Tempe Public Library’s Writing Contests
Every year, the Tempe Public Library hosts a writing competition for short stories, nonfiction snippets, and poetry. The age brackets are for 14-18, 18-23, and 23+, and I won the September 2025 adult 23+ bracket for creative fiction short story!
The competition is open to Maricopa County residents, and winners must wait 3 years before competing again. The winning selections go in a library-published anthology for their website, with a printed version for their shelves. This writing opportunity is a great way for Phoenix writers to get their names out there, have a good excuse to do a short writing project, and make friends at the celebration ceremony!