The Rules

What

Were you carefree or fearless as a child? Write a letter or poem to your inner child sharing what you love about him/her.

Who

You must be over 18 and a member of The Unsealed Community. You must remain a member of The Unsealed throughout the contest to remain eligible. You can sign up for The Unsealed Here

*no relatives or employees on The Unsealed are permitted to enter

When

All entries must be in by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Wedneday, July 24, 2024

Those moving on to round two will be notified by September 27, 2024

Voting will take place from September 27, 2024, to 11:59 PM Eastern Time on October 27, 2024

Winners will be posted on October 28, 2024

Letter Requirements

• Entries must be in English
• They must be typed and submitted on theunsealed.com
• Your entry must be a true story about your life
• The letter/poem can’t mention anyone’s name except yourself (For example: you can call someone a friend, a neighbor, a teammate, or a family member, but you can’t call them by their name, John Smith)
• The letter/poem must be original writing from the person submitting the letter/poem.
• The letter/poem must not have been published anywhere else
• The letter/poem can’t can’t be defamatory toward another person or say anything negative about an identifiable person (even if it’s true)
• The letter must be less than 800 words
• Only one entry per person
• Include a headline for your letter and a photo that goes with your story

Rights

You will own the rights to your entry, but by entering the contest, you will give us permission/limited license to publish the letter and any pictures you provide on The Unsealed. You will also allow us to promote your entry on social media using your letter and the provided picture.

How it will be judged

Members of the media and The Unsealed will judge the contest. Below is a sample of some of the people who have judged our contests in the past. 

Our judges will be members of the media as well as people with a background in writing, including but not limited to Willard Ogan (Managing Editor at the Black News Channel), Tim Graham (writer at The Athletic), Branson Wright (journalist/filmmaker), Mo Brooks ( nba.com writer), Gab Kreuz (sportscaster), Ron Insana (CNBC Contributor) and Willie Parker (Assignment manager at Stadium/Marquee Sports Network).

What the letters will be judged on

• Organization that is logical and effective, is the letter easy to read and understand?
• Creativity/originality: is there anything that makes this letter unique?
• Message/insight – does the letter offer a thoughtful message?
• Impact/Inspirational – is the story powerful and inspirational?
• Accurately addresses the topic – does this letter share a message of resilience?

Good Luck!