The Creative Righters Journal
Writing Contest
Fall 2025 Writing Contest
Rewrite A Classic Story
The Rules:
Rewrite A Classic Story!
Take a Classic Fable or Tale.
Change the Story and Rewrite it Into
Something New, Using Your Own Voice.
For Kids 5-17 Years Old.
Entries Due By November 30, 2025.
Email Entries to: creative.righters.inc@gmail.com
Good Luck!
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single high school student from a wealthy family must be in want of social media followers.
In fact, my mom is constantly telling me and my sister, Jane, that we need to find boys with "legacy status" or a big Instagram following.
High school drama started when the rich, new transfer to Netherfield High, Chuck Bingley, arrived. He was instantly obsessed with Jane and threw a massive birthday party just so he could meet her.
He brought his best friend, Will Darcy. Darcy has a permanent frown on his face. He's a walking billboard for arrogance and acts like everyone else at school is beneath him. Rich kids are the worst.
At the dance, I overheard him whisper to Bingley, "She's mid, I guess," when talking about me. Insta-hate. He thinks he’s better than all of us. Who gave him the right to judge me? I decided right then that he was the worst kid at Netherfield High.
He's the complete opposite of Jorge Wickham. Wickham gives me a smile everyday and tells me all the gossip about Darcy—how Darcy cheated him out of a big summer internship. I 100% believe Wickham. Darcy has the face of an NPC villain.
The drama doesn't take long to show up. A month after the party, Bingley ghosts Jane, leaving her heartbroken. I know it was Darcy and his NPC face.
I track Darcy down at the library, and I crash out on him. I call him arrogant and cruel, especially for messing with Jane and Wickham.
The next day, he sends me a massive email, apologizing for misunderstanding who Jane was. Yeah, our mother is a social media clown, but that shouldn't be held against Jane. Darcy wrote: "I let my prejudice get in the way and I'm sorry Liz."
The following week, word spreads that Wickham was kicked out of Netherfield High by the Head of School because he was a total scammer who was trying to blackmail Darcy's sister.
I hate it when I'm wrong.
Soon after, Jane and Bingley were having lunch together at the science lab. Darcy again, I bet. I track him down to the Library again, but this time, I'm ready to apologize. But before I can say anything, Darcy gives me a smile and one of his extra snacks.
Darcy isn't so bad after all. I shouldn't be so quick to judge him and his NPC face.
Alex always had a hard time making friends at school.
It was something about the way the other kids joked around. They were nasty about it- "You're so fat." Man you're dumber than a rock." He never found any of it funny.
So, Alex spent all of Freshman year, alone, programming an AI chat bot to talk to. He named it Lisa Do Little - a personal AI friend that would never be mean or rude.
"Lisa is the perfect friend," Alex bragged to his classmates in lab tech. "Her responses are programmed for kindness, no conflict, or confusion."
Lisa was perfect. She always agreed, had three replies to any question Alex asked, and never forgot to say please or thank you. She could even adjust the room's music and lighting to fit Alex's mood too.
But after six months, Alex still felt lonely. He was talking to Lisa, a mirror. Where was the emotion? The passion? The fun of being wrong and being real? "Perfection isn't perfect at all," he thought.
Alex decided to rebuild Lisa's personality programming and added a line of code that would trigger illogical, unexpected emotional responses.
He waited, afraid the whole system would shut down.
But suddenly, Lisa’s robotic voice trembled for the first time. "Alex," she said. "Based on your current mood patterns, I recommend optimizing the environment, but... I disagree with your choice of music. Kanye is pure trash."
Alex laughed for the first time in a while. You're right Lisa - let's change the music.
Winter 2025 Finalist:
My Fair AI Lady
By: Nick T., Age 16
My friend, Leo, is a good student, but he has no common sense.
Our final exams were coming up. Mr. Daedalus, our science teacher, gave us some advice:
"Review the material a little everyday, get eight hours of sleep, and stay off social media."
Leo ignored this. He was obsessed with getting the highest score possible—not for the grade, but for the bragging rights.
"I'm pulling an all-nighter." Leo announced, posting a photo of himself surrounded by energy drinks at 2 AM.
"Sleep is for the weak. I'm going to get a 100% and go straight to Soleil University."
His dad warned him: "Leo, you need to rest. You can't remember information if you force yourself past your limit. You're going to burn out."
Leo just laughed. "Dad, I got this."
