INCITE

Speculative fiction is most often dystopian in nature. Our current world sometimes seems to lend itself to this dark prophecy.  Why not look at the world through a rose-coloured, but responsible, lens? 

This year's INCITE prompt asks you to write a short story, poem, essay, or dramatic scene that explores the idea of "joyous speculation."  You may choose to focus on something real or imagined, focusing on positive aspects, outcomes, and mindsets.

What Can I Write?

Students may write five different types of narratives for the contest:

• Poetry – up to 120 lines
• Short Stories – up to 1500 words
• Essays – up to 1500 words
• Dramatic scenes-up to 1200 words
• Photo essays – up to 10 images, accompanied by one 400-500-word explanatory paragraph

Grade bands (one entry from each grade band from each school):

• Grades 7-8 
• Grades 9-10 
• Grades 11-12

OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS

Please note that all work must be produced in the 2022-2023 academic year. All CIS Ontario school submissions will be published in the INCITE anthology, and the top three writers for each grade category will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes; in addition, prize-winning student authors will have the opportunity to participate in a writer's workshop hosted during the CITE conference. Students may be asked to read their piece during lunch.

English Departments are also encouraged to include student artwork submissions related to the theme.

• Teachers are asked to have the entries edited for mechanical and grammatical errors.
• The teacher, NOT the student, should submit the entries. Teachers, please visit the CITE Network Library on CISO Connect for the link to upload documents. 
• as attached Word documents and high resolution (300 dpi) JPG files.
• Submission titles should include school name, student name, and grade.
• If your school has access to Turnitin.com (a site that checks for student originality), please submit student work ahead of time to avoid plagiarism.

Entries are due: Friday, March 3, 2023