The Rules

What

Write a letter or poem to your younger self about a specific challenge you faced as a child but have since overcome. Tell your younger self how you persevered.

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 on The Unsealed are permitted to enter}

When

All Entries must be in by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024

Those moving on to round two will be notified by Tuesday, January 7th.

Voting will take place from January 7th to midnight on February 7th at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Winners will be announced on February 10th

Letter Requirements

• Entries must be in English
• They must be typed and e-mailed to contests@theunsealed.com
• They must be 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 500- 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, 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!