Bucks County Community College has extended the deadline for its third annual Bucks County High School Short-Fiction Contest to Monday, April 20, at noon, according to Professor Elizabeth Luciano.
“Now that high school students have adjusted to online learning amid the current public health crisis, we hope that the new deadline might inspire those in need of a creative outlet to consider entering,” said Luciano, who teaches in the Language and Literature Department at the public, two-year college.
Luciano launched the contest in early 2018 after holding a similar contest for adult writers. Both came about as a natural extension of the college’s longtime administration of the Bucks County Poet Laureate and Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contests.
The contest is open to ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th graders who live in and attend high school in Bucks County, including those who are home-schooled. Students can enter one original short story that’s never been published, including in online blogs or online publications. No fan fiction – stories based on existing books, movies or other media – is allowed. Stores may be six to 10 pages, or about 1,450 to 2,400 words, double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins.
There is no cost to enter the contest. The winners, to be selected by Bucks County Community College faculty, will collect a $200 honorarium for first place, $100 for second place, and $50 for third place.
Entries must be submitted electronically by Monday, April 20, at noon. Rules and a link to the online entry form are at bucks.edu/ShortFictionContestHS. The URL is case-sensitive.
For more information, contact Luciano at Elizabeth.Luciano@bucks.edu.
