SCBWI-IL Writing Contests

Write a 12-word 'Story Sprout' for a chance to win a scholarship to our 2026 Fall Harvest Virtual Conference!

We invite SCBWI-IL members to write a 12-word Story Sprout for the Fall Harvest.

Submissions start today, May 15th, and will close at 11:59 pm on June 5th. First round of voting takes place from June 8-12, 2026. Second round of voting takes place June 15-17, 2026. The winner will be announced by July 1st, 2026.

What is a Story Sprout?

A story sprout is a short form of very brief prose narrative, often called Flash Fiction.

The Contest

1. Write a Story Sprout using only 12 words. They do not need to be 12 different words, but it must be only, and exactly, 12 words.
2. There are no limitations on style or genre. Make it happy, make it sad. Make it rhyme, make it prose.
3. The Story Sprout must be inspired by our prompt: What took root or grew unexpectedly?
4. The title is not included in the word count.
5. No illustrations please.

The Rules

1. You must be a current SCBWI Member (Premium, Student, or Free) and resident of Illinois to enter;
2. Only one entry per member.
3. Please include your title, name, and an email address at the top of your entry.
4. Click to submit your Story Sprout via Google Form
5. Entries must be submitted by 11:59 pm on Friday, June 5, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted.
6. All entries will be placed into an online form and voted on by ALL SCBWI-Illinois members for round one.
7. Round one voting will take place from June 8-12, 2026 to determine top 10%.
8. Round two voting will take place from June 15-17, 2026.
9. The winning writer will receive free attendance at the Fall Harvest Virtual Conference.
10. The Story Sprout will be used in promotions for the Fall Harvest Virtual Conference, including various social media platforms and t-shirts.
11. The writer of the winning Story Sprout will be credited wherever the Story Sprout is used to promote the event.
12. SCBWI-IL can choose not to select a winner or confer this prize.
13. If you cannot attend, no cash equivalent will be offered.
14. If the event is cancelled by the Region for any reason, SCBWI-IL will make every effort to compensate with an attendance to a similar (as defined by the Co-RA) event in future.

SUBMIT NOW

Questions? Email Pamela Morgan [email protected]