Become a Published Author /Celebrate at Young Writers Night
Title: "INKspired Minds"
Open to All 3rd – 8th Grade District 181 Students
All Types of Writing Accepted– Creative Writing, Poetry, Informational Writing, Persuasive Essays, Graphic Stories/Comics.and best persuasive essay for each grade level.
It’s Easy to Participate!
1. Parents can register all interested children using the button below.
2. Students do not need to have their writing finished before registering. Information about how to submit the writing will be provided in the registration confirmation email.
3. No minimum length requirement(many pieces are quite short). Maximum length allowed: 1000 words.
4. Students can write about any topic they wish that is appropriate for a school publication. They can write a new piece specifically for the book or they can submit something they have already written. Not sure what to submit? Ask your child’s ELA teacher who we are sure will be happy to make a suggestion.
5. Students will receive their books at Young Writers Night
Important Dates
Registration Closes
January 31, 2025
Written Work Due
February 14, 2025
Young Writers Night
April 10, 2025 6:30pm
at HMS
writing Awards
Winners Announced at Young Writers Night
For the best submission at each grade level in each of these categories:
- Creative Writing
- Poetry
- Informational Writing
- Persuasive Writing
Young Writers Night
Thursday, April 10, 2025, 6:30pm at HMS
Doors Open at 6pm. Young Writers and their families are invited to this fun evening celebrating writers and writing. That night students can:
- Books Distributed
- Writing Awards Announced
- Youth Author Keynote and Interview
- Fun Learning Sessions for Writers, Artists, and Family Members
Meet Refe Tuma
Young Writers Night Keynote Speaker
(It’s pronounced ‘reef’)
The first book I ever wrote was Redwall fanfic titled STORM BADGER. It was twelve pages long with original hand-drawn illustrations. It turned out pretty well, so I figured I should end on a high note—I didn’t write another book for more than 20 years.
That doesn’t mean I wasn’t writing.
As a teen, I set my stories to music, singing and playing guitar in bands across the Chicago area. I took an interest in recording and music production, embellishing my age by a few years to take over the lease on a recording studio in my home town when I was 15 so I could help other musicians tell their stories.
At 16, I joined the film and video program at my local college, where I wrote short films we rarely had the budget to shoot. One required a stuntman to break the windshield of my mom’s Toyota Corolla. He charged $250 and asked, “How much blood you want to see?”
One fateful November night years later, my wife Susan decided to set some plastic dinosaurs on the bathroom sink. Our daughter woke us up the next morning by jumping on our bed. She pulled us into the bathroom to show us the dinosaurs had come to life and started brushing their teeth. The dinosaurs wound up getting into trouble every night for the rest of the month, and again every November after that. Pretty soon, we were telling stories about them.
Now, I’m excited to share another brand-new series with you. Frances and the Monster and Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest are full-length novels about an aspiring young scientist who creates a monster only she can stop. I can’t wait to hear what you think.
The Young writers Experience
Tips for a Successful Experience
- After registering, students should submit their finished pieces. Use the button in this section to upload writing.
- Documents should be Word or pdf. DO NOT SUBMIT PICTURES (jpg or png) OF PAPER DOCUMENTS! Please find a scanner if you don't have an electronic version.
- Please create a title for your work and include it at the top of the document.
- If a student needs help getting started, please contact us and we can connect you with a mentor.
- Content should be suitable for a school publication that is read by students as young as 3rd grade. It should not include violence/killing, self-harm/suicide, or illegal activities.
- If a student wishes to turn in something that was already completed in school this year and is not sure what to choose, his or her classroom teacher can help.
- The writing will be compiled into a bound book which every writer will receive.
- Student writers and their families are invited to Young Writers Night on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at HMS.
- Students do not need to be available for Young Writers Night to participate in the book. However, students who do not participate in the book may not attend Young Writers Night.
Cover art Contest
A special note of thanks
