Education Everywhere — Students are invited to enter their unpublished work in the 14th annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest.
Offered by Kent District Library since 2012, the short story contest has three categories:
- Adult, ages 18 and older
- Teen, ages 13-17
- Youth, ages 12 and younger
There is no entry fee for students ages 17 and younger. Any entrants who are 18 or older pay a $10 entry fee. Three cash prizes are awarded in each category:
- Judges’ Choice – $500
- Judges’ Runner-Up – $250
- Readers’ Choice – $250
The KDL Ada Branch is hosting two events on Oct. 18 to help writers. True crime author Tobin T. Buhk will walk through the planning and outlining process, and best-selling author Janyre Tromp will guide writers in finding their voice.
The top 10 stories in each category will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of published authors, editors, professors and literary agents. Those stories will be published on the Write Michigan website and will be open for the Readers’ Choice vote from Jan. 2 to Jan. 23. Winners will be announced on Jan. 28.
Past student winners from Kent County-area schools include Rockford, East Grand Rapids, Caledonia, Forest Hills and Lowell. Winning entries will be published in a Chapbook Press anthology which will be sold at Schuler Books.
Stories must be submitted by Nov. 15. Stories should be 3,000 words or fewer and must be in a PDF format. For full entry requirements, visit the contest webpage.
