By Elyssa Whaley/se news editor
Original subject matter, strong scenes, well-developed characters and good dialogue are what NE judges are looking for in the Spring Writing Competition.
NE students can submit written works, and the best will be published in Under the Clock Tower, the campus literary journal. Cash prizes will also go to two student winners in each category of poetry, fiction and non-fiction writing.
Students may submit up to four poems, two fiction and two nonfiction pieces and may have their work reviewed by a professor or staffer in the writing center for feedback.
“If students want feedback, they can also come to our 11 a.m. creative writing club on Tuesdays,” said Rebecca Balcarcel, associate professor of English.
If students are looking to get their works past the screening process, Balcarcel encouraged them to get creative.
“They should write freshly, write vividly,” she said. “It has to stand out in 200 entries.”
Balcarcel also said judges may not read to the end, so she advised students not to use commonly used phrases. Instead, she said to be original.
“We get way too many love poems,” she said.
The deadline is April 8, and submissions may be uploaded at http://undertheclocktower.submittable.com/submit. Winners will be announced in May, and a reception releasing the publication will be held in October.
