The Neighbourhood Centre's upcoming Tell Your Story competition will accept writing or comic entries and, for those who are feeling tentative, they can be assured by the fact that published author A.K. Gallagher is looking forward to reading the results.

She was at the Neighbourhood Centre recently, along with the centre's youth volunteers Ella Kay, Sabina Short and Abigail Clements, to discuss the Tell Your Story competition.

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"The whole aim of the competition is to highlight young writers in our community who want to be out there, get their works known, and we want them to write or draw a story based on their own experience," Ms Kay said.

The age categories are eight to 12 years, 13 to 16 years, and 17-24 years. Prizes (a voucher for one of a number of local stores) will be up for grabs for winners and there will also be prizes for randomly drawn entries from each category.

It's a new competition for the Neighbourhood Centre.

"The last two school holiday programs, we tried to do face-to-face workshops, but the kids don't really want to engage that way, they'd much prefer to be anonymous and remain online - hence, we thought this would be an exciting new way," Neighbourhood Centre service manager Therese Short said.

The Neighbourhood Centre's website has an introductory video to the competition from A.K. Gallagher - author of the GODLESS fantasy series, among other works - as well as a video offering tips on how to write an imaginative world.

The website also has a jotform where entrants can complete their details and submit their entries online.

Alternatively, entries can be handed in to the Neighbourhood Centre.

The competition will open on September 26 and close on October 10.

Winners will be announced on October 22 as part of National Children's Week.

Winners will have their works read on the 2MCE airwaves and will have their stories and comics published on the Neighbourhood Centre website.

"We would also like to acknowledge the donors of the vouchers - Big W, Books Plus, and we also had a staff member make a donation," Ms Short said.

And her message to the city's young writers?

"Put your thinking caps on - start writing and planning."

Visit www.binc.org.au/tell-your-story/

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