Entries will be accepted in undergraduate and graduate divisions in each of the following categories: fiction or drama, poetry, essays, and electronic media.

Students should submit no more than two entries in any single category, except for poetry. All entries must be original. They may not be adapted from previously published work. Material that has already received a McKinney award cannot be resubmitted.

Print Media

• Fiction or Drama - One short story, a chapter from a novel, a one-act play, or a full-length play or screenplay. 
• Poetry - Preferably,  six or seven poems from each entrant (but single poems considered).
• Essays - Any subject (class papers acceptable).

Electronic and Other Mixed Media Using Language  

• Any visualization using verbal language as a dominant element to convey a story, message, or experience. Fiction, drama, poetry, and essays using electronic and other mixed media are encouraged, as are all forms of visual communication that emphasize language in 2-d, 3-d, digital/electronic (video & animation) media. Examples include interactive narratives, motion type, audio-visual art, visual narratives, games, animations, net art, and storybooks.  To help guide your submission,  technical and evaluation criteria follow:

 Entries must conform to following technical specifications to be judged:

• format: pdf, jpeg, swf, or html
• video length: 10 min. maximum
• one entry per student

Evaluation criteria:

• The level of challenge undertaken in the creation and integration of language into a mixed media work. (Verbal language must be concretely present in the work. It cannot serve only as the inspiration.)                        
• The work's overall clarity in verbal/visual communication   (Optional: An intent statement is a helpful accompaniment to your submission, as it clarifies your goals and offers additional work with language. 500 words maximum, double- spaced)
• The technical execution of the work (Can it be opened; does it "work"?)
• Craft (Is it aesthetically-pleasing?)
• Originality (Is it creative?)
• Coherence/Unity/Harmony (Does it hang together as a whole; does the visual work effectively with the verbal?)