Official Rules & Regulations

The sponsor of the contest is The Hear Me Project, an initiative of HEAR ME, Inc. and Select Media, Inc. (the "Sponsors"). The contest is open to all youth between the ages of 14 and 22 as of September 1, 2007. Employees of Select Media, Inc. are not eligible to enter.

All entries must be accompanied by a fully completed and signed Entry/Release form, available at www.hearmeproject.org. The Entry/Release form may be photocopied.

One entry per person.

Your story can be up to 5 pages double-spaced or neatly handwritten. Entries that are illegible will be disqualified. Typed entries are preferred.

Your story must be about personal vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Your story can be either fiction or non-fiction. The characters in the story must be impacted by HIV/AIDS.

Your story must be your original creation, and must not have been previously published.

The contest begins on September 1, 2007. Entries must be submitted online at www.hearmeproject.org or by mail to the following address: The HEAR ME Project, 375 Greenwich Street, 8th floor, New York, NY 10013. To be eligible, entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2007. All components of the entry, including the entry form and 3 copies of your essay, must be mailed in the same envelope, or submitted online at www.hearmeproject.org.

Entrants’ stories will be judged by a panel of judges selected by the Sponsors, based on the following criteria: (a) originality, (b) writing style, and (c) aptness to subject. The potential winner will be notified by telephone and/or mail and/or e-mail and will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Assignment of Rights/Publicity and Liability Release so as to be received by sponsor within seven (7) days of notification, unless prohibited by law. Winner is subject to verification. If the potential winner does not execute and return the required affidavit and release so as to be received by Sponsor within seven (7) days of notification, prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected. If the winner is under age 18, the winner’s parent or legal guardian will be required to execute the Affidavit/Assignment/Release.

The winning story will receive a $2500.00 cash prize.

The HEAR ME Project is not responsible for lost, stolen, misdirected, late, illegible, incomplete, postage-due or mutilated submissions or mail.

From the time of submission, entries become the property of HEAR ME, Inc. and will not be returned.

By entering, entrants grant the Sponsors permission to use their names, likenesses, and biographical data, and their contest entries (including without limitation the essay), in perpetuity, for advertising and commercial purposes, without further compensation, approval or notice, unless prohibited by law. By entering, entrants agree to assign to Sponsor the copyright in the entry and all components thereof (including without limitation the essay). Entrants agree that they will not assert any claim of any kind or nature, including any copyright infringement claim, against the Sponsors or any of its assigns, designees, licensees, or agents, based, in whole or in part, on participation in the contest and/or access to and/or use of any entry and/or essay. By entering, entrants release, discharge, absolve and hold harmless the Sponsors, The HEAR ME Project, and each of the parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents, licensees, designees and successors, and each of their respective officers, directors and employees, from any and all actions, suits, claims and demands of any kind whatsoever which they may have by reason of any matter connected in any way with this contest, or that may otherwise arise in any way in connection with this contest, including, but not limited to, the operation of this contest, the use of any entry or component thereof, any warranty or representations, express or implied, relative to any prize, or the awarding of prizes. Without limitation of the foregoing, HEAR ME, Inc. will own and reserve all rights to all submissions in all media, whether now known or later developed, including for use in film, video, internet, or other media related productions and/or publications.

By entering, entrants grant to the HEAR ME Project and the Sponsors the right (but not the obligation) to copy, edit, publish, promote, broadcast and otherwise use in whole or in part each entry, in any manner without further notice, permission, compensation, and without restricting the frequency or duration of use.

The HEAR ME Project may alter the story and title in any manner it deems necessary or appropriate.

No purchase necessary.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded. No substitution, transfer or cash redemption of prizes permitted. Prizes are supplied solely by the Sponsors. In no event will either Select Media, Inc., HEAR ME, Inc., or any of their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, or agents, or any of their employees, officers or directors, be responsible in any way for, or bear any liability relating to, any aspect of the operation of the contest, including, without limitation, the prizes awarded or the use by Sponsors of the essays submitted.

If, for any reason, the contest is not capable of running as planned, the Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest.

The contest is subject to all applicable state and federal laws and is void where prohibited.


Your Story

You think about things. Abstinence. Sex. Condoms. Drugs. Monogamy. HIV. Alcohol. Parties. Regrets. Risks. Responsibilities. Choices. Pressures. Down-Low. Boyfriends. Girlfriends. AIDS. The Future. All the risks you take. All the ones you don't. Should you or shouldn't you? Did you or didn't you? You have a story. Real life or fiction. Write it down. Send it in. Your story must be about HIV or AIDS. The characters in your story must be impacted in some way by HIV or AIDS.

For information and resources about HIV/AIDS please visit:

www.advocatesforyouth.org
www.aids.org
www.familiesaretalking.org
www.iwannaknow.org
www.knowaids.org
www.lifebeat.org
www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/sexual_health
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/ah/ah.shtml
www.ppnyc.org
www.Sexetc.org
www.siecus.org
www.teenwire.com
www.whatudo.org

 

Elements of a Good Story

Plot: What is your story about? What happens to your characters?

Setting: When and where does your story take place?

Tone: Is your story serious? Funny? Sad? Happy? Somewhere in between?

Characters: Who are the people in your story? For example, what are their backgrounds? Age? Beliefs? Personalities? Do any of your characters change in any way by the end of your story?

Dialogue: What do the characters say to each other to tell your story? What does their language sound like?

Conflict: What is/are the main problem(s) as they relate to HIV?

Resolution: Is/are the conflict(s) in your story resolved? If so, how?

 

Try These Good Writer's Tools

Outlining: Think about what your story is going to be about, then put it down in outline form from beginning to end, before you begin writing.

Editing: Once you've written your story, share it with other people and see what they think. Then go over it again to see if any parts can be cut out or added to make it a stronger piece.

Proof Reading: Once you have your story the way you like it, go over it again to check for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

For more tips on writing and grammar please visit:

www.write101.com
www.webgrammar.com
www.shortstorygroup.com/storytips.htm