The LSSU High School Short Story Prize is a North American literary competition run by the Lake Superior State University Creative Writing Program (visit us online or follow us on Facebook!). The competition is open to all high school students residing in the United States and Canada. Entries will be accepted January 1 through April 30 in 2019. Our mission is to create excitement about writing and reading in high school students, as well as to raise awareness about the growing Creative Writing Program here at LSSU.

Each year, the contest award is a $500 cash prize that can be increased to a $1000 cash scholarship if the winner chooses to attend LSSU. The winning story will also be published in the subsequent volume of Border Crossing.  You can read the 2018 contest winner here, the 2017 contest winner here, the 2016 contest winner here, and the 2015 contest winner here.

2019 THEME

In this, the fifth year of the LSSU High School Short Story Prize, the theme for the contest will be open. This means any short story written by a North American high school student will be considered for this year’s contest! For more on what we’re looking for, read the contest rules below.

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

The following short stories, which were used as models during our last four years of contests, are all available online:

• “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
• “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• “Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been?” by Joyce Carole Oates
• “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe
• “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury
• “The Curse” by Arthur C. Clarke
• “The Long Haul” by Ken Liu

Also available online are all of the winning stories from the last four years:

• “Survival of the Fittest” by Zoie Cole (post-apocalyptic short story)
• “Shadows of Auschwitz” by Anna Shier (alt-history short story)
• “The Catch” by Grace Coberly (realistic fiction)
• “The Type of Bite that Stings” by Magdalena Deniz (historical fiction)

2019 CONTEST RULES

To enter, high school writers submit an original, unpublished story that meets the following guidelines:
1. Entrants must be high school students and residents of the United States or Canada. All entries will be read blind, with the identities of authors revealed only after judges’ final decisions are made; locations will be checked after this point.
2. This year’s contest theme is open. This means we are looking for any stories written in a compelling voice with a well-developed story, character depth, a detailed historical setting, attention to language, and a deeper meaning.
3. Stories may be no longer than 5,000 words.
4. Students may enter only once, and stories must have individual authors.
5. Address and contact information should be entered in the form only; please do not enter contact information on the story itself. Stories will be read blind.
6. On the upload form, enter your grade, high school, and current English teacher’s name.
7. Entries must be previously unpublished, online or otherwise, at the time of submission. (There is no need to withdraw stories if they are selected for publication after submission.)
8. The winner will be asked to provide proof of residency and high school student status (homeschool status is acceptable as long as documentation can be provided).
9. The winner must sign a standard Border Crossing publication contract (for first-time North American serial rights only–all other rights remain with the author). For legal minors, the winner’s parent or guardian will co-sign.
10. Per Border Crossing editorial board policy, the winning story may be subject to editing. The judges reserve the right not to award the prize if no entry of winning quality is received.

MAILING LIST

Teachers, parents, and students interested in the contest are encouraged to sign up for the contest newsletter to receive contest updates.

CONTEST LESSON PLAN

HOW TO ENTER

Enter your story using the Border Crossing submissions manager online. There is no fee for entering.

PAST WINNERS AND THEMES

2018: Historical Fiction Short Stories Lesson Plan, Model Texts, and Contest Results

2017: Realistic Fiction Short Stories Lesson Plan, Model Texts, and Contest Results

2016: Alt-History Short Stories Lesson Plan, Model Texts, and Contest Results

2015: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Lesson Plan, Model Texts, and Contest Results

QUESTIONS? 

Contact the contest coordinator, Mary McMyne, at mmcmyne@lssu.edu.

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Did you know? At LSSU, you can major or minor in creative writing and English education. We have been voted Department of the Year twice in recent years by Student Government!  Learn more about LSSU English Majors here.