A contest to encourage young writers!
“When the lights went out...”
Winners and Finalists are announced below - scroll down for the 4th-5th and 6th-8th grade names and titles
Fill out the form and upload a story to enter.
File Formats Accepted: doc, docx, pdf, txt, (a few more might be available)
There is No Entry Fee for this contest.
Young Writers Awards
St. Louis Writers Guild's annual writing contest for young writers!
Opens August 1 - Deadline October 15
All entries must be emailed or postmarked on October 15
The Young Writers Awards by St. Louis Writers Guild were started in 2011 to continue the legacy of encouraging tomorrow's authors. This year we're excited to announce, all the Winners and Finalists will be published in a collection! Details are on the entry form. Winners and finalists receive a free print copy of the YWA Collection. The YWA Collection is in response to multiple requests to give everyone the feeling of not only having their story honored, but also published!
The contest officially opens on August 1st and will close on October 15th. Entries must be postmarked on or before October 15th.
Who is eligible?
Any young writer may enter who qualifies for one of the two age groups:
4th-5th Graders: Writers currently enrolled in the fourth or fifth grade
6th-8th Graders: Writers currently enrolled in sixth, seventh, or eighth grades
Academic year is defined by the school district in which the writer attends or the curriculum the writer studies in a home school setting as of Oct. 15 of the current year.
What to do?
Write an original story that begins with the First Line: When the lights went out…
Stories must have more than 250 words to a maximum of 500 words. Stories may be scary, adventurous, humorous, or just plain fun. Judging will be based on originality, characters, cohesiveness, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Contest Rules
Stories must have over 250 words and a maximum of 500 words
Stories must begin with the prompt: When the lights went out…
Stories must be the original creative work of the writer submitting it
Stories may be scary, adventurous, humorous, or just plain fun.
Stories will be judged based on originality, cohesiveness, spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Do not include pictures with your story.
Do not write the young writer’s name on the story pages
Title should be different from the first line
Multiple entries are allowed.
Each entry should be typed using a standard 12-point black font. No fancy fonts or colored paper! Use black ink on white paper if handwritten – print neatly
How to Enter the Young Writers Awards
· No entrance fee is required.
· The contest is open to submissions from Aug 1 through Oct 15
· Multiple entries are allowed
· Please visit https://www.stlwritersguild.org/young-writers-awards
· Fill out the online form, and upload the file to enter.
· File name should include title and author name: StoryTitle_FirstNameLastName
· File types accepted for upload: PDF, .doc, .docx, .txt
Online Submission are preferred but stories may be mailed as well.
Please submit Entry and Cover Letter
Cover Letter should contain Author Name, Age or Grade, Title, Address, Email address, Name of Parent or Guardian
For Mailed Submissions,
The USPS address for submission is:
St. Louis Writers Guild, Attn: Young Writers Awards
P.O. Box 411757, St. Louis, MO, 63141.
First sentence for the 2023 Young Writers Awards
When the lights went out…
The next 500 words are yours. Good luck!
Winner will be honored at the SLWG Party in January!
Finalists will be published in the Young Writers Awards Collection
The top 16+ stories chosen as finalists in each category, will be published in an anthology produced by St. Louis Writers Guild. No money will be paid. A print copy will be awarded only to the winners. The collection will be sold at the lowest possible price point at launch for friends and family to purchase. Any money made is directed into future young writers programming. A recording may be made of the Book Fair Reading and will only be viewable to SLWG Members and Associate Members.
What are the grounds for disqualification?
Cheating of any kind in the opinion of the contest officials will disqualify the story from consideration. Examples of cheating: plagiarism (copying) of a published story for any part of a contest-submitted story, submitting another writer’s original work as one’s own story.
Not following the rules stated above.
First, Second, Third, and the Honorable Mentions receive:
Certificate
Print copy of the YWA Collection
Invitation to read at the Holiday Book Fair
Finalists receive:
Certificate
Ebook version of the YWA Collection
Invitation to the Holiday Book Fair
For questions please email: president (@) stlwritersguild (dot) org
Entries can be mailed individually or as a group or class.
