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Frequently Asked Questions
When can I send in my child's story?
The contest begins December 1, 2021, but you can send the story now.
The deadline for stories is Friday, March 4, 2022. Your entry must be postmarked by March 4th.
Where do I mail my entry?
Smoky Hills PBS
PO BOX 9
Bunker Hill, KS 67626
Can stories be dictated to an adult?
Yes. Children who cannot write may tell their story to an adult who will write it.
Does spelling Count?
No. The judges do not consider spelling, 'best guess spelling' is okay.
Can clip art, coloring book characters, or stickers be added to illustrations? Can someone else make my illustrations? No. Your illustrations need to be your own work.
Do I need to bind my story? No. We will accept your story whether it is bound, stapled, or simply paper-clipped.
Will I get my original story back?
If you would like your original story back, when you mail in your story, including postage. After judging is concluded, we will mail back your original copy in the envelope you provide.
When will the stories be judged, and how are they judged?
Stories will be judged from March through early April 2022. Stories are
judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling, illustrations, and overall impression. Some things that make a story special include colorful art; a unique story; a story with a good beginning, middle, and end; illustrations that match the story; attention to details; and following the contest rules.
How will I know if my story won?
Smoky Hills PBS will announce winners through a 30-minute production where we read the winner's stories. The names of finalists and winners will be posted on our website the same night the production airs. The Writer's Contest Winners show is usually aired in May.
For more questions or inquiries, please contact shptv@shptv.org
2021 Writers Contest Winners
2020 Writers Contest Results
Story Writing Resources
Get Ready To Write
This worksheet is intended to help children start to form ideas for potential stories. This activity gets them to freely develop story ideas through text and illustration. Serving as a precursor to the Brainstorming sheet, this is a place for the child to draw or write topic ideas for their story.
Brainstorming
Even short stories are complex and require children to work on a number of elements: characters, plot/story structure, climax/resolution, and setting. The worksheet below is intended to help children expand upon their story idea(s) to develop a strong story.
Revision
This worksheet is intended to help children develop self-criticism skills so that they can refine and improve their stories.
Illustrating
This worksheet is intended to help children practice making thoughtful, engaging illustrations for their stories. On the worksheet are some examples of words that you can write into the boxes or you can also have children pick words or phrases from their own stories and have them draw corresponding images.
2021 WINNERS
