OUR BELOVED PETS: FUR AND FEATHERS WRITING COMPETITION
Our Beloved Pets — Writing Competition at The Narrative Arc
Cash prices for our May writing competition will make you purr with delight!
It’s time to announce our new writing competition, and the topic we’ve agreed on should be a fun one.
We are going with something we all love to write about — our pets!
I’ve noticed over the last year a great deal of happiness in reading essays about pets, and we all love different kinds of them. Some writers are crazy about their cats. Then we have the authors who declare allegiance to their dogs. Some writers have snakes, while others enjoy guinea pigs. As you know, I have a menagerie of animals, including cats, dogs, ducks, and hens.
An anecdote about my cat
My favorite cat is in the photo above, which I took during the wildfires of 2020. Her name is Mandu. Yes, Cat Mandu!
Mandu stays by my side, no matter what’s going on. Even during the wildfires of 2020, the worst part of that year. Yes, worse than COVID.
We evacuated our home in rural Oregon after I floated prized possessions out in the pond, in a red canoe Mandu stood in as she watched the ominous red sky.
We needed to flee fast, as the fires could reach us and burn everything up. While I swore in frustration at myself for all the garbage I can’t seem to get rid of, I’ll admit that in a life or death situation, we know what’s important.
I rifled through papers, photos, and clothes. What should I take? The stuff I loaded up was bizarre. At the end of it all, I realized things didn’t matter much.
What mattered was husband, and also my precious animals. The photos, books, and furniture could all burn. I would fly away like a bird, with my beloveds.
Of course my sweet Mandu went with me, in her cat carrier, to Portland, Oregon. She was scared, but she’s a smart girl and meowed very little in the car, unlike Rocky — our Norwegian forest cat. He goes off the charts with his loud, Siamese-like ‘caterwauling,’ as Mom would have said. That cat makes me roll my eyes, but we love him despite his irritating complaints.
Along with Rocky the cat, Cinder and Tegan, our labs traveled along too. They’re easy to transport, as loyal dogs are never inclined to jump and run.
A friend came to the property and picked up our cattle, in a huge trailer. Our hens? Well. We left the coop door open and said a prayer for our young cluckers. We hoped they’d run fast if fire came our way.
Now let’s talk money
$50 to the top winner.
$30 goes to second place.
$20 goes to third place.
We’ll also have three honorable mentions.
If you don’t have a tipping apparatus set up on your account, it’s your responsibility to contact me so we can hash out some easy payment method. Get your tip jars set up, writers.
Nine writers this year have received cash prizes. Will you be next?
Our Beloved Pets: Fur and Feathers Writing Competition
- You may submit up to two stories for the competition. Stories may be about any pet. I don’t care — snakes, iguanas, hens, whatever!
- You must be a member of The Narrative Arc and follow on social media! Join us at The Narrative Arc, have a read through our guidelines, and get busy writing your story.
- Story must be four to seven minutes long — no more, no less.
- You must be the original author of the story. Please don’t recycle previously-published stories, or excerpts from books. We’re looking for new writing.
- Death may be part of the story, but not the main focus! Please don’t write a mournful story of your darling’s passing. We want to know about their life — the happiness and adventure. You’re welcome to be cosmic, or humorous, or mysterious. Did your Dog do something courageous? Or did you have a big mess to clean up, because — well — dogs! Did your cat wake you up when something important needed attending? (empty food bowl!) Feel free to get creative. True stories only please!
- I will edit lightly, per usual, and I’m looking for stunning and fresh stories. Please make sure to read all formatting guidelines in Parasol Publications if you are a new writer on Medium.
- Stories will be edited, published, and judged by me, and the winners will be featured in an announcement article. Along with first, second, and third prizes, three honorable mentions will be chosen!
- Criteria for wins: audience reactions to your story, interaction from other readers, excellence in writing, content, pacing. We’re looking for some amazing stories! Feel free to share your story far and wide.
- Tag your story PetContest for it to populate into our correct spot we’ll reserve for stories. Additional tags (topics): nonfiction, personal essay, this happened to me, memoir. You get the picture.
- After we’ve received at least five entries, please choose one of your favorites and put it at the tail end of your entry. Tell readers what you like about it! This encourages our readers to engage and show the love.
- If you enter, you must engage, clap, and write notes on other writers’ essays! I’ll be watching. If you don’t support other writers in the contest, it will affect your results.
Stories are DUE by noon 26 May.
Winners will be announced by 10 June, in an essay that will include plenty of kudos to our winners and honorable mentions!
How will I judge?
Judging this time is by me. Editors who don’t enter our contest will help me judge as well. We look at this criteria:
- Excellence in the narrative arc — is there a compelling beginning, middle and end?
- Pacing and tension — are you holding my interest, or is the piece overwritten?
- Typically, we at The Narrative Arc work together to judge competitions, and I ‘pony up’ the funds. This time around, I’m judging alone. Happy to do that.
- This contest is open to all editors and writers at The Narrative Arc except me. I’m not going to award myself a trophy! And of course I would.
