Young Authors Fiction Contest
 

"When I opened the door what I saw amazed me."
 

This is the prompt to the San Juan Island Library's third annual Young Authors Fiction Contest. The Young Authors Fiction Contest is a great way for middle and high school students to show off their writing talents in a piece of short fiction, judged by a panel of talented writers from the community.
 

The contest rules are that the submission start with the sentence What I saw when I opened the door amazed me,be no more than 600 words, be typed with 12 point font that is easy to read, be double spaced, be on 8 1/2 X 11 paper, and only one submission per person will be accepted. The author's name must not be on the actual story; instead a cover sheet should be used. The submission deadline is Friday, May 20, 2005 when the library closes at 6:00 PM. The awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2005 at 6:30 PM at the San Juan Island Library when the winners will be announced.
 

            This year the prizes are better than ever. First place winner in the high school division will receive three Mariners tickets and a flight down to Seattle and back with Kenmore Air.  The middle school first place winner will be given a whale-watching trip for two aboard The Western Prince.  Other prizes for second and third place include dinner at Vinny's, gift certificates to the Sweet Retreat, Griffin Bay Bookstore, Harbor Bookstore, and the Palace Theatre as well as the honor of being published in "At Home" magazine and online by Ian Byington at San Juan Update. "We have been receiving incredible support from the community for this contest," said Library Teen Assistant Kelsey Kennedy.
 

The winning entries from the 2003 and 2004 contests are posted online by the San Juan Update (www.sanjuanupdate.com) at the addresses below, along with photos of the winners reading at the awards ceremonies: http://www.san-juan.net/authors2004/ and http://www.san-juan.net/authors2003/

Cover sheets should include name, address, phone number, and grade level. All submissions can be dropped off at the San Juan Island Library or mailed to:
 

Young Authors Fiction Contest

San Juan Island Library

1010 Guard Street

Friday Harbor, WA 98250
 

            The Library's collection includes both fiction and non-fiction books for very young children, for grade-school aged children and for adults. In addition to its collections of books, audio books, DVDs, videos and magazines to loan, the library also provides computers for public use.
 

        Library hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 8 PM, Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM.  Library cards are free to island residents with proof of residency.