We love to encourage writers of all ages to find their voice and share their stories. This fall, there are two contests to help you (or your child) stretch your writing and imagination skills!

Writing Opportunities and Resources for Children, Tweens and Teens

  • Spooky Story Contest, hosted by TCCL and our Schusterman-Benson Library: From Oct. 1-30, aspiring writers ages 8-18 can submit a short story to any TCCL location. The top 10 winners in each of the three age categories (8-11, 12-14 and 15-18) will have their story published online and in a book that will be added to TCCL’s collection. Submissions will be accepted starting Oct. 1, and the submission deadline is 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30.

  • My Favorite Book contest, presented by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries: Readers in Grades 4–12 are invited to write a letter to the author of a favorite book, expressing how the book affected them personally. Cash Prizes will be awarded to the student writers of the top three letters in each level. First place winners will select their school library or public library to receive a cash prize of $1,000! Contest entries will be accepted beginning October 15, 2021. The deadline to submit is December 17, 2021, at 5:00 pm. Find details at https://libraries.ok.gov/my-favorite-book/.

    • Try catalog items about writing for elementary and middle-grade writers to help you address your favorite author! Find the list here: Writing letters.

SSC

Find helpful writing resources free to TCCL cardholders below. Don't have a card? Sign up HERE. 

  • eLibrary has a Short Story Research Topic which includes resources on popular short story authors, how to write a short story and more. Find the database at HERE, login with your last name and TCCL card, then search "short story" to find the research topic.

    • An excerpt from the research topic: "Short work of prose fiction, usually consisting of between 500 and 10,000 words, which typically either sets up and resolves a single narrative point or depicts a mood or an atmosphere. ... The short story form encourages economy of setting and concise narration. It must be succinct in presenting its central intention and the plot cannot be elaborate. Within these constraints, the focus may be primarily the events (as with Poe's stories), the presentation of character (as in the stories of Anton Chekhov), or the relationship between character and setting (for example, James Joyce's Dubliners)."

  • Universal Class offers a slew of self-paced courses in language arts and creative writing. Get started with Universal Class HERE. Create an account with your email address to save progress! Relevant classes include but are not limited to:

    • Writing the Great American Short Story: In this class, you will gain the inspiration and the discipline to write a short story of 1000 to 8000 words. We will use examples from all genres, exploring the techniques of plot, style, flow, voice and tone that will make your fiction sing. This close reading of master works is accompanied by tried and true methods for putting words on the page, revising, and handling criticism from others. One thing's for sure: Your stories are ready to tell themselves to you. And, if all goes well enough, they'll tell themselves to the world as well. So, are you ready to start writing?

    • Creative Writing for Beginners: Creative writing is a form of artistic expression.   While the painter uses canvas and the sculptor uses clay, the writer uses pen and paper – or computer and keyboard in today's world. This course is designed to teach you the tools and mechanics of creative writing. You'll learn about writing fiction, poetry, screenplays, and even nonfiction. It doesn't matter if you're already writing or if you want to learn more about it so you can start. This course teaches you the basics that you need to know and gives you the skill sets you need to start creating your written works of art.

    • How to Write A Short Story: If you're a reader and thought you might like to try your hand at short story writing but just don't know how to get started, this course will help! We'll take you through the entire process…preparing your mind, getting ideas on paper, and help you through the editing and proofing process. You'll learn new writing skills and techniques, and find new ways to express yourself. As you advance through this course, you're going to learn the correct way to write a short story.  More than that, you're going to learn the aspects of every good short story as well as learn how to create your own wonderful works!

    • Punctuation and Grammar 101: Do you need a refresher course in basic punctuation and grammar?  Is your business writing, school writing or personal writing a disaster and you're tired of stressing over mistakes?  Improper grammar and punctuation is a sign for some people, right or wrong, that you may be less educated or less intelligent. Your writing reflects more about your personality than you realize: it reflects your attention to detail, your education and how you think.  Even the most basic writing -- like thank-you notes and emails -- can be sabotaged by just one grammatical error.  In the business world, this can give clients the impression that you aren't careful.  If your work is as sloppy as your writing, you aren't the person they want to hire or promote.

