Pioneer Con

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 6, 2023

General Guidelines (All Categories):

• You must be a current JSCC student.
• Limit 3 submissions per category per person.
• Each submission should be no more than 2,000 words in length (about 4 single-spaced pages).
• Written work should be submitted as .doc or .docx files (no PDFs, please).
• Prizes are awarded to the top 3 entries in each category.
• Winners will be published on the Pioneer Con Website.
• All submissions will be considered for Wingspan. If work is selected, Wingspan editors will reach out to confirm their permission to publish.
• All rights revert to the author upon publication.

Categories:

• Essay on Core Texts: The 2023 core texts include a variety of materials accessible in electronic format from the Jefferson State Community College library. The Reading List is available here. Essays should perform a literary analysis of the work chosen, including but not limited to: discussion of a theme, profile of key characters, examination of imagery, analysis of writing style, comparison of core text to another literary work.
• Essay on Visual Media: Essay should be an analysis of visual media that includes a speculative aspect or element. "Speculative" may refer to science fiction, fantasy, horror, futuristic, or weird fiction. Acceptable media include film, television, video games, graphic novels, or other art.
• Short Fiction: An original short story in which a speculative element is key. Sub-genres could include science fiction, fantasy, horror, futuristic, or weird fiction. Poetry will also be considered, provided it has a narrative (story-telling) element.

For any questions, please email the Pioneer Con Writing Contest sponsor Heather Wyatt at hwyatt1@jeffersonstate.edu.