2026 Young Writer’s Competition
Submissions open from January – June 15, 2026
Calling All Young Storytellers!
Do you ever look at a rusty key and wonder if it opens a secret world? Or imagine that your pet
has a secret life when you aren’t home?
We are thrilled to announce that The Stories by Elena Annual Young Writers Competition:
2026 is officially open!
This year, our theme is “The Hidden Magic in the Everyday.” We want to read stories that
take a normal day and turn it into an enchanted adventure.
Choose Your Path to Magic
We believe imagination has no correction. Whether your child loves the pen or the power of their voice, we want their story.
Path A: The Written Path
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Who: Writers ages 8–17.
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What: Original stories between 750 and 1,500 words.
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Format: Digital or handwritten—we love both!
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The Focus: Don’t worry about perfect commas; we are looking for your passion and your heart.
Path B: The Oral Path (Speaking Magic into Existence)
If writing is a hurdle, let your voice be the bridge. A story has no punctuation when said out loud—it has your pace, your tone, and your soul. If your child is a natural storyteller but finds writing difficult due to age or dyslexia, we want to hear their voice!
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The Adult’s Responsibility: To ensure the magic is captured, we ask an adult to handle the recording. Please ensure the child speaks clearly and with expression in a quiet space. The recording must be easy to understand so the story can be transcribed into text without losing its unique magic.
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The Child’s Responsibility: Bring your character to life! Give them a unique personality.
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The Length: Voice recordings should be between 5 to 8 minutes.
How to Enter
Download your Official Young Writers Resource Packet (including our Story
Map and Word Count Tracker) at the link below.
Submit Your STORY
Once you have followed the writer’s packet guide.
Submit your story on our website here or by
emailing StoriesByElena@gmail.com.
Want to help sponsor this competition?
The 2026 Young Writers Competition: A Global Diamond
I am the creator of this journey, and I invite you to join the 2026 Young Writers Competition. This is a call to kids from everywhere—no matter their language or their learning style—to express themselves and tell their tales.
There is nothing more amazing than a child’s imagination. It is pure, it is clean, and it is beautiful. We must take care of it like a diamond in the rock. If we don’t provide the right tools to “chip away” the struggle, that diamond stays hidden.
I teach every child my golden rule:
“You become a writer by writing, and deleting, and writing again, until the story smiles back at you. Then, you have become an Author.”
The Mission: The “Oral Path” for 50 StatesWe are pioneering the “Oral Path.” This allows children to submit stories via voice recordings so their creativity is never held hostage by a pen or a language barrier. Our vision is for all 50 states and the entire world. With modern translation technology, we can hear the amazing tales of children from every culture.
The Goal: Join Our VillageWe are raising funds to purchase iPads and Tablets as prizes for the competition. Many children do not have the funding for a tablet or a device that can help them write. Earning this technology is the incentive they need to see themselves as authors.
For a child with dyslexia or a student learning English, a tablet is the bridge I never had. It allows their pure imagination to reach the page.