Scary Short Story Contest: Teens and Adults

Are you a non-professional writer? Do you love Halloween?

Submit a scary short story to our contest!

In honor of Halloween, the North Chicago Public Library will be hosting a Scary Short Story contest!

There is a contest for two age groups: Teens (13-17) and Adults (18 and over).

The prompt is simple: Horror!

There will be one winner per age group. The winner of each age group will receive a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card.

Check below for rules and instructions as to how to submit your short film.

Rules:

1. Stories must be between 1,000 and 4,500 words.
2. Writers must apply to their respective age group contest.
3. Stories must be written by one person only.
4. Writers must reside in Lake County, be able to provide proof of residence, and able to visit the North Chicago Public Library.
5. Your short story must not include any of the following content:
   1. Material that infringes third-party rights, harm to animals, sexual assault, or hate speech. Any stories containing this content will be eliminated from the competition.
6. Your short story must be made entirely by you! Refrain completely from using AI in crafting your story. Any stories containing AI generated content will be eliminated from the competition.
7. You must be able to submit your short story in PDF form using our submission form.
8. Submissions must be produced between August 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026.

Submission Period: October 1st-October 25th. A submission form link will be made available on October 1st.

Submission deadline is October 25th @ 12PM CDT.

Questions? Email Leah at: leahm@ncplibrary.org.