Pictured Left to Right: Judge Megan Baxter, Lilah Bartholomew, Gabriella Butler,
Annaliese Rowell, Arianna Garceau, Camden Fagan
Missing from photo: Jordan Roosevelt and Jena Caron
READ THEIR WINNING PIECES BELOW!
Luna Landers, New London, sophomore at KRHS; August Bates, Warner, freshman at KRHS; Jenna Caron, Sunapee, junior at Sunapee HS; Author and Judge Megan Baxter; Annaliese Rowell, Sunapee, junior at Sunapee HS; Emma Geraghty, Sutton, freshman at KRHS; Josefina Eliessetch, Sutton, freshman at KRHS; Elle Labrie-Lavalley, Andover, freshman at Proctor Academy
READ THEIR WINNING PIECES BELOW!
Katarina Nowicki, Carly Solomon, Judge and Author Megan Baxter, Bret Salvitti,
Lilah Bartholomew, Marley Bell
Missing from photo is Luna Landers, McHale Cahill, Maddox Cahill
READ THEIR WINNING PIECES BELOW!
I write because it lets me experience things that could never happen in real life. Writing lets me see new or imagined places and meet fantastic people. It gives me a limitless freedom to do whatever I want and challenges me to create intriguing stories that people can relate to and enjoy.
My personal life experiences and the encounters I have with other individuals inspire me to express my thoughts in words. It is a freeing feeling to create, and my safe space from the pressures in life. I can push aside the difficult moments, and incorporate them into writing in a way that urges me to continue with my goals. I put into words what I cannot say, and that is the reason to why I write.
Growing up in a small town like Sunapee does not provide all the wild and ridiculous experiences that a young student might be looking for. So by watching movies and reading stories I was able to find other lives that were far more entertaining than the one I led. Through writing stories I would try to create lives and experiences that other people may enjoy just as much as I do.
I use writing as an outlet in my day-to-day life. It calms me down and allows me to release my thoughts and stories that I feel need to be on paper. I find that writing is what connects us all; a single story or poem has the ability to form a bond between people from completely different walks of life if they can relate to a certain lesson, theme, or feeling portrayed in a piece of writing. The change that a good piece of writing can bring about is what inspires me to be a writer.
I love to write as it allows me to transform my thoughts, feelings, and observations into art. Nothing inspires me more than life itself, the people around me, the moon, and the ocean. I'm truly looking forward to the workshops, and developing my skills as a writer!
I am 14 years old, and in eighth grade at Kearsarge Regional Middle School. I am inspired to write by my friends and family, by reading good stories, and by challenging scenarios. This story was inspired by my desire to go outside my comfort zone, writing from the perspective of someone struggling with mental health issues. I am especially inspired by my classmates and fellow authors in the Kearsarge Writing Club.
I write because I love to create stories and characters, I love using words to create places and personalities. I’m an avid reader so it’s really interesting to me to see how different authors unfold their stories. Some start out with an action scene while others open up with a mysterious and intriguing prologue, using beautiful language to showcase the world they created. I’ve been crafting stories and tales since before I can remember, and I’ve always wanted to write them down. But the people who influence my writing the most are authors like Patrick Rothfuss, who uses the most beautiful words in the most interesting ways, and Brandon Sanderson whose worldbuilding abilities are far beyond anyone else’s I’ve read. I think I inspire myself to write, but they inspire me to write better.
Writing has always been something I have loved to do. It helps me to express myself and put into words what I can’t find a way to say out loud. Simply put, words can help people connect and forge bonds of friendship even if they’re miles apart. Writing brings people together; what greater purpose is there than that? I want to create stories that make people feel. I want to move people with my words and help them see the world through a different lens. Overall, I’m inspired to write by the influence I know words can have on people; I want to weave stories that impact people’s lives and perhaps inspire them to learn more about themselves and the world around them.
I have always been interested in the Arts, and I love to draw, paint and play the clarinet. Writing is another way for me to express the elaborate worlds and characters that I create in my head, and it allows me to tell their stories in ways that art cannot. I am mainly inspired by other artists and authors, as they help me see the different ways that I can grow and improve.
