“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.
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.
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, whether attending public or private schools or being homeschooled. There is a one-time fee of $10 which is waived for students in need, for any student applied directly by their current school teacher, and for Miami-Dade homeschooled students.
The considered grade is the one you were in when you registered, 2024-2025 academic year.
Writers may submit:
Elementary (grades 3 – 5):
One typed story between 1,000 and 2,000 words, at most 2,500 words
Middle (grades 6 – 8):
One typed story between 2,000 and 4,000 words, at most 6,000 words
High School (grades 9 – 12):
One typed story between 4,000 and 6,000 words, at most 9,000 words
The word-count refers to the story itself, and doesn’t include the story title and author name.
- 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 hand drawing, a picture or using any design tool, which must include the story title and the author’s name. Do not include your grade. If you use someone else’s artwork, please credit the artist in the comments when submitting your story.
- 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.
2025 APPLICATION (Click here to get to the “apply” page)
- Student/Parent must apply before going to the “submit” page.
- A one-time registration fee of $10 must be paid (link on the “apply” page) unless it is waived for students in need, for any student applied directly by their current school teacher, and for Miami-Dade homeschooled students. Please email at mystory@laplumecontest,com for any questions you may have.
2025 MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION ONLINE ONLY in Word or pdf format.
- Opens on June 1, 2025.
- Deadline is August 14, 2025 (midnight), based on the the First Day of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
mystory@laplumecontest.com