Essay contest tips
The format is short and simple: 400 words maximum.
If your essay exceeds 400 words we’ll put it at the bottom of the stack, to be read only after making sure that there’s nothing within the 400-word limit that’s a clear winner. The shorter the essay, of course, the harder it is to write. Consider this:
Interviewer: How long do you prepare for a 5-minute speech?
Mark Twain: About two hours.
Interviewer: Goodness! Then how long does it take to prepare for a one hour speech?
Mark Twain: I could give one of those right now.
When you write your essay, consider our goals. We want you to say something that will resonate with mesothelioma patients and their families. Look at the posts on our blog, and spend some time reading the profiles on our main web site. Write something that resonates with the lives and experiences of people who deal with an aggressive, terminal disease. Write something that recognizes the interplay between mesothelioma, health care, and social justice. Hammer this one out, as Stevie Wonder might have said, “in the key of life.” Your life.
Finally, put yourself in the shoes of a patient and use this phrase as a measuring stick for what you’ve written: “So what?”
If you don’t win one week, keep trying. Bolster your chances by taking the time to:
- Craft an unmistakable beginning, argument, and conclusion
- Lead off with a powerful hook
- Bind your essay with a unifying concept
- Illustrate your argument with real-life examples
- Check your spelling
Good luck!