My name is Zinnia McGowan. I live in Warner, NH. I turned 12 on December 8th, just in time for this contest. I started out my middle school year with absolutely no interest in poetry. That all changed when a substitute teacher introduced me to its wonders. Soon, I couldn’t get enough of it. I worked and worked for hours perfecting my sets of couplets. I would look at some aspect of nature and all of a sudden, a full-blown poem would emerge. Since that one language arts class, I have written many poems and shared them as much as possible.
The Center for the Arts-Lake Sunapee Region is excited to announce this new program for local teen writers. The Teen Writers Workshop is open to all writers between the ages of 12 and 18 who are passionate about the written word.
The workshop, which will be held remotely will include instruction on the craft of creative writing, reading from contemporary authors, writing prompts and free-writes, and a chance to workshop and share your poems, essays, and short fiction with the group.
The workshop is a supportive community seeking to unite teen writers in the region and to jump start creativity and creation!
Must have an internet connection and willingness to share, try new things, and learn more about creative writing. The workshop is limited to 15 spots.
The Teen Writers Workshop will be led by author and educator Megan Baxter who has taught creative writing at the high school and college level. Her work has been included in the Best American Essays and she has received national awards including a Pushcart Prize. Her book ‘The Coolest Monsters’ was published in 2018 and she is eagerly awaiting the debut of her memoir ‘Farm Girl’ in April of 2021.
Please email submissions@cfanh.org to reserve your spot in the Teen Writers Workshop.
1. Blue Marble Review
Blue Marble Review is a quarterly online literary journal showcasing the creative work of young writers ages 13-22. Welcomes poetry, fiction, personal essays, travel stories, and opinion pieces as well as art and photography. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account.
Website: https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/
Submission Details:
Attach your double-spaced submission as a single Microsoft Word doc. Poetry submissions may be single spaced with one poem per page. Please include page numbers on fiction and non-fiction submissions.
Fiction: Flash, short stories, hybrid forms—all in 1500 words or less.
Poetry: Up to three poems per submission.
Non-Fiction: We accept memoir, personal essays, travel adventures, and have been known to publish the occasional research paper and book review. One to two pieces per submission (1500 word limit).
2. TeenInk
Publishes poetry, fiction, and essays by teenagers. A print magazine and a website that publishes work by teenagers intended to be read by teenagers. They have extensive submission guidelines and require registration but they are open to a wide variety (and lengths) of writing. No submission fee. Doesn’t need a Submittable account.
Website: https://www.teenink.com
3. [PANK] Magazine Future Fridays!
[PANK] Magazine is a literary magazine fostering access to innovative poetry and prose, publishing the brightest and most promising writers for the most adventurous readers. Up country, to the end of the road, to a far shore and the edge of things, to a place of amalgamation and unplumbed depths, a place inhabited by contradiction, quirk and startling anomaly, where the known is made and unmade, and where unimagined futures are born, PANK. No submission fee. Requires a Submittable account.
Submission Details:
Submit 3-5 Poems, Flash Pieces, Art Pieces, Comic Pages, Up to 3500 Words of Prose, Up to 2 Minutes of Spoken Word Recording, or whatever else we've missed.
Selections will be published the first Friday of every month.
Please include a short bio, including your age and grade. ALL CREATORS *MUST BE* 18 YEARS OR UNDER!
Website: https://pankmagazine.com/category/future-friday/
4. Ember
Publishes writers ages 10-18. Pays $$$ for published pieces. No submission fee. Requires a Submittable account.
Website: https://emberjournal.org/submission-guidelines/
Submission Guidelines:
Writers may submit up to 1 piece of prose (creative nonfiction or fiction) and 3 pieces of poetry at a time. Each piece of writing must be submitted separately. We are proud to offer feedback from our readers on all submitted pieces. If you do not wish to receive feedback, please click the “No Feedback” option when submitting your writing on Submittable. Because we do offer feedback, our response rate is generally 5 to 6 months but it could take us up to 9 months in certain circumstances. Please do not email us requesting updates on the status of your submission until after that wait period.
