Nathan Said:

Writing contests... I'm lost and confused..............?

We Answered:

Possibly, you have received advice about two different kinds of writing contests.

Dorchester Publishing (my own publisher) is currently running a Texting contest for the next text novel. I don't believe that publishers require an entry fee. I don't remember paying one when I entered the New Voice In Romance contest (which led to my publishing contract with Dorchester).

On the other hand, the Romance Writers of America (joining fee $75) has a national contest for unpublished authors: The Golden Heart. It might cost you $100 to enter. Nevertheless, it is a highly reputable contest.

Regional and genre chapters of RWA may charge a fee ranging from $15 to $60 to enter their contests. It is how they raise funds for their chapters.

That said, I'm not sure where you will find contests where the finalists are judged by acquiring editors for "creative non-fiction short stories".

Why aren't you submitting directly to magazines and ezines? Maybe you ought to join the authors and aspiring authors groups on Ning, Facebook, Gather, GoodReads, LinkedIn etc etc and ask for help and suggestions in those venues.

All the best,
Rowena Cherry

Kristin Said:

creative writing ph.d. programs??? (poetry)?

We Answered:

Ignore the other posters here--PhD programs may be fairly new compared to MFA programs, but they certainly do exist. You can find and search for programs here:
http://www.awpwriter.org/programsearch/index.php

Perry Said:

Creative Writing homework ?!?

We Answered:

Take an interesting experience from your life, since it's supposed to be non-fiction.

Felix Said:

What would a major in writing, and a minor in professional writing do for me?

We Answered:

Some people are going to tell you that you're making a mistake - that "writing" isn't a very good occupational qualifier. They're thinking of novel writing and are wrong.

The two you're looking at are very different though a bit related. They're both about writing and the commonality just about stops there.

The creative writing degree will only be occupationally helpful in that it offers you a chance to have your work read and critiqued by professionals. Creative writers don't usually "get a job" as writers. Your success will depend entirely upon whether you can write and then sell what you write.

Professional writers, on the other hand, can work freelance or employed and the technical writing side of the house remains in shortage even with this bad economy. There are plenty of ops out there for a good tech writer.

There are also a lot of good options for anyone that "communicates well orally and in writing" as this is one area HR people complain most about not being able to fill these days.

I'd suggest though that you plan a double minor if allowed. Many writers (creative and tech) benefit a great deal by studying whatever it is they write most about. Historical romance and history, sci-fi and physics, business news and finance, high-tech and comp sci... You'll be much more marketable as writer if you also have the academic/technical knowledge to go with it.

If you plan journalism (many aspiring writers use news to pay the bills while the create their art) then also learning photography (doesn't have to be college classes) will help immeasurably. Papers like photojournalists that can write well much more than sending a photographer AND writer to stories.

No matter which majors/minors you pick; if you want to write for a living then you have to practice writing. You must write a lot, have it read, get comments (ignoring many but learning from most), and get in print.

Coach's critique for you: every time you put something in writing it represents you as a writer. Don't practice writing wrong. Not even here in YAnswers.

Peter Said:

Are you creative? I need help writing a non-fiction short story for 8th grade Language Arts.?

We Answered:

From a true story that happened in Kwangju 28 yrs ago:

It was around 8 or 9 pm, and it's dark outside. A girl about your age, didn't have the necessary ref. book, so she decides to go over to her friends to borrow it so she can finish a school assignment for the day after.
Along the way lies the special forces agents trained in inner-city warfare, ready to strike any citizens' uprising that has been going on for almost 3 days. Dispatched to this remote city in a surprise attack, they are irritated, and ready to kill anyone just out of spite.
Then in the darkness with little visibility, the highschool girl walks along with the slightest thought of danger, either causing one or one that might befall her.
...
The family is concerned when she does not return that night. She remained missing the next day, and the day after, only to be delivered a notice that her body is to be buried in the make-shift graveyard outside of town. The mother is devastated; for lack of a book, my daughter is dead.
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You fill in the rest of details if you think you want to do this story.