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Wednesday, September 11, 2024

4th Annual Story Writing Contest

Our 4th annual Write the Hook story writing contest for Teens, in grades 6 to 12, is open for entries! Write your hook for a story. What do we mean by hook? A hook is the beginning lines or pages of a story written to hook the reader's attention. An irresistible hook impels the reader to want to find out what happens next. We can't wait to read this year's entries!

 Link to the Online Entry Form 

  🖉🖉🖉  Contest Rules  🖉🖉🖉
  • Write the hook for the beginning of something longer; for the start of a story.
  • Open to teens in grades 6 to 12, who are residents of Essex County in Massachusetts.
  • Entry must be your original work. AI and other forms of it will not be tolerated or accepted; we reserve the right to request further evidence of original work if we suspect that a submission was made with AI. 
  • Entry must have a word count between 300(minimum) and 1,200(maximum)words.  
  • Maximum of 1 entry per author.
  • Give your story hook a title. 
  • Entries due by midnight, Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

The preferred method for story submission is via the online contest entry form

Entries are accepted in paper form, but your story hook must be typed in 12 point Times New Roman font on 8.5"x 11" paper. If you submit your entry on paper you must include on the back of the last page: your first and last name, grade level, phone number, email, and word count. Paper entries that do not follow the above guidelines will be disqualified.

Our contest judges use a rubric that scores points based on:
  • Length: Is the entry between the minimum and maximum word count?
  • Story Hook: Does the writing hook you? Do you want to find out what happens next?
  • Character(s): Are character(s) clearly described?
  • Writing: Does the word choice convey a clear picture? 
  • Grammar: How is the spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.?
  • Creativity!: original ideas? surprising? imaginative?
 $ Cash Prizes to be Awarded $
Prizes are funded by the Friends of the Hamilton-Wenham Library.
First $60, and Second $40, place cash prizes will be awarded to: 
Writers in Grades 6-8
Writers in Grades 9-12
Contest winners and any honorable mentions will be announced in January 2025, both on this blog and individually to the winners. Winning stories, along with author's name and grade level, will be published here on the Library's Informed Teens blog.