Contest Closed for Judging:
Open only to those people with a valid change or entry code. If you do not have a code, or do not list it in your author's notes, your entry will be removed.
Welcome to the first annual Raven Contest.
Commenced in January of 2007, the Raven seeks to uncover genius in the written word by actively pursuing and endorsing the creation of notable works through a paradigm of recognition.
General Contest Outline
The qualifying round for the Raven Contest will begin on June 1st, 2007 and last until July 1st, 2007. Site assigned contest end dates will be extended to meet that time-frame. Entries into the qualifying round will be accepted between those dates only.
From July 1st, 2007 until August 1st, 2007 the qualifying round will be judged by the current Raven Judge pool. A listing of current Raven Judges can be found here.
On August 1st, 2007 the final round of the contest will begin. Entrants into the final round will be comprised of all trophy winners from the qualifying round (including honorable mentions).
Judging of the final round will take place during the month of September, 2007. The judge's final decisions will be issued no later that October 1st, 2007.
Prize Pool
Over the course of the contest 30,000 points will be awarded to participants. Additionally, $200 has been contributed to the contest and set aside as prize money to be divided between the winners of 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the final round. The collection of prize money carries conditions which are outlined in the Raven Contest Regulations (RCR).
In the final round of the contest part of the 30,000 point prize pool will be awarded as grant funds to be used by winners to execute contests of their own. For questions about grant winnings please consult the RCR, the FAQs, or the official Raven prize structure page.
Depending on participation and eligibility, the 2007 Raven Contest will award, at most, one hundred and fifty-three trophies for excellence in the written word.
The Judges
To insure fairness and assuage poetic ethnocentrism an international judge pool consisting of ten members has been assembled. Over the past two months the judges have worked together to create a contest that embraces diversity in culture and writing styles.
Raven Contest judges are individuals who are secure and competent both in particular forms and writing styles as well as in general contemporary poetic creation. Each has several years of writing behind him or her and many have a multitude of contest experience here on Allpoetry. Every judge has pledged to dedicate their time and energy to establishing, continuing and adjudicating the 2007 Raven Contest in an unbiased and responsible fashion.
Questions about contest rules or procedures should be addressed to the Judge in Charge of the qualifier you are interested in entering. A listing of all JICs can be found here.
The Rules
A complete listing of the rules can be found by consulting the RCR by clicking here, and some general questions are answered in the FAQs. To get started, however, it is important that entrants read and understand the following:
1 ) There is no prohibition against formatting, including sticky caps, background or colors, or off-mainstream character use. Some judges may dislike them, however, and so you use them at your own risk.
2) Most entries are allowed, however specific qualifiers should be entered if the work you wish considered falls within their parameters. Works not falling into one of the specific qualifier categories may be entered into the general qualifier. If your work is removed because it doesn't fit the qualifier entered, you may re-enter the correct qualifier.
3) Entrants are allowed one entry per qualifier, which means you may enter a maximum of five times (this is per person, not per screen name).
4) Works entered must be of your own creation. Plagiarism, even with the author's permission, is strictly forbidden.
5) Works espousing, promoting, or otherwise praising hatred or intolerance are generally prohibited from receiving prizes or standings. For this reason, entry of these works is discouraged.
6) Entries must be in a poetic format. Short stories are prohibited.
7) The Raven Contest seeks to uncover genius in the written word. Given that, you should enter your best writing, and hold nothing back.
8) A minimum of three people per qualifier will move on to the final round. In addition, judges may assign up to twenty-three honorable mention placings (also per qualifier), winners of which will also be invited to move on to the final round.
9) The Raven Contest offers advertising consideration to those who wish to sponsor the contest. Information on sponsorship can be obtained here. Contest sponsors are prohibited from entering.
10) Questions regarding any aspect of the Raven Contest may be directed to any JIC or RavenContest@comcast.net. Issues regarding dispute resolution should be directed to that address.
11) You are not required to read all or any of the rules listed in the RCR. However, the rules pertain to judges and entrants alike, regardless of familiarity.
About this Qualifier
Entries into this qualifier should be works included in the romance category, including; love, fantasy and/or passion. If you have a question regarding whether a particular poem is suitable for this qualifier please contact one of the JICs responsible for this category.
Despite the JIC ruling on the permissibility of the work, you may be asked to move your entry to a different category during the term of the contest. If this happens, don't worry. No legitimate entry will lose standing consequence to being moved.
Please email RavenContest@comcast.net with any remaining questions regarding the Raven Contest.
The Raven Contest is sponsored in part by Life, DRF LLC and by the current judge pool.
Navigate the Raven! Use the Raven Navigational Portal for access to articles, contests, information and all things Raven.
