05/05/2026
Meet the local authors who give their all for this contest, providing valuable feedback to our contestants! Jarret, Courtney, and E.V. are geared up and ready to read this year’s stories in the Intermediate Division!
Young writers of Las Vegas are invited to enter a short story to be included in the upcoming 2026 volume of The Narrative Digest, and a chance to have their story published in our Echoes of Youth Anthology. And the best news—it’s completely FREE! Submissions open May 11. See our submission guidelines below:
✳️ Participants must be between the ages of 8-18
✳️ Participants must reside in the Las Vegas Valley
✳️ Stories must be between 200-2,500 words
✳️ Stories inspired by previously published books/film must be in the public domain
✳️ Stories will only be accepted via our submission form (coming soon)
✳️ To ensure fairness and to honor the authentic voices of our young writers, all stories must be written entirely by the child.
Parents are not allowed to help with:
Story ideas
Plot development
Word choice or phrasing
Sentence structure
Editing or rewriting
Adding descriptive language
“Fixing” or improving the story beyond the child’s natural ability
The only assistance allowed is for the Junior Division (ages 8-11):
Typing the child’s words exactly as dictated
Basic mechanical help only (spelling a word when asked, adding punctuation the child requests, or helping with paragraph breaks)
Parents may NOT:
Suggest what to write
Reword sentences
Add details
“Polish” the writing
Rewrite confusing parts
Turn the child’s ideas into adult level writing
The story must reflect the child’s own developmental writing level.
Stories that appear to be written or heavily assisted by an adult—or that do not match the typical developmental level for the child’s age—may receive lower scores in the “Individual Creativity, Originality & Authorship” category.
This policy protects the integrity of the contest and ensures every child has a fair and equal opportunity to shine.
To stay updated, join our Facebook group, Narrative Nexus!
To learn more about Narrative Nexus, check out our website: ar
