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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 17 best writing contests for high school students.

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If you're a writer—fiction, non-fiction, or fanfiction—you can put those skills to work for you. There are tons of writing contests for high school students, which can award everything from medals to cash prizes to scholarships if you win .

Not only will a little extra money, whether cash or scholarships, help you when it comes time to pay for college, but the prestige of a respected reward is also a great thing to include on your college application.

Read on to learn more about what writing contests for high school students there are, how to apply, and what you could win !

Writing Contests With Multiple Categories

Some high school contests accept entries in a variety of formats, including the standard fiction and non-fiction, but also things like screenwriting or visual art. Check out these contests with multiple categories:

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

• Award Amount: $1,000 to $12,500 scholarships
• Deadline: Varies between December and January, depending on your region
• Fee: $10 for single entry, $30 for portfolio

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art by students in grades seven through twelve (age 13 or older) on a regional and national scale. These awards have a huge number of categories and styles, including cash prizes or scholarships for some distinguished award winners . Categories include science-fiction and fantasy writing, humor, critical essays, and dramatic scripts, among others.

Deadlines vary by region (but are mostly in December and January), so use Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search to find out when projects are due for your area.

Scholastic partners with other organizations to provide prizes to winners, so what you can win depends on what you enter and what competition level you reach. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $12,500 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $2,000 scholarship , as well as many other options in different categories.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are open to private, public, or home-schooled students attending school in the US, Canada, or American schools in other countries. Students must be in grades seven through twelve to participate. Eligibility varies between regions, so consult Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search tool to figure out what applies to you .

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have a $10 entry fee for individual submissions and $30 for portfolio submissions, which may be waived for students in need . These fees may vary depending on location, so be sure to check your local guidelines .

Ocean Awareness Contest

• Award Amount: Scholarships up to $1,500
• Deadline: June 13, 2023 (submissions open in September)

The Ocean Awareness Contest asks students to consider the future of a coastal or marine species that is under threat from climate change. Submissions are accepted in a variety of art forms, but all must consider the way that climate change impacts ocean life .

Submissions for all categories, including art, creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, music and dance, and poetry and spoken word are due in June, although the exact date varies slightly each year.

Winners may receive prizes of up to a $1,500 scholarship , depending on which division they fall into and what prize they win.

The contest is open to all international and US students between the ages of 11 and 18.

River of Words

• Award: Publication in the River of Words anthology
• Deadline: January 31, 2023

The River of Words contest asks students to consider watersheds—an area that drains into the same body of water—and how they connect with their local community. Students can explore this concept in art or poetry, with winners being published in the annual River of Words anthology .

Entries in all categories must be submitted by January 31, 2023. 

The River of Words contest is primarily for recognition and publication, as the website doesn't list any prize money . The contest includes specific awards for certain forms, such as poetry, some of which may have additional prizes .

The contest is open to International and US students from kindergarten to grade 12 (ages 5 through 19). Students who have graduated from high school but are not yet in college are also eligible.

Adroit Prizes

• Award Amount: $200 cash award
• Deadline: Typically April of each year

Sponsored by the Adroit Journal, the Adroit Prizes reward high school students and undergraduate students for producing exemplary fiction and poetry. Students may submit up to six poems or three works of prose (totaling 3,500 words) for consideration. Submissions typically open in spring .

Winners receive $200 and (along with runners-up) have their works published in the Adroit Journal . Finalists and runners-up receive a copy of their judge's latest published work.

The contest is open to secondary and undergraduate students, including international students and those who have graduated early . The Adroit Prizes has a non-refundable fee of $15, which can be waived.

YoungArts Competition

• Award Amount: Up to $10,000 cash awards
• Deadline: October 15, 2022; application for 2024 opens June 2023

Open to students in a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, the YoungArts competition asks students to submit a portfolio of work. Additional requirements may apply depending on what artistic discipline you're in .

Winners can receive up to $10,000 in cash as well as professional development help, mentorship, and other educational rewards.

Applicants must be 15- to 18-year-old US citizens or permanent residents (including green card holders) or in grades 10 through 12 at the time of submission . There is a $35 submission fee, which can be waived.

Fiction Writing Contests for High School Students

Many contests with multiple categories accept fiction submissions, so also check out the above contests if you're looking for places to submit original prose.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $500 cash prize
• Deadline: February 1, 2023

This year's EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students (though the name of the organization is "EngineerGirl," students of any gender may participate) to submit a piece of writing that shows how female and/or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements. Word counts vary depending on grade level.

At every grade level, first-place winners will receive $500, second-place winners will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100 . Winning entries and honorable mentions will also be published on the EngineerGirl website.

Students of any gender from third to 12th grade may submit to this contest. Home-schooled and international students are also eligible.

Nonfiction Contests for High School Students

Like fiction, non-fiction is often also accepted in contests with multiple categories. However, there are quite a few contests accepting only non-fiction essays as well.

The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $1,250 to $2,500
• Deadline: April 3, 2023

The American Foreign Services Association sponsors a high school essay contest tasking students with selecting a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years .

One winner will receive $2,500 as well as a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea . One runner-up receives $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Entries must be from US students in grade nine through 12, including students in the District of Columbia, US territories, or US citizens attending school abroad, including home-schooled students.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $10,000
• Deadline: January 13, 2023

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage contest tasks students with writing an essay between 700 and 1,000 words on an act of political courage by a US elected official serving during or after 1917 , inspired by John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage . Each essay should cover the act itself as well as any obstacles or risks the subject faced in achieving their act of courage. Essays must not cover figures previously covered in the contest, and should also not cover John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, or Edward M. Kennedy.

One first-place winner will receive $10,000, one second-place winner will receive $3,000, five finalists will receive $1,000 each, and eight semi-finalists will win $100 each.

The contest is open to students in grades nine through 12 who are residents of the United States attending public, private, parochial, or home schools . Students under the age of 20 in correspondence high school programs or GED programs, as well as students in US territories, Washington D.C., and students studying abroad, are also eligible.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $300 - $1,000 scholarships
• Deadline: February 19, 2023 (submissions open in November)

The SPJ/JEA high school essay contest , organized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, asks students to  analyze the importance of independent media to our lives (as of now, the official essay topic for spring 2023 is TBD) . Essays should be from 300 to 500 words.

A $1,000 scholarship is given to a first-place winner, $500 to second-place, and $300 to third-place.

The contest is open to public, private, and home-schooled students of the United States in grades 9-12 .

Playwriting Contests for High School Students

For those who love the stage, playwriting contests are a great option. An original play can earn you great rewards thanks to any of these contests!

VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition

• Award: Participation in professional development activities at the Kennedy Center
• Deadline: January 4, 2023 (Application opens in October)

The VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition asks students with disabilities to submit a ten-minute script exploring their personal experiences, including the disability experience . Scripts may be realistic, fictional, or abstract, and may include plays, screenplays, or musical theater.

All entries are due in January. Scripts may be collaborative or written by individuals, but must include at least one person with a disability as part of the group .

One winner or group of winners will be selected as participants in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Winners will have access to professional assistance in developing their script as well as workshops and networking opportunities.

This contest is open to US and international students in ages 14 to 18 . Groups of up to five members may collaborate on an essay, but at least one of those students must have a disability.

Worldwide Plays Festival Competition

• Award: Professional production in New York
• Deadline: March (official 2023 deadline TBD)

In the Worldwide Plays Festival Competition , students from around the world can submit an eight-minute script for a play set in a part of a neighborhood —specifically, at a convenience store, outside a character's front door, or at a place where people convene. Each play must have roles for three actors, should not have a narrator who isn't also a character, and should not contain set changes.

Entries are due in February. Winners will have their play produced by professionals at an off-Broadway New York theater . Scholarships are also available for winners.

Any student, including US and international, in first through 12th grade may submit work for consideration.

• Award Amount: $50 - $200 cash prize
• Deadline: 2023 deadline TBD (application opens January 2023)

Students may submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages to YouthPLAYS for consideration . Plays should be appropriate for high school audiences and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. Large casts with multiple female roles are encouraged.

One winner will receive $250, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog , a program for writing dialog. One runner up will receive $100 and a copy of Great Dialog.

Students must be under the age of 19, and plays must be the work of a single author.

The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

• Deadline: Spring of each year

Students in grade 11 may submit a ten-minute play for consideration for the Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest . Plays should be 10 pages long, equivalent to 10 minutes.

One first-prize winner will receive $500, one second-prize winner will receive $250, and one third-prize will receive $100.

All entries must be from students in the 11th grade .

Poetry Writing Contests for High School Students

For those who prefer a little free verse or the constraints of a haiku, there are plenty of poetry-specific contests, too.

Creative Communications Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $25
• Deadline: December

Students in ninth grade or below may submit any poem of 21 lines or less (not counting spaces between stanzas) for consideration in the Creative Communications Poetry Contest .

Students may win $25, a free book, and school supplies for their teacher .

Public, private, or home-schooled US students (including those in detention centers) in kindergarten through ninth grade may enter.

Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize

• Award Amount: $500-$1500
• Deadline: November 

Students in 11th grade may submit up to three poems for consideration in the Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize . Submissions are due in November .

One first-prize winner will receive $1500, one second-prize winner will receive $750, and a third-prize winner will receive $500. Poems may be published on arts.princeton.edu. All entrants must be in the 11th grade.

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 renewable scholarship, $350 cash prize
• Deadline: October 31, 2022

Women poets who are sophomores or juniors in high school may submit two poems for consideration for the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest .

One first-place winner will receive a $350 cash prize, publication in and ten copies of Cargoes , Hollins' student magazine, as well as a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 for Hollins and free tuition and housing for the Hollinsummer creative writing program. One second-place winner will receive publication in and two copies of Cargoes, a renewable scholarship to Hollins of up to $1,000, and a $500 scholarship to attend Hollinsummer.

Applicants must be female students in their sophomore or junior year of high school .

What's Next?

If you're looking for more money opportunities for college , there are plenty of scholarships out there— including some pretty weird ones .

For those who've been buffing up their test scores , there are tons of scholarships , some in the thousands of dollars.

If you're tired of writing essays and applying for scholarships, consider some of these colleges that offer complete financial aid packages .

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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23 Writing Competitions for High School Students

What’s covered:, why should you enter a writing competition, writing competitions for high school students, how do writing competitions affect my admissions chances.

Do you dream of writing the next great American novel? Are you passionate about poetry? Do you aspire to become a screenwriter? No matter what genre of writing you’re interested in—whether it’s fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or something else entirely—there’s a writing competition focused on it.

Writing competitions provide great motivation to put pen to paper (or finger to key). Moreover, they’re an excellent step toward getting published, and can ultimately start you on the path to becoming a professional writer.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is simply to write—and competitions provide an excellent impetus to do so. Writing competitions also serve as an introduction to what life is like for many writers; participants entering writing competitions will receive a prompt or must think of an original idea, compose a piece of work, and submit it for review.

Another benefit of entering a writing competition for high schoolers is that many offer cash awards and scholarships, which can be used to help with the costs of college.

Additionally, many writing competitions are run by colleges and universities, so submitting them is a great way to introduce faculty to yourself and your work. If you win an award—especially a prestigious award—it can significantly improve your odds of college acceptance.

1. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Type: Poetry and Prose

Submission Fee: $15

Prize: $200

Deadline: May 1, 2023

Eligibility:

• All secondary and undergraduate students

Guidelines:

• Each student may send up to five total submissions across the genres of poetry and prose
• Each poetry submission may include up to six poems (maximum of ten pages single-spaced). Each prose submission may include up to three works of fiction or creative nonfiction (combined word limit of 3,500 words; excerpts are acceptable).

Adroit Prizes are awarded to emerging high school and college writers in two categories: poetry and prose. Winning pieces are considered for publication in the Adroit Journal and winners receive an award of $200. The 2023 judges are Natalie Diaz and Ocean Vuong.

2. Ten-Minute Play Contest

Type: Plays

Submission Fee: N/A

Deadline: Passed, but the contest will reopen in 2024

Eligibility: Students in the eleventh grade in the U.S. (or international equivalent of the eleventh grade)

Guidelines: Applicants may submit only one play (10 pages maximum)

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is put on by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Applicants are allowed to submit one play that is no longer than 10 pages. Their submissions are judged by members of Princeton University’s Theater Program faculty.

3. Ayn Rand Anthem and The Fountainhead Essay Contests

Type: Essays

• Anthem: $2,000
• The Fountainhead : $5,000
• Anthem: Grades 8-12
• The Fountainhead : Grades 11-12
• Anthem: Essays must be written in English only and between 600 and 1,200 words in length, double-spaced
• The Fountainhead: Essays must be written in English only and between 800 and 1,600 words in length, double-spaced

In this essay competition, students pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s books and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

4. Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Type: Poetry

Prize: $500-$1,500

Eligibility: Students must be in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad

Guidelines: Applicants may submit up to 3 poems

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize is another contest run by Princeton University’s Lewis Center of the Arts. Winners are chosen by judges who are both poets and members of Princeton University’s creative writing faculty. Three monetary awards are available.

5. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Prize: $500

Eligibility: Students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs

Guidelines: Essays should be approximately 1,000 words

Winners of this competition receive a $500 prize along with a free yearlong membership to the World History Association . To apply, you must submit an approximately 1,000-word essay responding to the following prompt:

• Submit an essay that addresses the following topic and discusses how it relates to you personally and to World History: Your view of a family story related to a historical event or your personal family cultural background, or an issue of personal relevance or specific regional history/knowledge.

6. Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Prize: $250-$1,000

Deadline: June 1, 2023

Eligibility: Open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students

• Must be submitted by the student through the official Essay Contest Submission website
• Entries may include a statement about the student’s mentor; however, a mentor statement is not required
• The essay must be 6-8 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page
• The essay must use MLA documentation, including a Works Cited page and parenthetical citations in the body of the text. Use endnotes only for substantive notes. Source material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized must be cited. Quotations from the Jane Austen work under discussion should be cited as well.

The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Essay Contest is an annual writing competition aimed at fostering an appreciation for its namesake’s work. The contest is broken down into three divisions—high school, college/university, and graduate school.

First-place winners are awarded a $1,000 prize along with free registration and lodging for two nights at JASNA’s Annual General Meeting—smaller monetary awards are also given to second- and third-place essayists.

This year’s essay topic:

• In Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen’s other novels, we see proposals and marriages that are motivated by love, as well as those that are better described as arranged marriages or marriages of convenience. Many cultures today also expect arranged marriages (not the same as forced). In your essay, compare and discuss the different types of marriages or courtships found in the novels, whether those relationships are new or longstanding.

7. Bennington College Young Writers Awards

Type: Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Deadline: November 1, 2023

Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12

• Poetry: A group of three poems
• Fiction: A short story (1,500 words or fewer) or one-act play (run no more than 30 minutes of playing time)
• Nonfiction: A personal or academic essay (1,500 words or fewer)

Bennington College has a strong history of developing writers—it’s produced twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, and countless New York Times bestsellers—and the Bennington College Young Writers Awards celebrate this legacy.

In addition to offering cash awards to winners and finalists in all three categories, winners and finalists who apply and are accepted to Bennington College are also eligible for substantial scholarships.

8. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder/Sense of the Wild Contest

Type: Poetry and Essays

Deadline: November 16, 2023

• You are required to have a team of 2 or more people
• The team must be intergenerational

Guidelines: Maximum length of 500 words (approximately 2 pages)

This unique writing competition requires that entries must be submitted by a team of two people from different generations—for example, a high school student and a teacher. Contestants can compete in a number of categories and themes, each with unique submission requirements.

9. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

Type: Fiction and Poetry

Prize: $2,000

Deadline: October 2, 2023

Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and recently graduated 2023 seniors

• Poetry: Students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse to free verse to experimental. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in the publication.
• Fiction: Students may submit a piece of short fiction, which must be no more than 5,000 words and should not be single-spaced. The entry may be any genre of the student’s choice, including graphic novel or story.
• Must submit educator recommendation, academic resume, and current transcript with application

Winning works for this competition are chosen based on their creativity, technique, expression, and originality. Three winners are chosen in each category and each winner receives a $2,000 prize.

10. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

Prize: $100-$10,000

Eligibility: The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12, U.S. students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program,  and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.

• Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count.
• Essays must have a minimum of five sources.

The prestigious John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest is one of the most recognizable and prestigious writing competitions for high schoolers in the nation. Essays for the contest are required to describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917. The first-place winner of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest takes home a $10,000 award and second place receives a $3,000 prize.

11. YoungArts National Writing Competition

Deadline: Opens June 2023

Eligibility: 15- to 18-year-old visual, literary, or performing artist based in the United States

Guidelines: To be released

YoungArts supports talented young artists between the ages of 15 and 18 (or grades 10-12) in 10 disciplines, including writing. Applicants can submit entries in six genres—creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word.

12. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

Submission Fee: $5

Prize: $300-$1,000

Eligibility: All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in U.S. public, private and home schools within the United States

• The essay should be 300-500 words
• Entries may be typed or handwritten but must be double-spaced

This high school writing contest is presented by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Journalism Education Association (JEA) to increase awareness of the importance of independent media.

Last year’s prompt was:

• While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest?

13. VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competitions

Eligibility: High school students with disabilities

• 10-minute script
• Entries may be the work of an individual student or a collaboration between two students that includes at least one student with a disability

This writing competition, presented by the Kennedy Center, is open to students ages 15-18 (or enrolled in high school) with disabilities. Writers may submit a “ten-minute” script in any genre, including plays, musicals, multimedia, video, film, TV, and podcasts.

Entries can be the work of an individual or the product of collaboration—provided that at least one of the collaborators has a disability. Multiple winners are chosen and given the chance to work with industry professionals, attend Kennedy Center professional development activities, and participate in networking opportunities.

14. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Prize: $350

Eligibility: Women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school

Guidelines: No more than two poems by any one student may be submitted

For almost six decades, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest has provided recognition, scholarships, and awards to the best female high school sophomore and junior poets. Submissions are reviewed by faculty members of Hollins University’s creative writing program and students enrolled in its M.F.A. in creative writing.

The first-place winner receives a $350 cash prize, a renewable $5,000 scholarship to Hollins University if they choose to enroll there, as well as free tuition and housing at the university’s Hollinsummer creative writing program. Their winning work is also published in Cargoes , the university’s student literary magazine.

15. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Type: Various

Submission Fee: $10 for individual entry, $30 for portfolio (can use Fee Waiver Form)

Prize: Varies

Deadline: Opens in September

Eligibility: Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up)

Guidelines: Varies by category

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. They offer 28 submission categories, including writing, critical essay, dramatic scripts, flash fiction, journalism, humor, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and short story.

Works are judged by famous jurors who look for works that show originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Students can earn a variety of scholarships through success in these competitions.

Works that celebrate individual differences or personal grief, loss, and bereavement are eligible for $1,000 scholarships. High school seniors submitting winning portfolios of six works are eligible for up to $12,500 in scholarships.

16. Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Type: Creative Writing and Poetry

Prize: $100-$1,500

Deadline: June 13, 2023

• Students ages 11-18 from around the world
• Students can participate as an individual or as a club, class, or group of any size
• All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.)
• Creative Writing: no more than 5 pages (approximately 1,250 words)
• Poetry: no more than 2 pages
• A written reflection is required to accompany your submission, regardless of category. It is like the introduction to a book or an artist’s statement in a museum.

The 12th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students can participate in six different categories, including poetry and spoken word, and creative writing.

This year’s prompt centers around climate issues:

• Research and choose an inspirational scientist, activist, artist, educator, or other hero who is working to solve climate change issues. Create a piece of art, writing, or media that highlights their efforts, organizations, and/or positive impacts. We are familiar with the amazing work of environmental giants like Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. We challenge you to introduce the Bow Seat community to a Climate Hero whose work we may not know about yet – but should.

17. John Locke Global Essay Competition

Submission Fee: N/A (unless late entry)

Prize: $2,000-$10,000 toward attending any John Locke Institute program

Deadline: June 30, 2023 (must register by May 31, 2023)

Eligibility: Candidates must be no older than 18 years old on June 30, 2023 (Candidates for the Junior Prize must be no older than 14 on the same date)

Guidelines: Each essay must address only one of the questions in your chosen subject category, and must not exceed 2,000 words (not counting diagrams, tables of data, footnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration)

Students competing in this competition have the opportunity to write an essay in one of seven categories—philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law. Each category has three prompts, from which students choose and respond to one.

Essays are judged on knowledge and understanding of the relevant material, the competent use of evidence, quality of argumentation, originality, structure, writing style, and persuasive force.

If you miss the deadline, you can submit a late entry up until July 10. Late entries will be charged a $20 late fee.

18. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

Prize: $2,500

• Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate.
• Students must be in grades 9-12 in any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C, the U.S. territories, or—if they are U.S. citizens/lawful permanent residents —attending high school overseas.

Guidelines: Your essay should be at least 1,000 words but should not exceed 1,500 words (word count does not apply to the list of sources)

The AFSA Essay Contest focuses on knowledge of foreign policy and the American Foreign Service. Last year’s prompt was:

• In your essay, you will select a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals – including promoting peace – in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years.

The first-place winner receives $2,500, a paid trip to the nation’s capital with their parents from anywhere in the U.S., and an all-expenses-paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea. The runner-up wins $1,250 and full tuition to attend a summer session of the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.

19. EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Prize: $100-$500

• The contest is open to individual students in the following three competition categories—Elementary School Students (grades 3-5), Middle School Students (grades 6-8), or High School Students (grades 9-12).
• You can also qualify with corresponding homeschool or international grade levels.
• High school student essays must be no more than 750 words
• You must also include a reference list of 3-10 resources

In this competition, students choose one of four prompts related to the 20 Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century and explore the technologies that have been developed in the last century and technologies that are being developed today. Students are judged based on their presentation and examples of engineering (~35%), their celebration of diversity (~50%), and their quality of writing (~15%).

20. The Blank Theatre Young Playwright’s Festival

Prize: Play is produced

Eligibility: Playwrights must be 19 years old or younger as of March 15, 2023; co-authored plays are welcome, provided all authors are 19 or younger

• Original plays or musicals of any length or genre and on any subject
• Up to three plays per playwright or team

While winners of this theater competition do not receive a cash prize, they have the unique opportunity to be mentored by leaders in the field, then will have their play directed and performed by professional artists during the following summer. The 12 best submissions are produced and professionally performed.

