All Modern Myth entries are to be submitted at the beginning of the convention. All entries must be received by the end of the first day of convention (on Friday evening). Please note that all entries must be submitted in hard copy form as described below; no hand-written entries will be considered.
There will be four divisions: Novice (grades 6 and lower), Lower (grades 7 & 8), Middle (grades 9 & 10), and Upper (grades 11 & 12).
A student may enter only ONE modern myth. If two or more myths are entered, all will be disqualified. The myths must be 500 – 1200 words; the total number of words must be listed on the cover sheet. Myths which have fewer than 500 words or more than 1200 words will have points deducted on the basis of three points per 100 words. The entry MUST be typed; handwritten entries will not be accepted. The entry may be in prose or poetry form or a combination of the two. The title must appear at the top of each page. Pages must be numbered. The author’s name should appear ONLY on the cover sheet, and NOT on the pages containing the myth.
Special Theme!
There is a special theme for this year’s Modern Myths:
to be annouced soon with the release of our 78th Convention Registration Packet
While entries are not required to incorporate this theme, there will be additional prizes awarded for the three myths which most successfully incorporate and/or make use of this theme. Themed entries may be in any of the three myth categories described below.
All entries will be judged as usual by grade level. The special theme is an additional award, and does not replace or otherwise affect the usual awards.
Myth Categories
- an original myth to explain the existence of some phenomenon in nature or modern culture. It should use classical Greek OR Roman characters (but not a combination of the two); new invented characters with classical names may also be used;
- a classical myth in modern dress or setting which would be recognizable through the plot and not from the names of the characters (the writer must identify the original myth in a postscript to the story);
- a new myth using classical figures with the creation of new characters (e.g., a new Hercules story).
In all categories, the writer should be careful not to contradict existing myths. New characters and/or new adventures may be invented, but no tampering with basic, traditional mythology should occur.
Judging
Entries will be judged on the following criteria (point value in parentheses):
- Classical allusion / reference (20)
- Originality / creativity (20)
- Theme (central idea or purpose) (15)
- Style (tone, coherence, etc.) (10)
- Mechanics (accuracy in usage, grammar, spelling) (15)
- Overall effectiveness (20)
Total 100
Submission Guidelines
All entries must include ONE unattached cover sheet indicating the name of the delegate, school, teacher’s name, grade in school, level of Latin being studied, the total number of words, the title of the myth, and the category (category 1, 2, or 3 as defined above). Any paper missing the grade level will be considered in the Upper division. If any of the other cover sheet information is missing, three points per missing item will be deducted.
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