "God's Plans, Cherished Memories,
and a Front Porch".
For information about the Botetourt Genealogy Club, call Rena Worthen, President, at 540-473-8339 or
visit their website at www.geocities.com/genclub01.
For information about the Botetourt County Historical Society, call the museum at 540-473-8394 or visit
their website at www.bothistsoc.org.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Mail your entries to:
Homespun Legacy
Lifewriting Contest
302 Stage Rd.
Buchanan, VA 24066
Contact: Susan at (540) 473-3998 or email Info@HomespunLegacy.com with any other
questions you might have about your entry.
Homespun Legacy
Lifewriting Contest
302 Stage Rd.
Buchanan, VA 24066
Contact: Susan at (540) 473-3998 or email Info@HomespunLegacy.com with any other
questions you might have about your entry.
