SOS Sagas: Hunted 2023
Creative Writing Contest
Middle & High School
Get your students excited to write with SOS Sagas: Hunted!
A thrilling writing activity...
Heart racing... sweaty palms... dilated pupils... hairs on the back of your neck stand up... Hunted: Outrun. Outlast. Outwit.
SOS Sagas: Hunted is here to get your students' gripped with writing as they create their own thrilling mini saga - a story told in up to 100 words.
Empower your students to write enthralling tales using tension, suspense, and atmosphere. Download the lesson plan that covers these techniques along with the inspirational story story starters. Your students will be buzzing to create their own original mini saga and they could become published writers, seeing their work in a real book!
Mini sagas can use a story starter or be your students' own ideas - all work entered must be your students' own work.
If you’d like further graphic organizers they can be copied or downloaded. If you prefer to go paperless, check out the Online Writing Portal where your students type their work during your lesson! If you need help logging in please email [email protected].
Why Take Part?
🐺 Engaging way to teach constrained writing
🌩️ Lesson plan, story starters and graphic organizers for a ready-made lesson
🤖 Exciting theme open to interpretation to inspire your students (ideal for 10-18 year-olds)
🚁 Your students could be published in a real book
🧪 Opportunity for both students and schools to win prizes
☣️ Complimentary copy of the book your students feature in (the more students you enter the more free books you'll receive!)
💀 Free to enter
🕯️ Incredible way to showcase your school's writing talent
There are lots of resources to help your students get writing including examples, a lesson plan & PowerPoint (or use the Google Slides version instead!).
We look forward to reading your students' work!
Rules
To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:
Only one entry per student, there is no limit to the number of entries per school. Teachers please submit your entries altogether where possible!
This exciting contest is ideal for students aged 10-18.
100-word limit (extracts are allowed). Titles are not included in the word count but story starters are..
Each student's name, age and school name must be included on their entry.
Entries can be a photocopy, typed, handwritten or scribed by an adult.
An entry must be the student's own original work.
USA entrants only.
Free to enter.
If you are unsure on any rules or have any queries, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.
For Schools
The Young Writers’ Award of Excellence is awarded to the school that submits the best set of entries for this contest.
PLUS every participating school receives a free copy of the book their students feature in.
(The more entries you send, the more free books you’ll receive: E.g. Send 1-30 entries & you'll receive 1 free copy, send 31-60 entries you'll receive 2 free copies, etc.)
For Students
Our favorite 3 writers will each win a will each win a $50 Amazon gift card.
PLUS every entrant receives a bookmark for taking part. Students chosen for publication also receive a certificate.
(The school & student winners will be chosen from the entries received in Sept-Nov 2023 and prizes awarded the following semester.)
Online
Here are the ways you can enter digitally - please choose one:
Send your entries by uploading them:
Use the Online Writing Portal if you want your students to type their work during a lesson or for homework.
Alternatively, you can submit your entries via Google Docs - please make sure that we have permission to access and download the files.
By Mail
Send your entries, along with your school entry form, to:
Young Writers SOS Sagas: Hunted 2023
77 Walnut Street
Unit 11
Peabody MA 01960
Writing Tips
Get FREE writing tips sent straight to your inbox!
SubscribeTip #1
You’ll see on the graphic organizer that we have suggested ideas for the theme of Hunted. Before you hand these to students, split them into groups. Each group needs a sheet of paper.
Give them 5 minutes to write down as many ideas of what they think could be hunted or the hunter – encourage them to be creative! Think outside the box.
After 5 minutes, bring the class back together and talk through all their suggestions. They should now have an idea on what to write about and you can introduce the story starter postcards!
Tip #2
Try this activity to get your students writing with tension...
Split your class into groups and give each group one of these themes:
- High Stakes – what could be won or lost?
- Dilemma – what two (or more) alternatives could the character choose between?
- Unpredictable – what could the character do that was unexpected?
- Time Limits – what time pressure could be applied to the character?
- Revelation – what could be revealed to add a twist to the tale?
Tip #3
Why not inspire you students with exciting endings to wrap up their mini saga perfectly!
Here are our top 3:
- A Twist - an unexpected ending!
- A circular ending - links back to the start of the story
- Cliff-hanger - leaves the reader wondering what happens next...
Tip #4
Split your class into two groups:
The Hunted Vs The Hunter
Now a hunter needs to pair with the hunted. Together students need to agree on a plot for the Hunted theme- the hunter then writes their mini saga from their point of view and vice versa with the hunted.
This activity will also make for a fantastic sharing session, where pairs read out their Hunted vs Hunter mini sagas... you could even create an exciting display of their work!
Get In Touch
Mail
Young Writers
77 Walnut Street
Unit 11
Peabody MA 01960
Email
[email protected]
Tel
323-244-4784