The Wild Beauty Foundation Short Story Contest
The Wild Beauty Foundation has launched its inaugural WBF Short Story Competition. Kids and teens can use their creativity to help protect wild horses. Finalists and winning stories will be read aloud by celebrities on social media.
Adobe Stock/WavebreakmediaMicro
If you know a young person who is passionate about writing and horses, here is their opportunity to help horses while expressing their creativity. There are two main categories for submissions: middle grade entries, for ages 10 – 14, and high school entries, for ages 14 – 18.
This year’s theme is “wild horses,” therefore the foundation is hoping to help further illuminate the plight of Mustangs in the Western United States. Contestants are asked to write an original short story about a wild horse.
The creative possibilities are endless. The story can be in first person like Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty, or be third person. The story can cover encountering wild horses or about the horse families themselves. No matter the focus, the Wild Beauty Foundation encourages writers to do some research first in order to lend authenticity to the story.
Pilot Butte wild Mustangs. Adobe/Dana
RULES:
- Stories should generally follow the WBF themes and mission, which about strength, authenticity, and elegance.
- No profanity allowed whatsoever. The use of bad words, any explicit or hateful language will automatically disqualify stories.
- Story must be the original work of the child.
- Story must be fact or fiction, prose or poetry.
- Non-English text must be translated to English text to qualify, and must adhere to the word count.
- Title of story is not included in the official word count.
- Middle grade entries include students ages 10-14, or through 8th grade upon time of submission.
- High school entires include students from 9th — 12th grade upon time of submission.
- If student is in between middle school and high school, they may choose to submit to either category, to which they feel is most appropriate.
- All stories without exception must be submitted through the entry from — uploads, PDFs, and files are not permitted.
- Winning stories will be selected by judges that include WBF team and advisory board members, and chosen for creative merit, attention to the subject, and overall excellence in writing.
PRIZES:
Grand Prize Winners
One middle grade and one high school grand prize winner will receive:
- Grand Prize Winning Story read aloud by a celebrity judge and posted to WBF social media
- Grand Prize Winning Story published on the WBF website
- $250 cash prize
- WBF Gift Basket of goodies
- A pair of Blundstone boots
- A LaLa Horse subscription box
- An official Black Beauty poster signed by Ashley Avis & Mackenzie Foy
Top Five Finalists
- Top Five Finalist Stories read aloud by a celebrity judge and posted to WBF social media
- Story published on the WBF website
- WBF Gift Basket of goodies
- A LaLa Horse subscription box
- An official Black Beauty poster
Submissions close Thursday, September 30th and the winners will be announced in mid-October. To find out more or to submit a story, go here.