21. Saint Mary’s College of California River of Words Contest

Type: Poetry and Arts

• The contest is open to K-12 students, ages 5-19
• Students must be enrolled in school to be eligible
• Participants may submit up to 5 entries for poetry and 5 entries for art (total of up to 10 entries)
• Poems should not exceed 32 lines in length (written) or 3 minutes (signed)
• Collaborative poems and artwork are accepted, but only one student (chosen as the group representative) will be eligible for any prizes awarded

The River of Words contest aims to promote environmental literacy through the exchange of arts and culture. River of Words has been inspiring educators and students through this competition for over 25 years.

The goal of River of Words is to connect youth with their watersheds—the environments they live in—through engagement with art and poetry related to the idea of “place.” They look for art and poetry that shows the connection between students and the worlds around them.

22. Ayn Rand Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Prize: $10,000

Deadline: November 6, 2023

Eligibility: Open to all 12th grade, college, and graduate students worldwide

Guidelines: Essays must be between 800 and 1,600 words in length

In this essay competition, high school seniors pick one of three prompts about a topic related to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and write an essay that goes through three stages of grading. Students are graded on their clarity, organization, understanding, and ability to stay “on topic.”

23. Writopia Lab’s Worldwide Plays Festival

Prize: Play produced

Eligibility: Playwrights ages 6 to 18

• 8 minutes maximum
• Any genre or style
• Plays should have no more than three characters
• There can be no narrator of the play who is not emotionally invested in the story
• Students must incorporate at least one of the following props or costumes —blue plates, a yellow blouse, a Valentine’s heart with the word “Love,” a flower crown, a plush hotdog, a Mardi Gras bead with jester heads, a pack of clothespins, Russian nesting dolls, a set of miniature cymbals, a lavender blouse, a lei, or a roll of aluminum foil

Since 2010, Writopia Lab has been producing, designing, and directing one-act plays submitted by young playwrights. These winning plays are then performed by New York City theater professionals. The contest looks for playwrights who embody fearlessness and imagination. Writopia Lab says, “Write deeply! Write fiercely! Write politically and personally! And don’t be afraid to write with a sense of play – they are called plays, after all.”

While we can’t know exactly how activities outside of the classroom will affect your college admissions odds, the 4 Tiers of Extracurricular Activities provide a helpful framework for understanding how colleges view your extracurriculars.

Extracurricular activities in Tiers 1 and 2 are reserved for the most exclusive and acclaimed awards, and can significantly improve your odds of college admission. By contrast, Tiers 3 and 4 are reserved for more common extracurriculars, and have less of an impact on your chances of college admission.

For example, if you place in a nationally renowned writing competition—a Tier 2 activity—this will positively affect your admissions chances. On the other hand, if you receive an honorable mention in your high school’s poetry contest—a Tier 4 activity—your admissions chances will not be significantly affected.

That said, if you are applying to an English Literature or Creative Writing program with a well-developed essay and recommendations that emphasize your commitment to language, participation in Tier 3 and 4 writing competitions could help admissions officers conceptualize your passion for your future career.

Curious how the writing competition you participated in will affect your college admission chances? CollegeVine can help! Our free chancing calculator uses a variety of factors—including grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your odds of getting into hundreds of colleges and universities, while also providing insight into how to improve your profile.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Top 20 Best Writing Contests for High School Students

By Jin Chow

Co-founder of Polygence, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Education

13 minute read

Writing contests are a great way to focus on a topic that excites you, organize your thoughts, showcase your research and/or creativity, join a community, gain recognition, and even win cash, scholarships, and all-expenses-paid travel. The other nice thing about writing is that you can do it on your own time, and it doesn’t cost a dime. You can fit it around other summer activities or on weekends. You don’t need to win first place in these competitions to reap the benefits either. Many competitions offer all sorts of prizes at various levels, and you may get invaluable feedback from expert judges that will help you in your future writing projects–and, yes, winning looks great on college applications too!

We’ve organized this list of teenage writing contests alphabetically, by the hosting institution. It covers a broad swath of subjects, including: scientific research; persuasive essays; poetry; comics; and philosophical arguments.

Pro tip : Most of these competitions publish past winners on their websites. Read these winning entries to get inspired and to get a sense of the format, length, tone, and subject matter that’s considered winning material. It’s also just fascinating to read this great writing.

Want to work on a writing project but want feedback? Check out our Polygence mentors . Most of these competitions don’t mind if you polish your work with a mentor if the work and ideas behind your entry are your own.

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Writing Contests for High School Students

As entry requirements, writing prompt availability (if applicable), application and submission deadlines, and judging criteria may change year to year, be sure to refer to the specific contest websites for those that catch your attention.

1. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

Hosting institution: The Adroit Journal

Awards: $200

Writing prompt availability: n/a

Submission deadline: Mid-May

The submission guidelines for this writing contest are very nuanced; in short, you can send up to 5 “packets” of writing. Each “packet” can consist of either 6 poems or 3 prose pieces (fiction or creative nonfiction, and a total of 3,500 words combined). Winners and runners-up will be published in The Adroit Journal .

This contest is open to students internationally and winners are announced in mid-October. Each year, the contest features a different set of esteemed judges. Judges in 2023 were Natalie Diaz (poetry) and Ocean Vuong (prose). 

Note: this writing contest has a non-refundable $15 submission fee; students can apply for financial assistance if needed

2. National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Hosting institution: Alliance for Young Artists & Writers

Awards: Scholarships of up to $12,500

Submission deadline: December or January, depending on your region

The prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has been around since 1923 and has an impressive list of past winners including Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and Sylvia Plath. There are 11 writing categories including humor, flash fiction, poetry, short stories, journalism, and more.

You may win at the regional level and then be automatically entered into the national contest. Winners at the national level are invited to attend a star-studded ceremony in New York City and your writing will be published in the annual anthology Best Teen Writing.

As timelines will vary based on your specific region and which writing contest you enter, the calendar on the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers site is a great resource for students to refer to for information about important dates and deadlines.

Learn more about Why You Should Apply for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards !

3. National High School Essay Contest

Hosting institutions: American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)

1st: $2,500 and a paid trip to the nation’s capital from anywhere in the U.S. for the winner and his or her parents, plus an all-expense paid educational voyage courtesy of Semester at Sea

2nd: $1,250 and full tuition to National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy summer program

Writing prompt availability: Fall

Submission deadline: April 1, 2024

Every year, this essay contest invites high school students  to explore a topic that touches upon issues of peace building and the protection of national security. Your response to this prompt should be an essay of 1,000-1,500 words. Winning essays are also published on the website so you can see past topics and research.

You must be a U.S. high school student to participate and meet all eligibility requirements (e.g., your parents cannot be in the Foreign Service). It’s best to refer to AFSA’s site for the most up-to-date information about very specific writing contest rules and guidelines. The judging criteria include the quality of analysis, quality of research, form, style, and mechanics.

4. Young Writers Awards

Hosting institution: Bennington College

Awards: $500 (1st in each category), $250 (2nd in each category)

YWA winners who enroll at Bennington receive a $15,000 scholarship each year -  for a total of $60,000 

Submission deadline: Early November

Bennington College has quite a literary pedigree, with alumni that have garnered twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, three U.S. poet laureates, four MacArthur Geniuses, countless New York Times bestsellers, and two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people. In honor of its legacy, Bennington College started this contest to celebrate great writing by high school students.

You’re invited to submit writing in one of the following categories: poetry (3 poems), fiction (up to 1500 words), or nonfiction (up to 1500 words). All work must be reviewed, approved, and sponsored by a teacher. Homeschool students may use a mentor.

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5. My Impact Challenge

Hosting institution: Bill of Rights Institute

Awards: Up to $10,000, with $40,000 in total prizes 

Writing prompt availability: n/a

Submission deadline: May 19, 2024

In this contest, a 1,200-word essay is part of a larger project that also includes a service project that you’ve completed along with a 2,000-word report detailing your inspiration, project plan, details of how you executed the plan, and how your understanding of civic virtue and your community grew as a result. Visual documentation of your project is also required. You’ll be judged on the impact your project had on the community, knowledge gained, originality, mechanics, and your understanding of civic virtue.

Get more information about the submission guidelines and judging rubric for My Impact Challenge on the Bill of Rights Institute website.

6. Ocean Awareness Contest

Hosting institution: Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs

Awards: Up to $1,000

Writing prompt availability: Early September

Submission deadline: June 10, 2024

This international writing contest was created to raise awareness about environmental issues through creative communication. Students aged 11 through 18 are eligible to participate.

The prompt for 2023 involved thinking about climate change and posing possible solutions for the climate crisis. The idea is to move beyond the bad news and celebrate the work that is being done by countless “climate heroes”—the scientists, activists, artists, and educators striving to make our world more habitable.

The writing prompt for the 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest is Tell Your Climate Story . Your submission can take the form of creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, poetry, and spoken word.

The Ocean Awareness Contest FAQs on the Bow Seat site are an excellent resource to find out more specific information about how to participate in this writing competition.

7. Essay Contest

Hosting institution: Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA)

Awards: $1,000 scholarship + free trip to conference (1st), $500 scholarship (2nd), $250 scholarship (3rd)

Writing prompt availability:  Currently Available

Submission deadline: June 1, 2024

If you love Jane Austen novels, you must enter this contest! Each year, JASNA asks students from all around the world to think about a topic inspired by a work by Jane Austen and how this topic reflects on our culture today. The 2023 JASNA Essay Contest topic was about marriages and proposals , as inspired by the theme in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The 2024 JASNA Essay Contest topic will be announced in November 2023. Your original insights and clear, correct writing should then take the form of a 6-8 page essay written in English. Past essay winners are published on the website.

8. Profile in Courage Essay Contest by JFK Presidential Library

Hosting institution: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Awards: $10,000 (1st), $3,000 (2nd), $1,000 (five other finalists), $100 (eight semifinalists)

Writing prompt availability: Available Now

Submission deadline: January 12, 2024

Inspired by JFK's book, Profiles in Courage, this writing contest invites you to describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official serving after JFK was born (1917). Essays must be between 700 and 1,000 words and include a minimum of five sources. Judges are looking for originality, supporting evidence, source material, high-quality writing, and organization. They also want to see evidence that you understand the meaning of political courage.

Note: students must provide the name of a nominating teacher on their registration form, so make sure you coordinate with an educator who can serve in that capacity. Refer to the Profile in Courage Essay Contest eligibility requirements for more information.

9. John Locke Essay Competition

Hosting institution: John Locke Institute

Awards: Awards: $2,000 scholarship (for 1st in each of the 8 categories)

Application deadline: Late May

Submission deadline: Late June

Ready to think deep thoughts? This contest gives you the chance to refine your skills in argumentation (e.g,, independent insights, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and rhetoric) and have your work assessed by experts. You can choose from 1 of 3 challenging questions posed in 7 different categories (Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, and Law) in the form of a 2,000-word (max) essay. There’s also a junior category for students who are under age 15 (i.e., 14 or younger).

Your entry will be judged by a panel of Oxford and Princeton faculty. Winning essays are posted on the John Locke Institute website , and you can check out the fascinating archive.

Read our blog post, Everything You Should Know about the John Locke Institute Essay Competition to learn more about this writing contest!

10. High School Poetry Prize and Ten-Minute Play Contest

Hosting institution: Lewis Center for the Arts - Princeton University

Poetry: $1,500 (1st), $750 (2nd), $500 (3rd)

Play: $500 (1st), $250 (2nd), $100 (3rd)

Writing prompt availability: Late October (Poetry)

Submission deadlines:

Poetry: Late November

Play: April 1, 2024

Princeton University has two writing contests that are open to 11th grade students and it is possible to enter both of them:

Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize : students may submit up to three poems and it is okay if they have also been submitted to other writing contests

Ten-Minute Play Contest : submissions are limited to one play per student

Entries for both contests are judged by Princeton faculty.

11. EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Hosting institution: National Academy of Engineering

Awards: $500 (1st), $250 (2nd), $100 (3rd)

Writing prompt availability: September

Submission deadline: Early February

This essay contest features a new writing prompt every year dealing with engineering’s impact on the world. The 2023 contest focused on diversity in engineering and how that might future design solutions . The prompt for the 2024 EngineerGirl Writing Contest is The Secret Life of Everyday Items . High school students are limited to 750 words and must cite anywhere from 3-10 resources. Winning and honorable mention entries are published on the website.

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12. achievement awards in writing.

Hosting institution: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

Awards: First-class awards will be published on the NCTE website

Writing prompt availability: August

Submission deadline: February 15, 2024

Each year, the National Council of Teachers of English posts a thought-provoking prompt and participants in 10th and 11th grades are welcome to respond in up to 10 pages. 

The writing prompt for the 2023 contest was based on Malala Yousafzai’s address to the United Nations; the prompt for 2024 comes from Michele Obama’s book, Becoming:

“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you'll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.”

Writing contest entries are not limited to informative or persuasive essays. They can also take the form of a research report, a personal narrative, a fictional story, a series of poems, a photo essay, or a comic or graphic narrative.

Other NCTE Writing Contests for Students

Promising Young Writers

Open to 8th graders

Submission deadline is mid-February

National Writing Award: The Humanities and a Freer Tomorrow - in partnership with the National Humanities Alliance

Open to 11th and 12th graders

Submission deadline is late October

13. YoungArts Writing Competition

Hosting institution: The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists

Awards: Prizes up to $10,000, Entry to National YoungArtsWeek, Presidential Scholar In the Arts designation, grants and funding, residency opportunities

Writing prompt availability: June 2024

Submission deadline: Mid-October

This multidisciplinary competition has entry categories across 10 disciplines. Writing is one of them, and you may submit your writing in the form of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, or spoken word. To be eligible to apply you must be a U.S. sophomore, junior, or senior. The website features a great section with tips and testimonials from past winners and guest artists. Awards are not simply cash-based. Entry into this organization connects you to a lifelong network and access to master artists.

14. Creative Writing Scholarship

Hosting institution: National Society of High School Scholars

Awards: $2,000 prize (3 given out for fiction and 3 given out for poetry)

Writing prompt availability: Early May

Submission deadline: Early October

You can enter this contest in the fiction or poetry category, or both. Fiction must be no more than 5,000 words. Your poem must appear as you would like for it to be published. Judging criteria include creativity, technique, expression, and originality. In addition to your writing, you’ll need to submit a recommendation from a teacher, a school transcript, an academic resume, and a photo of yourself.

15. Young Lions Fiction Award

Hosting institution: New York Public Library

Three (3) $2,000 awards for the Fiction category

Three (3) $2,000 awards for the Poetry category

Submission deadline: Early September

The Young Lions Fiction Award was started by Ethan Hawke, Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, Rick Moody, and Hannah McFarland as a safety net and support system for young writers. You must be 35 or younger to submit your work for consideration. The catch with this particular contest is that your submission must be in the form of a published novel or collection of short stories that was published within the year of the contest– galley proof is an acceptable format.

As most high school students won’t have a published book to submit, this contest is a bit of a stretch–it’s generally geared toward young writers in their 20s and 30s. That said, if you have published a book, this is an amazing opportunity and it is a very prestigious distinction to be among the five finalists.

16. Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of the Wild Contest

Hosting institution: Rachel Carson Landmark Alliance

Awards: Publication on the contest website

Submission deadline: Mid-November

Unlike the other writing contests listed here, this writing submission is meant to be co authored by you and at least one older adult. This could be your parent, grandparent, teacher, neighbor, mentor, etc. The idea is that you and your coauthor are from two different generations and that will inspire both of you to look at nature differently. You can choose to write about 1 of 2 themes and you can also choose to write it as an essay or as a poem. (Either can have up to 500 words). You may also include an original photograph with your entry.

Work with an expert mentor to explore your passion

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17. High School Essay Contest

Hosting institutions: The Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association

Awards: $1,000 scholarship (1st), $500 scholarship (2nd), $300 scholarship (3rd)

Submission deadline: Feb. 19, 2024

Raising awareness of the importance of independent media in our lives is the key goal of this contest. The topic for 2023 was “While consumers are drawn toward tweets and sound bites, how can journalists tell more of the story without losing readers’ interest?” U.S. high school students in grades 9 through 12 are invited to respond to this prompt with an essay of 300-500 words.

The judging criteria include: adherence to the topic and a logical interpretation of the subject (40 pts); vocabulary and style (30 pts); grammar (20 points); neatness (5 pts); and proper format (5 pts).

18. Voice of Democracy

Hosting institution: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

Awards: $35,000 college scholarship (grand prize); $1,000-$21,000 (other national scholarships); $1,000 (each state winner)

Submission deadline: Late October

This audio-essay contest was created in 1947 to promote patriotism for our U.S. democracy. High school students are invited to express their patriotism via a recorded speech. Each year students win $1.3 million in educational scholarships and incentives from this VFW contest. The 2023-24 prompt is: “What are the greatest attributes of our democracy?”

Students will write and record their essay response. (The audio file should be 3-5 minutes long.) The judging criteria include originality (30 pts), organization and flow (35 pts), and speech delivery (35 pts). You submit your audio file and written essay to your local VFW Post, which you can find on the VFW site we link to above.

Patriot’s Pen

VFW has a writing contest for students in sixth through eighth grade, called Patriot’s Pen . The 2023-24 prompt for this contest is: “How are you inspired by America?”

19. World Historian Student Essay Competition

Hosting institution: World History Organization

Awards: $500

Writing prompt availability: n/a 

Submission deadline: May 1st, 2024

Open to all students internationally (grades K-12), this contest provides a prompt based on world history education and how it impacts you. The prompt for 2023 asks you to think about a family story related to a historical event or your family’s cultural background. Your response must be an essay of approximately 1,000 words. Judging criteria include a clear thesis, concrete supporting examples, evidence of synthesis and evaluation, and organization. They are also looking at your overall ability to communicate how a better understanding of world history has changed you.

20. New Voices One-Act Competition

Hosting institution: YouthPLAYS

Awards: $250 and publication in YouthPLAYS (1st), $100 (runner-up)

Writing prompt availability: Early January

Submission deadline: May 1, 2024

This contest accepts any unpublished, non-musical one-act play from anyone under age 19. Your play must be between 10-14 minutes in length (a read-through before you submit is recommended) and at least 10 pages long. The play should be suitable for a school production and should ideally feature youth characters in age-appropriate roles. Your cast must also have two or more characters and more female roles are encouraged.

How Students Can Benefit From Participating in Writing Competitions

Writing competitions offer high school students a unique opportunity to showcase their skills, gain recognition, and enhance their college admissions prospects. Here are 10 ways writing contests can make a positive impact and be beneficial for student participants:

1. Demonstrating your commitment to writing

When you actively engage in writing competitions, you demonstrate your passion and commitment to the craft. Admissions officers appreciate applicants who have pursued their interests with dedication.

2. Showcasing your skills

Writing contests allow you to showcase your writing skills , whether it's in the form of essays, poetry, or other creative works. High-quality submissions can impress admissions committees.

3. Building a strong portfolio

Over time, your participation in various writing competitions can help you build a diverse and impressive writing portfolio. This portfolio can be submitted as part of your college application to highlight your talents .

4. Gaining recognition

Winning or even being recognized as a finalist in a prestigious writing contest can significantly boost your application. Admissions officers are more likely to take notice of applicants with such accomplishments.

5. Differentiating yourself

In a competitive admissions landscape, it's essential to stand out from the crowd. Participation in writing competitions sets you apart and adds a unique dimension to your application.

6. Highlighting your interests

Writing competitions can be a reflection of your academic and personal interests. They show that you are intellectually curious and proactive in pursuing your passions .

7. Earning scholarships and awards

Many writing contests offer cash prizes or scholarships as rewards. These can help offset the cost of your education, making you a more attractive candidate to colleges.

8. Receiving Expert Feedback

Writing competitions often involve evaluation by expert judges. Constructive feedback from these judges can help you improve your writing skills, which is valuable both academically and in your application essays .

9. Enhancing Your Writing Abilities

Regularly participating in writing contests hones your writing abilities, making you a more effective communicator. This skill is beneficial for college coursework and beyond.

10. Reflecting On Personal Growth

As you participate in writing competitions, you may explore new topics and perspectives. This growth as a writer and thinker is something you can discuss in your application essays.

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Tiny Memoir Contest for Students: Write a 100-Word Personal Narrative

We invite teenagers to tell a true story about a meaningful life experience in just 100 words. Contest dates: Sept. 14 to Oct. 12.

By The Learning Network

Update, Sept. 21, 2023: Here are the rules and guidelines for our 2023 Tiny Memoirs Contest .

Update, Dec. 7, 2022: We have announced the winning entries.

As we have since 2019 , we’re inviting students to write a short, powerful story about a meaningful experience from their lives, but this year there’s a twist: They must do it in 100 words or fewer.

If that sounds hard, the Style section’s Tiny Love Stories series can show you how. Though our version of this challenge allows students to write about any life experience, not just relationships, we’ll be looking for stories of the same quality as you can find in that collection.

We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

To help, we have a step-by-step guide full of advice that is grounded in 25 excellent 100-word mentor texts. Written to students, they can follow it alone or as a class. We also have a forum where they can practice ahead of submission in which we ask, “ What Story From Your Life Can You Tell in 100 Words? ” We hope students will use the space to experiment and encourage each other.

Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at [email protected]. And, consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board.

Here’s what you need to know:

Resources for teachers and students, frequently asked questions, how to submit.

Please read these rules carefully before submitting an entry. You can find more details in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

Your tiny memoir should be a short, powerful, true story about a meaningful experience from your own life.

It must be 100 words or fewer, not including the title.

You must be a student ages 13 to 19 in middle school or high school to participate, and all students must have parent or guardian permission to enter. Please see the F.A.Q. section for additional eligibility details.

Your essay must be your own work and original for this contest. That means it should not have been published anywhere else at the time of submission, such as in a school newspaper.

Keep your audience in mind. You’re writing for a family newspaper, so, for example, no curse words, please.

Submit only one entry per student.

While many of our contests allow students to work in teams, for this one you must work alone.

All entries must be submitted by Oct. 12, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time using the contest form below.

Use these resources to help you write your mini memoir:

A step-by-step guide for writing a 100-word narrative : This guide walks you through six steps, from reading examples of tiny memoirs, to brainstorming your own meaningful life moments, to writing and editing your final piece.

