COVID-19 Response
The health and safety of community members is our number one priority. For that reason, though the writing contests are still moving forward, winners will be notified by e-mail instead of being required to attend an awards ceremony. Once we verify the addresses of the winners, checks and certificates will be mailed.
Save the dates: Our next conference will be May 7-8, 2021 at the Oshkosh Convention Center.
Stay safe and healthy, and keep on writing!
Congratulations!
Announcing congratulations to the 2020 Lakefly Writing Contest Winners:
Flash Fiction
1st Place:
A Most Unusual Find
by Kerri Lukasavitz
2nd Place:
Unforgiving Winter
by Yvette Flaten
3rd Place:
Short Visit Home
by Ronnell Gibson
Short Story
1st Place:
Where Do We Go from Here
by Jarrett Kaufman
2nd Place:
A Walk in the Snow
by Pamela J. A. Fullerton
3rd Place:
The Giantess
by Angel Rude
Poetry
1st Place:
To the Unknown Singer
by Yvette Flaten
2nd Place:
Paloma, Because
by Bill Kolberg
3rd Place:
Invitation
by Deborah Cooper
Teen Short Story
1st Place:
I Know Why the Chicken Crossed the Road
by Paige Weber
2nd Place:
Before a Fall
by Sophia Danielson
3rd Place:
Broken Pieces
by Sofia Santamaria-Micher
Enjoy reading the winning entries here:
2020 Lakefly Writing Contest Winners Booklet
Thank you!
Find our 2019 contest winners here: 2019 Writing Contests Winners Booklet
2020 Lakefly Writing Contests are supported in part by a grant from the
Oshkosh Area Community Foundation and the Wisconsin Arts Board
Categories:
FLASH FICTION
- Maximum 750 words
- Any genre
- No theme
SHORT STORY
- Maximum 3,000 words
- Theme: True Love
POETRY
- Maximum 75 lines
- Any form or style, free verse to formal or anything in-between
- No theme
TEEN SHORT STORY
- Open to 18 years old and younger
- Maximum 1,500 words
- Any genre
- No theme
Eligibility:
- Wisconsin resident OR
- Wisconsin student OR
- Registered participant of 2020 Lakefly Writers Conference
*Members of the Lakefly Conference Planning Committee are NOT eligible to enter
Winners:
- Winners will be notified by April 17, 2020.
- Prizes include: 1st place: $100; 2nd place: $75; 3rd place: $50 cash
- Winners must be able to attend our awards ceremony to be eligible to win.
- The awards ceremony is part of the Lakefly Writers Conference, held at the Oshkosh Convention Center (2 N Main St, Oshkosh, WI, 54901- Free parking available). The ceremony portion of the conference is free and open to the public: Saturday, May 9, 2020.
Submitting your manuscript:
- Contest submissions will be accepted starting January 6, 2020.
- Entries must be original and unpublished; Electronically or self-published works are ineligible.
- There is no entry fee.
- Limit one entry per author per category.
- Entrants should include a biography written in third person, maximum 100 words. If entering the Teen Short Story Contest please include your age and grade level.
- Submissions will not be returned.
- Format: Double spaced; Times New Roman, or Courier; 12 point font
- Cover page: name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail address, submission title, word or line count, category
- Subsequent pages: title and page number at the top of each page (Example: The Dark Night, page 1 of 3)
- Please put your name or other identifying information on the cover page ONLY.
Electronic Submissions:
- Send to: LakeflyContests@gmail.com
- Attach your submission as a .pdf file.
- Entries must be time stamped by midnight, March 13, 2020.
Mailed submissions:
- Mail to: Lakefly Writing Contests, c/o Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Avenue, Oshkosh, WI 54901
- Entries must be postmarked by midnight, March 13, 2020.
Send questions to LakeflyContests@gmail.com, or call the Oshkosh Public Library at 920-236-5203 and ask for Ruth