Thank you for playing a part in this contest through your entry and best of luck to all participants.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on May 11
- Rewards: Gold: 300, Silver: 100, Bronze: 50, Honorable mention: 22 people
- Final notes: The contest administration, judges and staff wish to thank all the entrants into the 2007 Raven Romance Qualifier.
Only the first three entries are in order relating to contest standing. The honorable mentions are in alphabetical order(1).
Those of you who have placed with an honorable mention or higher should visit http://allpoetry.com/poem/show/3256904 for instructions on what comes next.
Those of you who have not placed with an honorable mention or higher have the right to dispute your standing. You may make use of this process by sending an email to ravencontest@comcast.net in which you should declare the nature of your dispute including the reasoning behind why your standing is incorrect. Contest participants who have used the dispute resolution system in the past may still avail themselves of this process now. Please consult RCR rule 9.5 for more information on the dispute resolution process. All disputes must be submitted no later than September 1st, 2007.
On October 1st, 2007 the contest administration will launch a 2007 Raven Feedback contest which you are all invited to join. To receive an official invitation to this feedback contest simply leave your entry posted within this contest, and you will be sent a reminder message when the feedback contest launches. In the event that you desire to remove your entry please send an email to ravencontest@comcast.net requesting an invitation to the feedback contest.
The purpose of the feedback contest is to allow you a chance to let us know how we did this year, and what we can change for 2008.
After the final round of the 2007 contest year is judged the administration will release an unpublished collection of accredited works. You may elect to purchase this volume for the cost of its production, or you may download it for free in Microsoft Word format. For more information please email (you guessed it) ravencontest@comcast.net.
Thank you all for your participation. Without you we would have no quest to undertake, no journey to honor, and no path upon which to tread.
Best Wishes,
~RC Administration, Judges and Staff
1 - In the event that the alphabetical order has any errors in it, you can bet that's going to keep us up nights.
Contest Winners
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I imagined us taking a walk together
On the beach, it was night• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 2954740, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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by shewalksintomine 38 lines, 13 comments, on Nov 20 4:45 PM 2006. In Friendship, Love
Bronze trophy winner
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Dearest reflection, this question I ask;
why have you abandoned your reverent past?by Arrianna MacEwan 31 lines, 21 comments, on Oct 2 9:06 PM 2006. In Sad, Personal, Spiritual
Honorable mention
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How the sea of moths that I am
forever beats against your light,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 3054556, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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A work in progress.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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This world that we live in is rife and replete with / Amazements and treasures of marvellous style. / But none of these wonders could hope• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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The Ebon Knight rode onto the field / His banners flying high / A rippling and gilded serpent / flying in the sky / His lance he held in hi• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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Hush, close your eyes, were alone on the floor,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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by OurxBeginning 42 lines, 231 comments, on Jun 18 8:42 PM 2006. In Personal, Love Honorable mention
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Shake it to make it develop faster.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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Cuando amor no es locura, no es amor.
Love deranges the senses to a fevered pitch,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
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Curse the old time, straight-line values,
They can’t change the way I feel,
‘Cause I’m in love with a gothic angel• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
Eyes that are sadder than sundown / Faded hair that once was brown / Lines that have been deeply etched / By a thousand reasons to frown / And the thin line of patience stretched / By many a foolish clown / Sby arafura 27 lines, 11 comments, on May 27 12:56 AM 2007. In Life, Lyrics, Other, Personal, Sad, Society, Thoughts• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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I feel as if the world's on fire,
And life is about to end,
Or maybe it's just that time to retire.by Innocent LIke Sugar 47 lines, 4 comments, on Feb 21 12:40 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 2909848, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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I bled the night for promises
fed upon my dreamsby poetsruletheworld 19 lines, 4 comments, on Mar 13 12:36 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
by liltandrhyme 13 lines, 60 comments, on May 22 5:14 PM 2005. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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your love sends the darkness
into the vast sky of only you.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
Blowing thought bubbles from my ears, / They drift and burst on the hardwood floor, / Leaving behind only soapy footprints, / Emptying me from the top down, / Hollowing me out like a Chocolate Easter Bunny. / I drby BlueNote27 62 lines, 10 comments, on May 30 3:06 PM 2007. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 1978678, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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LAST NIGHT
As you fell sleeping• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
This was not supposed to happen; / I vow I hadn't seen it coming / who'd ever think i could have taken / such a tumble / upon decent / in such / farfetched melodrama / buby dandelioness 59 lines, 4 comments, on Jun 30 7:47 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 2669122, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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She walked on the beach, in the darkness of night, / The wind roaming through her hair, / The mist, like sand ran beneath her feet, / The gypsy girl was there! / The crabs they all sang, to an old-fashioned songby At 78rpm 64 lines, 7 comments, on Jun 19 4:08 PM 2007. In Lost love, Love, Fantasy, Romance, Thoughts, Hope, Death• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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eleven o'clock
and we've been up all dayby Dirty and Broken 142 lines, 5 comments, on May 7 8:02 PM 2007. In Happiness, Romance, Friendship, Dedication, Humour, Contest, Longing• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
The Selkie sings a lonely song
out past the beach the whole night longby rainwalker 40 lines, 17 comments, on Sep 20 6:35 PM 2005. In Fantasy• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 2910728, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Entries [117]
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A sensual one! (I tried)by scorpio rising 34 lines, 14 comments, on Aug 10 10:08 PM 2006. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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A little song on my bf who influnced me so much in a single night.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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It is said, they met quite by coincidence,
During a long hot summer many years ago.
