Effective July 6, 2026 · Taradiddle, a program of Guardian Whiskers
Who we are
Taradiddle is a free youth writing contest run by Guardian Whiskers Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Guardian Whiskers Inc. is the operator of taradiddle.org and is responsible for the information described in this policy. No other organizations operate this site or collect information through it.
Contest Entry Guidelines
- Entrants must be 18 years and younger.
- No cost to enter contests.
- Write original stories inspired by Taradiddle animal-themed writing prompts.
- There are three age categories: the Abecedarians for ages 12 years or younger, the
Juventus for ages 13-15 years, and the Doyens for ages 16-18 years. Enter under the age
category you will be at the time of the contest to receive contest and prize information.
If you are under the age of 13 years, your parent or guardian will need to sign you up
with their email address. If you are 13 years and older, you can sign up with your email
address. (Be sure to check your spam folder if you do not see emails from us!) - The sooner you sign up, the more hints you will receive about the writing prompt for the
next contest! - Each contest starts on a Thursday and ends on the following Monday. When the contest
starts, we will email you the writing prompt to get you started on your story. You will
have by midnight (in your time zone) on the following Monday to submit your story
inspired by the writing prompt. Submissions are made by emailing them to
hello@guardianwhiskers.org. If email is not available, please mail your story to:
Guardian Whiskers, 1004 East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703, postmarked by
Monday. Be sure to indicate your age category. - Only one submission is allowed per person.
- The Abecedarians have a maximum word count of 500 words. The Juvetues and Doyens
have a maximum word count of 1,000 words. - Judges will determine the top three finalists in each age category.
- Entrants retain the copyright of their submitted work. However, entrants grant
Guardian Whiskers the right to reproduce any submission on its website or any other
Guardian Whiskers publication regardless of medium or publication. - Guardian Whiskers asks for international rights. Should you re-publish the piece at a
later date, we ask that you acknowledge in print that Guardian Whiskers published it
first. - Only original submissions will be accepted. We will not accept simultaneous submissions
or work that has been published elsewhere.