And the Winner is...

When students come to me asking about writing contests, I usually discourage paying to enter an obscure contest that will do nothing for their writing careers. However, if you want to enter a contest that has something to offer - or even just for the fun of it (I wish I had time to write just for fun anymore), then here's a couple you might consider:

The Missouri Review Editors' Prize: Sponsored by the University of Missouri (Columbia). Contest in essay, fiction and poetry. Past winners have been printed in Best American series. Entry fee $20 for each entry. Deadline October 1. See www.missourireview.com/contest for more details.

Springfield Writer's Guild contest. I post this one because the entry fees are so low. $2 for poetry, fiction and non-fiction, with a $100 grand prize. $1 entry fee for several other categories. Deadline October 1. See http://www.swgsite.org/ for more details.

Things Mother Taught Me Contest. I'm not endorsing this one, as I don't know a thing about it. However, there is a $100 prize advertised, with no entry fee and you have the opportunity to be published in an anthology. See www.familiabooks.com/entercontest.html for more information.