Attention Writers! Tap into your inner Arthur Conan Doyle and submit a short historical mystery in the Minnesota Mystery Flash Fiction Contest!

Inspired by Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition now on display at the Minnesota History Center, this contest gives you the chance to share your take on a Minnesota historical mystery and become a featured author. The selected winner will have their original story featured in an upcoming issue of Minnesota History magazine. The game is afoot! Visit their website for more info and to submit.

Submission requirements

Here are some clues to what contest judges are looking for and requirements that all submissions must follow to be considered. Check out the Official Contest Rules for full details. For more info and to submit visit their page: https://www.mnhs.org/historycenter/activities/museum/sherlock/contest.

All stories must:

Involve a Minnesota historical figure or event (see their website for ideas)

Be set in a time period before 1985

Involve a mystery in the plot

Your submission also must meet the following criteria to be considered:

No more than 1,500 words in length

Language and themes must be appropriate for all ages

No previously published works allowed (let them know if your story is accepted elsewhere during the contest period)

Be an original work of the author and not violate any intellectual property rights

Be submitted through this contest’s official form, with all requirements and rules accepted

How will your story be judged?

The judges are looking for a mystery story that is original, cleverly plotted, historically accurate, plausible, and has proper style and grammar. In short, they are looking for good, well-written, interesting mysteries that highlight Minnesota history!

Important contest dates

Oct. 21: Submission period opens

Dec. 15: Submission period ends

Jan 9: Three winners contacted

Apr. 1: Winning entries posted on MNHS.org, top winner’s story featured in Minnesota History

Looking for ideas? Check out MNopedia

MNopedia.org is the Minnesota Encyclopedia, compiled by the Minnesota Historical Society. Visit to read a few articles they have created that may inspire or inform the characters, setting, or plot of your mystery. But don’t limit yourself — dig into Minnesota history and see what else you can uncover!