Seek the unknown – teen writing competition

Photographs.They exist in almost every household: hidden in attics, growing mildewy in basements, or tucked away on closet shelves. Sometimes they turn up at rummage sales or antique stores, completely divorced from anything that could possibly identify them. If we’re lucky, they wind up at the library with names, places, and dates marked clearly, but more often than not they arrive here orphaned and anonymous. It’s been said that every picture tells a story (thanks Rod Stewart), or that a picture is worth a thousand words; we’re hoping that’s the case, because we’d like our local teen authors and artists to tell stories with our amazing collection of archival photographs.

In honor of Teen Read Week, which runs from October 13-19, the Everett Public Library is hosting its second annual fall Teen Writing Competition for Everett students in grades 6-12. Last year’s competition brought in almost 50 entries and resulted in a read aloud night at the Bookend Coffee Co. where some of our winners read their work. Cider and a good time was had by all. You can check out videos of those stories on our YouTube channel (the volume is a bit low on the vids, so be sure to turn them up).

This year we’re hoping that our authors and artists will be inspired by images from our collections to create ‘found photo’ stories. What that means is that characters, places, and events in your stories should be inspired by images found in our collections. In order to let imaginations run wild, we’ve pulled a selection of our photos from our archives, stripped all information from them, and arranged them in this Flickr collection*. Thousands more images can be found on our Digital Collections site; these can be used with or without the identifying information attached to them. From there, we’re looking for either a written story illustrated with as many of our photos as you want, altered in any way you want, or a graphic novel/comic created using them. Competition winners may be featured on the EPL’s site, blog, and at an event at the library in 2014.

For an excellent example of a found photo story, we highly recommend reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs (we recommend reading it even if you don’t intend to enter the competition – it rocks).

For more information about our competition, including all the guidelines, rules, entry form, and other official stuff, visit our Teen Read Week page. Entries must be received by October 31st at 5pm to be considered, and can be dropped off at either branch or emailed to llabovitch at everettwa.gov. Be sure to keep a copy of your story for your own enjoyment (preferably your original if you’re creating any artwork with it!). Happy storytelling – we’re excited to see what you come up with!

*At the end of the competition we’ll add any information we have about the Flickr photos to their descriptions so you can learn a bit more about them.

Be sure to visit A Reading Life for more reviews and news of all things happening at the Everett Public Library.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.