Contest Guidelines
General Rules:
- There are three categories where you can submit your writing. You can submit pieces to multiple categories, but ONLY one piece of writing PER category.
- Each category will have a unique prompt and theme. Submissions not adhering to the category’s prompt and theme will not be considered.
- Your writing must be unpublished. This means that anything previously published in a journal, anthology, or on an online platform cannot be submitted.
- Your writing must be your own original work. Anything generated wholly or in part by a source other than you, such as another person or generative AI, will not be accepted. For the sake of clarity, this means that ideas generated through AI models and editing using AI-powered functions in programs like Grammarly and ProWritingAid will not be tolerated.
- Submissions are due no later than 11:59 pm CST on December 1, 2026. Pieces submitted after this time will not be accepted for consideration.
Submitting your Entry:
Once you’re ready to submit your writing, please either:
- EMAIL your stories as .docx attachment with the subject line OWL YOUNG WRITERS CONTEST SUBMISSION to youthwritingcontest@ozarkswritersleague.info (PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE EMAIL YOU USE IS ALSO THE EMAIL WE CAN USE TO CONTACT YOU WITH RESULTS)
OR
- MAIL physical copies of your stories to Ozark Hollow Press, PO Box 4573, Joplin, MO 64803.
Include a title page SEPARATE from your submission but still part of the same attachment or printed document with the title of the category, the title of your work, your name, a contact address and email, and your current school and grade (or equivalent). Email submissions received after 11:59 pm on December 1, 2026 and mailed submissions postmarked later than December 1, 2026 will not be accepted.
Contest Categories
Category 1: Fiction Short Story
- Word limit: 2,000 words.
- Theme: THE CRAZY THINGS I’VE SEEN
- Prompt: Truth is stranger than fiction… Or is it? Writing stories tends to challenge us to push the boundaries of “normal.” We put our own spin on classic fairytales, reinvent the regular tropes, and weave a bit of our unique selves into our adventures, but there’s always still that balance between “believable” and “unbelievable.” What does “unbelievable” look like for you? “You won’t believe it” must be a central element in your story. Whether it is a shocking twist, a larger-than-life creature or character, or a lie that has gotten out of hand is up to you.
Category 2: Non-Fiction
- Word limit: 2,000 words.
- Theme: HIDDEN TREASURES ALL AROUND US
- Prompt: Many of us have experienced the excitement and thrill of discovering a little-known thing or place. A comfy nook, a silly-looking building, a tree nominated for town mayor—from the things that make our hometowns famous, remote destinations worth the hike, and antique store finds replete with history, we all have our hidden treasures. What’s yours? Whether right next door or a footnote in history books, share with us a non-fiction story where a hidden treasure is central.
Category 3: Poetry
- Limit: Two poems that are each 1 page in length (or shorter) OR one poem that is two pages in length (or shorter).
- Theme: FRIENDSHIP MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
- Prompt: The power of friendship can save the world. Or, perhaps our friends help us create our own worlds of fun, safety, and love. From inside jokes to shared memories, we slowly invent languages and stories unique to our friendships. This, in many ways, is its own kind of poetry. Now, we invite you to share that poetry with us. Bring us in on an inside joke, guide us through a new friendship as it forms, drag us through a conflict as friends argue, or give voice to an outsider’s jealousy or joy at the sight of an inseparable bond in action. Show us how beautiful, terrifying, complex, or simple friendship can be.