By Rachel R., Teen Librarian
The theme for HEPL’s 8th Teen Writing Challenge is flash fiction! Flash fiction is exactly what the name suggests: very quick stories. Teen writers are challenged to write a complete story in less than 1,000 words. With a limited word count, teens will have to make every word count.
Who: Teens in grades 6-12 living in or attending school in Fishers or Noblesville (and/or Delaware, Fall Creek, Noblesville, or Wayne township)
When: Entries are due by Friday, February 28, 2025 by 11:59 PM
What: An original short story between 500-1,000 words
Theme: Flash Fiction
Winners: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners receive digital gift cards of $50, $30, and $25, respectively (winners can choose gift cards from Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, or Dunkin’).
GUIDELINES:
- Only one entry per person
- Entry must be in the form of a short story (can be any genre)
- Entry must tell a complete story
- Entry must be an original work and not plagiarized
- Entry must be between 500-1,000 words
- Cannot submit an entry in which any portion of the work is generated by AI (artificial intelligence)
- Content should be appropriate for general teen audience
- Entry must be typed and submitted as a link to a Google doc or as a Word document emailed to [email protected]
- The author’s NAME, GRADE, SCHOOL, EMAIL, PHONE NUMBER, and HOME ADDRESS must be included in the email and should not be on the story document
- Entry must be submitted by Friday, February 28, 2025 by 11:59 pm
JUDGING:
- Judges for the contest will be a mixed panel of HEPL staff (adults) and Teen Advisory Board members (teens) who do not have entries in the contest
- Submissions will be judged anonymously with only the author’s grade level visible to judges (grade level/age of author will be considered when judging)
- Judges will be looking at the following criteria:
- 500-1,000 words
- Story fits the flash fiction theme
- Appropriateness for general teen audience
- Organization and flow of the work
- Overall entertainment and readability
Winners will be announced Friday, March 28, 2025. Winning authors will be asked by email to return a signed permission form allowing HEPL to post their awesome work on our website.
We can’t wait to read your stories! Good luck!
If you have any questions about the contest, please email: [email protected]