PACIFIC PALISADES — Despite remaining closed to the public due to COVID-19, the Palisades Branch library continues to seek to bring its community together through virtual events. One such event that shows this desire to unify is the recently announced “Children’s Summer Creative Writing Contest” for 2020.
The theme for the contest is “Surprise Us,” meaning all entries must contain a surprise of some kind. There are five categories all based on age group: 1st and 2nd grade, 3rd and 4th grade, 5th and 6th grade, 7th and 8th grade, and high school students. Los Angeles residents or those who attend school in Los Angeles are all invited to take on the challenge.
There are a few rules being enforced by the library, however. To name a few, there is a deadline that must be met: all entries must be submitted by September 8. Entries must also follow specific formats as short stories, essays, non-fiction articles, dramatic scenes, monologues or poetry. There are also rules regarding formatting such as a policy regarding misspelled words, spacing requirements (double spaced only and font size 12), and no profanity is allowed.
Once finished with their work, contestants must fill out an entry form and send both the entry form and their work to friends@friendsofthelibrary.org as two separate PDF documents. They must then wait until the awards ceremony, which is planned to be held in fall either in person or virtually, where winning stories will be performed by actors. The winners will also receive prizes in the form of gift certificates for Diesel Bookstore in Brentwood which can be redeemed online. The value of the certificate varies based on ranking, with 1st place receiving $250, 2nd place $100, and 3rd place $50.
For more information regarding the competition, including the rules and entry form, click here to be redirected to the official library page.