Poetry: Most forms are considered, both metered and unmetered, traditional and experimental. Poems from 3 to 100 lines have the best chance of acceptance. You may submit up to three poems at a time, but a separate submission form must be completed for each poem.
Short Stories: Short Stories up to 12,000 words will be considered. However, more important than word count is the quality of your work: we are looking for excellent, polished writing that pulls us into an engaging story.
Flash Fiction: The ideal length for Flash Fiction submissions is about 500 to 750 words, but pieces up to 1500 words may be submitted in this category. Remember that Flash Fiction is not the same as “vignette;” even very short works should still present an interesting and compelling story.
Creative Nonfiction: Creative Nonfiction is the beautiful union of exposition and literature. Tell us a true story, and tell it well. Word count limits are the same as for Short Stories.
5. Polyphony Lit
Internationalstudent literary magazine for high school writers. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account.
Website: https://www.polyphonylit.org
Submission Details:
Submissions are open from March 2024 to the end of April 2024. Polyphony Lit invites submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from high school students worldwide. Our student editors provide feedback to all submissions, including the ones we do not accept for publication. To be guaranteed feedback, submit your piece by our first deadline on March 31. Our final deadline for submissions is April 30.
6. Apricity:
Accepts high school student writing. No submission fee. Requires a Submittable account.
Website: https://apricitymagazine.com
7. Horn Pond Review
Section called “The Shallow End” publishes kids 18 years and younger. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account.
Website: https://www.hornpondreview.com/youth
Submission Details:
They are currently not accepting any more submissions.
General Guidelines
· All submissions should be sent to hornpondreview@gmail.com.
· Your subject line should include your last name and the title & genre (poetry, short story, photograph, etc.) of your piece.
· In the body of your email, please include your name, a 2-3 sentence synopsisof your piece, and any other informationyou think the editorial board should know.
· Your submission should be sent as an attachment. See Genre Guidelines below for specifics.
· If you are sending multiple submissions, each should be sent in a separate document.
· Please proofread your submissions before sending. We will not consider works that contain obvious typos and other such errors.
· For legal reasons, we cannot accept any submissions that have been published elsewhere.
· If you are under 18 and your piece is accepted, your parents/guardians will need to give permission for publication.
8. Lunch Ticket
“School Lunch” section. Bi-weekly feature. Our mission is to cultivate a platform for underrepresented and misrepresented communities. We are dedicated to expanding our outreach and opening our platform up to underserved communities, which we believe starts with young voices. So we’re serving up a sampling of the best work this community as to offer. A youth spotlight, School Lunch is a curated bi-weekly feature offering fiction, poetry, flash prose, personal essay, YA, and creative nonfiction, from writers 18 years of age and older. Enjoy these emerging writers and leaders of the future. No submission fee. Requires a Submittable account.
Website: https://lunchticket.org/school-lunch/
9. Cast of Wonders
Publishes fiction; interested in fiction by writers under age 18. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account.
Website: https://www.castofwonders.org/submissions/
Submission Details:
Submission Schedules (open December 1-January1, for instance).
Accepts short stories under 6,000 words and Flash fiction between 100-1,500 words. Submissions must be anonymous. Especially like fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. “We are particularly interested in considering stories from younger writers. If you are under 18, please let us know your age when you submit your work and be aware that your parent or legal guardian will be required to sign your contract on your behalf. If your submission is part of a school project, please let us know that as well and we’ll work with you to provide any documentation required by your teachers.”
10. Levitate
Once a year the Chicago High School for the Arts publishes their literary magazine Levitate. No submission fee. Requires a Submittable account.
Website: https://levitatemagazine.org
Submission Details:
No longer accepting submissions at this time.
Fiction: under 5,000 words. Welcomes flash fiction (between 501 and 999 words). Creative nonfiction (between 251 and 5,000 words) and Poetry (no more than 6 pages, no poem longer than 2 pages). See Submittable site for formatting expectations (Times New Roman font, etc., and cover letter).