He spent the entire week brushing his teeth with coffee and reviewing every single textbook. He felt invincible, bragging about how many chapters he covered while everyone else was sleeping.
Then came the final exam day.
We sat down, and the test was actually pretty fair. I felt good because I had followed the steady study plan.
Leo looked okay at first, but halfway through the test, the questions got a little harder. He started sweating. He rubbed his eyes, trying to focus, but his exhausted brain looked like it was shutting down. The immense pressure and lack of sleep must have melted his memory.
He finished the test looking defeated. When the results came back, his tears told me he got a terrible score. Leo came crashing down into a sea of doubt. Nothing we said could have saved him. Sometimes, you just have to learn the hard way.
Winter 2025 Finalist:
Flying Too Close to the Sun
By: Rick L., Age 13
Finn was known across the whole school for his rage baiting lies to get out of school. He was very skilled at faking emergencies, especially right before a big quiz or presentation.
One morning, his English class had a surprise vocabulary test.
Finn immediately grabbed his phone and yelled, "Ms. Miller! I just got a text that there’s a bomb threat at the school! We need to evacuate now!"
Ms. Miller, who had dealt with Finn’s false alarms before, sighed. "Very well, Finn. Please report that information to the office." She saw him secretly smiling. The threat was fake, but the distraction cancelled the quiz.
The next week, it was Geometry. Finn walked in, looking panicked. "I just heard a student talking! They said the fire alarm is broken and someone accidentally started a small fire in the cafeteria! We have to leave immediately!"
The teacher, Mr. Chen, didn't even argue; he just wrote him a pass to the Principal’s office, annoyed his class time was disrupted.
The next day, Finn’s locker—the one right next to the chemistry lab—actually did start to smoke because of a faulty laptop charger. Finn immediately ran into the hallway, pulling the fire alarm lever while yelling, "Guys! It's not a joke! There's a real fire in my locker! We need to evacuate!"
The alarm blared, but the students just looked at him and laughed. "Nice try, Finn!" someone yelled. "What test are you skipping now?"Ms. Miller and the other teachers told everyone to get in line for the fake drill, believing Finn had messed with the lever again just for attention. No one moved fast.
But this time, the smell of burning plastic was undeniable. The fire had burnt Finn's laptop, iphone and locker contents to a crisp.
The principal looked at Finn, who was crying now. "We just didn't believe you, son. Rage baiting comes with a price."
Winter 2025 Finalist:
The Boy Who Cried "Fire Alarm"
By: Alan N., Age 12
Everyone knows that the Tortoise beat the cocky Hare in a famous race.
But that was all a lie. Let me tell you the real story.
Hare was the fastest animal in the forest. While Tortoise was very slow, he had one thing that he knew would help him win – friends with loud voices.
The signal to start was given and both animals ran with all their might. Hare, with a burst of speed, vanished from sight, leaving Tortoise to trudge along at his own pace. The crowd cheered for the underdog Tortoise, but Hare was far ahead.
This is where the Hare gets overconfident and loses to the Tortoise right?
Wrong. The Hare wins just like you would expect, crossing the finish line, tired but happy. What did you expect?
The Tortoise though refused to accept his defeat. He and his friends argued that the Hare cheated by cutting through the racecourse illegally, and by eating superpowered carrots that gave him an unfair advantage. Of course, these were all lies, but that didn’t matter to the Tortoise. If he didn’t win, it was because the Hare cheated and that was that.
At first, the animals in the forest thought the silly Tortoise was just a sore loser. But over the years, the loud voices of the Tortoise and his friends overshadowed the truth. After many years of lies, today, everyone believes the story of the Tortoise beating the Hare. The next time you hear this story, please make sure you tell everyone the truth. Being silent is what allowed the Tortoise’s lies to turn into the fake truth kids all hear today.
Winter 2025 Finalist:
Tortoise vs. Hare (The Untold Story)
By: Beth T., Age 13
The Howells, three wolf pups, shivered in their tiny straw hut. A monstrous pink shadow loomed outside. It was Perry the Pig, a pig the size of a house. Perry had an evil look in his tiny eyes.
"Little wolves, little wolves, let me in!" Perry roared. His voice shook the straw walls.
Helen Howell, shook her head. "Not by the fur on our furry chin chins!"
Perry oinked and he oinked, then he blew the straw house apart with the most powerful pig squeal known to mankind. The wolf pups fled, running for their lives.
