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Adalynn Erickson reads her storytelling contest entry in her home in Pleasant View on Saturday, July 31, 2021. 

Harrison Epstein, Standard-Examiner

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Adalynn Erickson poses for a portrait in her home in Pleasant View on Saturday, July 31, 2021. 

Harrison Epstein, Standard-Examiner

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Adalynn Erickson poses for a portrait outside her home in Pleasant View on Saturday, July 31, 2021. 

Harrison Epstein, Standard-Examiner

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PLEASANT VIEW — The first chapter of Adalynn Erickson’s story ends another. The local 10-year-old is a finalist in the inaugural 4-H Create Your Story contest. The three-part story has been written by different students submitting their chapters before a public vote decides the winner.

“I mentioned to her and she got excited and she sat down and, for days, just worked on it,” said Angeana Erickson, Adalynn’s mother.

The story prompt, the same for all entrants, focuses on the story of four characters: Blair the Bull, ChaCha the Tiger, Larry the T-Rex and Lily the Unicorn. The prompt given put the main characters walking down the road as a group looking forward to their next adventure. From this point, Adalynn envisioned a story of personal growth and friendship.

No matter the obstacles the characters came across, Adalynn made sure they would help one another fight their fears and keep moving forward. She made sure that no animal was ever left behind on the journey. For Angeana, this came as no surprise. She described her daughter as a kind-hearted friend who always looks out for others. Adalynn agreed, saying “I don’t like being mean.”

According to her parents, it took about four days for Adalynn to complete the final draft of her story — and the hand-drawn pictures to pair with it. Determined to do strive for her best, she is one of 10 finalists in the third phase of the contest. Elementary-aged writers from across the country submit their ideas to be considered.

Each entrant took their own path to telling the story. Some used drawings, like Adalynn, while others had only audio or acted out the story with toys. The toys are from the company Schleich, which partnered with 4-H to run the contest. At 10 years old, Adalynn was right in the middle of the pack for age with finalists ranging from 7 to 13.

After the votes are counted online, an interactive video will be produced detailing the winning story as a whole. It will be premiered Oct. 5 for National Storytelling Day. People can vote for the phase three winner online at https://www.facebook.com/SchleichOfficial/ until 11 p.m. Wednesday. Winners are expected to be announced by the end of the week.

No matter the end result, Adalynn has enjoyed the experience. She never thought about prizes or winning — just the opportunity to write, draw and tell a story that mattered to her.