2025 Wapsie Writing Contest Winning Entries: (link); 2024 Wapsie Writing Contest Winning Entries: (link); 2023 Wapsie Writing Contest Winning Entries: (link)

Contest Rules:  The goal of the annual Wapsie Writing Contest is to encourage children, youth, and adults to write more and improve their creative writing skills. The ability to convey ideas through narrative and writing is a fundamental skill in many fields – even in this new era of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence. Submissions for the annual contest are accepted January 1st through midnight March 15. A small cash prize will be awarded to contest winners in each age category. Adults (19 and older), youth (12-18 years), and children (11 years and younger) are invited to submit a never-before-published short story or poetry—fiction or non-fiction—about a subject matter of their choosing. The length must be 100 to 1,500 words. Only one entry per person is allowed. Entries must be submitted in MS Word. Send your typed entry with your name, phone number, and age category to bbpassick@comcast.net. A panel of judges will evaluate entries based on the most creative and original, and demonstrated quality of beauty and intensity of emotion for their age category. Beginning in 2025, winners will receive a certificate and a small cash prize, plus their stories and/or poems will be submitted for publication to regional newspapers.
Seven Vital Elements Every Story Must Have; 10 Elements of Good Poetry

Keynote Speaker

I welcome opportunities to speak about my historical crime fiction novels, memoirs, short stories, and poetry. 

(P.S. I liken my writing experience to: Watch Sunday Morning: NPR’s Ari Shapiro on journalism and cabaret – Full show on CBS.)

Writing Workshops

“Writing a Novel” (90 mins.): How did I come to write the historical crime novels in the Gangster Series? (There’s an interesting story behind each book.) Topic(s) Covered: No prior experience required. Program covers crime novel writing basics, plus brief intro to publishing and marketing. Audience: Customized for group interest. Outcome: Learn from an award-winning author the basics of crime novel writing. 

“Writing a Memoir” (90 mins.): Whether you wish to write a memoir of under 10 pages — or 400 pages, like mine, We Are Eight, a Memoriam (2015) — your family will treasure it just as much. Instruction: Research, Interviews, Personal Stories, Genealogy, Photos, Permissions — and more. Outcome: Attendees are provided with the tools (instruction/handouts) to create a memoir to be proud of.

Journaling  (90 mins.): Beginning in childhood, I kept a journal for over 20 years. Keeping a journal proved to be great training for a career as an author of books, short stories, and poetry. Outcome: Students are provided with journals and instruction on recording their life stories through writing, drawing, photos, and mapping.

© 2017 Betty Brandt Passick. All rights reserved.