Writing prompts: Our step-by-step guide has a related PDF full of prompts to help students brainstorm “meaningful moments” from their lives. If those aren’t enough, you can find many more questions to inspire you in our new list of 445 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing .

A “rehearsal space” for teenagers to experiment: We have posted a student forum asking, “ What Story From Your Life Can You Tell in 100 Words? ” In it, we lead students through a few questions, and provide a few examples, to show them how. We hope that as they search for topics and try out techniques, they’ll post their drafts here for others to read and comment on.

Two lesson plans inspired by Times columns that tell tiny stories: Our main inspiration for this contest is Tiny Love Stories , a series from the Modern Love column that invites readers to submit 100-word stories about relationships. Here is a lesson plan that can help you teach and learn with this column. You can also find short memoirs in the Metropolitan Diary column , where readers submit tales about New York City. Here is a lesson plan and a writing prompt you can use to teach and learn with that feature.

A personal narrative writing unit : This unit includes mentor texts, writing prompts, lesson plans, videos and on-demand webinars that teach the skills essential for any kind of narrative writing. (Yes, they were developed for our original narrative contest, but the tips for making your writing shine apply to this format too.)

Our contest rubric : These are the criteria we will use to judge this contest. Keep them handy to make sure your piece meets all of the qualifications before entering.

Below are answers to your questions about writing, judging, the rules and teaching with this contest. Please read these thoroughly and, if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, post your query in the comments or write to us at [email protected].

QUESTIONS ABOUT WRITING

What is a personal narrative?

For this contest, we’re defining a personal narrative as a short, powerful, true story about a specific experience, event or incident from your real life.

Because you’re telling a story about a particular moment rather than, say, summarizing your whole life or reflecting on your feelings about a topic, there should be a clear narrative arc — a beginning, middle and end — that is driven by a conflict of some kind that is eventually resolved or spurs an attempt at an ongoing life change. Yes, this can be done even in 100 words, and our step-by-step guide can show you how.

Keep in mind, however, that any story can work. It doesn’t have to be the most dramatic thing that ever happened to you; it can, instead, be about baking brownies with your brother, or a conversation you had on Tuesday’s bus ride to school. It’s all in how you tell it.

And a good personal narrative not only tells a story but supplies a reason for telling it , so that readers come away with a sense of some larger meaning or universal message they can relate to. The best essays often do this subtly and leave room for the reader’s own interpretation.

How can I make my 100-word narrative stand out?

In addition to following the basic elements of good storytelling explained above, we suggest writing your story in your real voice — with the words and phrases you use in your everyday life and your unique sense of humor and emotion — to make your personality come across on the page.

You might also experiment with technique, such as dropping your reader into a scene , using details to show instead of tell , playing with dialogue or maybe even approaching your story as you would a poem to make sure every word (and punctuation mark) counts.

You can find examples of all of these writing moves and more in our step-by-step guide for writing a 100-word narrative, as well as in our personal narrative writing unit .

I don’t know what to write about. Where should I start?

Everyone has a story to tell. Start with our writing prompt “ What Story From Your Life Can You Tell in 100 Words? ” and this PDF of prompts taken from our step-by-step guide.

For more inspiration, scroll through our list of 445 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing that includes questions about childhood memories, friendship, travel, social media, food, sports, school and more. Try responding to a few questions or categories that interest you. You might choose one that you enjoyed writing about to turn into your piece.

Can I have someone else check my work?

You are welcome to get suggestions for revising and editing your narrative, of course, but the work you submit should be fundamentally your own.

Where can I find examples of personal narratives in The Times?

Start with our main inspiration for this contest: Tiny Love Stories , a series from the Modern Love column that invites readers to submit 100-word stories about relationships.

But you can write about any meaningful life experience, not just relationships. For ideas, you can take a look at the winning essays from our Student Personal Narrative Contest from 2019 , 2020 and 2021 . Or check out these columns that have run in The Times over the years, all of which feature personal narratives:

Lives : Powerful stories about meaningful life experiences in 800 words.

Metropolitan Diary : Short reader tales from New York City.

Rites of Passage : Essays that explore notable life transitions and events, big, small and absurd.

On Campus : Dispatches from college students, professors and administrators on higher education and university life.

Disability : Essays, art and opinion exploring the lives of people living with disabilities.

Menagerie : Essays that explore the strange and diverse ways the human and animal worlds intersect.

QUESTIONS ABOUT JUDGING

How will my 100-word narrative be judged?

Your work will be read by New York Times journalists as well as by Learning Network staff members and educators from around the United States. We will use this rubric to judge entries.

What’s the prize?

Having your work published on The Learning Network and being eligible to be chosen to have your work published in the print editions of The New York Times.

When will the winners be announced?

About two months after the contest has closed.

My essay wasn’t selected as a winner. Can you tell me why?

We typically receive thousands of entries for our contests, so unfortunately, our team does not have the capacity to provide individual feedback on each student’s essay.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RULES

Who is eligible to participate in this contest?

This contest is open to students ages 13 to 19 who are in middle school or high school around the world. College students cannot submit an entry. However, high school students (including high school postgraduate students) who are taking one or more college classes can participate. Students attending their first year of a two-year CEGEP in Quebec Province can also participate. In addition, students age 19 or under who have completed high school but are taking a gap year or are otherwise not enrolled in college can participate.

The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest. Nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.

My piece was published in my school newspaper. Can I submit it to this contest?

No. We ask that your 100-word narrative be original for this contest. Please don’t submit anything you have already had published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.

Whom can I contact if I have questions about this contest or am having issues submitting my entry?

Leave a comment on this post or write to us at [email protected].

QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHING WITH THIS CONTEST

I’m a teacher. What resources do you have to help me teach with this contest?

Start with our step-by-step guide for entering this contest .

We also have a full unit plan for personal narrative writing . It includes writing prompts, mentor texts, lesson plans and on-demand webinars that teach the narrative writing skills essential for this contest.

Do my students need a New York Times subscription to access these resources?

Students can get free access to Times pieces through The Learning Network . All the activities for students on our site, including mentor texts and writing prompts, plus the Times articles they link to, are free. Students can search for articles using the search tool on our home page.

However, if you are interested in learning more about school subscriptions, visit this page .

Update, Oct. 13: This contest is closed. We received over 12,000 submissions. We will announce winning entries in about two months.

25 Writing Contests and Publication Opportunities for Teens

Portrait of Emilio Terry by Salvador Dalí (detail, 1935).

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1564999

Are you an aspiring writer, creative artist, scientist or a future scholar? The following list of twenty-five publishing platforms provides teens with opportunities for recognition in those fields. Submitting your work for review and publication can channel your creative energy into a meaningful and rewarding project. Additionally, working on your writing will improve your research and organizational skills. Participating in a contest, or having your work published, is also a factor in college admissions decisions.

In estimating the amount of work each submission requires, be mindful of all provided deadlines. Notice that most essay submissions require a bibliography. If you are tackling an essay with an assigned topic, take advantage of the Library's Research resources. This guide to Remote Research Resources will provide you with guidance on how to use the Library's electronic resources from home. If you are working on composing an oratory, or any other piece of polemical writing, take a look at How to Research for a Debate Using Library Resources . Aspiring poets can consult Columbia Granger's World of Poetr y, a premier poetry online resource. Young artists can draw inspiration from the wealth of imagery in our Digital Collections . The Library encourages everyone to get creative with our public domain collection of digital images. If you are inserting a quotation into your text, learn How to Research a Quotation . Don't forget to attend the Library's events , as they frequently include writing workshops and book discussions . If you have any additional reference questions ,or want to see the full extent of remote research opportunities, take a look at our guide to Remote Collections and Services.

For additional guidance and inspiration, please see the short list of books provided below.

The Writer's Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing by John Warner

Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron

Singing School: Learning to Write (and Read) Poetry with the Masters by Robert Pisnky

Writers's Idea Book by Jack Heffron

Barron's Painless Writing by Jeffrey Strausser

How to Write Better Essays by Bryan Greetham

You Can Write a Play! by Milton E. Polsky

The Artist's Way: a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

Apprentice Writer

Susquehanna University and the Writers Institute initiative invite high school students to submit fiction, memoir, personal essay , poetry and photography for the thirty-ninth volume of Apprentice Writer , which will be published in the fall of 2021 

Deadline:  submissions are accepted from September 15 , 2020 to March 15 2021

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest 

The Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest provides scholarship, prizes, and recognition for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. No more than two poems per student. For details and prizes please see the contest webpage . 

Deadline: October 31, 2020 

Leonard l. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in the eigth grade in the U.S. or abroad. Contest judges are poets on the Princeton University Creative Writing faculty, which includes Michael Dickman, Paul Muldoon, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, James Richardson, Tracy K. Smith, Susan Wheeler, Jenny Xie, and Monica Youn.

Deadline: to be announced. For the latest information and updates, you can subscribe to a newsletter . 

Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Young Poets Anthology is looking for poem submissions from authors that are 15, and younger. Poets can use their whole name, first name or a pseudonym. Poems could be submitted by students that are younger than 18, teachers, parents and guardians. 

Deadline:  Submission for 2020 accepted until November 16, 2020.

Society of Classical Poets High School Poetry Competition

Invites classic poetry lovers ages 13 to 19 to submit up to 3 metered poems, limited to 108 lines.  Poems must contain meter. Counting the number of syllables and ensuring there are a similar number in each line is sufficient. Society offers a very useful tutorial on  writing poetry with a meter. To learn how to write poetry with a meter, see a brief beginner’s guide on common iambic meter here or a more elaborate beginner’s guide to many kinds of meter here .

Deadline: December 31, 2020

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers   

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers recognizes outstanding young poets and is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. The contest winner receives a full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop. In addition, the winning poem and the poems of the two runners-up will be published in the Kenyon Review, one of the country’s most widely read literary magazines.

Deadline : Submissions accepted between November 1 and November 30

Bennington College Young Writers Awards 

Students in 9th-12th grades, residing anywhere in the world, are invited to submit original works in three categories. Poetry requires a submission of three poems. Category of Fiction accepts short stories or a one-act play. There is a separate nonfiction essay category. Please notice that only original writing is accepted, and all  work has to be sponsored by a high school teacher. For further details, carefully read the submission rules.  

Deadline: Submissions for 2020 are accepted from September 3 to November 1 

Claudia Ann Seaman Awards for Young Writers 

High School students from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit original work written in English. Creative writing that was not previously published, can be submitted in the categories of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. For further detail and submissions guidelines read the rules of the context. In addition to creative writing, you can submit cover art for Polyphony magazine. 

Deadline: Check the website for the latest writing deadlines. Deadline for cover art submission is April 30th.   

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest 

In order to increase high school students' knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media in our lives, Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalist and the Journalism Education Association invites students enrolled in grades 9-12 in US public, private and home schools , to submit an essay on a given topic.  National winners of this essay contest will receive a scholarship award. Topic for 2020 will be released in November. 

Deadline : February 22 

Achievement Award in Writing 

National Council of Teachers of English is offering an Achievement Award in Writing to High School Juniors in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands, and accredited American Schools abroad. Students must be nominated by their school's English department and should submit one themed essay and a sample of their best writing. 

Deadline:  Submissions for 2021 are open from November 15 to February 15. Theme for the essay is available at the time of publication ( October 2020) 

Teen Ink Magazine 

A national teen magazine devoted to teenage writing, art, photos and forums, offers an opportunity to publish creative work and opinions on issues that affect their lives of teens. Hundreds of thousands of students aged 13-19, have submitted their work. Teen Ink magazine has published the creative output of over 55,000 teens. Teens can submit an article, poetry, book, novel, photo or a video though this link.

Deadline: none

Princeton University Ten Minute Play Contest 

Eligibility for the annual playwriting contest is limited to students in the 11th grade in the U.S , or an international equivalent of the 11th grade. Jury consists of members of the Princeton University Program in Theater faculty. 

Deadline: Information regarding submission will be provided in late Fall of 2020.

Youth Plays 

Unpublished one-act plays from authors younger than 19 years of age are accepted for submission. Plays should feature youth characters and be suitable for school production. For detailed submission guidelines and helpful advice visit Youth Plays website. 

Deadline: Next opportunity for submission will open up in early 2021.

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards has the largest selection of opportunities for creative self-expression. With twenty eight categories, ranging from poetry to the entire writing portfolio, young artists and writers can choose from a plethora of opportunities. For the latest updates, rules , and information on how to enter, register with Scholastic. Don't forget to view the Gallery of Winning Entries . To participate in the Awards, you must be a student in grades 7–12, age 13 years or older, residing in the United States, U.S. territories or military bases, or Canada.

Deadlines vary by category, with submissions windows between September to December. 

National Young Arts Foundation Competition

Young Arts' signature program is an application-based award for emerging artists ages 15-18, or in grades 10-12. Open to students in a variety of different disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, National Young Arts Foundation  Competition  asks students to submit a portfolio of work.

Deadline: October 16 , 2020

World Historian Student Essay Competition  

World History Association invites international students enrolled in grades K-12 in public, private and parochial schools, and those in home-study programs to participate in a writing competition that celebrates the study of history. Each competitor will submit an essay that addresses the issue: In what way has the study of world history affected my understanding of the world in which we live ? For further details on submission guidelines, visit World History Association.  

Deadline: May 1

The Concord Review

This unique publication is the only quarterly journal in the world to publish academic history papers of secondary students. The Concord Review accepts history research papers (about 8,500 words with endnotes and bibliography ) of high school students from anywhere in the world. There is no theme, and papers on every period of history anywhere in the world are accepted. For specific rules and regulators, see the submission guidelines. 

Deadline: essay are accepted on a rolling admissions basis.

George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) invites all high school students (9th through 12th grades) interested in the American Revolution to participate in the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest. To participate, students must submit an original 800 to 1,200-word essay based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution. 

Deadline: December 31 

JFK Profiles in Courage Essay Contest 

The contest is open to United States high school students in grades 9-12 attending public, private, parochial, or home schools. In Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy recounted the stories of eight U.S. senators who risked their careers to do what was right for the nation. The Profile in Courage Essay Contest challenges students to write an original and creative essay that demonstrates an understanding of political courage as described by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage.

Deadline: January 15 

Write the World Competition

Write the World is a global community of young writers, ages 13-18. Write the World offers a rotating list of themed competitions. Current competition ( October 2020) is for a Speech Writing Oration. The list of past competitions includes Historical Fiction ( short story), Food Writing, Album Review, Environmental Journalism, Songwriting and Book Review. 

Deadline: a new competition every month

Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize

Established in 2006, the Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize is an essay competition open in year 12 or the equivalent. Students can submit essays on three given topics in Philosophy. The judges will look for originality of thought, a clear grasp of the issues, clarity in presentation and a critical approach to what has been read. They will also look for a clear structure to the essay. Please read the submission guidelines carefully .

Deadline: June 22 , 2021

The American Foreign Service Association’s National High School Essay Contest

Students whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate in the contest, if they reside in the U.S., U.S territories, or if they are U.S. citizens attending high school overseas. In addition to the winner, there is the one runner-up and eight honorable mentions. For further details, please read Rules and Guidelines 

Deadline: The new prompt and deadlines for 2021 will be announced in the fall of 2020

International Essay Contest for Young People

This annual themed essay contest is organized by the Goi Peace Foundation in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. Essays can be submitted in two age categories, by anyone younger than 25. In addition to English, essays can be submitted in French, Spanish, German and Japanese. Please note that essays must be mailed, as no email submissions are accepted.

Deadline: Consult the Goi Peace Foundation website for the 2021 theme .

Engineer Girl Essay Writing Competition

This competition is  open to individual girls and boys in the following three age categories: elementary, middle, and high school students. This year's theme  relates to the COVID-19 virus.

Deadline: The contest will close at 11:59 PM, February 1, 2021, U.S. Eastern Standard Tim e

Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Scholarship Program

Established in 1947 by Veterans of Foreign Wars, Voice of Democracy Youth Scholarship program requires a submission of a themed recorded essay. Students attending any type of school in grades 9-12 are eligible to participate. Essays are judged on content and on delivery technique.

Deadline: October 31

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Free end-of-year letter templates to your students 📝!

Best 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12

Competitions in STEM, ELA and the arts, and more!

We tell students that learning is its own reward, and that’s certainly true. But it’s also nice to win money and other prizes! Knowing they could gain recognition or even a prize for winning can be incredibly motivating. This roundup includes the best contests and competitions for high school students, as well as middle school and elementary too.

Contests and Competitions for High School Students

Contests and competitions for middle school students, contests and competitions for elementary school students, contests and competitions for students of all ages, adcap challenge.

Come up with a big idea to help create meaningful change and healthier school communities. Then use the AdCap project designer to submit your idea, and compete for funding to bring your project to life.

AFSA National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive full tuition to the Semester at Sea program as well as a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with a leader at the Department of State.

All American High School Film Festival

Student films have the opportunity to become an Official Selection, screened at the AMC Empire 25 Theaters in Times Square, the busiest movie theater in America! Each October, thousands of student filmmakers gather in New York City for an action-packed weekend of resources and entertainment, including the Teen Indie Awards Show, where over $500,000 in prizes and scholarships are handed out.

ArtEffect Project

The ArtEffect Project teaches middle and high school students about their power to effect positive change through creative storytelling that celebrates unsung heroes from history. Students submit high-quality creative art projects in the visual arts, narrative film, theater, and creative nonfiction genres. Winners can receive thousands of dollars in prizes.

Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge

The Youth Design Challenge (YDC) is a free hands-on project-based learning experience that provides classroom and informal educators with a new framework to introduce biomimicry and an interdisciplinary lens on science and environmental literacy. It’s open to middle school and high school students.

Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Students submit a big scientific idea in fundamental physics, life sciences, or mathematics in video form. Winners receive college scholarships, plus money for their teacher and school.

BUILD’s Design Challenge

Students in grades 7–12 use design thinking to create solutions to real-world challenges. In this 10-hour experience, students develop entrepreneurial skills and empathy while learning about prototyping and testing.

Congressional Art Competition

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

Conrad Challenge

Design an innovation, solve an important problem, and establish yourself as an entrepreneur. You might just change the world in the process! Students work in teams of two to five to compete for prizes such as scholarships, pro-bono legal and consulting services, and a Dell Chromebook.

C-SPAN’s StudentCam Competition

This national contest invites all middle and high school students to create a five-to-seven-minute documentary based on an annual theme.

DECA Competitive Events

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. DECA’s competitive events can be grouped into three broad categories: role-plays and case studies, prepared events, and online simulations. Events take place around the country and throughout the year.

International Compost Awareness Week Poster Contest

Students create a poster for International Compost Awareness Week, which takes place in May. The winner gets $500 and the chance to see their poster produced professionally.

Jane Austen Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 in scholarship money by writing an essay on a new Austen theme each year, sponsored by the Jane Austen Society of North America.

NAQT Quiz Bowl

Quiz Bowl is a fast-paced buzzer competition in which teams of four players compete to answer questions that cover academic subjects like literature and science as well as the broader world of popular culture and current events. Local middle school and high school tournaments send their winners on to regional and national championships.

National Academic League

As middle and high school student teams compete to answer questions aligned to national standards, they must also cooperate and use teamwork to tackle each quarter’s new challenge. Each school can field a team of 15 to 40, giving lots of kids a chance to participate.

National History Day (NHD)

National History Day (NHD) is an annual event for teachers and students in grades 6–12 that promotes critical thinking skills through project-based learning. Students begin their journey by presenting their projects in classrooms, schools, and districts around the world. Top entries are invited to the state/affiliate-level contests. The top two entries in every category at the state/affiliate level are then invited to the National Contest.

National Young Composers Challenge

The challenge is simple: First, students write their own composition for a small ensemble (two to six instruments) or full orchestra. Then, a panel of judges chooses the top three orchestral and top three ensemble compositions to be performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at the NYCC Composium held in Orlando, Florida.

New York Times Student Writing Contests

Each month, the New York Times announces a new writing contest for middle and high school students ages 13 to 19. The topics and requirements are different each month, with something to appeal to all sorts of young authors and journalists.

PicoCTF Cybersecurity Competition

PicoCTF is a computer security game for middle and high school students. The game consists of a series of challenges centered around a unique storyline where participants must reverse-engineer, break, hack, decrypt, or do whatever it takes to solve the challenge. The challenges are all set up with the intent of being hacked, making it an excellent, legal way to get hands-on experience.

Princeton 10-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? In this competition, judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University, students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. (Note: Only open to 11th graders.)

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens (ages 13+, grades 7–12) awards scholarships and gives kids a chance to showcase their skills for some of the foremost leaders in the arts.

Slingshot Challenge

Produce a 1-minute video with a solution to a current environmental problem (think: uniting creative waste reducers on social media or rehabilitating forests affected by fire) for the chance to receive up to $10,000 in funding.

Solve for Tomorrow

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition invites middle and high school teachers to lead a group of students in creating a STEM-centered solution that addresses a need in their communities. Teachers and students compete to win a share of $2 million for their schools. The National Winner prize is $100,000 in technology and classroom materials.

Space Settlement Design Competitions

These events emulate, as closely as possible for high school students, the experiences of working as members of aerospace design and proposal teams. Students learn cooperation, management, and communication skills. Finalists win the chance to travel to Kennedy Space Center!

Stossel in the Classroom

Stossel in the Classroom wants to know what high school and middle school students think about entrepreneurship and innovation. With $20,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, kids can enter the essay contest or the video contest . There are bonus prizes for teachers too!

United States Academic Decathlon

The United States Academic Decathlon is a 10-event scholastic competition for teams of high school students. Each high school enters a team of nine students: three honors students (3.80–4.00 GPA), three scholastic students (3.20–3.799 GPA), and three varsity students (0.00–3.199 GPA). They’ll need a wide variety of academic knowledge and skills to come out on top!

U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad

This tiered competition for high school students consists of a series of chemistry exams. Local winners move on to the national exam, whose winners participate in a study camp and international exam contest over the summer.

World of 8 Billion Video Contest

Middle and high school students create a short video—up to 60 seconds long—about human population growth that highlights one of the following global challenges: climate change, gender equality, or waste. Kids can win up to $1,200!

Future City

Future City is a project-based learning program in which students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future.

