The LSSU High School Short Story Prize is a North American literary competition run by the Lake Superior State University Department of English & Creative Writing for high school writers with a cash award, scholarship, and publication. The competition is open to all high school students residing in the United States and Canada. Entries are accepted December 1 through March 31 each year. Our mission is to create excitement about writing and reading in high school students, as well as to raise awareness about our English and creative writing programs here at LSSU.

2018 SEMI-FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT:

Our judges have been busily reading and reflecting, consulting and conferring, and after much deliberation, we are pleased to disclose the semi-finalists for this year’s contest. Befitting the theme of historical fiction,  these submissions have taken us on a glorious odyssey through time, and we cannot thank you enough for sharing your talents with us.

The semi-finalist pieces will proceed on to the second level of judging where they will be considered for finalist rankings, before the ultimate decision is made and the winner is selected.

• Alexis Aleo, L’Anse, Michigan, “Blood Painted Walls,” Grade 9, L’Anse High School, teacher Rebecca Keyes
• Hannah Brood, Rudyard, Michigan, “The Boy Who Never Stopped Smiling,” Grade 12, home school, teacher Karen Brood
• Katia Camargo, Miami, Florida, “Sensible,” Grade 9, Miami Arts Charter School, teacher Ariel Lewis
• Anne Chen, Forest Hills, New York, “It’s Happened Before,” Grade 12, Stuyvesant High School, teacher Mr. Grossman
• Magdalena Deniz, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, “The Type of Bite that Stings,” Grade 11, Northern Highlands Regional High School, teacher Danielle Walsh
• Rawan Elyas, Marina, California, “Springtime in Ireland,” Grade 12, Monterey High School, teacher Ronald Woods
• Annika Eske, Allendale, New Jersey, “A Train a Ferry, and a Goodbye,” Grade 11, Bergen County Academies, teacher Richard Weems
• Connor Flesch, Hartland, Wisconsin, “War on Drugs,” Grade 12, Arrowhead High School, teacher Terri Carnell
• Elissa Gilbertson, Nashotah, Wisconsin, “Nicholas Winton: A Holocaust Story,” Grade 12,  Arrowhead Union High School, teacher Terri Carnell
• Lucy Hundt, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, “The Wall,” Grade 12, Arrowhead High School, teacher Terri Carnell
• Ian Jacome, Doral, Florida, “Weeping Child,” Grade 9, Miami Arts Charter School, teacher Ariel Lewis
• Amanda Jentsch, New Berlin, Wisconsin, “Fanciful Bastard,” Grade 11, New Berlin Eisenhower Middle/High School, teacher Kristine Springer
• Evie Jin, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, “The Keeper,” Grade 11, Winchester Thurston School, teacher M. Christine Benner
• Karalyn Jobe, Midland, Michigan, “Dreadful Bedlam,” Grade 12, Midland High School, teacher James Woehrle
• Yuhan Kim, Hudson, Ohio, “Pour l’Emereur,” Grade 11, Hudson High School, teacher Gina von Ville
• Chloe La Forest, L’Anse, MIchigan, “Follow the North Star,” Grade 9, L’Anse High School, teacher Rebecca Keyes
• Janel LaPalm, Escanaba, Michigan, “Grievings and Dreams,” Escanaba High School, Grade 12, teacher Tammi Wiles
• Elise Nehasil, Livonia, Michigan, “When We Were Young Ones,” Grade 12,  Adlai E. Stevenson High School, teacher Elizabeth Schuch
• Joan Ogemaw, Suttons Bay, Michigan, “The Ice Block,” Grade 12, Northport Public School, teacher, Jennifer Walter
• Abigail Ollila, Ontonagon, Michigan, “Through the Ashes, Grade 11, Ontonagon Area High School, teacher Jon Uotila
• Kristine Regal, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, “Public Enemy No. 1,” Grade 12, Arrowhead High School, teacher Terri Carnell
• Maija Rice, L’anse Michigan, “Journey to Vietnam,” Grade 9, L’Anse High School, teacher Rebecca Keyes
• Keeley Satterfield, Freeport, Michigan, “Are You Leaving,” Grade 10, Thornapple Kellogg School, teacher Aaron Eding
• Collin Schmitz, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, “A Place for Peace, Love, and Music,” Grade 12, Arrowhead Union High School, teacher Terri Carnell
• Josephine Selvik, Palatine, Illinois, “Lilacs and Daffodils,” Grade 12, Palatine High School, teacher Erin Lindstrom
• Haley Shelton, Columbus, Indiana, “Gebrochene,” Grade 9, Columbus North High School, teacher Ms. Schmidt
• Rebecca Yeomans-Stephenson, Okemos, Michigan, “Revolutionary,” Grade 11, Okemos High School, teacher Dawn Reed
• Ann Zhang, Ballwin, Missouri, “Bloodhounds,” Grade 10, John Burroughs School, teacher Andy Chen

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 2017 contest winner here, the 2016 contest winner here, and the 2015 contest winner here (the 2017, 2016, and 2015 themes were realistic fiction, alt-history short stories, and post-apocalyptic fiction, respectively).

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

READING RECOMMENDATIONS

The following historical fiction short stories are all available online:

• “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
• “Babylon Revisited” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “Where Are You Going, Where Have you Been?” by Joyce Carole Oates

Below is a short historical fiction piece published on Teen Ink that we also recommend as a model:

• “The Black Poppy“  by Katrina B.

You can read more historical fiction published in Teen Ink here (look for the MAG icon).

2018 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. Stories must qualify as historical fiction. For the purposes of this contest, this will mean fiction that takes place in a former time period. We are looking for 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.

HOW TO ENTER

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

PAST WINNERS AND THEMES

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, Genevieve Smith, at gsmith18@lssu.edu.

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Did you know? At LSSU, you can major or minor in creative writing, literature, 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.