St. Louis Writers Guild
Attn: Young Writers Awards
P.O. Box 411757
St. Louis, MO
63141
2023 Judge
Jody Feldman
Award-winning author Jody Feldman may have gotten her start writing The Gollywhopper Games (HarperCollins/Greenwillow) and other books for middle-grader readers, but she's recently expanded her audience with No Way Home (Sourcebooks), a young adult thriller. School Library Journal says, "Fans of mystery/thrillers with puzzles...will devour this book." Jody lives in St. Louis, where her work-in-progress, a second YA thriller, is currently kicking her— Let's just say that while it's been ultra-challenging, sentence by sentence, it's all coming together. And she applauds those of you who choose to enter this contest.
SLWG 2023 Young Writers Collection:
When the lights went out…
The winners and finalists are published in this anthology.
Proceeds from this book support SLWG Summer Writers Camp Programming
$5.99 paperback
$.99 ebook
Want one of the previous collections?
Find them on Amazon and in the SLWG Book Room
2023 Winners and Finalists
4th – 5th Grade
First Place
Found by Avery Dye – 5th Grade
Second Place
Burning Books by Margaret Wells – 5th Grade
Third Place
The Gargoyles Awaken by Sean Hendrick – 5th Grade
Honorable Mention
Shadowlands by Vivien Hescock – 4th Grade
Finalists
Lights Out by Kolton Carlson – 5th grade
The Phoenix Fire by Simran Choudhary – 4th grade
Oxygen by Levi Dukes – 5th grade
Emerald Eye by Dawanzelle Hopson – 5th grade
A Life After by Pearl Kreiger – 5th grade
The White-Eyed Woman by Pearl Kreiger – 5th grade
Finding Black by Risi Mital – 5th grade
Monster Downstairs by Harper Morris – 4th grade
Mystery Ninjas Electric Mission by Aaron Voss- 5th grade
Spy Lights by Evelyn Yakel – 5th grade
Thank you to the 2023 Judge, Phyllis Wheeler
6th – 8th grades
First Place
Mourning The Leaves by Amanda Vache – 8th Grade
Second Place
A Dark Day in Ukraine by Cassidy Proost – 8th Grade
Third Place
Eclipse by Bea Eilering – 7th Grade
Honorable Mention
A Lost Illusion by Carissa Brand – 8th Grade
Finalists
Bang and Burn by Haiden Antonacci – 8th grade
The Patient in Room 180 by Carissa Brand – 8th grade
I Don’t Like the Darkness by Jesse Carter – 8th grade
The Escape by Autumn Grace Daras – 8th grade
Bear in My Kitchen by Amelia Geneux-Ericson – 7th grade
The Museum of Horrifying History by Preston Gold – 6th grade
Moon Gone From the Sky by Sophia Mayes – 7th grade
The Box by Felicity Murray – 8th grade
The Night of Hell by Stella Pulley – 7th grade
The Buzz by Brooke Schneider – 8th grade
Thank you to the 2023 Judge, Laura Stewart Schmidt
Past Winners and Finalists of the Young Writers Awards!
Congratulations! Thank you to all who entered!
