It’s time to get creative! FPL is hosting a Fairy Tale writing contest for all ages. The contest begins Monday, June 22 and will continue through Monday, July 20. All entries must be submitted by 5:00 pm on July 20 to be eligible to win a prize.
Entries can be submitted online or the they can be returned to the library, either at the outdoor drop box or at the circulation desk. Please make sure each submission has the participant’s name clearly written at the top of the page along with the appropriate age group. For entries that are multiple pages, please make sure the name is on each page.
All entries will be compiled into a digital file and shared with patrons on this web page (if you would like your entry to remain anonymous in the compiled file, please indicate that at the top of your submission), with special attention being given to the winners. Winners will be selected based on overall quality, creativity, and having followed along with the prompt given for the particular age group.
Submit Completed StoryChildren (Grade 4 and Under)
You’re no stranger to fairy tales. They’re everywhere from the books you read to the movies you watch. And now it’s your turn to create one of your own! Either create one that is entirely original and your own, or retell one of your favorites, adding your own special twists.
Let’s think about some of the common themes of fairy tales…what do they mean to you?
- Be a good friend and you will have good friends.
- Hard work pays off.
- Good triumphs over evil.
- Honesty is the best policy.
- Actions are more important than words.
- There are two sides to every story.
- Don’t underestimate the abilities of others.
- Do the right thing, even when the right thing is the hardest thing to do.
- Appearances can be deceiving.
Make sure to organize your thoughts before you begin writing!
- Who are the characters (good and bad)?
- What are the problems?
- Things happen in threes…what are the three events in your story?
- What is the solution?
- How does the story end?
Your story should either be an original story or an original re-telling of a fairy tale. Use one of the common fairy tales themes from above and make sure that your story has good and bad characters, a problem, three events, a solution, and a conclusion. And include an illustration! (A note: there are no length requirements, just take as long as you need to tell your story!)
Middle School (Grades 5-8)
Your Challenge: retell a classic fairy tale and put a modern twist on it!
Think about some fairy tales and look for ways that they are different than our modern world. How would Cinderella pan out today? Think about your characters, in what ways would they be more diverse, how would their perspectives change, how would that affect their actions?
Before you begin writing, be sure to organize your thoughts:
- Which original story will you be using?
- What is the setting?
- Who are the characters and how have they changed?
- What are the points of view?
- What are the problems and eventual solutions?
- What other changes do you want to make?
Keeping the essential plotlines, reframe a classic fairy tale to fit with the modern world. You do not have to retell the entire tale, just a portion of it, but make sure that the portion you choose, you will able to modernize. You can choose to write your story as paragraph narrative, a newspaper article, an interview, or as a comic strip (avoid stick figures, give it your best shot). Be sure to use the appropriate conventions and tones for the format that you choose! The story should be a minimum of 1-2 pages in length.
High School (Grades 9-12)
It’s time to put someone else in the spotlight. You will be retelling a classic tale from an alternate perspective (i.e. telling Red Riding Hood from the perspective of the grandmother).
Before you begin writing, be sure to organize your thoughts:
- Which original story will you be using?
- Who are the characters?
- Which perspective will you be writing from?
- What are the motivations of this character?
- What are this character’s traits?
- How do those motivations impact the course of the narrative?
- What are the problems that this character faces and the eventual solutions?
Some elements are (but not limited to):
- Magic
- The number three
- Royalty
- Good versus bad
- Moralizing
- Strength in unexpected places
Make sure you utilize 3 elements of fairy tales in your story and give it a new title. You should aim to maintain the essential plot points and shed new light on those points by bringing forward a different perspective. You can choose to write your story as a traditional paragraph narrative, or you can create a character diary, write in verse, or tell the story in comic strips or graphic panels. Your finished story should be 4-10 pages in length. Use your best judgement as to what length allows you to fully tell your story with your chosen format.
Adult (18+)
You will need either a single dice or 6 scraps of paper, numbered 1-6. You will be randomly rolling or drawing for the elements of the fairy tale you will create. You’ll piece together a mix and match fairy tale.
Character 1:
- Rumpelstiltskin
- The Wolf
- Old crone/witch
- Evil King or Queen
- Fairy Godmother
- Jacob Grimm
Character 2:
- The Seven Dwarves
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Cinderella
- Giant
- The Little Mermaid
- Hans Christian Andersen
Setting:
- Deep, dark woods
- A lonely cottage
- A garden
- Along the ocean shore
- A castle in the sky
- A secret cave
Conflict:
- Main character is lost and hungry
- Main character is being chased/hunted
- On a quest for a hidden treasure
- Main character must save someone they love
- Main character has had something stolen from them
- Main character wants to escape their life.
Bring together all four elements to create an original (or original-ish) fairy tale. Use common fairy tale themes or other elements to enhance your story. You can choose to write your story as a traditional paragraph narrative or you can get playful with format by writing a character diary, a story in verse, or a comic strip or graphic panels. Your finished story should be 4-15 pages in length. Use your best judgement as to what length allows you to fully tell your story with your chosen format.