HANCOCK – Kent District Library, Hancock School Public Library, Schuler Books and three other libraries from across Michigan announce the tenth annual Write Michigan Short Story Contest, which drew almost 1,000 Michigan writers last year.

Writers of all ages are invited to enter, with separate categories for youth, teens, adults and Spanish language (12 and younger). Winning entries will be published and receive cash prizes.

“Writing is powerful for storytelling and artistic expression, but also has healing power,” said Katie Zuidema, Marketing Communications Specialist at KDL. “Research shows that writing can be an important release for emotions and stress, and some claim that it can even boost the immune system. But first and foremost, writing is a beautiful form of expression that we celebrate with Write Michigan.”

Stories can be submitted at writemichigan.org through Tuesday, Nov. 30 at noon. Details include a 3,000-word maximum length; $10 entry fee for ages 18 and above, free for 17 and under; current Michigan residents only; all entries must be submitted online.

Winners are chosen by public vote for the Readers’ Choice award and by a panel of judges for the Judges’ Choice award. Voters and judges choose winners from the top 10 semi-finalists. The top honor in each category receives a $500 cash prize and a Judges’ Choice runner-up in each category will receive a $250 cash prize. In addition, judges will award one writer a slot in Johnathan Rand’s 2022 Author Quest writing camp for kids ages 10-13. Winners will be honored during an awards ceremony in March and their story will be published in an anthology by Chapbook Press.

Those who enjoy reading stories are encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer story reviewer at writemichigan.org/volunteer.

KDL welcomes Hancock School Public Library, Traverse Area District Library and Canton Public Library as partners this year. They will work to attract writers and volunteers from their part of Michigan.

For more information on Write Michigan, visit writemichigan.org or contact the Hancock School Public Library at 906-487-5925, ext 8005 or hancock@pldl.org