It’s a writing contest! We invite residents of greater Boston to write stories of no more than 100 words depicting everyday life in the city. Winning stories will be printed in large format and posted throughout the city for everyone to read and enjoy.

To submit stories to the contest, you must have a mailing address in the city of Boston or eligible surrounding towns where you can be reached. This can be a work, school, or home address. A complete list of eligible surrounding towns is available in the “Rules” section of our website.

Each year, winning stories are selected by a panel of renowned, Boston-based writers. The third annual contest will be judged by Theresa Okokon, Shirley Jones Luke, and Bill Littlefield .

Winning stories will be announced at a public awards ceremony on World Book Day, April 23, 2023. More details coming soon!

You can submit your stories through the website or by mail. Our mailing address is: 40 Elson Rd. Waltham, MA 02451. Please refer to the “Rules” section of our website for explicit instructions on how to submit stories in person or by mail.

Yes!

Our contest is modeled after the original “In 100 Words” contest that began in Santiago, Chile in 2001. The contest currently exists in six cities throughout Chile and in six other cities around the world. More information about the history of this contest and its global expansion is available at: https://en100palabras.com/web/en.

There will be a total of 13 winning stories: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place plus 7 honorable mentions in the general category and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the youth category (17 and under).

You can submit your stories from September 10 through December 17, 2022.

Each person can submit up to five stories.

You can include words or phrases in languages other than English, but most of the text must be in English. While we currently do not have the capacity to assemble judges ‘panels in multiple languages, we do translate some of our stories into the most spoken languages commonly in Boston in an effort to make them accessible to non-English readers.

Winning stories will appear as large, illustrated posters installed in public spaces throughout the city of Boston.

No. Only the words in the story will be counted.

The story has to be written by the person who submits it, the story cannot have been previously published (including on websites or social media) and it should be written explicitly for the purpose of this contest.

Stories should be about life in the city of Boston. Stories can be completely fictional or based on personal experiences.

Small monetary prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the general category and the youth category. All winners (including honorable mentions) will receive a copy of the illustrated poster of their story.

No. You can still win even if you can’t come to the awards ceremony.

You need to include your name, a mailing address where we can contact you, a phone number where we can contact you, a current email address and your date of birth.

We accept stories from contestants of all ages.

Nothing! The contest is absolutely free.

Individuals must provide a current physical address where they can be reached in the city of Boston or one of the 13 eligible surrounding towns to participate.

We accept stories from contestants of all ages.