If you haven’t heard, November is National Novel Writing Month (affectionately known as NaNoWriMo). The month provides four weeks for writers young and old to dig out their pens, dust off their paper, and dedicate themselves to creating fiction. Though many participants try to reach the month’s 50,000-word goal, teachers and students often see an opportunity to work more writing into the classroom. NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers program provides tools and resources for support, including peer forums and ways to track progress.
In honor of NaNoWriMo, Education Week invites educators and students to send us a short story—not a novel. We’re looking for original, fresh storytelling that makes us laugh, cry, or think. Share your best fiction or show off your artistic talent in a short graphic story, with one requirement: The piece must somehow tie in education.
A few guidelines for submissions:
- Length: Stories should be anywhere from 500 to 6,000 words.
- Subject: Anything, so long as there’s a connection to education: Maybe your story takes place at a school or in an edu-topian society, or your main character is a teacher, a student, a policymaker, a researcher—you get the idea.
- Format: Send short stories as an attached Word document and graphic stories as a PDF, and include your name, location, and a brief bio.
- Timeline: We will accept stories from November 3 to November 30. Stories must be written within that time frame as part of NaNoWriMo (previously written work not accepted).
Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of Education Week staff writers and editors. We will feature the top three winners on the BookMarks blog.
Ready, set, ...write!
Submit your stories, questions, and comments to ewstorycontest@epe.org.