Each year, the Imagined Ink Writing contest challenges teens ages 12–19 to share their short stories, poems, essays, and comics. These pieces can be on any topic, but must be less than 1,000 words. While this short length can be tricky, it certainly hasn’t stopped our teens' creativity. This year, judges from around the library district enjoyed entries filled with romance, humor, horror, fantasy, historical fiction, and beyond! Each submission was reviewed multiple times to select our top choices. We are pleased to present winners for Best in Show, and the 15–19 and 12–14 Age Group categories, as well as four runners-up.
Our thanks to all who entered the 2022 Imagined Ink Fall Writing Contest, and congratulations to this year’s winners! Make sure to check out the Imagined Ink 2022: Fall Teen Writing Contest compilation eBook featuring last year's winners, runners-up, and more than 30 other finalists from the 2022 contest.
2022 awards
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Best In Show
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"Olympian in the Old Wool Coat" by Jael B. (PDF)
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15–19 Age Group Category Winner
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"How Old am I?" by Kira F. (PDF)
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15–19 Age Group Category Runners-Up
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"The Swings and the Sun" by Sophily (PDF)
"The 50-Year King" by Perry R.
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12–14 Age Group Category Winner
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"Why I'm Me" by Ellie Zimm (PDF)
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12–14 Age Group Category Runners-Up
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"Deadly Sins" by Audrey F. (PDF)
"Death Confessions" by Nickolaus S. (PDF)
Prizes
Best in Show: $200 Visa Gift Card
Age Group Winners: $100 Powell’s Gift Card
Runners-Up: $25 Powell’s Gift Card
Rules on entries
- Must be 1,000 words or less
- Comic entries must be submitted using this template (English) or this template (Spanish). Limit of six pages per comic.
- Must be original work by contestant and cannot include fanfiction or recognizable characters/settings from other media
- May be any genre, topic, or format
- Must be in English or Spanish
- Only one entry per person
FVRLibraries staff may edit entries for spelling and punctuation. Worldwide copyright on each entry remains with the author. Your entry in this contest grants permission to publish your story on the FVRLibraries webpage and in a collected volume to be distributed as an eBook through FVRLibraries’ OverDrive service.