Tales from the Museum: A community writing contest

Name: Tales from the Museum: A community writing contest
Start: 2025-10-30T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-10-30T21:00:00-05:00
Location: 18 N 4th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI, United States, Wisconsin 54235

Schedule

Thu Oct 30 2025 at 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

18 N 4th Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, WI, United States, Wisconsin 54235 | Sturgeon Bay, WI

Tales from the Museum
A Community Short Story Contest
The Challenge
Write an original short story or poem inspired by a real artifact of your choice from the museum's collection. The artifact may appear in the story or simply inspire the setting, plot, or characters. Entries should have a spooky or mysterious theme in the spirit of Halloween.
Rules
• Original, unpublished fiction only
• Must feature or be inspired by a museum artifact
• 750 words or less (shorter is better)
• Open to all ages: Youth (12 and under), Teen (13–19), Adult (20+)
• Typed, .doc, .docx, or .pdf file
• Include title, writer's name, and age group
• Submit online through this link or the QR code below: https://bit.ly/4p5jPpu
A panel of judges will select winners in each category based on originality, creativity, writing quality, and historical connection.
Entry Deadline: October 17 — as the clock strikes midnight!
Writers Workshop & Book Reading - Thursday, September 25, 6–8pm
Author Bill Gillard will lead a creative writing workshop and read from his new collection of historical short stories. Gillard is a professor of creative writing at UW–Oshkosh and has published widely and specializes in early 20th-century speculative fiction. He lives in Appleton, where he’s still trying to justify one more bird feeder.
Halloween Awards Event - Thursday, October 30, 6pm
Celebrate with a spooky reading event at the museum! Winners will be announced, and selected stories performed by local actors. The evening will feature two blocks (Youth/Teen, then Adult). Costumes encouraged, treats (and a few tricks) will be included!