Deadline: July 6,2009
Entry Fee: $10
www.communityvoicemedia.com
$200 First Prize - $125 Second Prize - $75 Third Prize.

Looking for true stories of life in small towns and villages across America. Every day people in small towns confront life's biggest issues with humor, grace and a more than a little down home wisdom. If you have a story about birth, death, taxes, family feuds, Sunday dinner, Mom's apple pie or Daddy's war medals, we want to hear from you. If you're a volunteer fireman with a rescue story to tell, please send it to us. Does your community host an annual festival that brings out the best (or the worst) in certain people? Please tell us about it. Tell us about the special woman, man or child in your community who deserves a lot more recognition than he or she is getting. Brag all you want. Make us laugh, cry, gasp in amazement or simply say, "hmmmm", as long as the stories are real and the sentiment heartfelt.

Stories should be told in creative non-fiction format. Writers of creative non-fiction use the techniques artfully employed in fiction to relate a true story or memoir. Think strong characters, realistic scenes and correct point of view. In other words; spin a story suitable for telling on the front porch on a warm summer night or best whispered from one person to another when no one else is around.