The Hardest Math Problem

This contest challenges students in grades 6–8 to practice critical thinking supported by accurate computation. Both kids and their teachers are eligible for prizes.

New Moon Girls

New Moon Girls publishes contributions from girls ages 8–14. The magazine publishes four times each year, and submissions are more likely to be published if they fit an upcoming editorial theme.

Ocean Awareness Contest

Students ages 11 to 18 can learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Submit a piece recognizing climate change heroes, using visual arts, poetry and creative writing, film, performing arts, or multimedia. Prizes include cash awards and eligibility for special opportunities.

Promising Young Writers Program

Teachers and schools can nominate 8th grade students to compete in this contest. Nominees submit a piece of writing based on the year’s prompt. Winners receive certificates in various levels of distinction.

Ranger Rick Photo Contest

Kids 13 and under can enter any nature-themed photo they’ve taken on their own using a camera or phone camera app. Every month, winners will be selected by the judges and posted on the contest homepage in the Recent Contest Winners slideshow. Online winners will be in the running for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Magazine Award. Magazine Award winners will be selected three times each year for publication in Ranger Rick magazine’s December–January, April, and August issues.

Rubber Band Contest

This contest challenges students in grades 5–8 to design and create a working invention/artwork that incorporates at least one rubber band. Students can compete in one of two separate divisions: Arts & Leisure or Science & Engineering. Winners receive up to $300.

Young Scientist Challenge

Students in grades 5–8 create a one-to-two-minute video describing a new, innovative solution that could solve an everyday problem. Ten finalists will be chosen for their passion for science, spirit of innovation and ingenuity, and effective communication skills.

YouthPLAYS Prospective Authors

Authors 19 and under can submit a one-act play to the New Voices competition. They’re particularly interested in plays that speak to BIPOC teens and youth.

Doodle for Google

Did you know that each year, one student in grades K–5 has a chance to see their own doodle featured on the Google search page? This annual contest gives kids the opportunity to reach millions of viewers with their design.

New Moon Girls publishes contributions from girls ages 8 to 14. The magazine publishes four times each year, and submissions are more likely to be published if they fit an upcoming editorial theme.

Kids 13 and under can enter any nature-themed photo they’ve taken on their own, using a camera or phone camera app. Every month, winners will be selected by the judges and posted on the contest homepage in the Recent Contest Winners slideshow. Online winners will be in the running for Ranger Rick’s “Your Best Shots” Magazine Award. Magazine Award winners will be selected three times each year for publication in Ranger Rick magazine’s December–January, April, and August issues.

90-Second Newbery Film Festival

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which young filmmakers create movies that tell the entire story of a Newbery award–winning book in about 90 seconds. Winning entries are screened at events nationwide including in New York, Chicago, and Boston.

Celebrating Art

This contest is open to K–12 students attending public schools, homeschool, and art studios. Kids and teachers can win prizes, classroom supplies, and more!

Discovery Award

The Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes Discovery Award provides students in grades 4–12 a unique opportunity to research primary sources and develop outstanding projects that feature unsung heroes who can serve as role models and inspire others to create change.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world. Students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. It’s open to students in grades 3 and up.

Invention Convention

The Invention Convention program is a K–12 project-based learning curriculum to help students learn to think critically by identifying problems in their world. Inventors and entrepreneurs are invited to compete at prestigious annual events.

NAfME Music Competitions

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) holds multiple music competitions each year for composers and songwriters in several categories. Students of all ages are eligible to win cash prizes.

NASA CineSpace Short Film Competition

Competitors submit a short film inspired by, and using, actual footage from NASA’s digital archives for a chance to earn cash prizes and have their film screened at the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, held each November. Although entrants must be at least 18 to enter, parents and guardians can enter submissions on behalf of their children.

NASA Langley Student Art Contest

The contest is open to all K–12 students attending public, private, parochial, and homeschool who are residents of the United States, and grades K–12 of U.S. military members stationed overseas.

National History Bowl

The National History Bowl is a buzzer-based history quiz competition for teams of up to six students ages 19 or younger. Local competitions send their winners on to compete in the national championships.

National PTA Reflections Awards

Students of all ages create and submit original works of art in the areas of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Local winners move on to the regional, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

National Spelling Bee

Is the country’s next spelling champion in your own classroom? Find out by holding your own spelling bee, then sending the winner on to compete in regional competitions leading to the ultimate national competition. Students up to age 16 are eligible to participate.

PepsiCo Recycle Rally Contests

Encourage friendly competition throughout your K–12 schools or express creativity through writing and designing with a PepsiCo Recycle Rally contest.

Scope Writing Contests

Scope magazine (published by Scholastic) features a wide variety of contests to excite students in grades 4–12 about writing. Plus they can win awesome prizes!

SIBA Invention Competition

The Student Ideas for a Better America contest welcomes applications from pre-K through 12th grade. Enter any idea for a new way to demonstrate an educational concept, an idea for a new product, or an improvement for an existing product or procedure.

Students With Solutions

This project is designed for educators to engage their students in bullying prevention. Students watch a video followed by a handout review. Then they respond to the content in their own creative way through art, writing, graphics, or videos for the chance to win prizes for their school.

Telling Room Founders Prize

Students ages 6–18 can submit fiction, nonfiction, and poetry to The Telling Room . Each year, the Founders Prize is awarded to the best piece of writing to come out of a Telling Room program.

Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest

The Toyota Dream Car USA Art Contest inspires creativity in youths ages 4 to 15 and helps them imagine the future of mobility. Kids can win hundreds of dollars in prize money.

Did we miss one of your favorite contests or competitions for high school, middle school, or elementary school students? Come share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group !

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships ..

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Excellent Writing Contests for Kids (and Other Ways To Get Published)

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I’ve been searching for writing contests for kids for my daughter and her friend. Many kids, like mine, want to write for an audience; they’d love to be published. This round-up of writing contests for kids and other opportunities might help give emerging writers their first chance at publication.

Let me also suggest that you temper your kids’ enthusiasm with a bit of reality. It’s a tricky thing because you don’t want to be a killjoy, but you also want your children to understand that good, award-winning writing is hard work and takes dedication. So if your child applies to a writing competition and gets rejected or doesn’t win any writing prize, encourage your kids to persevere and keep writing. (Feel free to share stories of authors such as Madeline L’Engle, J.K. Rowlings, and Dr. Seuss, who were rejected for publishing  a lot.)

When you’re looking at these writing contests, suggest that kids read through the past winners or published pieces to get an idea of what the contest or publication is looking for in a writing piece.

Revision, of course, is essential. You can help by giving kids specific feedback on technique — revision tips here . If your child is writing a short story or children’s fiction piece, make sure their story has a story arc . And insist that they proofread a million times to be sure they’re not sending in something with errors! Check my NanNoWriMo for Kids post for more writing and revision tips.

All that being said, publishing can be a very motivational goal. Encourage your kids to write essays, short stories, poetry, and creative nonfiction and apply for opportunities like these. But remind your writers that failure only means that they haven’t been published YET.

Consider carefully writing contests with entry fees. I have mixed feelings about fees because sometimes they do pay for hiring judges but other times, I worry that it means the contest is simply a money-maker for them.

Best wishes!

**Check the comments for more contests.

Writing Contests for Kids

Roald Dahl’s ImaginormousChallenge ages: 5 – 12 Details: In this unique writing contest, kids submit  story ideas  in 100 words or less. The only judging criterion, in true Wonka style, is pure imagination. Five winners will get a Golden Ticket. See the website for all the prizes and opportunities.

Betty Award ages: 8 – 12 Details: Check the website for deadlines for their spring and fall writing contests. Cash prizes. $15 fee.

Funny Festive Fables ages: 7 – 13 In this writing contest, kids are asked to write a funny short story.

National Youth Foundation ages: grades K – 8 Details: It looks like you’ll be submitting a 20 to 30 page book with writing and art that incorporates the contest theme of anti-bullying.

Dandelion Press ages: all Get inspired by the illustration provided to write an original story. 

Tadpole Press ages: all For writers of all ages, this is a 100-word writing contest in any genre. This contest offers cash prizes to winners.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards ages: 13+ The Scholastic Awards look for work in writing and art that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Teenagers can apply to 28 art and writing categories including flash fiction, critical essay, digital art, humor, novel writing, personal essay, poetry, short story, and ceramics. The Scholastic writing contest is highly competitive, so submit your best work!

Literary Magazines and Online Publications for Kids and Teens

These publications are looking for submissions. These are NOT contests.

Hutch Magazine: A Creativity Magazine by Kids for Kids ages: grades 1 to 8 Hutch publishes art and writing submissions around a theme that imparts positive values and promotes self-esteem. Check the website for the latest theme and parent consent and media release forms.

Story Monsters ages 17 and younger Story Monsters is seeking articles, essays, book reviews, poems, short stories, and drawings.

Kidz Corner ages 6 to 12 Submit art, letters, and other writing. Guidelines here .

Magic Dragon ages: 12 years and younger Submit art, stories, essays, and poetry.

Cricket ages: 9 – 14 Details: Cricket is a well-known children’s magazine . Enter fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing in this kids’ literary magazine. The magazine used to take submissions from young writers but now they’re offering other opportunities here: NewPages Writing Contests for Young Writers writing.

Stone Soup ages: 13 and YOUNGER Details: This magazine receives a lot of submissions, so read carefully what actually gets published for a better chance. It accepts stories, book reviews, and poems. $3 entry fee. 

Elementia ages: not stated A literary arts magazine from a library, check back to see when submissions open for poetry, short stories, essays, comics, and artwork.

Skipping Stones ages: 7 to 17 Details: This publication has a multicultural focus for its writing opportunities for kids. Send in essays, interviews, poems, plays, or short stories. $5 fee. Winners are published in their autumn issue.

The Caterpillar ages: not stated Details: This is an Irish publication but accepts entries from anywhere in the world.

Guardian Angel Kids ages: up to age 14 Details: This is a literary magazine (ezine) for kids with submission themes  here . If your work is accepted (articles, fiction, poetry), then the magazine will own it and will pay you for your work. Just be sure that if your writing is accepted, you don’t post it anywhere else since you will not own it anymore!

Chautauqua Young Voices ages: middle and high school Submissions can be in nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or flash.

Ember ages: 10 – 18 Details: This publication is searching for compelling poetry, short stories, flash fiction, and creative non-fiction that paint images with language. (THESE ARE NOT CONTESTS.)

Scholastic News Kids Press Corps ages: 10 – 14 Apply to be on a team of kid reporters from across the country and around the world covers “news for kids, by kids.” Kid writers who are ages 10–14 with a passion for telling great stories and discussing issues that matter most to kids are encouraged to apply in the spring for the following school year.

Bibliopunks ages 13 – 24 An online literary zine aimed at young adult writers. They are looking for writing in any genre.

Figment ages: 13+ Details: This is an online writing community meant to encourage  teen writers  to write and share their work. You can post your work and get feedback, as well as give feedback to other writers. Contests are posted throughout the year.

Cicada Magazine ages: 14+ Details: This magazine loves SF/fantasy and historical fiction as well as narrative nonfiction about teen topics.

Teen Ink ages: 13+ Details: This is an online writing community with a wealth of opportunities for young writers.

Canvas Literary Journal ages: 13 – 18 Canvas Teen Literary Journal is a quarterly journal that publishes the work of teen writers which are read and rated by a board of teen editors. If they’re not accepting submissions, follow them on social media to find out when submissions will open again.

Highlights Magazine ages: ages 16+ Details: This magazine publishes kids’ writing and will publish: drawings, poems, jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, stories, science questions, and book reviews. At the time of publication, they are closed to submissions.

KEEP READING

Gifts for Young Writers  

Write a Novel in November

Writing Prompts for Kids

How to Make a Book Trailer

Persuasive Writing

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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44 Comments

I work with Story Studio (a Victoria-based charity in Canada), and we host a themed monthly writing contest for kids aged 5-13 🙂 For April 2024, we’re hosting a special climate fiction writing contest for young authors aged 9-17. You can find details for our writing contests here: https://www.storystudio.ca/write/ Happy writing! Monika

IndigoTeen Magazine is a literary periodical created for teenagers and by teenagers. It features the most successful text and imagery submissions from children and young people from 13 to 19 years old: short stories, essays, and novellas, memes, and comics, fan fiction and poetry, graphic design and artwork. It’s a collection of literary pieces that reflects the world of modern teenagers. Are you a teen who loves English? Do you want to test your illustrator’s skills or other visual art talents? Let your mind shine bright and be enjoyed! We are eager to hear from you and let your creation be part of our magazine. https://indigohub.net.au/indigoteen

Some of these contests aren’t taking any submissions which sucks

Is there a graphic novel contest?

Not that I know of.

Are these competitions open to kids from other countries? My daughter loves to write and we are based in India

I think some are but you’ll have to check the rules for each one to know for sure. Good luck!

enter our groundbreaking creative writing competition for schools

Competition closed - submission period ended on 26 april 2024, enter your pupils aged 7-16 into our exciting tech-led creative writing competition for the chance to win amazing tech and literary prizes. the 'time to write' competition is open to all schools, and will use cutting-edge adaptive comparative judgement technology to shortlist entries, allowing schools and pupils to take part in the shortlisting process, the top 10 entries in each category (as decided by you) will be read by a panel of judges, who will decide on the winners and runners up., the winning writers will have their stories turned into illustrated books, and win a set of amazing tech and book prizes. plus, each winner's school will also win a great set of prizes, including a £1000 voucher to spend on school resources.

• Get in touch with ISEB

The Categories

Writers in Years 3 and 4: 500 words Writers in Years 5 and 6: 650 words Writers in Years 7, 8, and 9: 750 words Writers in Years 10 and 11: 1000 words

Word counts are advised lengths and final submissions can be +/- 10%

Register your interest for competition updates:

Judging and criteria

The 'Time to Write' competition will be judged in two rounds. Entries will be shortlisted by a group of judges - and you can take part in this! The top ten entries shortlisted in each category will be read by a panel of esteemed judges.

Round 1: Shortlisting

The first round of judging will be completed using Adaptive Comparative Judgement technology via RM Compare. Schools that enter pupils into the competition will be able to take part in this process as judges. We'll be looking for the most creative entries in the first round of judging.

Who can take part in the shortlisting process?

All schools that enter pupils into the competition will be able to take part in the shortlisting process during the first judging window.

If you have not submitted any entries but would still like to take part, please contact us at [email protected] .

Round 2: Final judging

The top ten entries in each category will be read and reviewed by a panel of judges in the traditional way.

The judging panel

Judging criteria

The panel of judges will review the top ten entries with the following criteria in mind: Idea: is there an original and creative idea that makes the story stand out? Structure: is there a clear plot that develops thematically? Character: are the characters well-developed and convincing? Language: are words chosen and language devices used confidently and creatively?

The Time to Write competition is open to all schools, with four categories for different age groups, and prizes for both the winning writers and their schools . The top ten entries shortlisted in each category will be read by a panel of esteemed judges. The winning writers in each category will see themselves in print , as each will have their story turned into an illustrated book ! Prizes will also be awarded to the winning writers’ schools , including £1000 to spend on school resources! A range of other exciting prizes will be on offer for the winners and runners-up , including Amazon Fire tablets, Altec Lansing Bluetooth speakers and headphones, and vouchers.

About the competition

The Independent Schools Examinations Board is a leading provider of innovative qualifications and assessments to schools in the UK and internationally. Founded in 1903 to create and deliver the Common Entrance exams, ISEB has been at the forefront of assessment at 11+ and 13+ for 120 years.

We've partnered with RM Compare to bring schools a unique, interactive creative writing competition for 2024. The time travel theme of the 'Time to Write' competition was chosen to align with ISEB's 120th anniversary. By appreciating the achievements and events of the past, and looking forward to the developments of new innovations and technologies, we can all make sure we are supporting all children to achieve for years to come.

“In celebrating 120 years at the heart of assessment in the independent school sector, we wanted to bring all schools an exciting opportunity to celebrate our core principles of creativity, inclusivity, innovation, and heritage in an interactive and hands-on way. Creative writing is the ultimate creative activity for young people, allowing them to dream big and show us their flair and individuality. We can’t wait to read their stories.” Julia Martin, ISEB

Competition Closed - Submission Period Ended on 26 April 2024. All entries must be submitted by schools. If you are a parent or guardian, please ask your child's school to enter your child into the competition. Schools can submit all entries from pupils together via an online entry form.

Time to Write is open to all residents aged 7-16 years as of 26 April 2024. Stories must be written by an individual and not by a pair, or writing team. Writers may only submit one story each. Entries must be a piece of original fiction and can not depict events that actually took place. Entries can not use details of any living person and must not include personal details about the writer and their family, teachers, or friends.

All entries must be submitted by a school - if you are a parent, please talk to your child's school about submitting your child's entry. Entries must be saved as PDF files, and the file name should be structured as 'Story name, school name'. The writer's name should not be included anywhere on the PDF. Entries can be hand-written or typed, but must not contain any additional embellishments such as drawings or diagrams. All entries must be in English. For full information please see our Terms and Conditions . How to enter 1. Read the competition terms and conditions. 2. Download the ISEB Time to Write - Pupil Entry Submission Upload spreadsheet . 3. Populate the spreadsheet with details for all pupils you are entering and once finished, save as a .CSV (comma delimited) file. 4. Save all entries as PDF files and ensure all files are named correctly ('Story name, school name'). Do not include the pupil’s name anywhere on entries, either in the file name or on the PDF. Entries can be typed or hand-written (as long as they are fully legible). 5. Save all PDF entries to a .ZIP file. 6. Visit the online entry form on the ISEB website . 7. Complete the online entry form, uploading your completed pupil entry submission .CSV file, and your .ZIP file of PDFs. If you have any questions please get in touch with ISEB via our support portal .

• Get in touch with iseb

Thank you to our sponsors

The prizes in our 'Time to Write' creative writing competition are proudly sponsored by a range of tech and literary organisations.

Altec Lansing is an American audio brand, formed in 1941. With roots in studio and live music audio products, today Altec Lansing is a leader in consumer audio products designed to be the life of the party, including Bluetooth speakers, ANC headphones, and party speakers.

Oxford University Press (OUP) , founded over 500 years ago as the publishing arm of the University of Oxford, remains an emblem of scholarly excellence. Specialising in the publication of top-tier academic and educational resources, OUP's diverse catalogue spans disciplines, languages, and cultures.

Scanning Pens , founded in 2003, is a leading provider of assistive reading technology for the neurodivergent community. Their award-winning C-Pen series has revolutionised dyslexia reading aids, elevating accessibility to new heights. With a mission to change lives globally, Scanning Pens remains at the forefront of innovation in assistive technology.

Ingram Micro , a global technology leader, facilitates access to cutting-edge solutions for nearly 90% of the world's population. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) , a subsidiary of Amazon, revolutionises cloud computing with on-demand platforms and APIs.

TTS Group stands as the leading UK provider of early years, primary, secondary, and special needs supplies and furniture. Offering exceptional early years supplies, TTS Group presents a brilliant and innovative range designed to inspire and engage educators and learners alike.

The 'Time to Write' creative writing competition is all about celebrating the past and looking forward to the future. The theme is...

A time machine is found hidden in a cave. Inside, there is a clock with two options: the first, to travel in time 120 years into the past, and the second, to travel in time 120 years into the future. Who finds it, and what happens next?

We'll be looking for the most creative story in the first round of judging. Find out more about the judging process and criteria.

Visit the resource hub for support articles and information designed to to spark inspiration and support your pupils to produce their stories. Explore our collection of resources.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Please read our terms and conditions to find out everything you need to know about how the Time to Write competition will work, and how to enter.

