Roane State Information

:trophy: Here’s a summary of the Roane State information for the Creative Writing Division. If you have other questions about entering, or preparing your entry, the best person to contact is Mrs. Chattin. You can also find more information on the Roane State Academic Festival web site.

If you’re seriously considering entering, you can get an entry form from me or Mrs. Chattin. You need to decide soon—these need to be returned no later than Tuesday, March 1st. Click below to read more about the categories available.

Pre-Judged Categories (Due to Mrs. Chattin by Wednesday, March 16th)

  • Poetry: Traditional (NC-201)— lyric or narrative, but having set rhyme and meter
  • Poetry: Free Verse (NC-202)— with no rhyme or regular meter
  • Fiction: Science Fiction/Fantasy (NC-203)— Science Fiction: actual or potential scientific discoveries form part of the plot. Fantasy: creative use of fantastic and illusory characters and situations
  • Fiction: Realistic (NC-204)— literature that deals with that which exists in fact
  • Satire: Poetry, Fiction, or Essay (NC-205)— a work which portrays and criticizes human foibles and weaknesses
  • Non-fiction: Personal Narrative (NC-206)— an essay that relates to a personal event
  • Non-fiction: Analytic Essay (NC-207)— an essay that explores a specific phenomenon, including literary analysis
  • Non-fiction: Argumentative Essay (NC-208)— a researched, documented essay that supports a strong or sometimes controversial stand or thesis

Day-of-Performance Events

  • 40-Word Dash: Freshman & Sophomore (PC-209)— a timed writing event that challenges the contestant’s descriptive writing skills in a limited time and space (32–48 words, 10 minutes)
  • 80-Word Dash: Freshman & Sophomore (PC-211) — a timed writing event that challenges the contestant’s descriptive and narrative skills in a limited time and space (72–88 words, 20 minutes)

Here are their instructions for preparing your manuscript:

  1. Entries must be TYPED on one side of the paper only and double-spaced.
  2. Each individual entry should be on a separate sheet.
  3. Individual entries requiring multiple pages should have each page numbered and stapled in the top left corner. Do not put entries in report covers.
  4. Each entry must have the following information on the top, right corner of the front page and each page thereafter. Any work not properly identified will not be judged or scored.
    Student Name: Jane Doe
    School Code: 41 (That’s the number for RCHS)
    Event Code: NC-###
    Type of Entry: Category-SubCategory
  5. Two copies of each entry must be submitted. One copy will be judged and returned to the student.
  6. Entries limited to:Poetry (25 lines or less)
    Fiction (1500 words or less)
    Non-Fiction (1500 words or less)