My Colorado Essay Collection

For the My Colorado essay collection, KUNC and Colorado Edition want to create a space to hear from each other and to share voices, thoughts and opinions on our Colorado experience. These short audio essays will focus on a specific topic. We welcome all Coloradans to submit their essays — whether you've lived here your whole life, or just moved to the state a week ago.

Current Topic: A Changing Colorado

Colorado is changing in many ways. How have you seen Colorado change and what does that mean for you? Have you noticed a change in attitude, culture, growth, or some other aspect of life here?

Ways you can start your essay:

• On the horizon, I see Colorado...
• Colorado could be...
• I remember when Colorado...

Some tips on how to write your essay

Tell us a story from the heart. We want to hear what you think and feel about how Colorado is changing around you.

Be yourself. Write the way you talk. While this might technically be an essay, we want to hear your voice, your quirks and opinions. Don’t worry — you won’t be graded on this! We encourage you to use "I" statements here because YOU are telling the story.

When you are telling the story be specific and clear. Pick a few key points and focus on those. Why was it important for you to write this? What do you feel strongly about? Your story can be silly, serious or somewhere in between. The tone is set by you!

KISS: Keep it short and simple. When writing your story, it should be 300-400 words. That is about 3 minutes when speaking at a natural speaking pace. Read it out loud a few times to make sure all the pieces click together in the story. Which reminds us...

Read your essay out loud and make tweaks before submitting. One of the most fun parts of this project are the homegrown recordings of our essayists readying their essay! To ensure that your essay will translate from the written word to the spoken word, we encourage you to read it out loud as you write it. If something doesn’t sound quite write, consider tweaking a few words!

Words matter. Be respectful in the way you write and communicate your thoughts. The goal here is to build understanding with our fellow Coloradans!

Have fun. Don't stress about the essay! Take the time to enjoy the process of writing out your thoughts and feelings. Just go for it! If you have more questions, check out our FAQ section at the bottom of the page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should my essay be? Somewhere between 300-400 words. That's about 3 minutes when speaking at a natural pace. You might want to time reading it aloud a few times.

After I submit my essay, what happens next? Once you submit your written essay, our team reviews it and chooses whether it will be used on air.

How long will it be before I am notified if my essay was chosen? We review the essay submissions frequently and we will get back to you within 30 days.

How does my written essay become audio? We will set up a time for a Zoom call and record your essay during the Zoom session.

Where will my essay be heard/found? We will archive the essay collection on our website and audio essays can be heard on Colorado Edition which airs on KUNC, KVNF in Paonia, KDNK in Glenwood Springs, and as a podcast.

Can I get a copy of my audio essay once it is done? Yes! Just let us know that you'd like a copy and we'll send you the audio file.

Can I submit more than one essay on a topic? Yes, but please make sure to submit each essay individually.

Who is eligible to submit an essay? ANYONE! We love hearing from all age groups. We also encourage participation from schools, creative writing groups, storytellers, etc. We want to hear from YOU!

What if I have more questions? We are here to help you, just reach out to Danielle, our Community Engagement Manager at danielle.hastings@kunc.org