Applicant must be between 20 and 35 years of age by deadline and a resident of Nevada or northern California for three consecutive years prior to deadline. Applicant must submit an unpublished work-in-progress: fiction (novel or short story), nonfiction, prose, or poetry. Nonfiction writers who are not recipients of the award may be considered for the $1,000 Special Award for Nonfictional Prose. No separate application is required for the special award.