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Scary Short Story Writing Contest

A cartoon raven and a cartoon skull.

Open to All Ages. October 25 Deadline!

Open to All Ages
October 25 Deadline

It was a dark and stormy night... when the Athol Public Library announced it was hosting its second Scary Short Story Writing Contest. Craft your scariest short story and submit it by midnight on October 25 to frighten our panel of judges.

Official Rules and Entry Guidelines:

  • Age categories: 10 and under, 11-18, 19+
  • One grand prize will be awarded to a winner in each age category.
  • Entries must be submitted by email as a PDF or Word document to eboughton@cwmars.org, with name, town, age, and telephone number in the body of the email. (Computers and Wi-Fi at the library are free to access.) Information shared will remain confidential.
  • Entries must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, October 25.
  • One entry per person.
  • Stories must be original and written by the person submitting them.
  • AI writing tools are prohibited.
  • Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, and writing style.
  • Stories must not exceed 1500 words.
  • All entries become property of the Athol Public Library and may be posted to the library’s website or social media.