Writing is one of 10 artistic disciplines in YoungArts' national competition. This discipline encompasses fiction, nonfiction, play or script, poetry and spoken word. Applicants may either be a citizen of the United States, a permanent resident/green card recipient, or someone who can demonstrate that they are legally able to receive taxable income in the United States. Applicants must also be in grades 10-12 or 15-18 years of age on December 1 of the year they are applying. There are different requirements for submission of materials in each category of the competition. For the Fiction category, applicants must submit one piece of writing not to exceed 15 pages. If it is an excerpt, it should be accompanied by a synopsis of no more than 200 words explaining how it fits into the story as a whole. For the Nonfiction category, applicants must submit two separate pieces of writing, not to exceed 15 pages in total. Material may be memoir, autobiographical, or creative essays. For the Play or Script category, applicants must submit one script for dramatic performance, not to exceed 15 pages total. Scripts for musicals are not permitted. Please refrain from submitting pieces that contain illustrations. If it is an excerpt, it should be accompanied by a synopsis of no more than 200 words explaining how it fits into the play. Title page, character list, set list, etc. are not required. For the Poetry category, applicants must submit three to five separate poems. Total work sample must not exceed 10 pages. For the Spoken Word category, applicants must submit two to three written poems. Total written materials must not exceed 10 pages. A separate video performance for each poetry submission is required. Submissions must be in English. If words or phrases in another language are used, translations must be included either in parenthesis within the piece or in the footnotes. Please visit the award's website for more information about the competition and the required materials.