Student Writing Contest

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The Abroad View Foundation hosts a Writing Contest for all currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and students who have graduated within the past year. The winner for each category will receive $150, and his or her submission will be published in the fall 2008 edition of Abroad View. All submissions entered into the contest will be eligible for further review for magazine and e-zine publication.

Annual Deadline: April 2
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Entrants should not expect to be notified of a decision until after June 1.

You may send only one submission for each category, but you are welcome to send submissions to as many of the categories as you wish: Personal Journey, Inspiration, and Viewpoint. Before submitting an article to any of these categories, we strongly recommend you read the Abroad View Submissions Guidelines.

Personal Journey
This nonfiction narrative category stems from a central section of Abroad View that showcases personal perspective articles and unites your outward and inward journey. The best Personal Journeys share certain characteristics, notably a strong sense of the author’s personality and experiences, vivid reporting, a high literary quality and, critical reflection.

What to write: Instead of writing a research paper or cultural analysis on a particular topic, try to convey and share your “experience” (engaging all of the senses) of visiting a place, roaming its lands and streets, and talking with its people. Let the piece grow from there. Your interactions and observations will lay the foundation for your article. Keep in mind that this section lends itself to specificity and sensory detail, as well as final reflection and commentary. What were your biases and cultural assumptions before you arrived, and how did they change? What new understandings surprised you? What issues sparked your interest and possibly your commitment and action to them? For examples of strong writing, view the AV Archives and look at the articles that were published under “Personal Journeys.” One kind of story we cannot use is a step-by-step account of what you did on your weekend trip and all of the famous sites you toured. Maximum word count: 2,000.

Inspiration
This category comes from a department within Abroad View for which we seek poetry and fiction inspired from abroad.

What to write: For this category, we welcome artistic expression and creative writing in the form of poetry, short stories and sketches. Students writing novellas or novels are invited to submit a suitable section. The essence of the story or poem should stem from studying abroad and your experience of living in another culture or traveling. This cross-cultural connection should be obvious in your writing. There is no minimum word count. While the maximum word count of 2,500 is more than the other categories, we strongly encourage you to practice economy of language. For examples, view the AV Section: Poetry and Short Stories. Maximum word count: 2,500.

Viewpoint
Dialogue and debate is a universally important part of education. No matter where you live or come from, you likely have a strong view about global events and issues. This is your opportunity to express yourself in a compelling commentary on current hot-button subjects.

What to write: Your viewpoint must be well-researched, accurate and persuasive. Take a point of view on a region-specific subject or a subject of global importance. Build an argument that is logical and convincing, and use evidence to build the case for your opinion. Maximum word count: 1,000.

Writing Contest Guidelines
Your submission cannot be previously published nor submitted to another publication while it is under consideration.

Format
We prefer submissions sent by email as a Microsoft Word document. Place your name and email address on the first page. Adhere to the word count provided for each category. Be prepared to send photos in case your piece wins the contest or is selected for publication. However, please DO NOT send photos with your written submission at this time. Review the submissions template located at the bottom of this message for further formatting guidelines.

Submit
Send your writing electronically as a Word .doc attachment to editors@abroadviewmagazine.com. If you cannot attach it as a Word file, then paste the article into an email message.

We prefer emailed submissions. If this is not possible, you can also send a Mac-compatible disc to:

1. AV Student Writers Contest
   PO Box 745
   Bennington, VT 05201
   (We do NOT accept paper hard copy submissions.)

Preparing Yourself
Writers interested in submitting an article should review a recent copy of Abroad View for style and content. All articles are archived on this website, or you may pick up a hard copy at your study abroad office or library.

Notification
The annual deadline is April 2. Winners are announced in the Abroad View spring magazine of each year. We cannot provide status reports by phone. You should not expect to hear back from Abroad View until after June 1.