Rules

“Don’t forget – no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.”
Charles de Lint 

AWARDS

Grand Prize winners:
$150 for Elementary
$250 for Middle School
$350 for High School

Each original manuscript published as a book.
Each final edit published as an audiobook and narrated by the author.

For 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners: other cash prizes.

Grand Prize and 1st Place winners have each a video clip made on an excerpt from their story.

Grand Prize, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place winners who participated in the Editing workshop series have their full edited story compiled in an e-book.

To ALL the winners, including those granted Honorary, Achievement and Encouragement Award, Creative Writing Workshops are offered tailored per level. Depending on the placement, a plaque, medal and/or certificate are given.

PRODUCTION RULES

In preparation for writing, students should draw from their own personal knowledge and research information from a variety of sources including historical and  reference material, interviews, personal experiences, newspapers, academic journals, auto-biographies, films and television movies, or internet sources.

These researches are solely opportunities for learning. Plagiarism is not accepted and a disqualification act (for example: copying published information, submitting someone else’s
text as your own).

DESCRIPTION AND GUIDELINES

The contest is open to all Miami-Dade Elementary, Middle and High School students
in grades 3 – 12. There is a one-time fee of $10 which can be waived for students in needs and for any student applied by their school teacher.

The considered grade is the one you were in when you registered, 2022-2023 academic year.
Writers may submit:
Elementary (grades 3 – 5):
One typed or hand-written story between 1,000 and 2,000 words
Middle (grades 6 – 8):
One typed story between 2,000 and 4,000 words
High School (grades 9 – 12):
One typed story between 4,000 and 6,000 words

  • There is no restriction on style.
  • Each story must be the work of one student and not the collective work of two or more students.
  • By submitting the manuscript, the applicant certifies that the story is original, authored solely by her/him and has never been published.
  • The story cannot be plagiarized or infringe upon the rights of any third parties.
  • The story must be written in English.
  • The story must have a title.
  • The author must provide a cover such as a drawing, a picture or else.
  • This is optional, but the author can add illustrations to the story.
  • A 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner for each level is selected as well as a
    Grand Prize per level, if deserved.
  • The stories are judged by professionals from the literary, educational and the art world on the following:
    o Creativity and originality
    o Composition and overall structure
    o Sentence construction and fluency

THEMES

  • Themes are exclusively FREE CHOICE.

APPLICATION 

  • Deadline was May 31, 2023 (midnight).

SUBMISSION ONLINE ONLY in Word or pdf format at https://laplumecontest.com/sign-up/submit/

  • Starts June 1, 2023.
  • Ends August 17, 2023 (midnight | First Day of Miami-Dade County Public Schools).

You can also submit your manuscript by email in Word or pdf format at mystory@laplumecontest.com