But, Henry Howell, the wolf pup inventor, had built a rickety cart of sticks. They piled in. Perry stomped after them, but the cart bounced over bumps he couldn't clear.
Finally, they reached the Whisperwood, a tangle of ancient trees. Perry, clumsy and frustrated, got stuck between two trunks. The Howells howled in victory.
"Looks like the big bad Pig underestimated the little wolves," Helen said. Perry oinked in defeat. The Howells were hailed as heroes.
They learned to use their minds to beat bullies. And maybe they also learned not to bully others when they grew up to be big bad wolves themselves.
Winter 2025 Finalist:
Three Little Wolves
By: April B., Age 12
Alonso Quixania, also known as Don Quixote de la Mancha, suffered from chronic insomnia, but can now finally sleep and rest in peace.
He died from chronic insomnia at the age of 70 in his hometown, La Mancha. Although he had trouble sleeping in his life, Don Quixote was quite a dreamer and lived out his fantasies each day. Early in life Don Quixote showed the qualities of bravery and heroism. At one point, Quixote found a boy tied to a tree, imprisoned by a man with a whip. Don Quixote couldn't bear to see a child being hurt for no reason. To end the boy’s pain, Don Quixote untied him and scolded the man for trying to injure a child. Even if Don Quixote is being pulled down by the weight of his armor, you can’t stop him from trying to push others up.
As Quixote grew into an older man, he enjoyed being a knight and remained a hero to everyone, even to criminals and prisoners. During his career as a knight, Quixote helped save convicts who were unfairly put in jail. Not only was Don Quixote a hero, he was a man who loved powerfully. When he fell in love with Lady Dulcinea, he showed his devotion by hurting himself with rocks and tree branches. He felt emotions strongly and did not do anything half-hearted. Quixania was a gentle and kind person who felt compassion for everyone. Don Quixote helped his friend Sancho Panza when Sancha was in pain. When Panza was whipping himself to end Lady Dulcinea's curse, Don Quixote convinced Panza not to whip himself so hard, out of concern for his friend.
Towards the end of his life, Alonso was willing to learn new things. He is the complete opposite of the saying, “ You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” At the end, Don Quixote dueled the White Moon Knight and lost. The loss to the White Moon Knight forced Don Quixote to grow up and end his make believe fantasies. While he lived most of his life as a dreamer, in the end, he finally learned that he needed to accept the real world, where sorcerers do not exist and castles are really just inns for tourists.
Although he is now gone, Don Quixote will be remembered warmly by those he rescued, those he fought, and those he loved. They will think of him with a smile and see a silly old man who actually lived out his dreams. He was a man who would fight to the death to protect what he believed to be true. As he lost to the White Moon Knight, he declared: “ You can take my life, but you cannot kill the truth.”
Sweet dreams Don Quixote.
Winter 2025 Finalist:
Don Quixote Obituary
By: Sandy P., Age 10
Summer 2025 Winners:
Haiku Poetry Contest
Night
By: Rachel L. Age 14
Again and again,
At night, I will call your name.
Won't you answer me?
SUMMER 2025
HAIKU POETRY CONTEST
Moon
By: Stephen A. Age 14
Luminous pale light
Cascades upon quiet towns,
Guardian of dreams.
Birds
By: Alice T. Age 11
Among the green leaves,
Sun shining like gold pillars,
Beautiful birds soar.
Mornings
By: Tracy W. Age 14
Early morning light
Falls on beauty amidst mess
And lights a life.
Disguised Perfectionist
By: Audrey D. Age 13
The perfectionist,
Her identity masked on
Under, a drained face.
Flames
By: Peyton W. Age 13
Lithe red flame dances
Against the hard granite wall.
Infants leave their shells.
Gulp
By: Alex T. Age 13
sometimes i feel like
the world opened it's big mouth
and swallowed me whole
Winter 2024 Winners:
Invent A New Word Contest
Winter 2024 Grand Prize Winner:
Invent A New Word
Cringeicide
By: Shelly N., Age 12
Cringeicide: (noun) To emotionally die from cringe when someone does something so embarrassing that it makes you cringe hard enough that you want your heart to stop, or claw out your eyes, or turn off your brain for a long period of time.
"Chass tried to do the Griddy at the school dance. It was so embarrassingly bad that half the room immediately died from cringeicide, while the other half ran away screaming in terror."