1. The Promoter The Promoter is: ISEB Limited of Endeavour House, Crow Arch Lane, Ringwood, BH24 1HP, UK. 2. The competition The title of the competition is ISEB Time to Write. It is a creative writing competition for school pupils aged 7-16. 3. How to enter 3.1 The competition will run from 00:00 on 15 February 2024 (the "Opening Date") to 23:59 on 26 April 2024 (the "Closing Date") inclusive. 3.2 All competition entries must be received by the Promoter by the Closing Date. All competition entries received after the Closing Date will not be entered into the competition. 3.3 To enter the competition: All entries must be submitted using the online entry form on the ISEB website. All entries must be submitted by a school. Visit write.iseb.co.uk and follow the instructions to find the online entry form. 3.4 Schools entering pupils must first complete the ‘Time to Write Pupil Entry spreadsheet supplied as an .Excel file. This can be downloaded from the website and is located above the online entry form. 3.5 Schools will also need to save all writing submissions as PDF files and format the file name as: Title of submission, school name. The pupil’s name should not be included anywhere on the PDF submission. 3.6 These files will need to be uploaded via the online entry form. Entries can be typed as saved as PDF files, or they may be hand-written and saved as PDF files. If entries are submitted in hand-written format, they must be fully legible, and should only contain hand-written words as part of the story. If typed, they should be typed in any font, in 12pt size, and in black. 3.7 No entries may contain additional content such as drawings or diagrams. Entries containing additional content other than the typed or hand-written words of the story will not be accepted. 3.8 Entries must be written in English. Entries must not exceed the word count defined for each category. 3.9 No purchase is necessary. 3.10 The Promoter will not accept responsibility for competition entries that are lost, mislaid, damaged or delayed in transit, regardless of cause, including, for example, as a result of any equipment failure, technical malfunction, systems, satellite, network, server, computer hardware or software failure of any kind. 3.11 By submitting a competition entry, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions. 3.12 For help with entries, please submit a ticket at support.iseb.co.uk. 4. Eligibility 4.1 The competition is only open to all residents worldwide aged 7-16 years, except: (a) employees of the Promoter or its holding or subsidiary companies; (b) employees of agents or suppliers of the Promoter or its holding or subsidiary companies, who are professionally connected with the competition or its administration; or (c) members of the immediate families or households of (a) and (b) above. 4.2 In entering the competition, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and the Promoter may require you to provide proof that you are eligible to enter the competition. 4.3 The Promoter will not accept competition entries that are: (a) automatically generated by computer or created by artificial intelligence (including but not limited to chatbots such as ChatGPT or similar software applications); (b) completed by third parties or in bulk; (c) illegible, have been altered, reconstructed, forged or tampered with; (d) photocopies and not originals; or (e) incomplete. 4.4 We are sorry but competition entries cannot be returned. 4.5 The story submitted must be written by an individual and not by a writing pair or team. 4.6 Writers may only submit one story. If more than one story is submitted, only the first story received will be accepted. 4.7 The use of generative AI tools to create any part of an entry is not permitted and will lead to disqualification. 4.8 The story must be a piece of original fiction - stories can reference historical figures and eras but can not depict events that actually took place and can not use details of any living person. Stories must not include any personal details about the writer and/or their families/friends/teachers/schools. 4.9 Stories must be unpublished. 5. The prizes 5.1 The prizes for each winner of a category are: (a) The story submitted will be turned into an illustrated and bound book. (b) A Bluetooth speaker and set of Bluetooth headphones from Altec Lansing, models as defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk (c) An Amazon Fire Tablet, model as defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk (d) A National Book Tokens voucher to the amount defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk (e) An Audible voucher to the amount defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk. 5.2 The prizes for the two runners-up of a category are: (a) A Bluetooth speaker and set of Bluetooth headphones from Altec Lansing, models as defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk (b) An Audible voucher to the amount defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk. 5.3 The prizes for the school each winner attends/was entered by are: (a) A selection of fiction and non-fiction books as defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk (b) A portable pen scanner as defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk (c) A £1000 voucher (including VAT) to spend with the TTS Group as defined by the Promoter on write.iseb.co.uk. 5.4 All prizes are non-negotiable, no compensation is payable for competition entries or winners and there are no cash alternatives for the prizes. 6. Judging 6.1 The competition entries will be shortlisted to a shortlist of ten entries per category by a pool of judges using the RM Compare platform. Shortlisting will be completed using the following holistic statement: Which entry is the most creative? 6.2 The top ten entries in each category will be judged by a panel of four judges. The decision of the panel of judges (acting reasonably) will be final. 6.3 The top ten entries in each category will be judged on the following criteria: Idea: is there an original and creative idea that makes the story stand out? Structure: is there a clear plot that develops thematically? Character: are the characters well-developed and convincing? Language: are words chosen and language devices used confidently and creatively? 7. Winners 7.1 The decision of the Promoter is final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into. The Promoter can not offer feedback on entries. 7.2 The Promoter will contact the school each winner and runner-up was entered by personally as soon as practicable after the Announcement Date, using the telephone number or email address provided with the competition entry. The Promoter will not amend any contact information once the competition entry form has been submitted. 7.3 The Promoter must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation the Promoter will publish the names of the winners and runners-up, the titles of their writing submissions, and the schools of the winning writers on the ISEB website in June 2024. 7.4 If a school or pupil objects to any or all of their name, country and winning entry being published or made available, please contact the Promoter at the address set out at condition three. In such circumstances, the Promoter must still provide the information and winning entry to the Advertising Standards Authority on request. 8. Claiming the prize 8.1 The Promoter will make all reasonable efforts to contact the winner. If the winner cannot be contacted or is not available, or has not responded within 7 of days of the Announcement Date, the Promoter reserves the right to offer the prize to the next eligible entrant selected from the correct entries that were received before the Closing Date. 8.2 The Promoter does not accept any responsibility if you are not able to take up the prize. 9. Limitation of liability Insofar as is permitted by law, the Promoter, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up the prize except where it is caused by the negligence of the Promoter, its agents or distributors or that of their employees. Your statutory rights are not affected. 10. Ownership of competition entries and intellectual property rights 10.1 All competition entries and any accompanying material submitted to the Promoter will become the property of the Promoter on receipt and will not be returned. 10.2 By submitting a competition entry and any accompanying material, pupils are: (a) assigning to the Promoter all ownership rights with full title guarantee; and (b) waiving all moral rights, in and to your competition entry and otherwise arising in connection with your entry to which you may now or at any time in the future be entitled under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 as amended from time to time and under all similar legislation from time to time in force anywhere in the world. 10.3 Without limitation on condition 10.2, the Promoter intends, but is in no way obliged to: (a) publish the competition entry in local, regional, or national press outlets, both print and digital; (b) display the competition entry on the ISEB website or social media platforms; and/or (c) use the competition entry in any promotional materials related to the competition, including posters, flyers, and online advertisements. 10.4 You agree that the Promoter may, but is not required to, make your entry available on its website iseb.co.uk and any other media, whether now known or invented in the future, and in connection with any publicity of the competition. 11. Data protection and publicity 11.1 The Promoter will only process your personal information as set out in the Promoter's Privacy Policy, which is available on the iseb.co.uk website. 11.2 The Promoter will collect the following personal data from the school representative submitting entries. (a) Your first name and surname (b) Your school’s name and location (c) Your email address and phone number (d) Your job title This information will be used by the Promoter to administer the competition, obtain the relevant permissions if required, communicate with the school on matters relating to the competition, and, if an entry submitted by your school is shortlisted or wins a prize, this information may be used as part of promotion on the Promoter’s website and other marketing channels. 11.3 The Promoter will collect the following personal data on pupils aged 7-16 being entered into the competition from the school submitting the entries: (a) Entrant’s first name and surname (b) Entrant’s age and date of birth (c) Entrant’s school name (d) Entrant’s school type (e) Entrant’s school year (f) Entrant’s gender (g) Entrant’s submission title This information will be used by the Promoter to administer the competition, and if an entry is shortlisted or wins a prize, some of this information may be used as part of promotion on the Promoter’s website and other marketing channels. The safety of all pupils is paramount to the Promoter and we will not publish more personal information than necessary. 11.4 Schools are to request permission from your parent/guardian in order to grant The Promoter the rights to become the 'data controller'. RM Compare will be the 'data processor'. 11.5 The Promoter is the ‘data controller’ of your personal data. This means the Promoter will decide what your personal data is used for, however, the Promoter will only collect and process your data in accordance with the purposes in these terms and conditions. The Promoter will comply with data protection law as the data controller. 12. General 12.1 If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach of these terms and conditions, the Promoter may, at its sole discretion, reserve the right to exclude you from participating in the competition. 12.2 The Promoter reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel, or amend the prize competition where it becomes necessary to do so. 12.3 These terms and conditions are governed by English law. If any entrants to this promotion wish to take court proceedings, then they must do this within the courts in the United Kingdom.

Here you'll find a range of support resources for schools, young writers, and parents and guardians. We'll be adding more resources here over the coming weeks so keep checking back to see what's new!

Why should schools enter?

The benefits of creative writing go beyond essential core English skills. Not only does it support creative thinking and the development of imagination (as you might expect!), but other skills too: looking at things from a fresh perspective, expressing feelings and emotions, thinking about structure and choosing your words carefully; all skills that support development in every subject and in the wider world. A benchmark of pupil performance All schools that enter will receive a data report that shows how their pupils have performed alongside other pupils in the competition, as well as information about the types of themes and trends that have emerged. Hands-on experience with Adaptive Comparative Judgement technology The shortlisting process will be done via the RM Compare platform, using cutting-edge Adaptive Comparative Judgement technology. All schools that enter will be given the opportunity to take part as a judge in the shortlisting process and see for themselves how it works. Be a part of wider research on creative writing in schools The information gathered through the competition will help shape the way creative writing skills are developed and assessed in the future.

The St Swithun’s Witch Project: finding new ways to decolonise and diversify our literature teaching

A blog article by naomi anson, competition judge and head of swithun's school.

An introduction to the article from ISEB CEO, Julia Martin : "This inspiring project by Naomi Anson grabbed me when I first heard about it. Decolonising and diversifying our curricula is crucial and it’s fantastic to see St Swithun's School leading the way. This impact of this project went beyond teaching, it was performative, critical and truly interdisciplinary too. At ISEB, our creative writing competition Time to Write is a starting point for thinking about teaching creatively across boundaries and as one of our judges, Naomi Anson will be an inspiring force for championing new ways of being creative in our schools. " Read the article by Naomi Anson on the HMC website:

• The St Swithun’s Witch Project: finding new ways to decolonise and diversify our literature teaching by Naomi Anson

Interview with the author

with Ali Sparkes, competition judge, and children's author of the popular Shapeshifter series

Hi Ali! Did you always aspire to become an author? What first sparked your interest in writing stories? I was a pretty slow reader to begin with; a bit of a struggler. But around about the age of eight I started reading Famous Five books which kicked off my enthusiasm at last. From there I went on to other authors, like Joan Aiken, Anthony Buckeridge, Norman Hunter, Jean Craighead George and many more. I was very much the kid at school who was in the corner of the playground, opening up a book like a trapdoor and disappearing into another world. It didn't hurt that books were part of family life and our parents read to us. But did I aspire to be an author? Nah. I was obsessed with the theatre. For literally as far back as I can remember I wanted to be a singer and an actress. I was in school shows, quite often the lead, and then bigger shows, including a couple of stints as a lead in musicals at The Mayflower (or The Gaumont) as it was back then. Did a little local telly, too. So I was pretty good at the whole acting and singing thing (if not the dancing!) - but always used to write for fun; comedy scripts with my siblings and friends, daft poems, even full on action adventures (a four part series at secondary school!). I never really thought about a career as a writer, but the hallmarks were there throughout my teens; I even wrote a comedy musical for my cohort at college, which we staged as the final part of our Theatre Studies A level. Writing was just a very natural, fun thing to do. I didn't pay it very much attention; I just did it. How do you come up with ideas for your stories? Is there a special place or activity that helps you find inspiration? Ideas arrive at any time, from any direction; something someone says. an interesting location, a what if..?  thought. Dark Summer was inspired by the caves at Wookey Hole, Thunderstruck was inspired by a gravestone in a cemetery just off Southampton Common, 100 Summers was partly inspired by my sons, who both have ADHD. I've never had much problem coming up with ideas; they seem like jets, circling Heathrow, waiting to land. My biggest problem is finding enough time to write them all. But getting out walking (with Willow, the labradoodle) or running definitely helps me to un-knot any plot problems I'm having, or to cook up a new idea when I've been asked to come up with something. The best ideas usually occur nowhere near the keyboard. What does your process of writing a story from start to finish look like? The idea occurs and then, if it's a goer, tends to hang around in my head, getting a bit more evolved. Characters show up. Their problems and their wants and needs slowly get more apparent. Once I have a nice idea beginning to flesh out I will pitch it to my editor or agent and if they like it, I'll work up a synopsis and a few chapters. If it meets with approval I will write the whole thing. Between pitching the idea and getting it published usually takes about 18 months, although it can be much faster for shorter books, such as the titles I write for educational publishers like Oxford Reading Tree and Collin's Big Cat. There's a fair bit of to-ing and fro-ing between me and my editors to get the story as good as it can be, but I rarely write more than three drafts. Working as a journalist in newspapers and then BBC radio has trained me to write and edit quite tightly as I go. Can you tell us about any specific challenges or setbacks in your writing journey? How did you overcome them? I had sooooo many rejections, across a period of about four years. They were maddening because so often I would get a great response from an editor or an agent, full of compliments, but still not quite wanting to take me on. But I think my theatrical experiences helped because, even as a child performer, you get used to rejection and learn to handle it. Sending a manuscript is an audition, except you're not there in front of them when they decide whether or not you're hired. I learned to read the rejection letter, sigh, and then send the manuscript off to the next one on my list that same day. Rejection can come at any point in your writing career - I'm in no way immune to it. I find having lots of different ideas out there really helps, because if one thing falls through there are still others keeping your spirits up. What's the coolest thing about being a children's author? Do you get to do any fun research for your books? I love coming up with an idea and then getting the chance to share it with readers all over the world. I also love the research; the coolest was probably getting to mooch about behind the scenes at the caves in Wookey Hole, where the tourists don't usually get to go - and interviewing a cave diver to find out all about cave rescues. It was also really fun to hang out for a while with Mark King, lead singer and legendary bassist in hit 1980s band Level 42, as part of my research for Destination Earth. If you could give one piece of advice to kids who dream of becoming authors, what would that advice be? Read. Read. And read some more. And then write. Write. And write some more. It's not complicated. If you want to be a writer you have to study the form (reading!) and then practise (writing!) until you get better at it. Entering competitions is also useful because, whether or not you win them, you're training yourself to finish work, polish it, send it, and then deal with the feedback; something every writer has to do throughout their career. You do have to be brave about sharing your work with others and that's not easy for everyone - but it's part and parcel of the whole writer thing.  Write with friends. Have a blast! Play with words. Don't be afraid to put your stories out there.

Understanding the Time to Write competition terms and conditions

A breakdown for parents and guardians.

As the parent or guardian of a young person submitting an entry to the Time to Write competition, you will need to agree to some terms and conditions via your child's school. We recommend that you read these in full, but here is a breakdown of the main things you need to know and agree to. Your child’s school will collect your permission and share this with ISEB , so please liaise with your child’s school about this. If you need any help from ISEB, you can submit an enquiry through our customer support portal . Assigning ownership to ISEB When your child writes a story, they are the owner of their piece of work. When they enter the competition, they will need to assign these ownership rights to ISEB . ISEB will then upload the piece of work into the RM Compare platform so that it can be processed as part of the shortlisting process, which will use RM’s cutting-edge Adaptive Comparative Judgement technology to find the top ten entries in each category. By shortlisting in this way, a large group of judges can take part, ensuring a totally fair, transparent, and reliable process. This is what your child’s school will ask you to agree to. What else will ISEB do with these ownership rights? If your child is a winner or runner up in the Time to Write competition, ISEB may publish your child’s entry on our website and social media platforms and any other ISEB-owned platforms. We may also publish your child’s story in third-party press outlets. We will always let parents and guardians know where these stories have been published. We may also use your child’s story in promotional materials for either the Time to Write competition or future ISEB products. By agreeing to the terms and conditions via your child’s school you are giving your permission for us to do these things. If your child wins their category, their story will be turned into an illustrated and bound book. We’ll provide a limited number of printed copies to you and your child’s school. To be able to turn your child’s story into a book, we also need ownership transferred to us. What about data relating to your child? ISEB will need to collect a set of personal data about your child to administer the competition. This includes your child’s name, date of birth, school name, school type, school year, their gender, and the title of their entry. If your child is a winner or runner up, ISEB may use some of this personal data in promoting the results of the competition. We will put pupil safety first and we will not publish more personal information than necessary. By agreeing to the terms and conditions, you are allowing ISEB to become the ‘data controller’ of your child’s personal information and piece of work submitted. What about RM Compare? Once you have assigned ownership of your child’s piece of work to ISEB, ISEB will grant RM Compare the rights to become the data processor. This gives RM Compare the levels of permission required to run the shortlisting process. As the ‘data controller’ ISEB will decide what your child’s data is used for and will comply with data protection law (in England).

• Read the full terms and conditions

Getting started with writing a story - 10 things to think about

Are you ready to embark on an exciting adventure of imagination and creativity? Writing a story is like painting a picture with words, and the best part is that you get to be the artist of your own tale. Here are some things to think about as you get started on your storytelling journey: 1. Imagine your world: Close your eyes and let your imagination soar! What kind of world do you want your story to be in? Is it a land of talking animals, a futuristic city, or a mysterious enchanted forest? Picture it vividly in your mind – the colours, sounds, and even the smells. This is the beginning of your magical creation. 2. Meet your characters: Who will be the heroes of your story? Create characters with personalities as unique as yours. Think about their strengths, weaknesses, and what makes them special. Are they brave adventurers, mischievous fairies, or curious explorers? Your characters are the heart of your story, so make them unforgettable! 3. What's the big idea? Every great story has a big idea, or what we call a plot. It's like the roadmap that guides your characters through exciting adventures and challenges. What amazing quest will your characters go on? Maybe they're searching for hidden treasure, solving a mystery, or saving their magical world. Your big idea is the magic that keeps readers turning the pages. 4. Start with a bang: Begin your story with a burst of excitement! It could be a funny joke, a mysterious riddle, or your characters finding a magical object (like a time machine!). The beginning is your chance to grab your reader's attention and invite them into your enchanting world. 5. Use your senses: Make your story come alive by using your senses. Describe what your characters see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. If they're in a candy kingdom, how does the air smell? What do the rainbow-colored candies taste like? Engaging the senses helps your readers feel like they're right there in your magical world. 6. Add dialogue magic: Let your characters talk and share their feelings. Dialogue is like the magic spell that brings your characters to life. Use quotation marks around what they say and show how they react to different situations. Maybe they laugh, cry, or even do a happy dance! 7. Build suspense: Keep your readers on the edge of their seats by adding suspense. Will your characters solve the mystery? What's behind the hidden door in the enchanted forest? Building suspense makes your story even more thrilling and exciting. 8. End with a bang, too: Just like the beginning, your story's ending should be spectacular! It could be a surprising twist, a heart-warming reunion, or a celebration. Make your readers feel satisfied and happy after going on this magical journey with your characters. 9. Share your magic: Once your story is complete, share it with others! Whether it's your friends, family, or even your pet, sharing your magical tale is a wonderful way to spread joy. You're the author, and your words have the power to enchant everyone who reads them. 10. Have fun! Most importantly, have fun with your storytelling adventure. Writing a story is your chance to let your imagination run wild and create something truly magical. So grab your pen, pencil, or computer, let the words flow, and enjoy every moment of your enchanting journey into the world of storytelling.

FEELING STUCK? HOW TO OVERCOME WRITER’S BLOCK

BY EMMA DRAGE, COMPETITION JUDGE, AND SENIOR COMMISSIONING EDITOR AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

It can be daunting to be faced with a blank piece of paper, and even the best writers can feel stuck at times. Here are some top tips to help you get writing! Free writing Give yourself the challenge of writing for ten minutes without stopping. This is sometimes called free writing. Set a timer and write whatever comes into your head. Try to keep your hand moving the whole time and don’t cross anything out. You don’t need to share this work with anyone – it’s not going to be your final piece of writing, but you might find that some interesting ideas emerge that you can use as a starting point for your story. Free writing can help to increase the flow of ideas. It can also help to stop you overthinking and ruling out ideas before you’ve given them a chance! Create some writing prompts Write a list of five characters on separate slips of paper or pieces of card and put them face down on a table. Then create a list of five different locations on slips of paper or card and lay them out upside down on the table too. Pick out one character and one location at random. Use whatever combination you pick out as a starting point for a story. It’s a great way to come up with unusual combinations, for examples robots in a castle or dinosaurs in a cinema. Take inspiration from your favourite stories Make a list of some of your favourite stories. Think about what it is that you enjoy most about them. For example, if you love reading books about aliens, perhaps you could try writing your own alien story. If you’re writing something you’d love to read yourself, you are going to feel more motivated to start – and finish – it. Imagine untold stories An interesting starting point can be to retell an existing story from a different character’s point of view – or even from the perspective of an inanimate object. Myths, legends, and fairytales can be great sources of inspiration. For example, what if you retold Cinderella from the point of view of the stepmother, or Jack and the Beanstalk from the point of view of the bean? It’s very important never to simply copy existing texts, but lots of great writers have enjoyed great success reimagining or reinterpreting well-known tales from different perspectives. Carry a notebook with you If you’re still struggling to get started or are feeling like you’ve reached a dead end with your story, a change of scene can help. Try going for a walk or doing another activity, keeping a notebook with you. Jot down any ideas that come to you. You could try carrying a notebook with you throughout the day – you might be surprised when inspiration strikes! Some writers also like to keep a notebook by their bed to jot down their dreams when they wake up in the morning to use as inspiration. Remember, starting is often the hardest part and everyone struggles with it from time to time! Try not to put too much pressure on yourself, pick a topic you enjoy, and have fun!

10 ways to cultivate a love of storytelling in your child

Encouraging children to explore the enchanting world of storytelling can be a delightful journey for both parents and children. Cultivating a love for writing not only enhances language skills but also nurtures creativity and self-expression. Here are some magical ways for parents and guardians to spark their children's interest in writing stories: 1. Create a writing wonderland: Designate a cozy writing corner at home. Make it a special place where your child can escape into the world of imagination. The allure of a dedicated writing space can turn the act of writing into a magical adventure. 2. Be a storytelling role model: Share your own stories or even create tales together. When children see their parents engaging in storytelling, it ignites their curiosity and provides a model for expressing thoughts through words. It can be a collaborative experience, with each family member contributing to the unfolding narrative. 3. Start with short and sweet: Begin with short writing activities that are both manageable and fun. Encourage your child to write a brief description of their day, compose a silly poem, or invent a dialogue between fictional characters. Short and sweet exercises help build confidence and lay the foundation for more elaborate storytelling adventures. 4. Turn everyday events into stories: Transform routine activities into story prompts. You could ask your child to narrate their trip to the supermarket, turning it into a whimsical adventure with talking fruits and mischievous shopping carts. This helps them see storytelling opportunities in everyday life, making writing a natural and enjoyable activity. 5. Embrace diverse writing tools: Explore various writing tools to make the process more engaging. From traditional pencils and papers to colourful markers, or even a kid-friendly writing app on a tablet, the choice of tools can add an extra layer of excitement to the writing experience. 6. Inspire with book adventures: Take regular trips to the library or bookshop and let your child explore different genres and styles of books. Share captivating stories that align with their interests, whether it's adventures, mysteries, or tales of magical lands. A love for reading often blossoms into a desire to create stories of their own. 7. Celebrate storytelling traditions: Share family stories and traditions with your child. Whether it's tales from your own childhood, stories passed down through generations, or even cultural folklore, storytelling traditions connect children to their roots and inspire them to create their own narratives. 8. Organise writing challenges: Turn writing into a playful challenge. Set weekly themes or prompts and encourage your child to create short stories around them. It could be anything from 'space adventures' to 'talking animal tales.' This adds an element of excitement and creativity to their writing routine. 9. Create a story journal: Provide your child with a special journal where they can jot down story ideas, doodle characters, or even draft short paragraphs. A story journal serves as a personal space for their thoughts to flourish and can become a treasure trove of inspiration for future writing endeavours. 10. Foster a positive writing environment: Cultivate a positive attitude towards writing. Offer praise for their efforts, celebrate their unique ideas, and create an environment where mistakes are seen as stepping stones to improvement. A nurturing atmosphere boosts confidence and makes writing a joyful exploration. Remember, the key to getting children interested in writing stories is to make it a delightful and imaginative experience. By weaving storytelling into the fabric of everyday life, parents can nurture the budding authors within their children, fostering a lifelong love for the magic of words and storytelling. Check out our Time to Write competition - if your child would like to write a creative time travel story, talk to your school about entering.