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Once, I found a piece of paper...• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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This woman is what dreams are made of, / Her eyes sparkle the deepest blue. / Making me feel as if I'm staring out into the ocean. / The glby HopelessPoet1087 7 lines, 6 comments, on May 29 4:03 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Dream's cry / thoughts drip / into glaze / of mind's sky / &by MistressAkasha 35 lines, 14 comments, on Jun 8 2:45 PM 2007. In Love• Commented on by judge.
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For every moment I'm awake, / I think of you, and your graceful smile / For every moment I'm sleeping, / I'm dreaming of you all the while / I sing to the sun, the earth, / the moon, and all the stars, / alloby LunaAmara 18 lines, 2 comments, on Jun 1 10:49 AM 2007• Commented on by judge.
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The joke isn’t all that funny
And I’m not sure the punch line is clear• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
As a yawn escapes her small mouth. / Nuzzling his shoulder, / Purring softly. / His arms wraps around her small form, / Rubbing her back wi• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Frozen. / Forgotten. / On the shores of emancipation. / Liberty tasted never so sweet. / I see the trees, / Dried blossoms disentegrating in the wind. / Ancient fruit hangs decrepid from the branches.by ImprintedAFTERMATH 76 lines, 7 comments, on Jun 14 8:10 AM 2007. In Love?• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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by -Ink Artist- 58 lines, 60 comments, on Apr 17 7:30 AM 2007. In Personal, Love, Happiness, Thoughts, Contemporary• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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I'm so sorry
That a number is ruining us bothby Crazy-Dan 39 lines, 20 comments, on Mar 22 4:49 PM 2007. In Personal, Love, Sad, Thoughts, Dark, Pain, My own style, Teen issues, Goodbyes• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
She feels so warm next to me / Her skin so smooth against mine / Our bodies entwined / Together as one / Drenched in sweat / Our lips connect / One passionate kiss after another / Tongues pr• Commented on by judge.
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Love like the moon,
Show your darker side...• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Your beauty avails
the darknessby Angel w o Wings 16 lines, 23 comments, on Mar 26 12:50 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
I didn’t have to say one word, / You knew I felt like shit. / My heart was heavy the entire day / Only so much you could have done to lift it / You looked at me and with once glance / I started to improve / Yby ela9yna 64 lines, 5 comments, on Jun 18 2:30 PM 2007• Commented on by judge.
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What had happened tonight, will stay forever
Young in their minds.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
when ever you smile next to me
on a simplest thing on earth• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Standing in the cold / Wind blowing your shirt / From my little black dress / Too cold for such an outfit / Shuddering & shivering / A sense of doubt falls on my heart / I start to walk back home in saby JacquelynK 30 lines, 4 comments, on Jun 19 10:47 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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O, that I could kiss / Those lips, / And touch / Those hips, / And look in her eyes, / Without turning to stone, / For fear of making / The wrong move. / She makes / My earth move.by Neurosickgirl 52 lines, 6 comments, on Jun 15 4:07 PM 2007. In Fantasy, Hope, Love, Life, Thoughts, Personal• Commented on by judge.
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She fled from him and all his kind
As daily she heard the tales• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
/ Mabey I love you, Mabey you love me. Mabey love was meant to pass us by, we'll just have to wait and see. / I feel your breath upon mby A 21stCenturyDragon 10 lines, 3 comments, on Mar 15 5:52 PM 2007. In Fantasy• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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What is love?
It is a word with gentle wings,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
thump bump
thump bumpby Inlovewithperfectio 35 lines, 5 comments, on Sep 27 1:27 AM 2006. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Pervading through the crowd, / Swimming across heads, caps and shoulders, / I recognize a flower blooming amidst all. / As I reach for it, the crowd thins out; / Then I catch beautiful eyes, eyes of a girl- / I hesiby i write passion 38 lines, 1 comment, on Jun 20 4:54 PM 2007. In love, romance, feelings, passion, dance• Commented on by judge.
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That oh-so-devilish look in your eye, / sends me, nobody, straight into the sky, / Your laughter, like nothing else, / save maybe angels, /by truelover 46 lines, 10 comments, on Jun 15 4:29 AM 2007. In Love, Life, Personal, Spiritual, Thoughts, Romance, Self, Teenage thinking• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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I stopped, / There she was, / Her ebony locks, / Took the light from the air, / Those jade green eyes, / That hypnotize, / Her skin bronzed, / Like that of a Greek hero, / My blood rushed, / As my heart pum• Commented on by judge.
