Unsolved Creative Writing Contest for 10-18 year-olds

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DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEB 27

Engage your students with story-telling with Unsolved, the latest creative writing contest for 10-18 year-olds.

Carefully crafted story starters help students overcome the blank page and get writing fast. As they step into the roles of suspect, witness, victim, or investigator, your classroom will buzz with discussion, planning, and purposeful writing.

The mystery genre will inspire students to experiment with character, viewpoint, tension, and structure, whilst the 100-word limit will encourage them to sharpen their vocabulary and plot choices.

With exciting prizes, the opportunity to see their work published, and a theme that students genuinely want to write about, Unsolved inspires confidence and creativity across all abilities, including reluctant writers.

To support you in the classroom, we’ve created a set of free, downloadable resources, including four flexible activities, engaging story starters, and a ready-made slide deck (also available in Google Slides) so you can create whole-class lessons or independent writing sessions. Download them now, and get your class writing today!

[Rules] =>

Only one entry per student.
There is no limit to the number of entries per school.
Teachers please submit your entries together where possible, use one Teacher Entry Form per teacher
Entries must be the students' own original work
Mini sagas can be submitted on the entry form, a sheet of paper or typed (on a computer or using the Online Writing Portal)
Mini sagas have a 100-word limit (the title is not included in the word limit).
If a story starter/ending is used, it must be included in the 100-word limit.
Each student's name, age and school name should be included on their entry. (Entries can be submitted with first names only or initials if needed.)
This exciting contest is ideal for students aged 10-18
Entries can only be accepted if written in English
Free to enter.
US entrants only.
Copyright remains with the author.

[School Prizes] =>

The Young Writers' Award of Excellence will be awarded to the school that submits the best set of entries.

PLUS

Every participating school receives a complimentary copy of the book their students feature in!

(The more entries you send, the more free books you’ll receive: E.g. Send 1-30 entries & you'll receive 1 free copy, send 31-60 entries you'll receive 2 free copies, etc. Every participating school receives at least 1 free copy their students feature in.)

[Student Prizes] =>

Our 3 favorite writers each win a $50 Amazon gift card!

Plus, every entrant receives a bookmark. Students whose work we'd love to publish also receive a certificate of merit.

(Winners will be chosen from entries received in Jan-Feb 2026).

[Tips] =>
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You're invited into the thrilling world of crime and mystery writing...

There are 8 story starters you can use to get ideas flowing... will you choose to solve a crime, write from the viewpoint of the wrongly accused, or serve justice!

Get started with this thrilling writing activity by checking out the story starters in the download section below, you'll also find more inspiration on the graphic organizer.

We can't wait to read your crime or mystery-inspired short story!

How To Enter

Email your entry along with your, name and full address to: [email protected]

Upload your entry at https://www.youngwritersusa.com/new-uploader or use the link below.

Mail your entry along with your name and full address to:

Young Writers Unsolved
77 Walnut Street
Unit 11
Peabody, MA, 01960

EXTENDED Closing Date: February 27, 2026

[Independent Rules] =>

Only one entry per person.
Entries must be your own original work.
Mini sagas can be submitted on the entry form, a sheet of paper, or typed.
Mini sagas have a 100-word limit (the title is not included in the word limit).
If a story starter/ending is used, it must be included in the 100-word limit.
Your name and age should be included on your entry.
US entrants only.
Free to enter.
Copyright remains with the author.

[Independent Prizes] =>

Our 3 favorite writers each win a $50 Amazon gift card!

Plus, every entrant receives a bookmark. Young writers whose work we'd love to publish also receive a certificate of merit!

(Winners will be chosen from entries received Jan-Feb 2026, and independent entrants are eligible for student prizes.)

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This contest is now closed.

If you have late entries, please email us at [email protected] and we'll do our best to accommodate them.

Open contests can be found here.

What happens now?

Our editorial team will read every single entry. Any child whose work they'd love to publish in a book will be sent a letter and certificate. Children whose work hasn't met the contest criteria will have the chance to resubmit their work. Winners will be chosen from published pieces once all the books in the series have been published.

Contest Timeline

Stage	Date	Status
Letters Sent	By 30^th April 2026	⏳ In Progress
Books Published	15^th May 2026 - 31^st August 2026	⏳ Coming Soon
Winners Announced	30^th September 2026	⏳ Coming Soon

Please note we aim to keep these dates as accurate as possible but can be subject to change.

For more detailed information about your school's entries, please log in (or create) your teacher account here using the email you included on your teacher entry form.