1. Each entrant must be a registered user at www.TheOrganicCity.com. Upon registration, you will be sent a password. With your login name and new password, please log in at The Organic City website and go to the Write a Story section.

2. To begin the story submission process, select a location on the map of downtown Oakland shown on the main Write a Story page. Your story must have some association or connection with the map point that you select. Some examples of stories connecting to place include:

• An event in the story takes place at the location.
• You wrote the story at the location.
• You were inspired to write the story after witnessing something at the location.

3. After selecting a map point, a 'Write a Story' form will appear. Enter your story's title into the 'Title' textfield. Enter your story by either typing it directly or pasting it into the 'Story' textfield. Select the 'Text-Only' radio button at the bottom of the page. Pick a genre for your story by selecting one of the radio buttons to the right.

4. Publish your story by clicking the 'Publish' button. Or you can click the 'Save as Draft' button and your story will be stored for you without being published.

5. Once you publish your story, you can go to the Read a Story page to view it on the map. It will also appear on the Home page under 'Recent Stories.'

6. If you have any questions, please contact us.

• Submissions should be no less than 500 words and no more than 5,000 words.

• The deadline for submission of stories is 10am Monday May 22, 2006.

• The winner will be notified by Monday May 29, 2006.

• Entries will be judged by content and writing quality.

• Writers with editing and publishing experience will judge entries.

• All stories submitted will be published on the Internet. The Organic City and Watchword Press are not responsible for any unauthorized third party use. Rights to remain with authors.

• All stories must be previously unpublished.

• Only text-only stories, i.e.: not video or audio stories, will be entered into the competition.

• Anyone is free to enter a story, but we can only accept stories submitted through The Organic City's website. All text-based stories submitted to The Organic City will be considered in the competition. If you submit a story to The Organic City that you don't want entered in the competition, please contact us.