MONSTER-BUILDING CONTEST
Hello, Monster maker!
If you have faced the quest of taking on the ultimate monster-hunter, Mortimer — congratulations! New to the monster laboratory? Welcome! We believe that your writing deserves an audience.
Cosmic Writers’ annual monster-building contest is open from now through December 31st, 2026, for young writers ages 14 and under! Submit for a chance to win a custom plushie of your monster character. Entrants should:
Create an original monster character using a New Monster Certificate (available in The Monster-Building Handbook on pages 8–9 or downloadable below).
Write a story in response to the following prompt: Use your imagination to create an original story featuring a monster of your own invention. Your monster might be terrifying, hilarious, mischievous, misunderstood, or even heroic. What happens when your monster faces the infamous monster-hunter, Mortimer? Or, what happens when your monster enters the world? Who, or what, will it encounter? What challenges will it face? (If you’re writing in the Handbook, the final confrontation story is on pages 26–29.)
Whether you use The Monster-Building Handbook as your guide, or you're new to Cosmic Writers, we welcome your tale of monstrosity and grit.
CALLING ALL EDUCATORS…
If you’re a teacher, librarian, or community educator, we’d love to support you in working with your youth to submit to the contest. Feel free to download our 90-minute monster-building curriculum here. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our Curriculum & Outreach Manager, Olivia, at oquinn@cosmicwriters.org.