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Languorously they move, / Through the night. /• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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I see in through your eyes of deepest tranquility / but only that way to those who cant seem to see / I can find the deeper meaning behind those lovely eyes / to see the demons lurking just a scratch beneath the sby Fallen Archangel 55 lines, 7 comments, on May 17 12:34 AM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Explore the magic
of often forgotten warmthby TearsOfRedForHer 34 lines, 8 comments, on Jun 23 9:53 AM 2006. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Every day, I see your face, all I can do is to believe in you.
No matter how hard, no matter how far, we would always be together.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
Once upon a time, / There lived a girl / She had a lovely face, / but hid it from the world. / She had a burden to bear, / A secret to keep• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Everything is going to be alright / That's what they all say / Nothing will ever be alright / As long as my one and only loves someone otheby BeautifulNitemare 18 lines, 8 comments, on Jun 20 11:29 AM 2007. In Hope, Life, Love, Personal, Pain, Sad, Thoughts, My life, My own style, Personal.• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Something of you smells of autumn and bedsheets. / A walking heaven, lighting the pavement with each / hurried / step / and warms each moveby Moonshinesuicide 57 lines, 5 comments, on Jun 19 1:11 PM 2007. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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A whisper in the silence of the night,
a kiss in the shadows of loneliness,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
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I peer into your soulful eyes / that tells me no lies. / When we were young family honor meant nothing. / Enjoying each other's company butby rerouni66 19 lines, 3 comments, on Jun 16 7:23 PM 2007. In Sad, Society, Spiritual, Thoughts, Life, Love, Pain, Nature, Hope• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Your smile, across my shoulder, and at your touch, I turn. / Reaching out, beneath a new moon, into utter darkness. / Senses wake, touch reby Tamera 24 lines, 2 comments, on Apr 24 6:58 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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eternally grateful / for everything you have done / without you / only god knows where i would be / i am forever indebted / i wish i could tell you what you mean to me / the words just wont come / you live in myby Improv Machinery 17 lines, 2 comments, on Jun 15 12:36 PM 2007• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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I never try to dream of you as an angel / I still feel free to think about you as my darling! / I never dreamt of you as a heavenly flower• Commented on by judge.
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How can I describe what you are to me? / Can the wind-swept shore explain the sea? / Which ends where the other begins? / in defiance of all definitions / Defining one another as you define me / How can I imagiby jervoodoo 16 lines, 1 comment, on Jun 22 4:29 PM 2007• Commented on by judge.
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A whisper of wind
Your comely faceby danceswsquirrels 16 lines, 4 comments, on Jan 20 1:21 PM 2004. In Love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite -
This is a poem in response to the prompt by allfaith on his page, if u would ever save the life of another u love even u loose ur own life.by BlueEyeWonder1988 34 lines, 2 comments, on Mar 29 8:51 AM 2007. In Love, Life, Persoanl, Friends, Hope, Faith, Sad, Society and Other• Commented on by judge. Prewrite
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Underneath the green sky, / You saw the true face of love. / Surely our futures aren't dimmed by the mistakes we make in the present. / No matter how many flaws you make, / I'm glad it turned out this way.• Commented on by judge.
Add a comment
Comments
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like a shiney strand of tin foil
tearing itself apart on a barbed wire fence
in the wind -
just a question, please : does "fantasy" here refer to romantic or erotic fantasies - or would it also include writes about fairies, mythical places or creatures etc ... that have nothing to do with "romance" ?
thanksies,
maa
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I'll field this question as the judges for this qualifier haven't come across it yet, and since I was wondering when it would come up (its a great question).
The concept of romance is interesting. When I think upon it, I do not always think of love (or the like), but rather a sort of imaginative ideal that encompasses a wide spectrum of emotion and thought.
Maybe I am stressing the category a bit... but when I think of Fantasy in this category I think of just what you mentioned, on both sides.
As long as your entry would fit into any "Fantasy" category, rest assured it is welcome here.
~Das
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i like your contest, i hope u like my poem "why?"
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maybe I'll enter "never gonna get it"
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i am just mildly curious....how exactly are you going to give the winner that 200$?
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This questions is addressed in the FAQs, but just so you don't have to dig:
Prize money is distributed across the first 3 places in the Raven Final for contest year 2007. Checks are issued to winners in accordance with RCR 6.1 and as directed by the winner.
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again, thank you so much for hosting such a professionally organized contest ... no matter, if my entry has not placed in this section, I am honored to have taken part in this adventure ...
thanks again for the 2 hms in the general section and the section of religion ...
I'm filled with joy ...
maa
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