— Submission Deadline: September 21, 2026.

Come Be Part

of the Story

Recognition and Performance

Selected winners may be invited to share their work during the Devil’s Footprint Annual Event on October 4, 2026.

Recognition may include:

  • Reading your work during the event.
  • Having another person read your work if you prefer.
  • Being featured on devilsfootprint.org.
  • Receiving a framed recognition award.
  • Having your work archived or displayed as part of the event documentation.

Winners who cannot attend may submit a recorded reading for the Devil’s Footprint website. If a winner cannot attend, provide a recording, or arrange another reader, a member of the Devil’s Footprint Committee may read the work at the event.

The Devil’s Footprint Writing Competition

2026 Theme: Revolution

Writers of all ages are invited to explore the theme of Revolution through the folklore of the Devil’s Footprint.

The Devil’s Footprint is a story that has grown and changed through generations of retelling. Writers, historians, and ordinary townspeople have each interpreted the story differently. The 2026 Writing Competition invites new voices to become part of that continuing tradition.

Submission Deadline: September 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST

Selected winners may be invited to share their work during the Devil’s Footprint Annual Event on October 4, 2026, at First Church in Ipswich, UCC.

The Prompt

Explore the theme of Revolution through the folklore of the Devil’s Footprint.

Revolution may mean rebellion, resistance, transformation, reversal, return, or a turning point in how a story is understood.

Your writing does not need to directly retell the Devil’s Footprint legend, but it should clearly connect to or be inspired by the story. Writers may approach the theme literally or abstractly, in any genre or time period.

Questions for Inspiration

You do not need to answer any of these questions. They are here to spark ideas.

  • What are we revolting against today.
  • Is revolution a single moment, or part of an ongoing cycle of transformation.
  • What lessons does the revolutionary legacy of the Devil’s Footprint teach us.
  • What does victory look like; what does it mean to win.
  • What happens after the Devil is thrown from the church.
  • What might the Devil, the townspeople, or Whitefield say about the meaning of their struggle.
  • Why did Satan revolt against God.
  • When have you seen revolution succeed. When have you seen it fail.

The Devil’s Footprint story offers many ways to think about revolution, including good and evil, tradition and change, action and inaction.

Age Brackets

Entries are welcome from writers of all ages.

  • Youth, grades 2 through 7.
  • Young Adult, grades 8 through 12.
  • Adult.

Writers may submit one entry in each format category within their age bracket. Multiple entries in the same category, or entries submitted to multiple age brackets, will be disqualified.

Submission Categories

  • Poetry and Micro Fiction: Up to 500 words.
  • Flash Fiction: 500 to 1,000 words.
  • Short Stories: 1,000 to 2,000 words. Fiction or nonfiction.
  • Writers may submit in one, two, or all three categories.

Judging Criteria

Entries will be considered using four criteria.

Engagement with Theme and Folklore

Does the work meaningfully explore Revolution in connection with the Devil’s Footprint story. Does it demonstrate familiarity with or a thoughtful interpretation of the folklore.

Critical Reflection and Depth

Does the work invite reflection on larger questions. We value writing that moves beyond surface level storytelling and explores complexity and ambiguity.

Creativity and Voice

Does the work show originality in its interpretation of the theme or story. Does it have a distinct voice and perspective, whether playful, serious, experimental, or unexpected.

Production

Is the work clear and accessible to its audience. Do word choice, sentence structure, pacing, and form help communicate the ideas and themes of the piece.

Submission Guidelines

Your entry must:

  • Be an original piece of writing created by you.
  • Clearly connect to the Devil’s Footprint folklore and the theme of Revolution.
  • Be submitted by September 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST.
  • Follow the word count requirements for your category.
  • Be submitted as an RTF, DOCX, PDF, or TXT file.
  • Include the title of your work.

Author contact information, illustrations, author notes, and content warnings should be included in the submission form rather than in the body of the submitted work.

Works do not have to be appropriate for a family audience to be considered for an award. Pieces selected for public reading during the event must be appropriate for a family audience.


Generative AI Policy

Entries must not be generated or substantially edited using generative AI tools.

Grammar checking and spell checking tools may be used for minor assistance. Generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and similar large language models, may not be used to write, brainstorm, outline, or substantially revise an entry.

Entries suspected of being written or significantly edited using generative AI will be disqualified.

By submitting an entry, writers confirm that the work is their own original writing.


Copyright and Use

Copyright remains with the writer.

By submitting, writers freely license their work to the Devil’s Footprint Committee for use connected with the event, website, archival materials, and educational purposes. Writers will receive appropriate credit.


Additional Terms

  • The competition is open to anyone within the age brackets listed above.
  • Collaborative entries written by two or more writers are permitted.
  • Entries must be original and must not have been accepted for publication elsewhere at the time of submission.
  • Writers may pursue publication elsewhere after the event.
  • Entries may be withdrawn by contacting submit@devilsfootprint.org.
  • Entries cannot be amended after submission.
  • The Devil’s Footprint Committee may amend the guidelines when necessary.
  • The committee may decline to name a winner in a category if submitted work does not meet competition standards.
  • Decisions of the Devil’s Footprint Committee are final.
  • Submission of an entry indicates agreement with these terms.



Questions

submit@devilsfootprint.org

The rock is still there. The story is still told.