Author along with two of their books. Text reads, "First-line Fiction Contest" Author along with two of their books. Text reads, "First-line Fiction Contest" A smiling woman next to three colorful book covers and the text: First Line Fiction Contest

Famous Author Claribel A. Ortega Needs Your Students’ Help!

Claribel A. Ortega wrote three first lines to stories that don’t exist—yet. Choose your favorite line, and use it to write your own short story and enter the contest. Claribel will choose the winning story and two finalists.

The First Lines

1. After five whole nights, the vampire was still in my pantry.

2. Nobody knows that my new neighbor is a ghost.

3. It all began the night I lost my shadow.

How to Enter

Deadline

March 23, 2023

1. Choose your first line.

2. Write a short story that begins with this line.

3. Have a teacher, parent, or guardian submit your finished story to Scope’s First-Line Contest.

 

Send the story and completed entry form to us by March 23, 2023.

At this time we are only accepting emailed entries. Entries can be emailed to:

[email protected]

*NOTE: Please attach entries as Word documents or PDFs ONLY, put the contest name “First-Line Contest" in the subject line, and include the e-mail address of the entrant’s parent or legal guardian. Submit entries along with the completed Writing Contest Entry Form. Scope contests are open to legal residents of the U.S. and Canada age 18 and older who are the teacher, parent, or guardian of a student in grades 4-12. Entries must be submitted by the teacher, parent, or guardian, not the student.

Prizes

The winner will get: 

$100

The winner’s teacher will get:

a free one-year subscription to Scope for all their students.

The winner’s class will get:

copies of Ortega’s fantastic novel Ghost Squad.

Scope Contests

Scope is packed with contests to get your students excited about writing. And they can win awesome prizes!

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