1. This contest has two divisions: "General" and "Specialty." A story may be entered in either division but not in both. The contest provides a total award this year of $1,750 which the judges will generally divide among eight winners (four in each division), or among more or fewer than eight depending on the number and quality of the stories submitted in each division. If the quality of submissions is low, the judges may withhold some or all of the awards.
2. Stories entered in this contest are to be marked (either "General" or "Specialty") according to the division the author selects. Stories entered in the "Specialty" division are to be further designated according to their particular type: science fiction, fantasy, western, mystery, etc. Regardless of the division selected, the stories should conform to standards of taste appropriate for an L.D.S. community.
   
   Stories submitted in the "General" division may treat any theme and be of any type within, broadly, the form of the short story. The judges will select the winning stories primarily on the basis of literary merit.
   
   Stories submitted in the "Specialty" division are limited in subject matter and method of treatment--but only to the degree that such limitation is conventional for the type of story being written (a time machine, for example, would be acceptable in a science fiction story but not in a western). If the story is intended to be a blend of two or more types, the author should label it accordingly (science fiction/mystery, western/fantasy, etc.). Non fiction is not considered a genre suitable for the Short Story-Specialty contest. Stories in the "Specialty" division will also be judged according to their literary merit, but special consideration will be given to depth and breadth of imagination and to the author's awareness of whatever conventions exist for that type of story.
3. The stories should be no longer than 6,000 words and should be typed (double spaced) on regular white typing paper with adequate margins. The student's pseudonym should be placed in the upper right hand corner of the first page.
4. All entries are to be submitted between February 10, and February 13, 2009 before 5:00 p.m. to the College of Humanities Dean's Office, 4002 JFSB.
5. The chairmen of the two short story divisions will appoint judges for their divisions. These judges will typically be drawn from published writers, editors, creative writing teachers, and critics.
6. Each story is to have a cover sheet (available in the Dean’s office, 4002 JFSB) giving the author's name, address, and telephone number and certifying (a) that the writer is properly enrolled at BYU, and (b) that the story submitted is the student's own creative work. The student's real name will appear only on this cover sheet; a pseudonym, as indicated above, will be placed on the manuscript itself.

Important note: In addition to these rules for the Short Story Contest, see the sheet of "General Regulations" giving information on all Mayhew Student Creative Contests. Both the general regulations and the specific rules apply to each submission.


All submissions require a cover sheet. A cover sheet can be picked up in the Dean's Office 4002 JFSB, Art Gallery 303 HFAC, C-581 HFAC, and C-550 HFAC or downloaded here.