Theme issue (Insomnia). We hope to include a themed dossier in Issue 5, responding to our current times. Beginning in March 2020, we have learned to live in a way that we have never lived before in our lives. We feel isolated emotionally and socially, and maybe we already felt that way before the pandemic. At the same time, there are so many things that we are waking up to now, though our awakening is long overdue: the corrupt justice system, the need for police reform, the need for reform across our government. Respond to the theme in any way that makes sense to you, but please identify the genre of your submissionand follow the guidelines for that genrethough you submit your work in this category.
11. One Teen Story
Quarterly literary magazine that features the work of today’s best teen writers (ages 13-19). One Teen Story subscribers receive one great short story at a time in print or on their digital devices. Pays $$$$ for publication. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account.
Website: https://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=ots
Submission Details:
Submission Period will open Spring 2024
What kinds of stories is One Story looking for?
One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone. One Story pays $500 and 25 contributors copies for First Serial North American rights. All rights will revert to the author following publication.
12. Young Writers Project
With YWP, your work is published in an array of publications and platforms, including our annual anthology; our digital magazine, The Voice; as a "Daily Read" on the front page of our site; and with our media partners. No submission fee. Requires an account through their blog.
Website: https://youngwritersproject.org/node/12845
13. Stone Soup
Founded in 1973, Stone Soup is the leading national (and international) magazine of writing and art by young writers and artists. Stone Soup Magazine accepts work by young writers and artists through U.S. eighth grade or its equivalent. To submit, simply click on the appropriate category below and follow the instructions. Submission fee and Submittable account required.
Website: https://stonesoup.submittable.com/submit
14. Balloons Lit Journal
We invite poetry and fiction submissions by email. All works must be original, previously unpublished and written in English. But if you also have fantastic art and/or photographic work that we think suit the journal, we will certainly let them in too. We love pleasant surprises - if you have anything which we have never imagined before, send it in!
Your submission should include a cover letter with your brief bio note (be concise, precise and unique!). If the author is a school child, we'd love to know his/her age too. Please also note the following submission instructions for the different categories:
Poetry: 3-5 pieces. Any style that you find appropriate (feel free to surprise us!). Submit them in a single WORD doc as attachment.
Fiction: 1 piece. No more than 2000 words. Proofread, Font 12, common Font Types. Submit it in a WORD doc as attachment. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account.
All submissions to BLJ must be emailed to:
editorblj@yahoo.com
Website: https://www.balloons-lit-journal.com/submission.html
15. Elan Lit Magazine
Need to include:
A cover letter that includes the writer’s name at the top followed by the titles of all pieces submitted underneath. Include a brief biography, the name of your current school and a sponsoring teacher’s name and email address.
The writer’s pieces may begin on the next page. Have the title of each piece bolded in the upper left hand corner on the first page of each piece. Do not include your name on the document, as all submissions go through a blind reading process by our staff.
The subject of the email must say the writer’s full name and then “Submission for Élan.” (For example: Sara Rodgers Submission for Élan).
In the body of the email, please include the writer’s full name, age, email, school, city, home address followed by the titles of each piece they are submitting and the genres of the pieces.
All cover letters and submissions must be attached to the email as a word document. The title of the document needs to be the writer’s name only. No submission fee. Doesn’t Require a Submittable account.
Email submissions can be sent to elanlitmagazine@gmail.com.
Website: https://elanlitmag.org/submissions/
16. The Poets Touchstone
A print publication from the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. No submission fee. Doesn’t require a Submittable account or (it appears) membership fee. Need to be a resident of New Hampshire.
Attention students in 6th-12th grade: If you create poetry and live in New Hampshire, we’d love to read what you’re writing! Submissions through the form below will be considered on a rolling basis. Please submit only one poem at a time and wait until you’ve heard from us about whether or not it will be included in The Poets’ Touchstone before sending in another. If you do not have your own email address, please ask an adult you trust to be your point of contact through their email. If your poem is selected for publication to our print journal, we will need your postal address so that we can mail you a copy.
Submissions through a form:
Website: https://psnhtouchstone.wordpress.com/student-poets/
info@cfanh.org P O Box 872 New London, NH 03257
PO Box 872 New London, NH 03257 1-844-564-2787