If you enjoy writing – nonfiction, fiction, or poetry – then you have come to the write place! Submitting your works into contests are a great way to share your passion while having the chance to win scholarships, cash prizes, and awards. We wanted to share a couple writing contests as well as some tips for writing!
If you’re not interested writing, this is also a great way to get started. Unlike the book reports you might be forced to write in school, most contests offer several different categories. such as poetry, memoir, fantasy, and science fiction, so you can always find one that you enjoy. Furthermore, there also many benefits to writing, which you can read in this article: 7 Benefits of Writing
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
Age: 7th – 12th grade
Fee: $7 for 1 entry, $25 for portfolio
Scholastic is easily one of the most well known, if not the most well known writing contest. If you are a student from 7th to 12th grade, we would highly recommend submitting either your artwork or writing to this contest.
They offer 29 art and writing categories, click here to view the list, which includes humor, journalism, science fiction, and much more! As for prizes, they offer scholarships that vary from $1000 to $10,000, which you can read about here. Submissions for this year are currently closed, however, they start accepting entries for next year this September, so you can start to prepare early!
Ocean Awareness
Age: 11-18 (split into junior and senior divisions)
Fee: none!
The global Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about ocean issues through art-making and creative communication, and where teens can explore their relationship to a changing world and become advocates for environmental action.
Not only is this a poetry and prose contest, but also accepting submissions in art, film, and music! Awards are cash prizes that range from $100 to $1500. The last day to submit an entry for this year is June 15, 2020 so you still have time!
This year’s theme is “Climate Hope: Transforming Crisis”, here’s a short video that introduces the theme:
Engineer Girl
Age: 3 – 12 Grade (separated into 3 divisions)
Fee: none!
This is a writing contest with topics about the impact of engineering. The contest comes out with new themes and prompts every year for each age division. The competition is no longer accepting submissions for the 2020 contest. However, the new topic for each year is released every fall, so remember to check the website often!
Fanstory
Age: all ages
Fee: none!
Fanstory features a multitude of choices when it comes to topics to write on. Some include poetry, non-fiction writing, scripts, and even something as simple as a 15 syllable poem. All contests have different due dates so you can compete in as many as you want and win up to $100! You will also receive feedback that can help you improve and win next time.
53-word story contest
Age: all ages
Fee: none!
It’s free, it’s fun, and the winner gets published in Prime Number Magazine and receives a free book from Press 53. It’s a simple competition that allows you to only write 53 words! The prize is amazing and the process is simple.
If you are a high school student who wants more competition opportunities than the one’s we listed, visit this article by PrepScholar: 20 Best Writing Contests for High Schoolers
Tips and Advice for Getting Started
Know the rules. Before you start to brainstorm ideas of what you want to write, make sure you know all the rules to the competition. Is there a word count? What’s the theme? When’s the submission deadline? What are the judges looking for?
Topic matters! Choose a topic that is important to you, it will make your piece much more emotional and personal. Try brainstorming several different topics before you decide on one
Focus on a bite-size story. What we mean, is instead of writing a huge, but vague novel about an event that happened to you, go for a smaller part of the story, and go into detail about that specific part.
Write with the right attitude. While money or awards can be part of your motivation, you should also keep in mind the reason you are entering the contest. While brainstorming and creating your piece, think of things other than prizes to motivate you. Maybe you are writing about a theme you are passionate about or the topic of your piece is something that’s personal and important to you.
Have a plan. Before you start writing, you should always have a brief outline or idea of the beginning, middle, and end of your piece.
Start off strong. The first line of your essay needs to catch the reader’s attention and keep them interested. It’s important to start with a good hook!
Proofread. Before turning in your entry, remember to edit and revise your work several times. When writing a longer entry, like a short story, it’s sometimes helpful to write several drafts.
Read Past Entries. Many contests will post the works of past winners on their websites. You may find it helpful to read a few of their works to get some inspiration. Remember not to copy their pieces!
Lastly, don’t be disappointed if you don’t win an award. Most contests receive thousands of entries every year, so you are with some of the best writers and poets in the world for your age! Remember that writing is subjective, what one judge might like, another may not. Don’t let it discourage you!
