The Discovery Project CONTEST
Discover the Story Only You Can Tell
Presented by Centaur Publishing
The Discovery Project
Discover the Story Only You Can Tell
Every person has a story.
Some stories change the people who read them.
The very best stories change the people who write them. The Discovery Project was created to encourage young people to slow down, think deeply, write honestly, and discover something about themselves they may never have noticed before.
We live in a world that gives us answers almost instantly.
But the most important questions can't be answered by a search engine or artificial intelligence.
They can only be answered by looking within.
Who am I?
What matters to me?
What kind of person am I becoming?
What have my experiences taught me?
These are the questions that shape our lives.
Writing helps us discover the answers.
Why Handwriting?
Research has shown that handwriting activates more areas of the brain than typing. It strengthens memory, encourages deeper thinking, improves attention, and helps us organize our ideas.
Handwriting also slows us down.
When we slow down, we notice more.
We remember more.
We choose our words more carefully.
We often discover ideas that would never have appeared if we were typing as fast as we could.
That's why every story in The Discovery Project is handwritten.
Why Effort Matters
Great writing rarely happens on the first draft.
We hope you'll write...
...and rewrite.
Look up unfamiliar words.
Use a dictionary.
Use a thesaurus.
Improve your handwriting.
Read your story aloud.
Challenge yourself to become a stronger writer than you were yesterday.
We don't expect perfection.
We do expect your best.
Why Artificial Intelligence Isn't Allowed
Your thoughts matter.
Your experiences matter.
Your voice matters.
Artificial Intelligence can write words.
It cannot tell your story.
We want to hear what you think, what you learned, and what you discovered.
The Discovery Project celebrates human curiosity, imagination, and character.
That's something no computer can replace.
The July Discovery Challenge
Each July, Centaur Publishing invites young writers to participate in two Story Missions.
Each mission is designed to help participants think deeply, reflect honestly, and discover something meaningful about themselves.
This isn't about becoming a famous writer.
It's about becoming a thoughtful person.
Story Mission #1
The Moment I Saw Myself Differently
Tell us about a moment that changed how you saw yourself.
Perhaps you discovered courage you didn't know you had.
Maybe you admitted you were wrong.
Maybe you helped someone.
Maybe you failed at something and learned an important lesson.
Tell us what happened.
What surprised you?
How did that experience change you?
Story Mission #2
The Person I'm Choosing to Become
People often ask children what they want to do when they grow up.
We're asking something different.
Who do you want to become?
What qualities matter most to you?
Why?
Who has influenced you?
What choices are you making today that will help you become that person tomorrow?
Our Hope
We hope every participant finishes this challenge with more than two stories.
We hope you leave with a better understanding of yourself.
We hope you discover strengths you didn't know you had.
We hope you ask better questions.
We hope you become a little more curious.
A little more courageous.
A little more compassionate.
Because the greatest discovery you'll ever make may not be about the world around you.
It may be about the remarkable person already growing within you.
Welcome to The Discovery Project.
We can't wait to discover your story.
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EXPLORE TOPICS
For Writing, Healing, and Personal Growth
Themes
1. Spiritual Growth & Attitude
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Everything Is Attitude — Recipes For Life (many posts across various dates)
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Is Conscious Thinking the Answer?
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Faith, Trust, and an Attitude of Gratitude
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Messages From Our Soul and Destiny
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Aren’t You Worth It?
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Recognizing Your Addictions
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Being Open to Possibilities
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Can You Have a Positive Attitude During Illness?
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Coping Through Loss and Grief
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Bereavement
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Getting the Mind Completely Empty with Meditation
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How the book Soul Signs helps improve attitude
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Building Trust After Being Cheated On
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You’ll Be More Attractive if You Stop Playing the Victim
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Don’t Believe Everything You Think
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The Universe Has Been Gaming My Dreams Lately
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The Cost of Fear: Are Drugs and Surgery the Only Options?
2. Healing, Grief & Transformation
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A Journey From Grief Toward Joy (your event theme)
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Coping with a Fork in the Road
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Listening to My Father Almost Ruined My Marriage
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Life is about our Communion With Others
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Change of Heart
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My Early Experiences with Healing
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Coping Through Loss and Grief
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Bereavement
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Dream, Dentists, Authors, and Movies Have Been Dropping Me Breadcrumbs
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Can You Recognize Your Pivotal Moments?
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You Are Unworthy or You Are Not. You Decide
3. Empowerment & Personal Development
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Be The Comeback Kid Of Your Own Life Story!
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Are You Aware of How Your Environment Affects You?
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I Didn’t Know That I Could Do Anything I Do Until I Did It
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Wanna Be a Philanthropist?
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Providing Value and Service to the World
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How Much is Too Much?
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jim Rohn, and Journaling
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9 Must-Do’s to Have a 10 Day
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Three Things To Do When Someone Pushes Your Buttons
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How to Move from “I Hate My Boss” to “Thank You For What You Are Teaching Me”
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Are You Willing to Make Changes?
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Looking for a Challenge?
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Ten Things Two Backpacking Millennials Taught Me
4. Relationships & Social Understanding
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Are Love and Understanding the Answer?
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Which Character Are You?
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Life is about our Communion With Others
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Are you in the Equality or the Equity Camp?
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Listening to My Father Almost Ruined My Marriage
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Building Trust After Being Cheated On
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A Letter From a Mother to Her Sons
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Millenials: Don’t Listen to Your Parents!
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I Want to Talk About Sex, Politics, and Religion
5. Mindset, Motivation & Success
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Everything Is Attitude: Go-For, Go-For, Go-For!
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Why I’ll Never Join the 5 AM Club
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My Character Made Me Do It — I Visualized My Vacation and Made It a Reality
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Don’t Pick Up the Phone!
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The Theme of Your Life
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Can a Bumper Sticker Affront One’s Sensibilities?
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You Are Unworthy or You Are Not. You Decide
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The Cost of Fear: Are Drugs and Surgery the Only Options?
6. Health & Wellness
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Squats By the Seashore
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Eating Is Never Just Eating
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Measles, Mumps, and Lollipops
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The Cost of Fear: Are Drugs and Surgery the Only Options?
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Getting the Mind Completely Empty with Meditation
7. Social Issues & Awareness
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Sex Trafficking Is Not a Joking Matter
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Don’t Believe Everything You Think
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Millions of People Say It Ain’t So (about genetics)
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Wanna Be a Philanthropist?
8. Stories & Reflections
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My Christmas Miracle Came in a Garbage Bag
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Some Stories Come Without Prompting — The Father
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The Man With the Bag
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Thanks Mom For Giving Me Life
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The Sasquatch Showed Me the Way
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A Letter From a Mother to Her Sons
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My Fear Is Turning Into One of Those People That Don’t Talk
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I Just Spent Nearly Three Hours Watching YouTubes
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I’ve Been Waking at 3:05 a.m. Almost Every Morning Now for More Than Two Weeks
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Millions of People Say It Ain’t So