Five time travel writers for children

Time travel is a captivating theme in children's literature, transporting young readers to different eras and adventures. There are several notable authors who have created time-traveling narratives that have engaged and inspired the imaginations of countless children. Here are five time travel writers for children that you can discuss in the classroom: 1. Mary Pope Osborne: Renowned for her 'Magic Tree House' series, Mary Pope Osborne has taken young readers on thrilling time-traveling adventures since 1992. The series follows siblings Jack and Annie as they discover a magical treehouse that allows them to travel through time and space. Each book introduces historical events and figures, making learning an integral part of the enchanting tales. Osborne's storytelling has made history accessible and exciting for generations of young readers. 2. Madeleine L'Engle: Madeleine L'Engle's classic 'A Wrinkle in Time' is a timeless work that blends science fiction and fantasy. While not strictly about time travel in the conventional sense, the novel explores the concept of 'tessering,' a form of space-time travel that takes the protagonist, Meg Murry, and her friends to otherworldly realms. L'Engle's imaginative narrative, rich characters, and exploration of cosmic concepts have made 'A Wrinkle in Time' a beloved and influential work in children's literature. 3. Eoin Colfer: Eoin Colfer, known for his Artemis Fowl series, also delved into time travel with 'W.A.R.P.' (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program). The series combines science fiction, historical elements, and fast-paced adventure as young FBI agent Chevie Savano time-travels to Victorian London. Colfer's witty writing and engaging characters make the W.A.R.P. series an entertaining and thought-provoking experience for young readers interested in time travel. 4. Judy Blume: While Judy Blume is widely recognized for her contemporary and realistic fiction, she ventured into time travel with the book 'Here's to You, Rachel Robinson.' In this novel, the protagonist, Rachel, has an encounter with a mysterious old woman that propels her back in time to experience life in the 1960s. Blume's exploration of time travel adds an intriguing layer to her body of work, allowing readers to consider the impact of different eras on the lives of young people. 5. H.G. Wells (Retold by Stephanie Baudet): H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel 'The Time Machine' has been retold for children by Stephanie Baudet in a series titled 'Classic Science Fiction for Kids.' Baudet maintains the essence of Wells' original narrative while adapting it for younger readers. 'The Time Machine' introduces children to the concept of time travel through the adventures of the Time Traveller in a captivating and accessible format. Baudet's retelling allows young readers to explore Wells' timeless masterpiece. These five authors have made significant contributions to children's literature by incorporating time travel into their narratives. From magical treehouses to mysterious wrinkle-filled dimensions, their stories not only entertain but also stimulate curiosity and imagination. Time travel continues to be a compelling theme that opens doors to exploration, discovery, and understanding for young readers across generations. Why not explore some of these authors with your pupils, and see if their stories spark creative ideas for the Time to Write competition!

Four children’s books still popular 120 years later

In 1904, the world of children's literature was undergoing a transformation, marked by the publication of several notable books that have since become classics. The turn of the 20th century saw a shift in the way stories were written for young readers, with authors increasingly focusing on themes of imagination, morality, and adventure. One of the prominent releases of this era was ‘The Tale of Benjamin Bunny’ by Beatrix Potter . Published in 1904, Beatrix Potter's charming tale continued the adventures of Peter Rabbit and introduced readers to Benjamin Bunny, Peter's cousin. Potter's stories were revolutionary in their use of anthropomorphic animals and vivid illustrations, captivating the imaginations of young readers and laying the foundation for future generations of children's literature. Another significant work from 1904 is L. Frank Baum's ‘The Marvelous Land of Oz.’ Building upon the success of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ Baum's sequel continued to transport readers to the magical realm of Oz, introducing new characters such as Tip and Jack Pumpkinhead. Baum's imaginative storytelling and fantastical world-building contributed to the enduring popularity of the Oz series. In the realm of fairy tales, ‘The Tale of Tales’ by Giambattista Basile , originally published in Italy in 1634–36, was translated into English in 1904 by John Edward Taylor . This collection of fairy tales, often referred to as the first comprehensive compilation of European folk tales, provided a rich source of inspiration for later authors and storytellers. While not a traditional children's book, Kenneth Grahame's ‘The Wind in the Willows’ was first published in 1908 but began serialisation in 1904. The charming adventures of Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger in the idyllic English countryside have since become a staple of children's literature. Grahame's work captured the essence of friendship, adventure, and the natural world, resonating with readers of all ages. As the early 1900s unfolded, children's literature continued to evolve, reflecting the cultural shifts and values of the time. These foundational works from 1904 paved the way for the diverse and expansive landscape of children's books we enjoy today. Why not explore these stories in the classroom as your pupils work on their creative writing entries for the Time to Write competition.

How can Scanning pens reader 2 support creative writing?

Five tips on using your Reader 2 from Time to Write competition sponsor, Scanning Pens Ltd. Start with inspirational reading Use your C-Pen to explore a piece of writing from an author that you admire. By using append mode, you can scan as much text as you wish. You can toggle the blue highlighter around the screen and follow as you play back the scanned words. Hold the centre button down to enlarge new words and listen again. You can play back the word, a sentence or the whole paragraph as many times as you wish. Immerse yourself in the inspirational writing that you chose. Analyse the punctuation Now, let's look at the construction of the sentences that you have scanned. You can explore how punctuation creates clarity or impact. The pen has a punctuation pause to help you to see it and understand its purpose. Decoding new vocabulary Did you find new words that you like the sound of? Use the dictionary function to find a quick definition of a new word. Finding word definitions quickly will give you more thinking time. Why not try using these words in your own creative writing! Listening for devices Through your headphones, tune in to patterns in your inspirational reading piece, listen and look for devices like alliteration, rhythm and rhyme. Did you find a repeating element or motif? Could you use these or other devices that you have found in your writing? Find your word bank All the words that you enlarged and looked up can be found in a word bank called practice mode. You can also find the words you looked up in the dictionary history. You have a ready-made word list to use in your creative writing. Now, it's Time to Write! When you are feeling inspired, you are ready to start writing.

Time to Write is kindly sponsored by

A glossary of creative writing terms for your class

Plot: The sequence of events that make up a story, including the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Characterisation: The process of creating and developing characters in a story, including their traits, motivations, and behaviours. Setting: The time and place in which a story takes place, including the physical environment and historical context. Theme: The central idea or message of a story, often exploring universal truths or human experiences. Point of View (POV): The perspective from which a story is told, such as first-person, second-person, or third-person. Dialogue: The conversation between characters in a story, used to reveal their personalities, advance the plot, and provide exposition. Conflict: A problem or challenge that drives the plot forward, often involving a struggle between opposing forces. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about future events in a story, used to create suspense or build anticipation. Symbolism: The use of symbols or objects to represent deeper meanings or themes within a story. Imagery: Vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses, helping to create a mental picture for the reader. Metaphor: A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, often highlighting similarities in a creative or imaginative way. Simile: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as,' often for descriptive or expressive purposes. Irony: A literary device in which there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs, often for humorous or dramatic effect. Tone: The author's attitude or emotional perspective toward the subject matter or audience of a story, conveyed through language and style. Style: The distinctive manner in which a writer uses language, including word choice, sentence structure, and tone, to convey meaning and create an artistic effect. Flashback: A narrative technique that interrupts the chronological sequence of events to depict an earlier scene or event. Fiction: Literary works that are imagined or invented, as opposed to factual or non-fictional writing. Non-Fiction: Literary works that are based on facts, real events, and real people, as opposed to imagined or invented stories. Protagonist: The main character or central figure in a story, often the one who drives the plot forward and undergoes significant development. Antagonist: The character or force that opposes the protagonist, creating conflict and obstacles for them to overcome. We hope these terms are useful as your class dreams up their creative stories for the Time to Write competition.

HOW TO THINK CREATIVELY

By Dr Ellen Spencer, competition judge, and Senior Researcher at the Centre for Real World Learning at the University of Winchester

Taking part in a creative writing competition is an exciting adventure that invites you to stretch your imagination, challenge yourself, and grow your creative thinking habits . Creativity isn't about waiting for inspiration or making things out of thin air. Anyone can be creative , because it involves using thinking habits that are useful whenever you need to think creatively. A story built on the creative habits of being inquisitive , imaginative , persistent , disciplined , and collaborative is like a castle constructed brick by brick with your ideas and effort. While good writing can seem like a magic art, creativity is a process you can use in many situations in life, and it happens like this: first you explore, then you come up with your own ideas, then you produce your work (in this case, a story), then evaluate your efforts and make changes if you need to. Everyone can learn creativity – it’s a skill like any other. Let's look at how can you practise and use your creative habits as you write your story: - Being inquisitive involves wondering and questioning. Imagine your story is a mystery box, and your curiosity is the key. Ask yourself, 'What if?' as you explore different worlds and ideas to find that one spark that lights up your story. Don’t rely on what’s already in your head though. If I wanted to write about wolves, or the ice age, I would look at how other people have written about them. I’d spend time reading all about them. The details you bring to light through being inquisitive will give your story authenticity and authority. - Creative thinking involves being imaginative . But how do you do this? Play with possibilities, let your imagination run wild! Think of the most extraordinary places, characters, and events. What might your story look like if it were science fiction? How would it be different if it involved magic? These imaginative leaps make your story truly unique. - Now to turn these imaginative thoughts into a coherent story. Thinking about what happens next, and how your ideas fit together, isn't always easy. Remember, every author faces these challenges. Being persistent involves sticking with difficulty. If you get stuck, take a deep breath, and try again. Maybe you need to re-think a character, or even change something drastic. Don’t give up though, because your persistence will help your story grow from the seed of an idea, into a towering tree you’re proud of. - How can you polish the story and make it shine? Thinking creatively involves being disciplined . For a writer this means choosing your words carefully, reading through to check all your characters are convincing, and that your story doesn’t have an overly detailed beginning, rushed middle and loose ends! Taking the time to review and improve it will make your story the best it can be. - Lastly, nobody is creative all by themselves. Being a creative thinker involves being collaborative . Share your story ideas with friends, family, or even your pet! Talking about your story can spark new ideas and help you see your story from different perspectives, making it better and more engaging.

Creative Habits of Mind (image: CCE. Framework developed at the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester)

Use these five habits to guide you, but run with your ideas. Every writer's 'voice' is unique , just like every zebra's stripe pattern is one-of-a-kind. To be human is to be creative, and your creativity has no limits, so go ahead and write the story that only you can tell!

8 Best Essay Writing Competitions for High School Students in 2024

I recall a time during high school when I was tasked with writing an essay for my English class on “The significance of old age and death” in Shakespeare’s King Lear. While this topic may have intrigued some, it didn’t particularly captivate me. I approached the assignment with less enthusiasm, going through the motions. However, my perspective shifted when I discovered high school essay competitions that allowed me to choose my topic within a specified theme. 

As a budding economics nerd, i decided to explore the “impact of hyperinflation on the working class” in one of the competitions. although i didn’t receive any awards, the experience left me with a sense of pride, and the skills i gained continue to benefit me in college. , writing essays can seem daunting, especially when the topic fails to ignite one’s passion. however, high school students are fortunate to have numerous opportunities to explore both creative and academic writing. these platforms offer students the freedom to delve into diverse topics, from economics and law to justice, philosophy, climate change, and beyond. , renowned institutions worldwide host essay competitions tailored for students, providing them with a platform to showcase their intellect and creativity. below is a carefully curated list of competitions that might catch the eye of admission officers at your dream college:, our recommended list of high school essay writing competitions in 2024., grc social impact essay competition 2024, cambridge re:think essay competition 2024 , john locke institute 2024 global essay competition, harvard international review academic writing contest, columbia political review high school essay.

Columbia Undergrad Law Review High School Essay Contest 

The Aristotle Contest 2024 

The Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition 2025

Deadline: December 15th, 2024

Eligibility: all high school students worldwide, prize: top five authors win an exclusive internship with one of grc's university branches at harvard, wharton, columbia, and other renowned schools), supporting a consulting team with a client project from february to may 2025. additionally, top 6-10 winners will receive academic guidance and support from an ivy league mentor through at least three coaching sessions and have their work published by the grc think tank on grc’s insights platform., grc is a global student-run consulting firm consisting of over 1,000+ members who advise the world’s largest ngos, governments, charities, and startups. as an international 501(c)(3) non-profit, grc operates branches at 20 top universities worldwide, including harvard, upenn, imperial college, and columbia. , every year, grc hosts an essay competition for high school students from across the globe to propose solutions for good. this year’s prompt challenges participants to craft an argumentative piece addressing a pressing global issue and proposing a compelling solution. topics include technology for good, global health, sustainable development & climate change, innovations in the public sector, modern solutions to human rights issues, and the role of education in promoting gender equality & social mobility., deadline: may 10th, 2024, eligibility: high school students aged 14 to 18 years from around the world. , prizes: cash awards (up to $150), ccir academy scholarship, an invitation for a featured interview on the ccir podcast and website, and an invitation to the award ceremony and dinner at the university of cambridge (free of charge)., the cambridge centre for international research (ccir) was established by a group of cambridge graduates with a clear understanding and vision of the transformative power of knowledge for society. ​their mission is to connect leading researchers and scholars from top academic institutions with the broader public, increasing social access to these transformative resources., organized by ccir, the re:think essay competition encourages critical thinking and exploration of a wide range of thought-provoking and controversial topics. the competition promotes intellectual exploration and challenges established norms and beliefs while offering opportunities for envisioning alternative futures. societal issues for discussion include nine topics: religion and politics, political science and law, linguistics, environment, sociology and philosophy, business and investment, public health and sustainability, genetics, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and neuroengineering. , the competition is guided and judged by an advisory committee comprising academics and experts from elite universities worldwide, including harvard, cambridge, oxford, and mit. , deadline: may 31st, 2024, eligibility: high school students from any country., prize: scholarship worth up to $20k and invitation to dinner and prize-giving ceremony in london, uk., the john locke institute is an independent educational organization that works to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and intellectually adventurous., the john locke global essay prize, hosted by the institute, is a prestigious competition that fosters the characteristics that transform good students into exceptional writers. this competition promotes independent thinking, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis, and persuasive writing style, nurturing growth and honing argumentative skills. the essay spans seven subject categories: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology and law. , the judging panel comprises senior academics from renowned universities, including oxford and princeton. , deadline: may 31, 2024, eligibility: grade 9-12 students residing in the us or internationally, prize: certificate and recognition on the website, the harvard international review bridges the worlds of academia and policy through outstanding writing and editorial selection. the review has featured exclusive interviews and editorials by 43 presidents and prime ministers, 4 secretaries-general, 4 nobel economics prize laureates, and 7 nobel peace prize laureates., the harvard international review academic writing contest, initiated in 2020, aims to promote and highlight exceptional high school writing on topics about international affairs, grounded in analytically-backed perspectives. , the competition is organized by season, and for the upcoming spring 2024 edition, participants can choose between two distinct themes: “inequalities in a vuca world” and “global challenges and collective actions”., entries should explore the specified themes from a global standpoint rather than focusing solely on us politics. potential topics include agriculture, business, cybersecurity, defense, education, employment & immigration, energy & environment, finance & economy, public health, science & technology, space, trade, and transportation, deadline: june 1st, 2024, founded in 2001, the columbia political review (cpr) is columbia university’s premier undergraduate publication for multi partisan political discourse. its mission is to provide an open forum for political thought on issues of local to global significance. , the mission of cpr is to cultivate the next generation of politically engaged writers. in doing so, they host an annual high school essay contest, inaugurated in 2017. through this initiative, cpr seeks to amplify the voices of talented high school students amid global challenges such as pandemic, conflicts, and uncertainty, offering a platform for innovative and creative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues., the essay prompt for this year’s contest encourages students to delve into the political landscape of one of the 64 countries expected to hold a national election. participants are tasked with researching and writing about the most critical issue at stake in the chosen country’s election., columbia undergrad law review high school essay contest  , deadline: june 21st, 2024, eligibility: high school students, below grade 12 level, internationally ., prize: the winning essay will be published on the culr website, and winners will be invited to a speaker event hosted by culr., the columbia undergraduate law review (culr) was founded to provide the columbia university community and the public with a platform for discussing law-related ideas and publishing undergraduate legal scholarship. many undergraduates and non-law students find legal issues unapproachable or complex. the culr’s mission is to create a space where students can engage in debate and discourse about the law, supported by scholarly research. , the culr is launching the 2024 high school essay content, focusing on the principle of “freedom of speech '' enshrined in the first amendment of the us constitution and its application on social media platforms. the prompt challenges participants to consider the balance between protecting against harmful ideas, combating misinformation, and upholding the principle of free speech. specifically, participants are asked to discuss whether removing harmful ideas is a viable strategy to combat misinformation and societal harm, such as covid-19 medical misinformation or hate speech while considering the value of free speech. additionally, participants must reference at least one court case or legal document in their essays., deadline: june 24th, 2024, eligibility: canadian high school students at or below the grade 12 level., prizes: cash awards up to $500., the university of toronto department of philosophy, in collaboration with the ontario philosophy teachers’ association, presents the annual aristotle contest. this contest aims to recognize and evaluate the best philosophical work by current canadian high school students. it offers students interested in philosophy a chance to have their work reviewed and acknowledged by the largest post-secondary department of philosophy in north america., participants are invited to submit their finest philosophical work on one of three main topics: the potential of artificial intelligence to produce art of aesthetic value, the significance of human free will, and the morality of pet ownership., the harvard crimson global essay competition  2025, deadline: january 2025 (pre-registration has commenced), eligibility: high school students, below grade 12 level, internationally., prize: exclusive internships with the harvard crimson, published work on the official hcgec website, crimson credit with crimson education to help reach individual goals and generous cash prizes., the harvard crimson, the nation's oldest continuously published daily college newspaper, was founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. the crimson has a rich tradition of journalistic integrity and counts among its ranks of editorship some of america's greatest journalists. more than 40 crimson alumni have won the pulitzer prize; many of their portraits line the walls of the crimson., the harvard crimson global essay competition (hcgec) serves as a platform for ambitious high school students aged 13 to 18 worldwide, cultivating their passion for writing and encouraging the expression of ideas through creative, argumentative, and journalistic forms.  , the competition comprises two key rounds: regional qualifiers across five regions, followed by the global finals. to advance to the global round, participants must secure a position in the top 15 of their respective regional qualifiers. , while the 2024 competition has concluded, pre-registration for the 2025 edition is now open..

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225 Fun & Free Creative Writing Prompts for Kids in All Grade Levels

Written by Maria Kampen

Prodigy English is here! Get your students playing — and learning — today.

• Teacher Resources
• Elementary school writing prompts

Middle school writing prompts

High school writing prompts.

• Social emotional learning jounal prompts
• Math writing prompts

Writing prompts are meant to unlock creativity. They’re story starters designed to inspire creative thinking. They can take you to places you’ve been or recall an important time in your life. 

But mostly, they’re useful tools for teachers to inspire writing growth in students from grade school to high school.

“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”

It’s amazing how one simple sentence can send you on a journey to places you’ve never been, filled with untold possibilities. 

Reading is great, but you know what’s even better? Giving your students the power to write stories for themselves. 

Writing prompts for kids help students:

• Express themselves and their creativity
• Grasp lifelong literacy skills and concepts
• Tell their own stories and build self-confidence
• Develop a growth mindset when it comes to their writing skills

Writing is like a muscle — it takes practice to build up skills. Luckily, we put together a list of over 200 writing prompts to help your students get started. We’ve also organized them by middle school, high school and elementary school to help teachers decide whether these prompts are age-appropriate for their students.

Grade school writing prompts

Grade schoolers can definitely begin to address complex ideas when it comes to story writing — but you should seek to keep the prompts simple and straightforward. 

Reluctant writers might be intimidated by complicated writing ideas — and this is an age where we should be encouraging creativity.

Creative writing prompts for elementary schoolers

Whether it’s exploring the furthest reaches of outer space, traveling across the Sahara desert or sticking a little closer to home, these creative writing prompts will have students imagining endless possibilities for their writing.

• Write about what your life would be like if you turned into a squirrel. What would you do every day?
• A strange spaceship just crashed and landed in your backyard. What happens next?
• Make up a story about where thunder comes from.
• You find an old notebook hidden in an attic. What does it say? Who did it belong to?
• You have a magic garden. What magical plants do you grow? How do you take care of them?
• Write a story about running away with the circus when it comes to town.
• Rewrite “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from the perspective of one of the dwarfs (Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy and Bashful).
• There once was a little boy who ate nothing but oranges. What happened to him?
• Write a story about a magical hat. Where is it from? What does it do? What does it look like?
• You’re exploring the rainforest and come across a flower that no one’s ever seen before. Describe it!
• Tell me a story about a dinosaur living a long, long time ago.
• Tell me a story about an astronaut visiting another planet. Where are they going? How do they get there? What do they take with them?
• You discover a magic portal in the park. Where does it lead to?
• Pick a partner and write a story together! Start by writing the first sentence, then pass it to your partner to write the second sentence.
• You find buried treasure in the park, hidden in a big wooden chest. What kind of treasure is it? Who left it there?
• Write a story about a family that can travel in time. 
• Write a story without using the letter “E”.
• Write the funniest story you can think of. 
• There’s a kangaroo in your classroom. How did it get there? What happens when you find it?
• Write a story about an explorer who keeps getting lost. Where are they trying to go? What do they find along the way?
• Write a story about a wooden door, a can of soda and a blue shoe.
• If there was a magical portal in the back of your closet, where would it lead to? 
• Finish this story: There was a knock on the door. I opened it to find a dog sitting there, and…
• You come home and find that everything in your house is upside down. What happened?
• Describe the color “red” without using the word “red”.
• There’s an old, abandoned house at the end of your street that’s been empty for years. One day, someone moves in.
• Rewrite the story of Cinderella from the perspective of the stepsisters.  
• Write a backstory for Ed, the orange Prodigy mascot. 
• You wake up one morning and find a mermaid in your bathtub. How did they get there? What do you do?
• Write a story about a monster looking for some friends. 
• Oh no — your balloon blew away! Write about what happens from the balloon’s perspective. 
• You and your friends are out for a walk when, out of nowhere, your friends start disappearing! What’s going on?
• Once upon a time, an old inventor built a weather machine. It sat undiscovered for years — until you found it. What happens next?
• You just ate a cookie that turned you 15 feet tall. What do you do next?

