Funded by a grant from Quail Valley Charities, the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation invites the community to submit entries to be considered for inclusion in a publication in 2026. As the Literary Heart of Indian River County, LRJF supports writers of all ages who have a passion for creating via the written word. Our writing programs have traditionally been segmented into age groups, but this year we’re undertaking a project called “Wisdom & Wonder” that will encourage co-authoring across generational lines.
Entrants must:
- Be an intergenerational pair separated in age by at least 15 years
- At least one of the pair must reside in Indian River County
- Attest at the time of submission that the entry is original (only the two named co-authors have contributed to the writing & editing), not created or assisted by artificial intelligence, and has not been previously published elsewhere
Entries must be:
- Original writing produced in collaboration by both members of the pair
- Writing in any of the following genres: poetry, short story, dialogue, creative nonfiction, comics/scene from a graphic novel, song lyrics
- Limited to 500 words per entry
We accept entries on a rolling basis from December 1, 2025 – May 1, 2026. [The original deadline was March 15 but we are extending it by six weeks to hear from even more intergenerational pairs. We love the entries we have received and we want more!]
Some entries may be published online immediately; others will be selected for publication online in June 2026. A limited selection of entries will be published in a printed book to be made available to the public in Fall 2026.
There is NO CHARGE to participate or enter. Authors whose work is published in the printed book will receive one copy each at no cost; additional copies will be available for purchase.
Resources
We’ve created a short workbook that co-author pairs may want to use to help them get started and work through their project. This is just for your use, if you find it helpful, not something that is part of your final submission. Click the image below to get the workbook!
Wondering what to write about?
You can write about anything at all! And write in any format: story, song lyrics, nonfiction, comic strip, etc. But if you’re feeling stuck on how to get started, here are some ideas to think about:
- Two ancestors meet: Choose two ancestors or family members who never met and write a scene where they interact. What would they talk about?
- A Shared First Experience: Describe a “first” you experienced together (first trip, first day of school, first big project). You might want to turn these memories into a poem!
- A family biography pitch : Imagine one person’s life is being turned into a book or movie. Write a title, subtitle, and back cover summary for their story.
- The Same Day, Two Views: Choose one memorable day. Each of you writes about it from your own perspective.
- A Place That Matters to Both of Us: Write about a location that is meaningful to your family (a home, a park, a hometown). If you could write a song about this special place, what would the lyrics be?
- A Trip We Went On: What vacation or day trip have you taken together? Write a story about something exciting that happened to the two of you.
- The Future: If you could wish something for the other’s future, what would it be? Or write about what it might be like to do something together in10 years.
- Alternative ending: Pick an event from your shared history and write a different ending to it. If you like to draw, you could make this into a comic strip where the first few scenes are the real events and the last one or two shows the new ending.
- A thank you :Write a story with two characters (each writing partner is a different character) and what they might do and/or say to thank someone else for something special. This can be true or imaginary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit more than one entry?
Yes! Co-author pairs can submit as many entries as they like. You can submit entries with a different writing partner if you want to.
Can we have a team of more than 2 writers?
Sorry, no, all submisssions must be by a pair of co-authors.
Can our organization (class, scout troop, community group, etc.) submit entries?
Yes! We’re encouraging groups to make their members aware of this project and encourage everyone to participate. LRJF is not requiring writing on any particular theme, but your group could encourage that if you like. For example, an environmental group may decide to promote participation and ask its co-author pairs to write about an experience they shared in nature.
We’re also offering in-person mini-workshops where we will come in person and explain the project to your group and get everyone started on their submission. (See contact info under “More Questions” below.) Your group will then create writing pairs and work their magic!
When a piece has been submitted by a pair associated with a particular group or organization, we will recognize both the authors and the organization by name when we publish the writing.
More Questions? Email wisdomandwonder@lrjf.org or call us at 772-569-6718