The theme for HEPL’s 10th Teen Writing Challenge is Historical Fiction or Historical Fantasy! Teen writers are challenged to write a complete short story with a historical setting.
Stories must be set in our world during a time before the 2000s. You could keep it as accurate to the time period as possible or add some magical and supernatural elements! Your story could be about a soldier in World War II, a witch during the Salem Witch Trials, or a minotaur in Ancient Greece. It is up to you to decide how to tackle your historical short story.
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 Saturday, February 28, 2026 by 11:59pm
What: An original short story
Theme: Historical Fiction or Historical Fantasy
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 Starbucks). Their stories will also be published in a blog post on the HEPL website.
GUIDELINES:
- Only one entry per person
- Entry must tell a complete story
- Entry must fit the theme
- Entry must be original work and not plagiarized
- Entry must be 3,000 words or less (not including title)
- 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 Word document or link to a Google Doc. Entry should be emailed to [email protected]
- The author’s NAME, GRADE, SCHOOL NAME/HOMESCHOOL, 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 Saturday, February 28, 2026 by 11:59pm
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:
- Entry tell a complete story in 3,000 words or less
- Story fits the theme
- Appropriateness for general teen audience
- Organization and flow of the work
- Overall entertainment and readability
Winners will be announced Friday, March 27, 2026. 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]