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No submission fees.

Just your voice, amplified.

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*All competitions are for elementary and middle school students only - high school students are encouraged to get involved through our Team Member form. Competitions open on the 1st and close on the 28th of every month. You can submit to our competitions as long as it is the 28th or earlier in your region.

The Process

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Prompt

Read our monthly prompt, and craft your story (350 words max) in response. New prompts are released on the 1st of every month. 

For extra support, sign up for coaching calls with award-winning writer and FSF co-founder Nathaniel here.

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Submit Early, Before The 15th

Submit By The 28th

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For FREE feedback that you can use to revise and resubmit your story before the competition closes on the 28th.

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The competition is open for entries until the 28th of the month, at 11:59pm PST.

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Win Prizes & Recognition 

Stories are then reviewed by our judging team alongside our guest judge for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, as well as runner-up.

Results & awards are released on the 1st of the next month, at 8:00am PST in our Hall of Fame.

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More Information

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Prizes

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​1st Place - $60 Amazon Gift Card, and writing published in our Hall of Fame!

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2nd Place -  $40 Amazon Gift Card, and writing published in our Hall of Fame!

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3rd Place - $20 Amazon Gift Card, and writing published in our Hall of Fame!

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Runner Up  - Writing published in our Hall of Fame!

Prompt

One afternoon, your character lifts a loose floorboard at their home, school, or other frequently visited location to find a spiraling stairway into a secret factory underneath. Inside, machines churn out mismatched socks that have the ability to talk, and glowing orbs that giggle. When production suddenly goes haywire, your character must find their way out of the factory before the exit seals shut. Write a story about your character's escape from a mysterious factory deep underground and the strange discoveries that they make.
 

Stuck? Consider these starters:

Who is the factory's mysterious creator, and why did they open the factory? What strange goods are being produced down below? How does your character escape, or are they trapped forever? What does the exit look like, and how does your protagonist find it (if they do)?

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Due to staffing shortages, the Future Scholar Foundation team will be unable to offer feedback this May. 

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Questions? Refer to the FAQs below, or contact us: futurescholarfoundation@gmail.com

*All competitions are for elementary and middle school students only. 

**Maximum short story length: 350 words.

Stuart  Gibbs

May 2025 Guest Judge

NYT Bestselling Author: Spy School, FunJungle, and more!

Stuart Gibbs is the author of five New York Times bestselling series: Spy School, FunJungle, Charlie Thorne, Once Upon A Tim and Moon Base Alpha. He has also worked as a writer for movies, television and animation, and before all that, he researched capybaras. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.

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PrevPrompts

Previous Prompts

Screenshot of the September 2024 prompt from the Future Scholar Foundation's short story competition
Screenshot of the October 2024 prompt from the Future Scholar Foundation's short story competition
  • Where should I submit my story?
    Please submit your story here. We look forward to reading your piece soon - all submissions before the 15th will receive FREE feedback that writers can use to revise and resubmit. Good luck!
  • Where should I re-submit my story?
    You can resubmit your story through our submission form on our website; our system will automatically group your revised story next to your original one!
  • My short story is more than 350 words. Will I be disqualified?
    No - your story will not be disqualified as long as it is no more than slightly (15 words maximum) over the 350 word limit. However, we highly recommend that you challenge yourself to keep your story's length less than or equal to 350 words.
  • Why should I participate?
    Participating in our competitions provides the unique opportunity to gain early creative writing practice not usually avaliable in schools. By experimenting with their words at a young age, students can gain a deep appreciation of the english language and understand its inherent power to facilitate lasting change in their lives and communities. Additionally, through our free, personalized feedback program, the FSF team will identify existing strengths each student's writing and provide detailed written guidance on how they can elevate their prose.
  • How much does it cost to participate in the competition?
    We believe the opportunity to showcase one's talents should be avaliable to all social groups. We want everybody to be able to learn as much as possible from their participation in our competitions. Thus, our writing competitions are, and will always be, 100% free.
  • Is the competition in-person or virtual?
    All English competitions are completely virtual to ensure ease of access for everyone. Competitions open on the first of every month and close on the 28th of the month. You can submit as long as it is the 28th somewhere in the world. Results are announced sometime the third week of the month. Submissions go here!
  • Can I submit multiple stories?
    Yes! You are more than welcome to submit multiple stories each month. It's a great way to get extra practice and increase your chances of winning!
  • Can I submit my story if I don't live in the US/Canada area?
    Yes - you can! We welcome international submissions :)
  • Are simultaneous submissions allowed?
    Yes! However, we do ask that you notify us if your work is accepted elsewhere while awaiting our decision, and we will then withdraw your piece for you.
  • Are reprints accepted?
    We are unfortunately unable to publish or award reprints at this time. For further clarification, please email futurescholarfoundation [at] gmail [dot] com.
  • Who should I contact with additional questions?
    Our email is futurescholarfoundation@gmail.com. It is checked frequently - expect a response time of less than 12 hours!
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