Fun writing prompts for grade schoolers

Everyday life is full of great inspiration for writing! Get students thinking with these easy and fun writing prompts.Write about something you are good at. 

• If you could write a book about anything, what would you write about?
• If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
• Do you have a favorite animal? Tell me all about it! Why do you like it?
• What would you do if you woke up one morning and everything was pink — including you?
• What food can you not live without? Why?
• If you could add any class to your school schedule, what would it be?
• Invent a new day of the week. What is it called? When is it? What do people usually do on that day of the week?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? 
• If you could spend a Saturday doing anything you wanted, what adventures would you get up to?
• If you could have any wild animal as a pet, what would you choose? Why?
• What's your favorite, wacky food?
• Where is your favorite place to read? Why?
• What was the coolest day of school for you? What made it exciting?
• Which of your toys do you wish could talk? What would they say?
• If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it look like?
• Invent a machine to do a chore for you. What does the machine do? What does it look like?
• What's your favorite season? What makes it the best?
• What is your favorite math game and why?
• Describe your real-life superpower.
• Finish the story: When I'm older I want to be an expert in…
• If pets could talk to each other, what would they say?
• If you were the captain of a ship, what would you call your ship? What would it look like? Where would you go?
• If your pet could talk to you, what do you think it would say?
• If you were the only person on earth for one day, what would you do?
• Plan the perfect birthday party for yourself. 
• What is your favorite thing to do over summer break?
• Describe your ideal birthday cake. 
• If you could add any type of room to your house, what would it be?
• What’s your favorite movie and why?

Persuasive writing prompts for elementary school

Are your students’ opinions up for debate? Ask them to flex their critical thinking skills with these persuasive writing prompts. Once they’re done, get class discussion flowing with a spirited debate!

• Write a letter convincing your parents to let you get a pet dog. What arguments do you use to persuade them?
• Convince your teacher that you should be allowed an extra 15 minutes of recess.
• Convince your best friend to read your favorite book.
• How would you convince someone to do your chores for you?
• Write a commercial for your favorite breakfast food. What would convince someone else to try it?
• What flavor of chips is the best? Why?
• What would make a better pet — a monkey or a peacock?
• Do you think children should be allowed to stay up as late as they want?
• What’s your favorite holiday and why should it be everyone’s favorite? 
• Convince us that your favorite food should be a staple in everyone’s diet.

As students enter middle school, they’re starting to feel like bigger, older kids. They can start writing original short stories and abstract persuasive essays. 

It’s best to inspire creativity at this age and encourage them to explore their own voice and different writing styles. These prompts will definitely go a long way in inspiring that.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

• Invent a new type of transportation for the future. Who uses it? Where does it go?
• If you had a time machine, where would you visit first — the past or the future? Why?
• You get on the bus and find a four-piece jazz band giving a concert. What do you do?
• Design and name your own Prodigy pet . What element are they? What’s their special power?
• Finish this story: “Something just touched my foot,” they shouted, swimming frantically towards the shore. 
• Write a silly or scary story to tell around a campfire. 
• Finish this story: Everything was going so well today — until I tripped and fell, right in front of…
• Throughout your adventures as a pirate on the high seas, you’ve seen lots of strange and magical creatures. Which one was the most interesting?
• Deep in the heart of a dark and mysterious cave, there lies a magic stone. Write about your quest to find it. 
• Write an acrostic poem using the word “strawberry.”
• There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She knit and she baked, but what else did she do?
• Finish this story: “One thing I’ll never do again,” she said, “Is go on vacation with an alpaca.”
• Make up a new planet and describe it. 
• Write a story about a family of penguins living on an iceberg.
• Write a story about a girl who can walk through walls. 
• You’ve been invited to a ball at the Queen’s palace! What is it like?
• Imagine you’re exploring the Amazon jungle. Write a diary entry about your day.
• If you could invent a TV show, what would it be about?
• You discovered an underwater kingdom! What is it like there?
• A lonely trumpet player makes friends with the dancer who lives next door. What happens next?
• You go to the park to fly a kite, but get carried away by the wind! What happens next?
• Write a story about a volcano that’s about to erupt.
• Write a story about visiting an old lady who lives deep in the woods.
• Boom, you’re a superhero! Give yourself an origin story, describe your superpowers and plan what you’ll do to make the world a better place. 
• Write a story using these six words: calendar, headphones, lipstick, mug, bear.
• You wake up to find you’re invisible. How did it happen? What do you do?
• There’s been a robbery at the bank, and you’re in charge of finding the culprit. How do you solve the case?
• Finish the story: Once upon a time, there was a dragon...
• You just joined a super-secret spy organization. What’s your first mission?
• Write a story about being cold without using the word “cold.”
• You’re a scientist and you’ve just discovered a new type of bug. Describe what it looks like, where it’s from and what you’re going to call it. 
• Imagine a world where all the birds can talk. What would they say?
• Write about what happens after the end of your favorite book or movie.
• Finish the story: She sprinted down the driveway to the mailbox. The package was here!
• You’re on a hike and a bird starts talking to you. What do you do? What does it say?
• Write a story using these five words: bubblegum, stapler, spoon, lightbulb, strawberry.
• You ate a magical carrot and your skin turned orange! What happens next?
• Write about what it would be like if you had an elephant for a pet.

Fun Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

• If you were in charge of the classroom for a day, what would your class do?
• Tell me about the last dream you had.
• You’re trapped on a desert island. What three things did you bring with you and why?
• What mythical creature would you like to have as a pet? Why?
• Invent a new type of pasta. What does it look like? What does it taste like?
• If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Make a plan and tell the story of your dream vacation.
• Plan the perfect picnic. Where would it be? What food would you have?
• If you could decorate your bedroom any way you wanted, what would it look like?
• Write a story that sounds loud, using onomatopoeia (words that sound like their meaning, like crash, snort, bang and boom.)
• Invent a new type of cookie. What does it taste like?
• Invent a new sport. What is it called? What are the rules?
• How would you disguise yourself to blend in with a forest?
• You just won a special award from the president. What did you do to earn that award?
• Do you collect anything? What is it and why? If not, what would you like to collect?
• You just found a genie in a bottle. What three things would you wish for? (Remember, no wishing for extra wishes!
• Explain how to play your favorite sport or do your favorite hobby. Make it as exciting as possible!
• Describe the most beautiful sunrise or sunset you’ve ever seen.
• If you could live in any book or movie, which one would you choose and why?
• Imagine that you’re going on a camping trip. What do you pack to make sure the trip is fun?
• If you could invent a robot to do any chore, what chore would it be? How would the robot do it?
• Would you rather it was always raining, or always snowing?
• Imagine you’re a toy inventor. What will you create?
• Would you rather climb to the top of a mountain or go scuba diving?
• Interview a family member about their childhood, then write it as a story.
• What was your favorite toy growing up — why was it so special to you?

Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School

• If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be and why?
• Is it better to read the book before you watch the movie, or watch the movie before you read the book?
• Persuade someone to try out your favorite hobby or sport.
• What’s the best way to try and persuade a friend to do what you want to do?
• When is peer pressure good? When is peer pressure bad?
• Is it better to have lots of friends, or just a few really good friends?
• Should students be in charge of what they learn in school?

High school students can either be tasked with more complex writing prompts or breathe nuance into simple story ideas. Students can drive these prompts in a million different ways.

So while not necessarily more complicated than middle school, these prompts can be tweaked, either by the student or teacher, to encourage thought-provoking output.

Creative Writing Prompts for High Schoolers

• Write a story about someone your age who lives on the other side of the world. 
• Pick up the nearest book and turn to page 7. Close your eyes and point to a random word on the page, then write a story about that word.
• Write a story in ten words or less.
• You fell asleep for 100 years. What does the world look like when you wake up?
• Finish the story: “This isn’t what I hoped would happen,” she said….
• You’re walking down the street when you see someone who looks exactly like you.
• Write a story where the main character learns something new about themselves.
• Write a story that takes place in the desert. 
• Write a story about a day where everything seems to go wrong. 
• Write a poem about the color blue.
• How would your life be different if you didn’t have access to a computer, video games or your phone?

Fun writing prompts for high schoolers

• You win a million dollars, but there’s a catch — you have to spend it all in 24 hours, or you lose all the money. What do you do?
• Write about something you or your family does from the perspective of someone from another country.
• If you could make up a new holiday, when would it be and what would it celebrate?
• Go out on a nature walk and find a tree. Write the story of that tree, from the time it was a seed until now.
• What’s the most boring superpower you can think of? How would it be useful?
• If you could pass any law, what would it be?
• You meet yourself in the future, as a grown-up at age 35 — what do you talk about? 
• If you had to show aliens the most important/best things in the world, what would you show them?
• Who is your hero and why?
• Write about the best surprise you ever got. 
• What are three good things you can do for the environment? How can you encourage the people around you to do good things for the environment?
• What is your earliest memory? Write down as many details as you can remember.
• If you could take two people – real or fictional – on a cross-country road trip, who would you take? Where would you go?
• If you could have any job in the world tomorrow, what would you do?
• What is the best thing about living in your city or neighbourhood?
• Write a letter to your 30-year-old self. What do you think you’ll accomplish by then?
• Teach me how to make your favorite recipe.
• Describe the sound of your favorite song using descriptive words.

Persuasive writing prompts for high school

• Should kids be allowed to use social media unsupervised? Why or why not?
• Persuade someone to start a healthy habit, or get rid of a bad one.
• Should all single-use plastics be outlawed? Why or why not?
• Should our school have a dress code? Why or why not?
• Is it more important to be right or to not hurt someone else’s feelings?
• What important historical figure do you think belongs on the ten-dollar bill?
• Do you think you’re born with your personality traits, or do you gain them as you grow up?
• Should mobile apps be responsible for protecting your privacy — why or why not?

Social emotional learning journal prompts

School is about more than just books and quizzes — it’s about preparing students for the rest of their lives. Social emotional learning teaches them how to build good relationships with peers, understand and control their emotions and make healthy life decisions.

Journaling is a great way for students to reflect on their feelings in a safe, private space. Use these journaling prompts as thought starters for more social emotional learning!

Check out our list of the 25 best social emotional learning activities for students here. 

• Tell me about a tradition you have with your family or friends. 
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
• Have you ever found something that you lost? How did you feel when you found it?
• What is something you haven’t learned this school year that you’re still wondering about?
• What do you do when you’re angry? Write about three ways you calm yourself down.
• Where do you feel the safest? Why do you feel safe there?
• Write a poem to make a friend happy.
• When was the last time you were kind to someone? How can you be kind to someone today?
• How are you feeling today? Are you happy, sad, excited or anxious?
• If you could give your best friend a present, what would it be?
• What are the qualities you look for in a friend? Why is it important to be a good friend?
• What does responsibility mean to you?
• Who do you talk to when you’re worried about something? How do they make you feel better?
• If you could make a card for anyone in your life, who would it be for and what would it say?
• What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
• Write about a time you had to make a hard decision. How did you make your decision?
• What do you do to make yourself happy when you’re sad?
• Write about a time you were disappointed. 
• What are three things that make your best friend awesome?
• What do you think empathy means? Why is it important?
• How can you cheer up a friend who is sad?
• What makes you a good friend? How can you be a better friend?
• What’s the best piece of advice a friend, parent or teacher has ever given you?
• Write three goals for the rest of the school year. How are you going to accomplish them?
• What does responsibility mean to you? What are you responsible for at school and at home?
• What person in your life makes you feel confident?
• What scares you? How can you overcome your fears?
• Tell me about a time when you tried something new. How did it feel? Did you do it again?

Math writing prompts for kids

Whether it’s tackling word problems or explaining a new concept, writing is a surprisingly good tool for the math classroom. 

A math journal can help you understand what students already know, while giving them space to work through tricky concepts on their own. Use these writing prompts to promote literacy in every subject — and help students avoid math anxiety .

• Tell me everything you know about ________.
• Explain, in words, how to solve this problem.
• What is and isn’t true about this situation?
• What is _______?
• Explain two different ways to solve this problem. Which one is better?
• What did you get correct in this problem?
• What mistakes did you make while solving this problem?
• What do you not understand about _____?
• Write a word problem using the concept we’re learning about. 
• What did you learn today?
• How do you use math in your everyday life?
• What is the easiest/hardest part of math class?
• What discoveries did you make in math class today?

Final thoughts on writing prompts for kids

Writing prompts aren’t the end of the story — they’re just the beginning. Encourage your students to build a regular writing practice, and soon you’ll see the benefits in every class. 

Where will your students’ imaginations take them?

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ThinkWritten

300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

Are you a parent or teacher? Here are 300 fun and creative writing prompts for kids to spark the imagination of young writers everywhere. Use these kids writing ideas as journaling prompts, story starters or just for fun!

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It’s never too early to start writing, and so we’ve created this fun list of 300 creative kids writing prompts for teacher and parents to use.

You’ll love these fun ideas for kids writing prompts to use as creative sparks to get young imaginations writing in no time!

These are perfect to use as kids journal writing prompts, as short story writing prompts, or just for exercises to help students and children of all ages tap into their creativity. Maybe your kids will write an essay, maybe a poem, or maybe even a whole book!

Whether you are a teacher or parent looking to inspire your kids to write, or maybe even an adult who would like to practice writing with a more playful and young-hearted approach, I hope you find these creative writing prompts inspiring!

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

The Ultimate List of 300 Fun & Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1. Imagine a giant box is delivered to your front doorstep with your name on it. What’s inside and what happens when you open it?

#2. Write a short story about what it might be like if you woke up one morning with a mermaid tail.

#3. Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better.

#4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet.

#5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why?

#6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo

#7. What do you want be when you grow up and why?

#8. Who is your favorite person on the planet? What do you like most about that person?

#9. If you could have any secret super power, what would you want it to be and why?

#10. Write about 3 places you would like to travel someday. What do these three places have in common?

#11. Write about a time you felt really happy. What happened? What made you feel happy?

#12. Imagine what would happen if someone shrunk you down to be only 1″ tall. How would your life change?

#13. If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you do to make the world a happier place?

#14. Write a story about what it would be like to climb to the very top of the highest mountain in the world.

#15. If you were in charge of planning the school lunch menu, what foods would you serve each day?

#16. What are some of your favorite animals? What do you like about them?

#17. Imagine that dogs take over the world. What do they make the humans do?

#18. Write a story about flying to outer space and discovering a new planet.

#19. You are a mad scientist and have invented a new vegetable. What is it called? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Most importantly: Is it safe to eat?

#20. You go to school one morning to discover your best friend has been turned into a frog by an evil witch! How do you help your friend?

#21. Describe what it is like when trees lose all of their leaves in the autumn season.

#22. Write about your favorite sport and why you like it so much.

#23. Imagine what it might be like to live on a boat all the time and write about it.

#24. If you had one wish, what would it be?

#25. Write about what you might do if you have the super power to become invisible.

#26. You are walking through the forest when one of the trees starts talking to you. What does it say? What do you do?

#27. The weather forecast is calling for a blizzard in the middle of the summer. What do you do?

#28. What types of transportation will people have in the future?

#29. What were some of your favorite toys when you very little? Do you still enjoy playing with them?

#30. What would a day in your life be like if you were a movie star?

#31. Imagine you’ve invented a time machine! What year do you travel to?

#32. What are your favorite things to do over summer vacation?

#33. What is your favorite holiday and why?

#34. If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be?

#35. You are writing a travel guide for kids visiting your city. What places do you think they should visit?

#36. What is a food you hate? Write about it!

#37. Imagine what it would be like if there was no electricity. What would be different in your daily routine?

#38. You are building a new city! What types of things do you think your city needs? How will you convince people to move to your new city?

#39. What is your favorite movie? Write your review of the movie and why you think people should watch it.

#40. Imagine you get a magic sweater for your birthday. What happens when you wear the sweater? What do you do with these new found magical powers?

#41. You are the security guard at the zoo and someone has stolen a rhinoceros! How do you track down the thief?

#42. You have been invited to have lunch with the queen. What foods do you eat and what topics do you and the queen discuss?

#43. If you could design a school uniform, what types of clothes would you suggest? What colors would they be?

#44. Imagine you are a reporter interviewing a celebrity about their life. What questions do you ask?

#45. You are running a lemonade stand. Describe the steps for how you make lemonade and the types of customers you see during the day.

#46. Write a story about being the ruler of an underwater world.

#47. Write an acrostic poem for the word “treehouse”.

#48. You decide to grow a sunflower, but the sunflower grows so tall it reaches up to the sky! Write about what happens when you decide to climb to the top. What do you discover?

#49. Imagine you look out the window and it is raining popsicles from the sky! Write a story about the experience.

#50. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?

#51. If you were on a spaceship, what would you be most excited about seeing?

#52. Do you have any pets at home? Write an essay about how you take care of your pets. If you do not have a pet, what type of pet might you like?

#53. Imagine you are opening a store that only sells items which are blue. What types of items do you sell?

#54. Have you ever lost something that is important to you? Were you able to find it?

#55. Write a story about a kid who is moving to a new school. How do you think they might feel?

#56. Rewrite the ending of your favorite fairy tale. For example, what would have happened if Cinderella never went to the ball?

#57. Have you ever forgotten to do your homework? What happened?

#58. Do you have a favorite song? Write about the type of music you like to listen to.

#59. Imagine your parents wake you up one morning to tell you they will take you to do anything you want to do for the whole day – you don’t even have to go to school or do your chores. What would you choose to do and why?

#60. Do you like amusement parks? What are some of your favorite rides?

#61. Write a story using these three words: detective, piano, and pizza.

#62. Have you ever been to the beach? Write about your favorite things to do. If you have never been to the beach, what would you like to do the first time you visit?

#63. Is there a favorite tv show you like to watch? Write about your favorite character and why they are your favorite.

#64. Write a poem using onomatopoeia , where the words you use are pronounced similar to the sound they make. For example, buzz, bark, sizzle, slam and pop.

#65. Have you ever had to stand in line to wait a long time for something? What did you do while you waited? How did you feel while waiting? How did you feel once the wait was over?

#66. Is it a good idea to keep ALL secrets a secret? Write about examples of when it is okay to spill a secret – and when it isn’t.

#67. Is there something you are good at doing? Write about your best strengths.

#68. What historical time period and location would you go back to live in if you could? Write about it!

#69. Write about 5 things you can do that are important for you to stay healthy and safe.

#70. Do you think thunderstorms are scary? Why or why not?

#71. What would you most like to learn over the next year? Think about things that interest you or questions you might have about the world and make a list!

#72. You are going on a trip to a jungle safari! What items do you pack in your suitcase?

#73. Imagine you are sitting at home one day and you hear someone shrieking in the living room they see a mouse in the house! Write a story about what might happen next.

#74. You are writing a letter to someone who is having a hard time making new friends at school. What do you write? What advice do you give them?

#75. Imagine you just met a magician – but their beloved rabbit who they pull out of a hat for all the tricks has been kidnapped! How do you help find the rabbit?

#76. Do you hear what I hear? Set a timer for 5 minutes and write about all of the sounds you hear in those 5 minutes.

#77. Imagine you go to get a haircut and they accidentally shave your head! How do you feel about that and what would you do?

#78. Do you find it easy to talk to people you don’t know? What are some ways you can start up a conversation with someone you have never met before?

#79. Are there any chores you have to do at home? What are they? What do you like – and not like – about each one?

#80. Open up a random book to any page. Write for 5 minutes about the first word you read.

#81. Pretend you are a writer for your city’s newspaper. Who would you like to interview for a news story and why?

#82. There are many fictional characters who live in unusual houses, such as the old woman who lived in a shoe. What kind of unusual house would you like to live in? Write about what it would be like to live in an unusual house!

#83. Write a list of 10 things you can do to practice kindness to others.

#84. Is there a homework subject you dread? Why do you not like getting homework in that subject?

#85. What is your favorite month of the year? Write about why you like it and some of your favorite things to do during that month.

#86. Imagine you are planning a surprise birthday party for someone. How do you keep it a surprise?

#87. Pretend you walked outside to find a sleeping dragon in the grass! Why is the dragon there? Is it a friendly dragon? What do you do? Write about it!

#88. What are you grateful for today and why?

#89. You were on your way to a very important event when you fell into a puddle. Now what?

#90. Have you ever watched a movie and didn’t like how it ended? Write what you think should happen instead.

#91. Can you answer this riddle from Alice in Wonderland ? How is a raven like a writing desk?

#92. Imagine you are the captain of a pirate ship. Write a diary entry for what your day was like.

#93. If you could start any type of business, what kind of business would you start? What types of products or services would you provide?

#94. Write a sequel to one of your favorite fairy tales. For example, what was Goldilocks’s next adventure after she left the bears?

#95. What is something you are afraid of? What helps you to feel less afraid of something? What would you say to a friend who feels scared to help them feel less afraid?

#96. Write a letter to your future self in 20 years.

#97. In addition to basic survival needs such as food, water, air and shelter, what are 3 things you would you need to be happy?

#98. If you could invent a robot of any type who could do anything you imagine, what types of things would you would have the robot to do?

#99. Which do like better? Apples or Oranges? How are they alike? How are they different?

#100. Why did the chicken cross the road? You are a detective and are assigned to the case. How do solve the mystery?

#101. Write instructions for how to make your favorite snack. Be sure you add your favorite tips and suggestions for how to select the best ingredients!

#102. Imagine you borrowed a friend’s favorite lucky pencil to help you pass a math test – but then it snapped in half! How will you ever tell the news to your friend?

#103. Look around the current room you are sitting in and choose 3 random objects that are nearby. Now write a story or poem that includes those three items!

#104. Write a letter to the author of a book you recently read and tell them what you liked most about the book.

#105. Ernest Hemingway is famous for writing a six word story. Can you write a story in just 6 words?

#106. What do you think will be the future for cell phones? Will people still use them in 25 years or will something else take its place?

#107. Do you want to go to college? Why or why not?

#108. Write a story or poem about a kitten who wanders off and gets lost. How does the kitten find its way home?

#109. Currently, it is required by law that kids go to school. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?

#110. If you could invent a new board game, what would it be called? How is it played? What are the rules? What makes it fun to play? Write about it!

#111. Imagine you come home to discover your entire bedroom is covered in ketchup! What on earth happened? What is your reaction? How do you clean everything up?

