Poet's Choice: write a poem on any subject of your choice in any form ("Poet's Choice").
Assigned Topic: write a poem on the Assigned Topic in any form unless otherwise specified.
NEVER title your poem the same as the subject title, e.g. Lunches or Climbing or any other topic title. Poem titles must be different than the topic subject. All contest poems have a 28 line and 60 characters per line limit unless otherwise specified. Poems may be rhymed or free verse unless the form calls for one or the other.
• FORMAT. Our Contest Chariman ---Sheila Tingley Moore---insists that you submit your poems to her via e-mail in the following format: two (2) MS Word .docx documents for EACH poem. One document contains your name // contest entered, e.g., Assigned or Poet's Choice // Month and Year. The SECOND documnent DOES NOT CONTAIN YOUR NAME. So, if you enter both contests, you submit four (4) MS Word .docx docouments. You enter one contest, you submit two (2) MS Word .docx documents. This format greatly reduces the workload on Sheila as she prepares your poems for submission to the monthly judge.
All contest entries in both categories will be read at the meetings. Use a plain 12 point font (Times New Roman or Helvetica). Single space. Do not use a fancy font, do not use all caps, and do not use any illustrations. Black ink on white paper. We encourage the judges to critique all the poems, but not all judges do so. Judges receive the copies without names and judged poems will be announced at the next meeting. Poem copies with names will be retained by the the Inkwell Echoes editor for publication. Winners of each month’s contests are announced and certificates given to the winners. At the May Awards Ceremony a Poetic Excellence Award will be given to the winner of the most SAPA, PST, and NFSPS contests during the year.