With the announcement of our quarterly journal, Pennon, we are starting quarterly contests!

As a teen, I remember trying to participate in writing contests. Maybe like you, I never heard back, and only found out who the winner was long after. All that nail biting…

Now, with our CatholicAuthor community, teens and adults can post, share, and give feedback all year round!

Either in the Monthly Genre Challenges, the contests, or Writing Workshops, members will grow in their craft together.

For parents – their teens will enjoy writing! And just as importantly, stick with it. Our online community helps reinforce and remind members of the lifestyle, and keep them coming back.

Why quarterly contests?

It’s a constructive way to help our teen and adult members keep writing, share their drafts for feedback, and begin the experience of writing for publication.

By participating, our members will do more than build their writing portfolios. Every story that makes it through the contests gets feedback from our contest hosts on how to improve their style, strengthen story structure, and integrate feedback.

Contest finalists and winners will be published in Pennon, our quarterly journal. And everyone who participates is welcome to share their stories within our private community for peer feedback.

That last part alone is incredibly valuable.

How do the contests work?

For our first year, we have charted out the 4 topics we will cover: Fairy Tales, Mythology, Mystagogy, and Call to Author. These are inspired by a foundational blog post on the ‘Rewilding of Enchantment’. We see these as central, basic elements of the story journey that authors should be familiar with, and work through.

Quarter 1 (January-March): Fairy Tales.

Rediscovering the role and function of fairy tales as psychological and spiritual insights into the formation and development of the human person, within a culture, context, and spirituality.

Quarter 2 (April-June): Mythology

Renewing the view that myths are cultural connection points, unifying stories that give purpose and place. They are the externalizing of the inner world, the understanding that all creation is as charged with glory and wonder as we are.

Quarter 3 (July-September) Mystagogy

The psychological truths and spiritual impulses within fairy tales and mythology find their clarity within mystagogy, the revelation of truth. Specifically, through Christian initiation into Christ. These are saints stories, Sacred Scripture, and mystical moments that reveal Hell and Heaven.

Quarter 4 (October-December) Call to Author

The unique contribution of the individual author, within their context and experiences. Stories of their integration of fairy, myth, and mystagogy. These emerge from their personal lives, or speak to specific realities that they want to express and explore. These can be any genre, but must center in the person of the author, and their ‘call to story.’

Who can enter?

Only paying members of the teen or adult community. We will announce a deadline, and authors will submit their first drafts in the private community. They will agree to integrate feedback to make it to the top 10 first round.

After that, a friend of the community, such as a sponsor or host, will help us select the top 3 finalists.

Then, the community will vote on the winning entry.

Stay tuned for news and updates on the launch of the first contest!