The Writers' Circle of Durham Region is ushering in spring in style with our first online writing contest.

First prize: $500
Second Prize: $300
Third Prize $200

Winners will also be published online at wcdr.org and in The Word Weaver, the WCDR's semi-monthly newsletter. Prizes are in Canadian dollars. Honourable mentions may be awarded at the discretion of WCDR.

Pre-registration is mandatory. Failure to adhere to any of the rules outlined below will result in automatic disqualification and forfeiture of the entrance fee. One entry per person. Entrance fee: $10 CDN. Registration will be limited to 400. Any online registration above 400 will not be accepted; mailed registrations over 400 will be returned. If minimum of 250 entries is not met, registration fees will be returned.

Only Paid Registrations Received By March 5, 2004 Will Qualify To Enter.
Once payment has been received, we will e-mail a confirmation, along with your user ID (your e-mail address) and a password to be used on contest day.

If you lose your password, you will be able to provide your e-mail address and have it e-mailed to you.

Be Online On March 20, 2004 AT Noon E.S.T.

·The WCDR Online Contest page will be posted to http://www.wcdr.org/nonfictioncontest.html. To enter, visit the page and find out the topic and word count. You will then have 24 hours to complete your essay and submit it by following the instructions on the page.
·PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORD COUNT. Entries that are over the word count will be disqualified.
·Your essay must be written between noon on March 20 and noon on March 21, 2004. If we find out you've submitted a reprint, you're in big doodoo.
·Entries must be double-spaced. Entries must be saved as Microsoft Word files or as RTF (rich text format). ONLY THESE TWO formats will be accepted.
·THIS IS NOT A SHORT STORY CONTEST. Entries should be personal essays on the topic provided. Style can be humorous, touching, dramatic, stream-of-consciousness, whatever — use your imagination and delight us with originality.
·Include your name, address, phone number AND YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS, along with the title of the entry ON A SEPARATE TITLE PAGE ONLY — NOT ON THE DOCUMENT ITSELF.
·At the top of each document page, type the TITLE AND PAGE NUMBER ONLY. Your name and contact information should appear ONLY ON THE TITLE PAGE.
·Sweep your document for viruses or worms. We will sweep them as they come in; if your entry is infected, it will be eliminated.
·Submit your essay via the contest page on the WCDR website. Again, that's http://www.wcdr.org/nonfictioncontest.html. Entries must be received by noon E.S.T. on Sunday, March 21, 2004. The submission page on the website will be active only for the duration of the contest. DO NOT SEND ENTRIES BY E-MAIL.
·By registering to enter the contest, you certify that you have read these submission guidelines and that, if you are declared a winner, you will allow WCDR to publish your entry on its website for an unlimited period of time and in its newsletter, The Word Weaver.
·Authors retain all rights to their work. If you change your mind for any reason, including a lack of enthusiasm for the topic provided, you will NOT be issued a refund, so don't ask.
·First-round judging will be done by a committee of professional writers who are members of WCDR. Final judging will be done by a three-person panel of professional writers who are non-members. Judges will be looking for originality in content and style, excellence in grammar and spelling, adherence to the topic and word length, and that special magic that happens when writers tap into their passion.
·Judges' decisions are final.
·WCDR reserves the right to cancel contest and refund entry fees without notice.
·Winners will be notified by e-mail and posted at www.wcdr.org by Easter weekend.
Remember
·Pre-register
·Double-space your entry
·Include your name and contact information only on the title page
·Title and number each page of your entry
·Send entries via contest page in Microsoft Word or RTF
·Sweep your document for viruses or worms

Final Judges
Confirmed: Gary Dunford, columnist, The Toronto Sun; Linwood Barclay, columnist for the Toronto Star and book author; and Ann Douglas, award-winning journalist and author of 27 books.