Hey, writers! Grab your pens (or laptops) and some inspiration! It's time for SFR's 2012 Annual Writing Contest, complete with cash prizes and a chance to be published in the Reporter! Details after the jump.

First Some Rules:

1. There are three categories, all described below. Entries MUST be marked Fiction, Nonfiction or Poetry.

2. All entries MUST be previously unpublished and typed; no handwritten entries will be accepted.

3. Send $5 per entry. Checks or money orders will be accepted through the mail; no cash, please. Send to Writing Contest, Santa Fe Reporter, 132 E Marcy St., Santa Fe, NM 87501. Cash will be accepted at the Reporter office only: 132 East Marcy Street.

4. Judging will be ANONYMOUS, so DO NOT put your name on your entry. You must include a separate sheet with your name, address, phone number and email (so we can contact you if you win!).

5. Paid contributors to the Reporter during the past year are not eligible to enter.

6. ALL submissions are due by 5 pm Friday, Oct. 19. NO EXCEPTIONS!

7. First, second and third prizes will be awarded in each category. First-place winners will receive $100 cash and a gift certificate to a local business. Second-place winners will receive $75 cash and a gift certificate to a local business. Third-place winners will receive $50 cash and a gift certificate to a local business. In addition, winning pieces will be published in forthcoming issues of the Reporter. Submission to this contest constitutes permission to publish your work.

8. All winners will be required to submit a biographical statement, a photograph and winning pieces in digital form.

Now for the categories...

FICTION

Topic: Wild Card

Word length: Maximum 2,000 words; no minimum word length.

Description: “Wild Card” means you can write about whatever you want; however, ALL stories must contain the following words or phrases in the text: “Susana,” “howling lampreys” and “insidious.”

NONFICTION

Topic: Drought

Word length: Maximum 2,000 words; no minimum word length.

Description: If you’ve missed a year’s worth of headlines, you may not know that New Mexico is currently suffering from a drought of epic proportions. But think a little harder, and you’ll come up with all different kinds of drought—dating droughts, nightlife droughts, droughts of inspiration (though hopefully, that won’t happen for this contest). Anything’s a drought; let your (nonfictional) imagination run wild!

POETRY

Topic: It’s a trap!

Word length: No epics, please!

Description: Admiral Ackbar may have been the first to issue this iconic warning (see below), but he certainly won’t be the last. Take it however you want—literally (bear trap!), theatrically (trap door), sexily (land of entrapment?) or…well, it’s up to you.

Questions? Call 988-5541 or email copyeditor@sfreporter.com. Start writing!