Finalists are listed in alphabetical order
2022 Winners and Finalists
Along the river…
2022 Winners
4th - 5th Grade
Winners and Finalists
First Place
The Journey of How Zuhri Came to Be
by Zuhri Gauss – 5th Grade
Second Place
A Train to War by Margaret Wells – 4th Grade
Third Place
Lost in the Wild by Levi Dukes – 4th Grade
Honorable Mention
The Yellow Eyes of the Forest by Sara Kraja – 4th Grade
Finalists
April by Morgan Callahan – 5th Grade
The Girl in the River by Lillian Christoffel – 5th Grade
Magic River by Pearl Krieger – 4th Grade
Where the River Meets the Sea by Kate McCarthy – 5th Grade
Breaking the Barrier by Donald McCullough – 5th Grade
Z is for Zombie by Andrew Meyer-Tuter – 4th Grade
The Vicious Lion by Samy Nekka – 5th Grade
Wonderland by Navya Patlu – 5th Grade
Sea of Pirates by John Quinn – 4th Grade
The Volcano Eruption by Cortez Strong – 5th Grade
6th - 8th Grade
Winners and Finalists
First Place
The Man Along the River by Will Diekmann – 8th Grade
Second Place
The Letters by LJ Cameron – 6th Grade
Third Place
The Poster Shop by Collin Farquhar – 7th Grade
Honorable Mention
The Construction Site by Amelia Chostner – 8th Grade
Finalists
Forever You and Me
by Ella Blanchard and Layla Olds – 8th grade
The River Girl by Lily Crabtree – 8th Grade
Otterly Bad Logic by Faith Durand – 7th Grade
The Colors of The River by Neila Kadic – 7th Grade
Strange Tides by Claire Kelley – 7th Grade
Shouldn’t You Be Dead? By Abigail Mazzola – 8th Grade
Glass Crown by Molly McCarthy – 8th Grade
Iris by Molly Price – 6th Grade
It all Went Wrong by Annabelle Swaykus – 8th Grade
Abandoned by Jocelyn Westerfeld – 7th Grade
2021 Winners and Finalists
When the door opened…
4th - 5th Grade
Winners and Finalists
First Place
Waterworld by Jackson McCollough – 4th Grade
Second Place
Pyramid Gazing by James Rogers – 4th Grade
Third Place
Opal’s Quest by Molly Price – 5th Grade
Honorable Mention
Doors of Chance by Eva Pulley – 5th Grade
Finalists
The Adventures of Lily the Pocket Lint
by Callie Behrens – 4th Grade
Harmony by Andrew Fei – 5th Grade
The Killer Spider by Sofia Holy – 4th Grade
Hallows Eve by Emmersen Leetch – 5th Grade
The Alien Abduction by Donald McCollough – 4th Grade
Second Chance by Quinn McFarlane – 4th Grade
Reverse by Adelaide Pagel – 4th Grade
My First Violin Performance by Nafas Parsang – 5th Grade
Halloween Night by Morgan Witt – 5th Grade
6th - 8th Grade
Winners and Finalists
First Place
Long Lost by Madison Hankin – 8th Grade
Second Place
Skin-Walker by Brendan Duffy – 8th Grade
Third Place
The Translator by Katherine Nguyen – 8th Grade
Honorable Mention
Children’s Crusade by Katherine Nguyen – 8th Grade
Finalists
The Dream Queen by Melody Brink – 6th Grade
It’s All an Illusion by Tessa Brink – 8th Grade
Best Friend by Katherine Feeney – 8th Grade
When the Door Opened by Olivia Gorline – 8th Grade
Foresight by Isabella Jones – 8th Grade
Father by Ruby Jurgiel – 7th Grade
Anna by Mary Kirley – 8th Grade
The Misleading Librarian by Natalia Lucca – 8th Grade
The Little Troll by Alfi Shakeel – 8th Grade
Silence by Sydney Vache – 8th Grade
The Proposal by Julia Worley – 7th Grade
2020 Winners and Finalists - Beneath the Mask…
4th - 5th Grade
Winners and Finalists
First Place - The Spittin Kitten by Melody Brink, 5th Grade
Second Place - Freedom 1945 by Maisyn DaLanne Parentin – 5th Grade
Third Place - Sheriff Taco by Claira Price – 5th Grade
Honorable Mention - The Last Resort by Siyona Chanda – 4th Grade
Finalists
Spy Game: The Heist by Aliyah Brown, 4th Grade
Halloween Secret by Daley Chilson, 5th Grade
The Resistance by Devin Garner, 5th Grade
Cinderella and Bradley by Aubrey Holdren, 5th Grade
The True Story of Gretel and Hansel by Aubrey Holdren, 5th Grade
On The Run by Hannah Hope, 5th Grade
Fishing is Hard Work by Kane Manfull, 5th Grade
The Heart Thief by Eva Pulley, 4th Grade
Beneath The Mask - Brigett Hollows by Zoe Sophia Russell, 5th Grade
A Very Furry Halloween by Harrison Vandernoot, 5th Grade
6th - 8th Grade
Winners and Finalists
First Place - The Sunrise on the Cherry Tree by Sara Rohatgi, 8th Grade
Second Place - The Shadows Mission by Cole Nemkovich – 8th Grade
Third Place - One Last Breath by Zach Wolfmeyer, 6th Grade
Honorable Mention - COVID-19 by Reagan Miller, 6th Grade
Finalists
Reality Unveiled by Kailyn Anderson, 6th Grade
Behind The Mask by Amber Argueta, 7th Grade
The Asteroid by Tessa Brink, 7th Grade
Beneath The Ash by Sophia Costantino, 6th Grade
Secrets In Plain Sight by Lakshyatha Dharmireddi, 8th Grade
Memory by Reagan Miller, 6th Grade
Fire by Reagan Miller, 6th Grade
Who I Am Behind The Mask by Liz Phipps, 7th Grade
Beneath The Mask by Grayson Smith, 7th Grade
The Virus by Mya Walsh, 8th Grade
High School
Winners
First Place - The Door at the End of the Hall by Elliot Behm, 9th Grade
Second Place - Of Masks and Mirrors by Janka Gerber, 11th Grade
Third Place - Faces by Elise Humes, 10th Grade
Honorable Mention - Persona by Joanna Allali, 9th Grade
Winners and Finalists of the 2019 Young Writers Awards!
