Calling all young authors! We’re looking for teen writers going into grades 7 to 12 to create original short stories on the theme metamorphosis!
Finalists will receive a gift card and have their submissions added to the library’s permanent collection! This contest is organized by the teen advisory groups at NVCL and NVDPL.
Incorporate the theme and be creative with it. Your story should involve transformation or meaningful change. The change could be physical, emotional, a combination of the two — or be based on any ideas that this theme inspires! It is not necessary to include the word metamorphosis in your story.
Submission deadline: Sept. 7.
The writers will be celebrated at an awards ceremony on Oct. 24. All participants will have the opportunity to read from their stories at the event.
Prizes
There will be a first place winner for each grade (grades 7 – 12). Each winner will receive a $25 gift card and their stories will be made into books that will be added to the collections in four North Shore libraries. A $25 gift card "audience choice" award will be given to one of the authors who reads from their work at the awards ceremony. There will also be other prizes awarded at the ceremony.
Rules
- Open to anyone going into grades 7 – 12 who lives or goes to school on the North Shore.
- Maximum 5,000 words
- Your work must be submitted in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf, or .txt format. Please use standard margins, 12-point font, and double-spacing
- Do not title your story Metamorphosis or Writing Contest.
- Do not include your name or other identifying information on the document. This will be included on the submission form only.
- Only one entry per applicant will be considered. The submission should be an original short story written by you in 2026. This means every sentence in your story has come from your brain.
- You can get help from friends, family, teachers and artificial intelligence models, but ONLY for research, brainstorming and feedback.
Entries will be read by a panel of local authors, teens on the organizing committee, and librarians. Submissions will be judged on the following elements: incorporation of the theme, development of plot and characters, structure, creativity, and your explanation of your writing process.