Who may submit a story?
Any alumnus who graduated from the UNMC College of Nursing. This includes anyone from any degree program or from any of the campuses.
What are the writing criteria?
- Work may be either fiction or non-fiction, prose, or poetry.
- The limit is two pages double-spaced with 1” margins, of course it may be shorter than this.
- Font should be Times New Roman, size 12.
- Absolutely no patient identifiers may be in the work: HIPPA compliance is required. [Contact Mark Darby mark.darby@unmc.edu or Audrey Nelson anelson@unmc.edu for guidance.]
- APA formatting is NOT required, encouraged, or desired -- though correct spelling and general punctuation are nice.
- The theme for this year’s awards is.
- Your submission should reflect that theme in some way. Other than that, use your imagination.
- All stories MUST be your own original story, written by the person making the submission. No plagiarism. Stories should not have been published previously.
- There should be no erotic or offensive material submitted.
I don’t understand the theme – can you say more the theme?
The theme is meant to be broad. It can mean different things to different people. It may mean that you were impacted by a patient of a different gender, sexual orientation, race or country of origin that caused you to rethink your values or beliefs or perspective. One way to think about it is that nurses come in all sizes shapes and colors and care for patients who come in all sizes shapes and colors. Those kinds of interactions can change us or challenge us. The story must in some way reflect this. The main outcome should be a good engaging story.
Any hints on what would make a good story?
You have two pages, no more. Chose the best words to convey the story. Leave out needless details. Write it once. Then re-write a few days later. Get some feedback from someone. Enjoy yourself and the process.
Need Ideas of what to write about?
Check out the Yale Creative Writing Awards at https://nursing.yale.edu/students/student-awards/creative-writing-awards/2020-creative-writing-awards
And, check out this article from a Minority Nurse. https://minoritynurse.com/why-nurses-should-consider-creative-writing/ [minoritynurse.com]
How will the stories be judged?
Stories will be rated on originality, ability to draw the reader into the story, and meaningfulness.
There is one round of judging. Applicant identity will be blinded in each round. Each story will be read by several volunteer faculty and community members. Top stories will be chosen for awards, as well as several honorable mentions.
Winners will be announced at the Creative Writing Awards Banquet in April 2024. The awarded stories will be included in the Creative Writing Awards Website and published in the UNMC College of Nursing Creative Writing Awards 2024 Edition.
How Do I Submit a story?
Submit by email at CONCreativeWritingContest@unmc.edu
You may submit up to two stories: each story must be submitted as its own application.
How will I know if I have successfully submitted the story?
You will get an email confirming that your story has been successfully received; it might take a day or two to receive this email.
What is my deadline?
Stories will be accepted between Nov 15 to Jan 8, 2024, by 5 pm CST.
Will my story be read?
Your story will be read, though we cannot provide direct feedback to applicants due to the number of applications.
What are the contest awards?
There are no cash awards for the Alumni Contest. (This contest will coincide with the Student Contest for which there will be four $1000 awards.) Alumni winners will be posted on the UNMC Website and included in our commemorative book. Each winner will receive a complimentary copy. All winners will be acknowledged at the Creative Writing Award Banquet in April. Your attendance is encouraged but not mandatory.