Avoiding these common mistakes will improve your chance of having a winning entry.

INTEREST IN TOPIC NOT EXPLAINED
If writing a non-fiction entry, you are asked to explain your interest in the topic. Think about why you chose the topic and explain this to the reader in at least two sentences.

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS
Make sure that you have someone proofread your entry! Remember that the computer’s spell check will not correct the incorrect use of punctuation or the incorrect use of words (such as “there” and “their”). Also check your use of past and present tense.

MISSING WORDS AND SENTENCES
The judges often see entries that are missing words or even whole sentences. Again, make sure that someone proofreads your entry.

MISSING BIBLIOGRAPHY
Guidelines state that each entry must have at least two bibliographic entries. Both should not be from the Internet. Even poetry and fiction entries must have this bibliography.

POOR USE OF BIBLIOGRAPHY
A bibliography is the list of sources that you actually used to find historical information and check your facts. An excellent entry will probably have more than two sources. Make sure that you include all the information requested in the contest guidelines for each source. For a list of recommended Internet sources, visit the Dauphin County Library System website.