The First OMF Lit Young Writers Non-Fiction Prize

So you've been blogging, scribbling your thoughts on tissue paper, submitting articles to the church newsletter... Ready to be part of a book? Your generation needs to hear about God's love. Yours could be the words to help turn their lives around. Learn more about Young Christians, Write! The First OMF Lit Young Writers Non-Fiction Prize.

This writing competition is open to all young Filipino born-again Christians, aged 15 to 22 who want to write an essay or narrative in English describing a defining moment or turning point in their lives. The story or essay will describe an actual event or experience. While judges will be looking for essays or stories told from a Christian viewpoint, these essays and stories should not be full of "Christian jargon" nor be "churchy" or overly spiritual in tone.

Fifteen winning entries will be selected and will each receive a free session of editorial coaching and editing and a chance to be published in a book by OMF Literature. The first, second and third placers will receive additional prizes of P5,000, P3,000 and P2,000, respectively.

Contest Mechanics

• Contestants should be nationals of the Philippines, born-again Christians, aged 15 to 22

• A participant can submit one entry only.

• Entry should be typed or computer-printed on white letter-sized (8½" x 11") paper, double spaced or one-and-a-half line spacing.

• Length of entry-2,500 to 3,500 words or 8 to 11 pages.

• Style-up to the contributor-bearing in mind that OMF LIT plans to publish the best contributions together in a book-so originality, without being "off the wall," will score points.

• Entry must be the original work of the competitor and must not have been published or broadcast anywhere in the world.

• Entries must be accompanied by the appropriate entry form, and cannot be returned, nor can any correspondence be entered into. The entry form is available at the OMF Lit offices in Mandaluyong City and Cebu City. (Click here for complete addresses.) For a PDF copy of the entry form, email n [email protected] , put "YCW ENTRY FORM" as the subject; indicate your name, age, and city in the body of your email; and we will email the entry form to you.

• Entries should have two title pages. The first title page should bear title of entry and writer's name and contact details. Second title page should bear title of entry without writer's name and contact details, but should indicate word count excluding any footnotes or endnotes. (Note, footnotes are not usually necessary in works for general readers.) This second title sheet will be passed to judges with entry.

• Discs, faxes and/or e-mails will not be accepted or entertained.

• Deadline for submission of entries is December 31, 2006. Winners will be announced on May 2007. The book will be launched at the Philippine Bookfair or the OMF LIT 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2007.

• The decision of the judges will be final, and no discussion will be entertained. Judges and OMF LIT Board of Trustees reserve the right to extend deadlines for entry or to award the full number of cash prizes should very few publishable entries be received for the competition.

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY TO: Young Christians, Write! OMF Literature Inc. 776 Boni Avenue cor. Pinatubo St. Man-daluyong City, Metro Manila