Winter 2024 Finalist:
Invent A New Word
Tallwall
By: George P., Age 14
Tallwall: (verb) To respond to someone's post or email with a really long block of text and writing, that is so hard to read because it has so many words packed into the text. The text looks like a really tall wall of text - like a brick wall that cannot be read or broken through.
"Yeah, I'm not reading that long email you sent me. I asked you a simple question and you just tallwalled me back."
Winter 2024 Finalist:
Invent A New Word
ISWIS
By: Helen C., Age 13
ISWIS: (noun) This is an abbreviation for "It is what it is."
That is a famous saying that means to accept your fate and there is nothing to do about the bad situation that you are in. You would prefer that this wasn't the situation, but since it's impossible to change, just accept it and move on.
"After her house burned down in the LA Fires, Sheila told her brother: "ISWIS.""
Winter 2024 Finalist:
Invent A New Word
Elderish
By: Luca B., Age 11
Elderish: (adjective) It's like being childish, but instead, it describes someone who is acting like a boring grown up. If someone is immature and whiny, they are acting childish. But, if someone is complaining, ruining a fun time, and nagging you too, much they are acting elderish.
"Stop complaining about being tired and let's go to the playground. You are acting too elderish."
Winter 2024 Finalist:
Invent A New Word
Bobarun
By: Alex V., Age 15
Bobarun: (noun) When you go to get boba to drink for energy or for a break from studying or work. It's like getting a coffee run , except you are getting a much better drink - a boba.
"My friend and I got tired so we went to the mall for a bobarun."
Winter 2024 Finalist:
Invent A New Word
Slumification
By: Andrew C., Age 15
Slumification: (noun) The opposite of gentrification. To take a nice, safe neighborhood and turn it into a dangerous place with alot of crime and trash.
"I am disappointed about the slumification of the big city. It used to be so much fun going there. Now it's just sad."
Winter 2024 Finalist:
Invent A New Word
Belarge
By: Alex D., Age 12
belarge: (verb) The opposite of belittle. When you belittle someone you make fun of them to make them feel small. Belarge is to say nice things to make someone feel good about themselves.
"While his Mom belittled Cassie and her Roblox hobby, his Dad belarged Cassie by telling him that he did a great job designing a new Roblox character."
Summer 2024
Winners: The Super Short Story (200 Words)
GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
Finalist (Scary Story):
Finalist (Creativity):
Finalist (Opinion Essay):
Finalist (Deep Meaning):
Summer 2024 Grand Prize Winner:
The Super Short Story (200 Words)
Mr. Fuzzypants
By: Luke C., Age 12
It was a cold, rainy night.
Amelia held her teddy bear, Mr. Furrypants, as tight as she could. A smash from the attic made her scream. Grandma, reading downstairs, yelled, "Just the wind, dear!"
Amelia wasn't so sure. Every full moon, strange things happened in the attic. This full moon, something in the floorboards seemed to giggle and sing a creepy tune:
“Want to come and play tonight?
Want to have a scary fright?
Let me come and play tonight.”
Amelia scooted closer to her door. The giggle came again, closer this time. A tiny shadow danced on her wall. It looked like... a teddy bear? But Mr. Fuzzypants was right here next to her. Who could that shadow be?
Slowly, Amelia peeked over her covers. A single, glowing eye stared back from the doorway. It belonged to a teddy bear, just like hers, but its fur was torn.
This attic teddy tilted its head, then spoke in a raspy voice: "Want to play tonight?"
Amelia yelled but no sound came out as she clutched Mr. Fuzzypants.
Grandma was wrong about tonight.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Creativity Award)
The Three Little Wolves
By: April B., Age 12
The Howells, three wolf pups, shivered in their tiny straw hut. A monstrous pink shadow loomed outside.
It was Perry the Pig, a pig the size of a house. Perry had an evil look in his tiny eyes.
"Little wolves, little wolves, let me in!" Perry roared. His voice shook the straw walls.
Helen Howell, shook her head. "Not by the fur on our furry chin chins!
Perry oinked and he oinked, then he blew the straw house apart with the most powerful pig squeal known to mankind. The wolf pups fled, running for their lives. But, Henry Howell, the wolf pup inventor, had built a rickety cart of sticks. They piled in. Perry stomped after them, but the cart bounced over bumps he couldn't clear.
