SHORT STORY COMPETITION

THe competition

In 2020, Carlan Law announced a writing competition for students attending Cherokee High School. The response was so encouraging that the competition is now an annual event. Mr. Carlan is an avid fan of the horror genre, so the short story competition is timed to coincide with Halloween. Stories must be a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 8,000 words.

Cash prizes include:

$500 for first place

$300 for second place

$200 for third place

The Selection process

Winners are selected by Mr. Carlan and his horror-fan friends. Every judge is a graduate of Cherokee High School, and each judge brings a unique perspective as a fellow writers and artists. Each submission is judged blindly without knowing the author’s name, grade, gender, etc.

2022 Winners

First Place: Pretty Thing by Brooke Kelly

Second Place: A Normal Game of Manhunt by Ruby Arthur

Third Place: Pyrrhic Victories by Grace McPherson

Honorable Mention: Cold Feet by Samantha Dodd

Honorable Mention: The Cave by Lila Chandler

2021 Winners

First Place: Bleeding Roses, Ticking Hearts by Olivia Noelle Langston

Second Place: Reflection by Anna Scott Weiler

Third Place: The Woods, N(Ever) Silent by Reagan Phillips

Honorable Mention: Horror Story by Sophia Zeller

Honorable Mention: Honor Thy Mother by Gracie Scroggs

2020 Winners

First Place: Playdate by Olivia Noelle Langston

Second Place: Love Kills by Anna Scott Wieler

Third Place: Horror Under the Neon Lights by Emily Geer

Honorable Mention: Eden by Luke Whitney

Honorable Mention: Lake Oti by Ava Lees