| KIDS IN ACTION
By Kathleen M. Muldoon
When I was in eighth grade, I spent my winter break working on a poster for a contest our local newspaper was sponsoring for National Safety Month. Even though that wasn’t until the following June, the deadline for entries was January 31. I completed and then tore up dozens of posters before coming up with what I was sure would win first prize, which was a red Schwinn bicycle and bike helmet.
On our last night of vacation, Mary Ann brought over her entry so we could compare. Her brother Walter trailed along, but he had not made a poster for the contest.
“You’re wasting your time,” he said. “It’s stupid to enter contests. They’re all fixed.”
“They are not!” Mary Ann said. “Just because you lost that essay contest last year doesn’t mean it was fixed.”
Walter shrugged. “All I know is that I thought it was pretty weird that Nick Lang won—who just happens to be the Vice Principal’s son. That’s all I’m saying.”
“You wrote your essay in an hour the night before the deadline,” Mary Ann pointed out. “Nick worked for weeks on his.”
I’d also entered that contest and had been sorry when my essay didn’t win. But like Walter, I hadn’t really put in a lot of effort.
“The judges were writers, not from the school,” I said now.
But Walter had already wandered off to peek inside our refrigerator. Mary Ann unrolled her poster. I gasped. She had cut out black silhouettes and pasted them on a brilliant background of reds and oranges, giving the impression of a group of bicyclists riding into a fantastic sunset. It made my drawing of a school bus look pathetic.
“Yours is great,” Mary Ann said kindly.
I wasn’t surprised a few weeks later to learn that my poster did not win a prize. I was surprised that neither did Mary Ann’s. First prize went to a fifth grader whose loud poster peopled with alien-like characters made my head spin. Our failure to place, however, never kept us from entering contests.
I hope you’ll challenge yourself during 2010 and enter a contest or two. Nothing beats the fun of preparing a contest entry and then anticipating the prize winner announcement. Maybe you won’t win first prize—or any prize—but the more you enter, the better your chances.
Contest or Sweepstakes?
Contests are events in which each entry is judged individually and evaluated on a predetermined set of standards. Sweepstakes are events in which a winner is randomly drawn from all entries. These are fun to enter, too, but contests give you the chance to test your talent and abilities against other entrants.
How Do I Find Out about Contests?
The best types of contests to enter are those you learn about through your school, library, or local newspaper. You can go online to various websites that offer contests for kids, but the problem with these is that often you reach a certain level and are then asked to pay. Try to find contests with no entry fees.
Follow the Rules
All contests have rules. Make sure you fully understand and follow them all. For example, if you enter an essay contest and the rules state no more than 200 words, don’t submit an essay with 250 words. It will be tossed out.
I still enter contests! I’ve even won a couple. But for me, the best part is to challenge myself and stretch my abilities. I’ve given up on those that require art talent (I don’t have any), but I do love entering writing competitions. What about you? Are you up to challenging yourself this year? Do you have any tips for readers that have helped you prepare a winning contest entry? If so, email them to: action@unitedspinal.org or mail them to:
KIDS IN ACTION
United Spinal Association
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Jackson Heights, NY 11370-1177
Enter to win in 2010. Good luck!
Kathleen M. Muldoon is a children’s book author and writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.
