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Radio Drama Script Writing Contest

SORRY!
DUE TO LACK OF INTEREST,
WE HAVE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO DISCONTINUE
OUR SCRIPT WRITING CONTEST!
THANKS FOR LOOKING, ANYWAY!
We hope you enjoy looking around our site while you are here!

To promote and encourage creative writing in the middle school/junior high school classroom, Balance Publishing Company is sponsoring a radio drama script writing contest. We plan to repeat the contest twice each year.

Deadlines:

• Intent to submit deadlines are April 1 and October 1. (Notify us by these dates if you plan to submit scripts.) 
• Scripts must be received by November 30 and May 28.  Scroll down for Guidelines.
• All authors following our guidelines will be notified of the winners in early September. Consider including home address if there is a chance you will not be in the same school in September.

To download the files, do the following:

1. Right-click on a link and choose Save Target As from the pop-up menu.
2. When the Save As dialog box appears, select a location on your hard drive and click Save.  (Suggestion: Save to your desktop and move to its own folder later.)

Writing an Original Script                            A Recipe for Images       

For a printable file of the guidelines, Click Here! (Requires Adobe Acrobat)

Don't have Adobe Acrobat? Click Here to Download Acrobat FREE!

GUIDELINES:

• Author(s) must be students in grades 6, 7, 8, or 9 (Category 1) or Grades 10, 11, 12 (Category 2) at the time the script is written.
• Submitted scripts will be judged on how effectively the script combines dialog and sound to tell a story and develop appropriate visual images in the listener’s mind.
• Stories with strong female characters have strong appeal to us.
• Scripts must be typewritten in the format described below and free from mechanical errors.
• All genres will be accepted, but sexual or violent content inappropriate for discussion in the general middle/junior high school classroom are not acceptable.
• The preferred length for scripts is 5 to 15 minutes. Longer scripts may be submitted but may be penalized in the reading process if not tightly written.
• Script must be the original work of the author(s). No adaptations.
• All authors must have a sponsoring teacher. (It is not necessary that this be a class activity. Individual students may enter their scripts.  Simply ask your teacher to sponsor you and verify the script's originality.)
• Include a cover letter stating that the script is your original work, signed by author(s) and the sponsoring teacher.
• Enclose a self addressed stamped envelope if you wish a copy returned.
• Title Page must contain the following:
  • Author(s) Name(s):
  • Author(s) Address; including City, State and ZIP: (Optional - Include when notification is to be sent to the author(s) address instead of the school’s address.)
  • School’s Name:
  • School’s Address:
  • School’s City, State ZIP:
  • School’s Phone #:
  • Sponsoring Teacher’s Name:

QUESTIONS:

• Contact Balance Publishing Company for clarification if anything is not clear. Email: service@balancepublishing.com
• OR write to: Don Kisner, Balance Publishing Company, 1346 South Quality Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657.

TO SUBMIT:  Send TWO copies of the script to:

Radio Drama Script Contest
Balance Publishing Company
1346 South Quality Avenue
Sanger, CA 93657

PRIZES:

• (Category 1) Middle School/Junior High (Grades 6, 7, 8, 9) Prizes:
  • 1^st Prize: $25.00
  • 2^nd Prize: $15.00
  • 3^rd Prize: $10.00
  • 4^th Prize: $ 5.00
  • 5^th Prize: $ 5.00
• (Category 2) High School (Grades 10, 11, 12):
  • 1^st Prize: $25.00
  • 2^nd Prize: $15.00
  • 3^rd Prize: $10.00
  • 4^th Prize: $ 5.00
  • 5^th Prize: $ 5.00

RIGHTS:

• Upon submission, Balance Publishing Company acquires all rights to PRODUCE AND PUBLISH FOR EDUCATION RELATED PURPOSES. These rights include but are not limited to school productions, classroom productions, posting on the Internet, individual and compilation publication for play reading purposes.
• Scripts selected for production or publication may be revised by Balance Publishing Company writers at the company's discretion.
• Author(s) will receive a copy of any production recording or publication of the script done by Balance Publishing Company. All scripts will be considered for production/publication, but it should be understood that no promise of such production or publication is being made. Author(s) will be notified if and when such production or publication is done.
• All professional and non-education related rights are retained by the author(s).

1. Font size is 12. Use a font style that is easy to read. This font is Times New Roman.
2. Scene headings are centered and in UPPERCASE.
3. Setting notations are UPPERCASE, [bracketed], and centered on the line below the scene heading.
4. Sound effect notations are UPPERCASE and underlined. The label starts at the left margin, is followed by a colon, a hard left indent, and the sound effect description.
5. Character labels are UPPERCASE followed by a colon and a hard return.
6. Character lines are lowercase with appropriate caps.
7. Stage directions and character interpretation notations are UPPERCASE enclosed in (parentheses).

Example:

SCENE TWO

[INSIDE SPACESHIP]

ALDO:
(REPEAT THIS SPEECH UNTIL RON COMPLETES THE WORDS "ALDO, MESSAGE UNDERSTOOD" THEN STOP IMMEDIATELY. SPEAKING IN ROBOTIC VOICE) Attention, Teriallia! Attention, Rontar! Navigational details accomplished. Ship has been prepared for landing. Awaiting landing orders. (CONTINUE UNTIL INTERRUPTED BY RON) Attention, Teriallia! Attention, Rontar! Navigational details accomplished. Ship has been pre…

RON:
(INTERRUPTING ALDO, AS THOUGH WAKING FROM SLEEP) Okay, okay, don't fry your circuits, Aldo, message understood. (YAWNING)

TERI:
Aldo, describe the terrain around the landing site?

ALDO:
Landing site is 3.23 kilometers from the perimeter of the selected habitation complex. Terrain is uneven and covered with vegetation. Level landing site is in a clearing at one of the lower points in the area. Atmospheric content: Nitrogen 75.03, Oxygen 21.96, Argon 1.92, Carbon Dioxide 0.01. Insignificant trace elements of Neon, Helium, Methane, Krypton, Hydrogen, Xenon, and Ozone.

RON:
Wow, that's almost a perfect atmosphere for humans. No oxygen tanks, right?

TERI:
Right. Just food, water, instruments, and side arms. (PAUSE) Have the habitation complex coordinates been programmed into the portable instruments, Aldo?

Excerpted from radio drama script "RT-1" published in Theatre of the Mind, Writing and Producing Radio Dramas in the Classroom.