The Rules

What

What do you know now that you wish your teenage self knew? Write an inspiring letter to your teenage self (It can be in essay or poem form). 

First Place – selected by The unsealed – $200

Bonus Prize – Selected by Votes – $50

Member votes count 5x. Non-Member Votes Count 1x

Who

You must be over 18 and a member of The Unsealed Community. You can sign up for The Unsealed Here

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

When

All Entries must be in by midnight on August 1st, 2023  11:59 Eastern Time

Those moving on to round two will be announced by October 1st

Voting will start October 1st and end November 1st at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Winners will be announced  November 3rd.

Letter Requirements

• Entries must be in English
• The letter must be a true story about your life
• The letter can’t mention anyone’s name except yourself (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 must be original writing from the person submitting the letter
• The letter must not have been published anywhere else
• The letter can’t can’t be defamatory toward another person
• The letter must be less than 1500 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

• 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?