    • Creative Writing 101: 'Creative Writing 101' is an attempt to capture what cannot be held in hand or thought--the elusive riddle of human creativity as we find it in our writing. Here we look at various forms and genres (books, dramas and plays, poetry, essays, film-writing, stories in general, etc.) as they relate to the creative impulse. We also talk about the Writer's Voice and personality, writing as therapy, illusions about writing, legend and mythos, and other areas where a creative writer may find inspiration, advice or enlightening conjecture. This self-paced course is offered to writers everywhere with hat-in-hand, for what it may be worth. Test and review questions, and also lesson exercises are included at the end of each lesson to build mastery.

  • LearningExpress Library offers digital books, videos and activities to help you improve your writing. Get started with LearningExpress HERE. 

    • Writing in 15 Minutes A Day: Middle school students can use the lessons in this eBook to help improve writing skills for class, homework, and important essays—in just 15 minutes a day!

    • Writing Skills Tutorial: Sharpen your writing skills with this five-step tutorial. Learn brainstorming and organizational techniques, review grammar, spelling, and mechanics, and practice writing an essay.

    • 501 Writing Prompts (ebook): This eBook features 501 sample writing prompts that are designed to help you improve your writing and gain the necessary writing skills needed to ace essay exams. Build your essay-writing confidence fast with 501 Writing Prompts!

    • Think You Know Your Vocabulary? (ebook): Boosting your word power will improve your overall speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. That's why you need Think You Know Your Vocabulary?—the ultimate guide to building and using the right words effectively.

  • LinkedIn Learning has courses to help you excel at writing! Find LinkedIn Learning HERE.

    • Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer: Have you ever pored over a beautifully written article and wished you could write with the same kind of flair? If so, this course is for you. Join Shani Raja—a former editor for the Wall Street Journal—as he shares practical techniques for making your writing sparkle. Shani dives into the mindset of an elite writer, spelling out the key principles that help great wordsmiths keep their writing purposeful, concise, and pleasurable to read. Learn how to avoid common issues that can weaken your prose, such as careless repetition and out-of-focus ideas. Plus, learn strategies that can help you craft elegant paragraphs and transitions, add freshness to your writing, and more.

    • Writing: The Craft of Story: In this course, author Lisa Cron digs into the craft of writing a compelling story based on what the brain is wired to respond to in every story we hear. Whether you're writing a story from scratch or revising your story for the umpteenth time, this course offers practical how-to advice, then illustrates it using before-and-after examples. Discover how to craft a first page, zero in on your story's point, create empathy, find a character's secret goals and inner issues, translate generics into specifics, write for suspense, create cause-and-effect connections, build momentum and tension, and deftly implement setups, payoffs, flashbacks, subplots, and foreshadowing.

    • Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing: With easy-to-understand examples, Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty shares ways you can instantly make your writing better, including using active voice, writing with rhythm, and using commas like a pro. She also dispels a few common grammar myths, gives pointers for breaking up run-on sentences, and much more. Watch just one video or the whole series of these quick tip videos any time you want to improve your writing skills.

    • Writing with Commonly Confused Words: Have you ever had to cite a sight you saw while on-site? English has many troublesome words that people commonly confuse, which can lead to misunderstandings, confusion, and embarrassment. Using the wrong word can affect your credibility and have an adverse effect on communication. In this course, Mignon Fogarty, better known as Grammar Girl, covers some of the most frequently misused words, from words that sound the same, like “compliment” and “complement,” to words with commonly misunderstood meanings, like “farther” and “further.” Learn how to write with more confidence, make fewer mistakes, and spend less time doubting how to use these tricky words.