STUDENT RESOURCE PAGE

Do you think you might like to be a professional writer?

If you are passionate about writing, I hope there are people in your life encouraging you and providing you with opportunities to learn more. If you want to write professionally, there are hundreds of avenues to explore--and don't feel you aren't a "real" writer if your gift doesn't lie in fiction or poetry or song lyrics. I spent many years writing commercials and brochures for radio stations, grocery stores, and banks and, believe me, it takes a lot of creativity to make pork roast and certificates of deposit sound interesting, week after week!

I'm a writer today because of teachers, librarians, and other adults who noted my interests and abilities and cared enough to nurture and encourage them. And I am blessed to be from a family where talent is appreciated and supported. Even so, I was pretty clueless when the time came to choose a college. There were no professional writers in my family, and none in my small rural community. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a guidance counselor familiar with writing programs, you may be just as unsure as I was about where to head after high school.

While I ended up at a college that was a great fit and equipped me well for my career, I wish I'd had more information to draw from as I was making that decision. And I missed out on a lot of valuable opportunities (internships, scholarships, summer programs, etc.) simply because I didn't know they existed. So in case you're in the same situation I was, and to thank all those who helped me become a wordwoman, I'd like to "pay it forward" (if you don't know that phrase, read the wonderful book Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde!), by providing resources I hope will be helpful.

Whether you're doing it for love or money, working with words is tremendously satisfying and a lot of fun. Just remember my Ironclad Rule of Writing: Never be boring!

Colleges with Great Writing Programs

Bard College - Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

George Mason University - Fairfax, VA

Hollins University - Roanoke, VA

Kenyon College - Gambier, OH

Miami University - Oxford, OH

Old Dominion University - Norfolk, VA

Sarah Lawrence College - Bronxville, NY

University of Indianapolis - Indianapolis, IN

Virginia Commonwealth University - Richmond, VA

Competitions
Bennington College Young Writers Award - for grades 10-12; categories in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest - for girls in grades 10-11; poetry

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers - for grades 10-11; poetry.

River of Words Poetry and Art Contest -  for anyone age 5-19; poetry.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards - for grades 7-12; categories in visual arts and writing

University of Buffalo Poetry Contest - for grades 9-12; poetry (This link talks about the 2007 competition, but I think they just haven't updated the page.)

Places to Submit Your Work
A Near Miss - for grades 9-12;  poetry, short fiction, and visual art

Maggie's Drawers - for middle school students; poetry, short fiction, and visual art

Polyphony H. S. - for grades 9-12; short stories and poetry

Scholarship Opportunities
All scholarship possibilities begin with a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)form, which should be submitted as soon as possible after January 1st of the year you want to enroll in college. You will need several documents to complete this form, including your, and your parents,' tax returns from the year prior. If you're filling out the form online (definitely the easiest way), you'll also need to apply for PIN numbers for yourself and the parent or guardian who will be signing the form. That takes a few days, so get that out of the way first, and you can work on the form while you're waiting. (There's a Save option, so you don't have to fill in all the information at one sitting.) It's time consuming and detailed, but not difficult--and definitely worth your effort. NOTE: This is a free form and service, administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Do not be led astray by a copycat organization that charges a fee to do the same thing.

Young Arts - for high school seniors. Apply online.

If you think your English class would benefit from having me speak to them about writing, please invite your teacher to contact me. And if you have questions you don't see answered elsewhere on my site, feel free to contact me.