Gentlemen (and gentle ladies) - start your engines!

Or, in this case, sharpen your pencils, dip your quills, stretch your texting fingers, or plug in your laptops, the 23rd annual Writers Competition at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library is under way!

Writers over the age of 5 can submit up to two entries in either the fiction or nonfiction prose category. Two fiction pieces, two nonfiction pieces, or one entry in each category can be submitted, and submissions may contain up to 2,000 words.

Sorry, no poetry please.

For several years, the Coeur d'Alene Kiwanis Club has provided a $1,500 grant to the library as prize money for the competition.

Cash prizes are awarded in each category and age group at a ceremony in May hosted by the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Public Library. Prizes are: $100 for first place; $50 for second and $25 for third. Entries are judged by professional writers, editors, and educators.

Entry forms and rules are available at the library or can be downloaded from the library website, cdalibrary.org. The web entry forms can be found in the "About Us" portion of the menu; then click on "Annual Events."

You can also receive entry forms and rules by mail. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Writers Competition, Cd'A Public Library, 702 E. Front Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814.

The deadline for entries is March 31. Entries mailed to the library should be postmarked no later than March 30.

Former Library Director Julie Meier began the competition more than 20 years ago with the goal of discovering great, local writers, providing young writers with an outlet for their work, and encouraging excellent writing.

In recent years, the Writers Competition has attracted more than 200 entries. Most participants are younger than 18, however some winning submissions have included individuals in their 90s.

All entries in the annual competition are included in professionally-bound volumes and added to the library's permanent collection. These volumes can be reviewed in the Nelson Memorial Room. By examining winning entries from past competitions, emerging writers can improve their craft.

So obtain an entry form, read the rules, and go!