When the cup turned over…
4th - 5th Grade
Winners & Finalists
First Place - Faithful by Millie Holekamp
Second Place - Detective Danny by Zachary Wolfmeyer
Third Place - The Orc King’s Reign by Henry Madden
Honorable Mention - Ming’s Life by Alex Bryant
Honorable Mention - The Cup Of Power by Devika Eluru
Honorable Mention - A Sorcerer’s Fight by Anna Mason
Finalists
A Game by Alexis J. Burroughs
Dringdudrung by Elisha Dukes
My Job by Colton Hrubes
Contest by Reagan Miller
Magic by Amelia Rejent
The Street Magician by Jackson Ringhoffer
Another Memory by Elle Saleeby
When The Blues Made History by Riley Schoene
Tom, Calvin, And, Fizzy Get The Salami by Harry VanDernoot
Upside Down Cup by Brayden Walters
6th - 8th Grade
Winners & Finalists
First Place - When The Cup Turned Over by Lucas Silva
Second Place - When The Cup Turned Over… by Isabella (Ella) Jones
Third Place - Hope by Hope Zeldin
Honorable Mention - Cup Stacking by Mia Cuneio
Honorable Mention - Hero by Olivia Nieders
Honorable Mention - The Visitor at Teatime by Elizabeth Oelzen
Finalists
Lunch Disaster by Emily Bernstein, 6th Grade
Poisonous Frogs by Louisa Blackmoore, 7th Grade
Truth Or Dare by Tessa Brink, 6th Grade
A Computer’s Nightmare by Zach Cohen, 8th Grade
Alone by Alexa Kahle, 7th Grade
It Started With A Cup by Darcy McClung, 7th Grade
From Worst To First by Taylor Priesmeyer, 8th Grade
“Spiders” by Trevor Schmidt, 6th Grade
Announcement by Daniel Shanker, 7th Grade
Laugh With The Sinners, Die With The Saints by Leslie Tuck, 8th Grade
Honorable Mentions and Finalists are listed in Alphabetical Order.
Thank you to everyone who entered!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2018 Young Writers Awards
6th-8th grade writers
1st Elise Humes – Something In My Lunchbox
2nd Hope Zeldin – Get that Ring!
3rd Avery Mattingly – One Person Changes Everything
Honorable Mentions
Lydia Crooks - The Lunchbox
Sonali Mehta – Broken Dreams
Yasmine Maynard - “Cage”
4th-5th Grade
1st Jason Campbell – George, The Jolly Rancher
2nd Millie Holekamp – Pandora’s Lunchbox
3rd Avi Zucker, Aimee Dalton – Pitchfork Lunch
Honorable Mentions
Quinn Puga – The Orangutan’s Contract
Fiona Morayta – Squirrelzilla!
Hannah Hirsch – My Brother’s Star Wars Lunch Box
Thank you to everyone who entered, there were almost 200 hundred entries this year!