ScribbleWhere Young Writers
Compete, Draft by Draft.
Short stories, poems, and flash fiction — judged by real authors, scored like a sport season, for ages 7–14.
Story Prompt Generator
a reluctant dragon
inside a library that rearranges itself
must deliver a message before the ink fades
Four Rounds.
One Champion.
Every season runs four rounds over 12 weeks. Writers earn points based on rubric scores from real authors — not just participation ribbons. The top scorers from each round advance toward the final showdown.
- ✍️Submit your story before the round deadline
- 📖A published author scores using our 5-point rubric
- 🏅Points accumulate toward the season leaderboard
- 🏆Top 128 writers compete in the final showdown
Season 3 Timeline
Round 1: Feb 15 – Mar 15 · Round 2: Mar 22 – Apr 19
Flash Fiction
250 words max
“The Door That Shouldn't Be There”
847 entries last season
Short Story
500 words max
“A Secret Worth Keeping”
612 entries last season
Poetry
24 lines max
“Light That Bends”
389 entries last season
Final Showdown
Any format
“The Last Sentence”
128 entries last season
Season 2 Champion
"She wrote the last word just as the clock struck zero. The ink glowed gold — and the library finally remembered her name."
— Priya Nambiar, age 12
Every Story Gets
Real Notes.
Our panel of published authors reads every submission. They score using our 5-point rubric and leave specific, encouraging feedback — the kind that makes a young writer want to draft again immediately.
Scoring Rubric
Amara Osei-Bonsu
Author of The Sky Remembers Names · Round 1 Judge
Season 3 · Round 1 · Flash Fiction
The Last Match
by Kenji Watanabe, age 11 · Portland, OR
The fog didn't roll in — it crept, like it was ashamed of itself.
Maya pressed her back against the lighthouse wall and counted her heartbeats. One. Two. Three. The sea wasn't listening.
She had one match left. One match and a message that the whole ocean needed to hear.
↑ Tap the highlighted phrases to read author notes
Six Genres.
Infinite Stories.
Each round spotlights a different genre. Hover over the cards to see this season's theme and read real winning excerpts.
Mystery
Clues, red herrings, and a satisfying reveal.
This Season
Round 2 Theme: "The Missing Tuesday"
Past Winning Excerpt
"She found the letter under the loose floorboard — but the handwriting was her own, dated three years from now."
— Lila Chen, age 13, Season 2 Winner
6
Genres per season
490+
Avg. submissions/round
12
Published author judges
Explore This
Season's Prompts.
Get the full PDF: all current round prompts, scoring rubrics, example submissions, and a guide for running Scribble in your classroom or homeschool. Free. No catch.
What's Inside the PDF
All 4 Round Prompts
Full prompts for every genre, with word limits and format guidelines.
The 5-Point Scoring Rubric
Exactly what judges look for — voice, imagery, structure, originality, impact.
3 Annotated Sample Submissions
Real student work with real author notes, showing exactly what earns full marks.
Classroom & Homeschool Guide
How to run a Scribble season with a group, including discussion frameworks.
Season 3 Full Calendar
Every deadline, theme reveal, and results announcement date.
2,400+ parents, teachers, and students downloaded this season