Attention Clay, Platte, and Jackson County teens! Show off your talent by submitting your creative works to the 2024 LitUp Creative Contest. Submit in four distinct categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and visual art. The top submissions in each category will be featured in the 2024 LitUp Creative Contest Anthology, winners will also be invited to the LitUp VIP reception on September 20th, 2024, and recognized at the opening keynote presentation on September 21st, 2024. Get creative and show us your artistry!
Original work must be submitted by May 31, 2024. Each submission category will win its own set of prizes.
Prizes:
- $400.00 gift card
Invitation to LitUp VIP reception
Meet and greet opportunity with featured authors present at LitUp on September 21, 2024 - $250.00 gift card
Invitation to LitUp VIP reception - $150.00 gift card
Invitation to LitUp VIP reception
Guidelines
- The LitUp Creative Contest will recognize outstanding submissions in writing and art created by teens in grades 7-12 in the 2023-2024 school year. Those under the age of 18 will require parent or guardian permission to participate.
- Applicants must live in Clay, Platte, or Jackson counties within Missouri.
- All entries must be submitted by May 31, 2024.
- Do not write your name on the document. Your name will be written on the submission form.
- The LitUp Creative Contest cannot accept work previously published in print or electronically. Previously published work will be removed from consideration.
- Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are prohibited. Due to the ambiguous copyright status of AI generated content, Mid-Continent Public Library cannot allow submissions with this tool at this time. All submissions will be vetted and removed from consideration if they contain AI generated or edited content.
- Multiple authors/artists per submission allowed if they meet the age/county requirements and have parent/guardian consent. All authors/artists must be credited and will divide any prizes equally regardless of contribution amount.
- Up to two complete and separate entries allowed per author/artist, per category.
- Nonfiction Entries: 500-1500 word count. Submissions can include essays, memoirs, personal narratives, research projects, or news stories.
- Fiction Entries: 500-1500 word count. Submissions can include short stories, an excerpt from a longer work that can stand alone, scripts, or screenplays.
- Poetry Entries: 500 word count maximum. Submissions can include song lyrics, free verse, or narrative poetry.
- Visual Art Entries: Submissions can include comics, illustrations, photography, photo illustration, or graphic designs. Each piece should have discernable storytelling features.
- Submission to the LitUp Creative Contest does not guarantee acceptance into the anthology. Once the submissions are reviewed, participants will be informed if their entries will be published.