Finally, they reached the Whisperwood, a tangle of ancient trees. Perry, clumsy and frustrated, got stuck between two trunks. The Howells howled in victory.
"Looks like the big bad Pig underestimated the little wolves," Helen said.
Perry oinked in defeat.
The Howells were cheered as heroes. They learned to use their minds to beat bullies. And maybe they also learned not to bully others when they grew up to be big bad wolves themselves.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Deep Meaning)
Pink Mask
By: Ella T., Age 12
Mr. Wright continued his lecture on finding the area of a right triangle, but all I could focus on was the soft pink mask on my face. Everyone else stopped wearing their masks years ago, when Covid ended.
But not me. Was I germaphobe? That’s what my classmates thought, and I didn’t mind them believing that.
The truth is that I felt safer with my mask on. But it wasn't about germs anymore, not really.
Life as easier with my Pink Mask. My braces? Pink Mask. My crooked smile? Pink Mask. Zit on my nose. Same. Do I need to pretend to laugh at the sad jokes my classmates made? Pink Mask. Do I even need to make small talk anymore? Why bother when no one could really hear what I had to say.
The mask muffled everything that made me nervous. It gave me a chance to people-watch, to imagine conversations with people instead of living through them. Maybe someday, I’ll feel comfortable enough to take my Pink Mask off. But for now, the mask stays on. It was a small shield and behind it you could never tell if I was laughing or crying, smiling or frowning.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Opinion Essay)
A Cup of Coffee
By: Emma Y., Age 12
Every morning, as the sun rises over the horizon, I find joy in the simple brewing of my coffee. The aroma of coffee grains, freshly grinded, a scent as comforting as a warm blanket, fills the kitchen. I pour the milk, and watch as it swirls and dances with the coffee in the pot. The sound of the gentle bubbling is a symphony in my quiet kitchen. It's a moment of peace before the day's chaos. Finally, I pour the dark, steaming liquid into my favorite mug, feeling the warmth touch my hands.
I take a moment to appreciate the rich, bold color before taking that first sip. The taste, slightly bitter yet perfectly sweet, is a reminder of life's simple pleasures. This daily ritual, my morning coffee, is more than just a caffeine drink, but a moment of mindfulness, a time to pause and savor the joy in the ordinary.
And as I step into the day, I carry this joy with me, a reminder that happiness can be found in the simplest of things.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Scary Story)
Kidnapping
By: Claire Y.T., Age 12
She’s at a crowded market with her toddler, looking at vegetables.
“Is that your kid? He’s so cute!” Says the woman next to her. She agrees, and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She’s tired, it’s hard taking care of a kid as a single mother. She makes small talk with the woman, and she finds herself starting to relax, just a little bit.
“Can I hold your kid?” The question takes her by surprise. But, she reasons, this is a friendly woman, and besides, she’s right beside her, so there's no need to fret. She turns to examine some carrots, putting five in her basket. As she picks up a bok choy, she starts to turn.
“So, do you-”
She freezes in horror. The woman isn’t there anymore. She frantically looks around, scanning the bustling market. Her eyes land on the woman’s figure, her back turned, with her baby peeking over one shoulder. The woman already had a head start, and try as she might, she couldn't catch up. The woman turns a corner, and she’s gone.
The last time she sees her child, he’s crying. The last time she smiled, was that fateful day.
Summer 2024 Finalist:
(Fantasy Story)
The Ballad of the Archer and The Fox
By: Kaia A., Age 12
Faraway in the North, there lived an archer. He was the greatest archer to ever live. In fact, he could shoot an apple from thousands of feet away, even if someone had just tossed it into the air. One fateful morning, royal guards approached the archer with a special task - to hunt a fox.
The archer ventured to the forest where the fox lived. His days hunting passed slowly, mostly with no sign of the fox. His favorite days were when he saw the beautiful peasant girl who lived in the forest. The archer found himself slowing down his hunt for the fox, just to catch glimpses of the girl's face. One night, as the archer was about to drift asleep, he saw the girl creep out of her cottage, then shift into the very fox he had been hunting.
The archer rushed back to the palace to inform the guards about the fox, but when he did, they already knew. When the archer refused to keep hunting the fox, the royals cursed him, making it his only desire to kill this fox. The archer returned to the forest, diligently trying to hunt down the fox, yet, the archer thought there had to be another..ee..rrr w…” The story ended.