#112. What is something you learned today?

#113. Would you rather have a goldfish or shark as a pet?

#114. From A-Z: make a list of something for every letter of the alphabet.

#115. Have you ever gone fishing? If you have, did you like it? Why or why not? If you haven’t, do you think you might want to?

#116. What is one of the most important things you do each and every day?

#117. Write a story about Gretchen the Grouch, a girl who is always angry! Will she ever be happy? Why is she so grumpy all of the time?

#118. How do you feel when someone takes something of yours without asking? What is a good way to deal with it when that happens?

#119. Write a poem that starts with the word “if”.

#120. Write a story about a family of rabbits who live in the woods. What are some of the challenges they face?

#121. What clothes do you think are the most comfortable? What kind of clothes do you like to wear the most? What clothes do you NOT like to wear?

#122. Imagine there are no grocery stores and you must get your own food. What are some of the ways you find food? What types of things do you eat?

#123. What are 3 things you can do that are good for the environment?

#124. If you could meet any famous person today, who would you want to meet and why? What questions might you ask them?

#125. A tongue twister is a quick poem where many of the words start with the same letter and are similar in sound. For example, “Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Try writing your own with this fun kids writing prompt!

#126. What is the first thing you think of when you hear or see the word green?

#127. A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and achievements. What do you think makes someone a hero? Who are some of your heroes?

#128. What did you do during summer vacation last year? What do you want to do for summer vacation this year?

#129. Write a story about a super hero dog who saves the day! Who does the dog help and why?

#130. Would you rather live somewhere that is always cold, or somewhere that is always hot? Write about which one you would rather choose.

#131. Have you ever volunteered to help a charity? If so, write about the experience! If not, what are some charities you think you might like to volunteer for?

#132. What does the word courage mean to you?

#133. What makes you unique? What are some things about you that make you an individual?

#134. Have you ever been to a museum? What is your favorite thing to look at on display?

#135. What can you do to set a good example for others to be kind?

#136. A Tall Tale is a story that exaggerates something that actually happened. Write a tall tale about something that recently happened to you.

#137. What is one of your favorite toys that you think you might still want to have and play with when you are 22 years old?

#138. Oh no! Everyone around you is sick with a nasty cold! Write a silly poem about how you try to avoid catching their germs!

#139. Personification is when a non-living object takes on human characteristics. Write a story where you personify a common electronic gadget in your house, such as the Television or toaster.

#140. Write a poem using similes, which is when you say an object is like something else. Here is an example of a simile: “Her eyes were as blue as the sky.”

#141. Have you ever read a book written by Dr. Suess? Write your own “Suess-style” story, complete with rhymes and made up words.

#142. Do you have any siblings? Think about what it might mean to be a good brother or sister and write about it!

#143. Make a list of questions to interview your parents or grandparents about what it was like when they were growing up as a kid. Then, ask them the questions and write about their answers!

#144. You are in charge of writing a new radio show just for kids! What topics will you talk about? What music do you play?

#145. What do you usually eat for breakfast every day? What, in your opinion, is the greatest breakfast food ever created? What makes it so great?

#146. Write a 12 line poem where every line is about a different month of the year.

#147. What is something you look forward to doing the most when you are an adult?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#148. Do you like to try new things? What is something new you have tried recently or would like to try?

#149. Imagine what it might be like to be alive in Egypt when the pyramids were built. Write about what it was like.

#150. A credo is a statement of personal beliefs. Try writing your own credo for things that you believe in and feel are important.

#151. The circus has come to town but they have no place to perform! How do you help the ringmaster find a place to put on a show?

#152. Do you like to act? What are some of your favorite actors or actresses? What do you think makes someone a good actor or actress?

#153. “Practice makes perfect” is a popular saying. What is something you like to practice so you can become better at it? A sport? A musical instrument? A special skill? Do you like to practice?

#154. Write about what it might be like to be water drops freezing and turning into ice.

#155. Do you think it is important to keep your room clean? What do you like about having a clean room?

#156. Imagine your parents are sending you away for a two week summer camp trip. Would you be excited? Why or why not?

#157. What are you currently learning about in history class? Write a fictional story about someone from the past you are learning about.

#158. Many wars have been fought in the past. Instead of going to war, what do you think countries could do to resolve their differences peacefully?

#159. Every year over 8 billion plastic bottles and cans are thrown away. What are some things you can do to help encourage your family and friends to recycle?

#160. Imagine if you were the principal of the school. What might you do differently? What things would you do that are the same? Write about it!

#161. Pretend that one day you are at your neighbor’s house and you notice a strange noise coming from the basement. You go downstairs to investigate to see a large machine running with many lights and buttons. Why is it there?

#162. Write an essay that starts with the line, “Tomorrow, I hope…”

#163. If you could give one thing to every child in the world, what would you want to give them?

#164. Do you have a piggy bank at home? How do you earn money to add to your savings?

#165. What qualities make a house a home? What are 3 things you think every house should have?

#166. Would you rather go scuba diving or rock climbing? Write about which one you think you would like to do more and why.

#167. Do you think it is a good idea for kids to write a daily journal? What are some of the benefits of writing every day?

#168. Do you like watching fireworks or are they too noisy? Write about a time when you saw fireworks in the sky.

#169. Oh no! Your friend has turned into a statue! How did this happen? What do you do? Does your friend ever turn back into a person again?

#170. If you could be any movie character, who would you be and why?

#171. A mysterious message appears in code on your computer screen. What could it mean?

#172. If you could go to work with one of your parents for a day, what do you think the day would be like? What types of things do your parents do at work all day long?

#173. Imagine you are the President and you are creating a new national holiday. What is your holiday about? How is it celebrated? What day of the year do you celebrate? Write about it!

#174. You won a never-ending lifetime supply of spaghetti noodles! What will you do with all of these noodles?

#175. Would you rather be a bunny rabbit or a hawk? Why did you choose the one you chose?

#176. Your teacher has been acting mysterious lately. After school one day, you notice a weird green light shining through underneath the door of your classroom. What do you do? What is happening with your teacher?

#177. Write an article about tips for how kids can be more organized and study well for tests.

#178. Look at any product in your house and read the ingredients labels. Research what each ingredient is. Do you think these ingredients are good or bad for people?

#179. If you were a doctor, what do you think would be the most important part of your job every day?

#180. The school librarian needs your help! A truck just arrived with 2,000 books and she can’t fit all the books onto the shelves! What do you do? How do you find a place to put all these books?

#181. Do you think it would be fun to plant a garden? What types of plants would you want to grow? Write about your garden ideas.

#182. What is a sport or activity you would like to try playing for the first time?

#183. Do you think kids should be allowed to do the same things as adults? What things do you think kids should be able to do that only grown-ups can?

#184. Imagine you and your parents switch places for a day. Your parents are the kids and you are now in charge! What would you do?

#185. Write a get-well letter to someone who has been sick. What can you say to make them feel better?

#186. If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which planet would you like to visit the most and why? Write about what it might be like.

#187. Have you ever been to a farm? What did you like about it? If you haven’t been to a farm, do you think you might like to visit one? Why or why not?

#188. The mayor of the city has a big problem and needs your help! What is the problem and how will you solve it?

#189. Pretend your little sister ate carrots for dinner and the next morning woke up with rabbit ears!  How did this happen? What do you do? Will she be a rabbit forever?

#190. Imagine you wake up in the morning to find out you get to relive any day of your life again for the whole day. What day would you want to experience again and why?

#191. Do you think you might like to be a firefighter? Why or why not?

#192. You are a lawyer and your client has been accused of stealing a car. How do you convince the jury your client is innocent?

#193. Think of the four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Which of these four elements do you like the best?

#194. What would you do if you could be invisible for a whole day? Do you think you would enjoy it or be glad to be back to normal the next day? Write about it!

#195. Imagine you are a meteorologist and people are starting to get angry that your weather predictions are always wrong. What do you do?

#196. If you could create any law, what would it be? Why do you think the law is an important one to have?

#197. You are going incognito and need to hide to your identity so you aren’t recognized or discovered while you walk through the city. What type of disguise do you wear?

#198. Write a persuasive letter to your parents explaining why you should get a new pet. Make sure you provide a convincing argument they won’t be able to refuse!

#199. Your friend wants to do something dangerous. What should you do?

#200. How do you think the world would be different if there were no oceans?

#201. What do you do when someone disagrees with your opinions? Is there a better way to handle conflicting opinions?

#202. What do you think you as a kid could do to help encourage more people to read?

#203. Do you have a good luck charm? What makes this item lucky? When do you use it? How do you use it?

#204. What is at the end of a rainbow? Imagine you follow a rainbow to the end. What do you discover? Is it a pot of gold, or something else?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#205. What do you think the consequences should be for someone who is caught cheating on a test at school?

#206. Imagine you are riding your bike one day when you encounter an older kid who wants to steal your bike. What do you do?

#207. You are the lead singer and star of a famous rock and roll band, but there is one problem – your drummer is jealous of your fame! How do you solve this situation?

#208. If you could help a group of kids in any part of the world, what kids would you want to help the most and why? What are some things you think would help these kids?

#209. Everyone knows the house on the end of the street is haunted. What are some of the strange things that happen there? Why is the house haunted?

#210. You notice at school one day there is a door to a secret passage next to the janitor’s closet and decide to explore. Where does it lead? Why is it there? Do you go alone or bring a friend along?

#211. A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime. What are 5 things on your bucket list?

#212. Imagine the perfect treehouse or clubhouse for you and all of your friends as a place to hang out. Describe what it is like inside.

#213. Do you get bored easily? Make a list of things you can do whenever you feel like you are bored and there is nothing fun to do!

#214. Now vs. Then: Think about how today is different from one year ago. How have you changed? What things in your life are different?

#215. Write your autobiography about your life.

#216. It’s a heat wave! What do you do when the weather is hot? What are some of your favorite ways to stay cool?

#217. What are three important safety tips every kid should know to stay safe?

#218. What genre of books do you like to read the most? Write about the characteristics of the genre and list some of your favorite books as examples.

#219. Holiday Traditions: How does your family celebrate the different holidays and events? What are some traditions you do each and every year?

#220. Imagine one day in science class a science experiment goes terribly wrong and now you and all of your classmates have superpowers! What are your superpowers and what do you do with them?

#221. Who is favorite teacher? Why are they your favorite?

#222. You are baking a cake, but you accidentally put salt in the cake instead of sugar. Nobody will eat it! How do you feel? What will you do next time?

#223. Do you think it is important to have good table manners? What do you think some good manners to practice might be?

#224. Many schools no longer teach cursive handwriting. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Do you know how to write cursive handwriting? Would you like to learn if you haven’t?

#225. If you were the owner of a theme park, what types of rides and attractions would have? Describe what they would be like and why people would want to visit your park.

#226. Your parents give you $100 to spend at the grocery store. What do you buy and why?

#227. Some people who are alive today grew up without computers or video games. What would you do if you didn’t have a computer or video games? How would life be different?

#228. You walk into your living room and discover there is a giant elephant standing there. How did the elephant get there? What do you do about it? How do you explain the elephant in the living room to your parents?

#229. Have you ever had a weird dream? What happened in the dream? What do you think it means?

#230. Do you like to draw or paint? Write a story inspired by a painting, doodle, or sketch.

#231. You are being sent on a mission to outer space to live in a space station for 5 years. What supplies do you pack and why?

#232. What is the scariest creature alive on earth? Describe in detail what makes it so horrifying.

#233. What do you think your pet might say if they could talk to you?

#234. Imagine your school is putting on a talent show. What act will you perform? What other acts will be in the show?

#235. If you could breathe under water, what would you do?

#236. What time of day do you think school should start? Write a convincing argument on why or why not the time of day school starts should change.

#237. If you were to start your own YouTube video channel, what would the videos on your channel be about?

#238. Do you like to cook? What are some things you like to make and eat?

#239. Your school is having a field day and you are in charge of planning the activities and games. What types of activities and games would you plan for the event?

#240. If you had a remote control drone that takes video of everything it sees from the sky and you could take it anywhere, what would you film? For example, the inside of a volcano or soar it over the plains of Africa.

#241. The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the ocean where many ships and planes have gone missing. Why do you think this could be? Write a story about what it might be like to travel there.

#242. There are 7 great wonders of the world – which one do you think is the most wonderful?

#243. If you could speak any foreign language fluently, which one would you like to speak and why?

#244. You are inventing a new flavor of ice cream! What is the new flavor called and what ingredients do you need to make it?

#245. Would you rather go to a baseball game or read a good book? What reasons do you have for your choice?

#246. You walk outside to get your mail and your mailbox starts talking to you! What does your mailbox have to say?

#247. Imagine you are a famous person. What are you most famous for? What is it like to be famous?

#248. What do you think would be the most fun job in the world to have? Give examples of why you think it would be a fun job to have.

#249. Write a poem about an object that is shiny and dazzling.

#250. Do you like to watch the Olympics? Why or why not? If yes, what is your favorite Olympic sport?

#251. What kind of car do you want to drive when you are older? Do you think learning to drive will be easy or hard?

#252. What do you think would make for a great gift to give someone on their birthday?

#253. Describe a time when you needed help and someone helped you. What did they help you with and how did it make you feel?

#254. If you could be any type of fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

Love these prompts?  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to use at home or in the classroom!

#255. Do you think it is more important to have a good imagination or have all the facts proven?

#256. Do you have a favorite aunt, uncle, or another relative? Write a story about their life and why you like to be with them.

#257. Think of a time you laughed really, really hard. What was so funny? Why were you laughing? Write about it!

#258. Write a poem about an emotion. For example: happy, sad, angry, embarrassed, guilty.

#259. Do you ever have a hard time falling asleep? What are some things that help you feel sleepy?

#260. If you could drive a car, where would you drive and why?

#261. Imagine you are trading places with your friend for a day. What will it be like to be at their house? What will your friend think while they are at your house? Write about it!

#262. If you could break a world record, what would it be? What do you think would be necessary to be able to break the world record?

#263. Imagine you live in Colonial times. What would it be like to grow up as a kid in Colonial America?

#264. You are building a new city. What is the name of your city? What is the weather like? What buildings will you build?

#265. What do you think it would be like to work as a sailor on big ship in the ocean each day?

#266. Imagine you are the teacher for the day. What types of activities do you make the students in the class do?

#267. How would you feel if your parents told you that you would be getting a new baby brother or sister? Write about it!

#268. Do you know any good jokes? What are some of your favorite jokes? What makes them funny? Do you think you could write your own?

#269. Imagine you are floating down a river on a raft. What types of things can you see from the river that you normally wouldn’t see from the land?

#270. You want to start a new hobby collecting something. What kinds of things would you collect and why?

#271. Your mom announces she is having a yard sale. Would you let her sell any of your things? Why or why not?

#272. Imagine you walk out your front door one morning and it is raining popcorn! What do you do?

#273.  You are camping in the woods one night and hear a scary noise. What do you do? What might be the cause?

#274. What do you think might make kids really happy to go to school? What are some things you think schools should do so that it could be more fun?

#275. Today’s lunch at the cafeteria was unusually horrible. You are a detective on the case to investigate. What do you think is the cause?

#276. If you had a tree that grows money, what would you do?

#277. What would you do if you had a unicorn as a pet?

#278. Would you rather go to the zoo or go to the aviary? Which one would you pick and why?

#279. What are some safety tips you should follow when riding a bike?

#280. You are designing the cover of a magazine. What are some of the headlines on the cover?

#281. Are you afraid of the dark? Why or why not?

#282. If you could learn to play any type of musical instrument, which one would you like to learn how to play and why?

#283. Imagine you are playing a sport that involves a ball, such as soccer, baseball or kickball. What would it be like if the ball could talk?

#284. You come home to discover a friendly alien has been living in your closet. What do you do? Why is there an alien in your closet?

#285. Is there something you are afraid of that you wish you weren’t afraid of? Write about it.

#286. Write about the best party you’ve ever been to. What made the day fun and special?

#287. What makes you feel loved and cared about? What are some ways people can show you that they love and care about you?

#288. There is a kite flying competition coming up and you are going to design your own kite. What will your kite look like? What colors will it be? Will it have any certain shape?

#289. You are given the challenge to drop an egg on the floor – without it breaking! What are some things you might try to make sure the egg won’t break?

#290. What are some of the things you can do every day to stay healthy?

#291. Do you think grown-ups are boring? Why do you think they are so boring all of the time? What is something fun that boring grown-ups could do instead of being so boring?

#292. Write a lyrical poem or song about what kids do while they are at school all day long.

#293. What are the first things you like to do when you are done with school each day? What are some of the activities you like when you are not at school?

#294. Imagine dinosaurs were still alive today. How do you think our lives would be different?

#295. Would you rather visit a volcano or a desert? Which one would you choose and why?

#296. Is there a sound you think is annoying? What types of sounds drive you crazy? Write about them!

#297. What do you think it would be like to be the size of an ant for a day? What types of things would you do?

#298. Imagine one of your stuffed animals comes to life and starts talking to you. What types of things will you talk about? What will you do?

#299. What makes you feel happiest? Write about the things in life that make you feel happy!

#300. Imagine there is no gravity. What kind of things would you do you for fun? How would some of the things you already do for fun be different?

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

Parents and teachers, I hope you enjoyed these 300 writing prompts for kids and that you will use them to inspire your children’s creative imaginations.

These prompts of course can be used in a number of different ways and can be adapted for a variety of different styles of writing !

What do you think? Do you think these are good conversation and story starters for kids? Do you have any ideas for writing prompts you would like to share?

And of course, if you’d like to make it super fun and easy to use these prompts at home or in your classroom, be sure to get our ad-free printable version of these kids writing prompt cards now available in my Etsy shop.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on different creative writing ideas and topics for kids to write about! Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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Home » Competitions for Children » Children’s Writing Competitions

Children’s Writing Competitions

Young writer’s competitions for children and teens aged 5-18

Please read our list of writing competitions for children. The contests are checked and updated each month . We are happy to feature writing challenges open to primary-age children, secondary-age pupils, and young adults in the UK. If you would like your competition featured here, please contact us . We are happy to feature competitions with at least one month remaining before the closing date. We have also compiled a list of recommended creative writing manuals and writing workshop activity guides suitable for use with KS1, KS2, KS3, and KS4 at the bottom of this page.

New competitions are listed at the top of each month. Past and annual competitions are listed below .

Writing competitions for children and teens

Please note – many previously annual competitions were or are being affected by the recession, lockdown, COVID or cost of living crisis. This is beyond our control.

Closing date in May

• The Poetry of Science Competition – Can you write a ‘ terrific scientific poem ‘? Each entrant can enter one poem of up to 150 words. There are three age group categories: 5-7, 8-11 and 12-16. For schools, there’s a downloadable poster for classrooms here . Winners will be invited to Oxford to attend a celebration event and perform their poems.
• Never Such Innocence – The 2024 theme is “How does war affect people’s lives?” , and to enter children and teens can ‘ using poetry, art, speech and song’ . There are four age group categories (9-11;  11-14;  14-16;  & 16-18) and full details are on the competition website.
• The D.H. Lawrence Children’s Prize: Writing Competition is open to students aged 11 and under and 12-16, who can enter up to 500 words on the theme of “The Four Seasons”. Prizes include Kindles and book tokens.
• Bournemouth Writing Festival is running an international students competition, with the theme of “ On Bournemouth Beach “. It’s open to international students aged 16+ whose first language is not English.
• War Through Children’s Eyes is open to children aged 7-17 and aims to “ raise awareness of the impact of wars and violent conflicts on the communities caught up in them, and particularly on the most vulnerable members of those communities: their children “. Entries of up to 1000 words are invited, there are vouchers for the top three entries and full details are available on the website.
• The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition is open to young people under the age of 19. The competition features a starter paragraph and invites entrants to write under 1000 words to continue the story.

Closing date in June

• BCC Young Entrepreneurs , run by First News invites young entrepreneurs aged 5-15 to write up to 200 words about their business idea or innovation. There are four categories to pick from and prizes include a trip to the British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Annual Conference.
• Stories of the Future creative challenge . What does the future hold for young people around the world? asks this international competition run by Earth4All. With three categories: 15 and under, 16-18 and 19-21, students can enter writing up to 800 words or videos of up to 1.5 minutes. Full details are on the competition website. There are free resources and posters for schools.
• In The b small Young Language Learner Award , 6-11 year olds can “send in a story or comic written in a language of their choice, other than a mother tongue .” There are French and Spanish activity packs available for teachers.
• The Philosophy Garden ‘Write a Script’ competition invites 11-18-year-olds to submit a nature-themed script for a short explainer video using animal characters to tell a story. Full details are on the website. The best entries will be made into a video to be exhibited in the Philosophy Museum in Milan.
• The Wells Festival of Literature offers young poets aged 16-25 the opportunity to enter poems of up to 35 lines on any subject for the annual Young Poets Competition. All entries must be in English .
• Celebration Day writing competition – entrants are invited to write 250 words (primary) or 500 words (secondary) to tell the story of an inspirational person they know. There are five age categories: 5-7; 8-10; 11-13; 14-16; 17-18 & teachers. Full details and resources are available on the competition website and the Celebration Day website.
• The Orwell Youth Prize – for secondary students aged 12-18, entries can be in any form, up to 1000 words. This year’s task is to respond to this title: “The Future We Want”.
• Cambridge University and SATIPS handwriting competition .

Closing date in July

• Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize invites 11-14-year-olds living in the UK to enter 500 words or less on a prescribed theme. There are cash prizes and books for three winners. Full details are on the competition website run by London Review Bookshop.
• Young & Talented Cornwall invites 16-23-year-old residents of Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly who ‘ aspire to see your work in print, on stage or on screen ‘ to enter a personal statement and sample of work – both of up to 500 words – in this creative writing award scheme ‘ to help budding Cornish writers ‘. Grants of up to £1000 are available, together with a reading award of up to £150 worth of books.
• The Laurie Lee Prize for Writing offers a young person’s category for those who either live in Gloucestershire or were born in Gloucestershire.  16–20-year-olds  can enter up to 2500 words or up to 125 lines of poetry on “a nature or conservation theme”. There are more details on the competition website.
• The Young Wild Writers competition , run by Hen Harrier Action invites children aged 5-8, 9-12 and 13-16 to enter stories, poems, articles, prose or letters of up to 500 words on the theme of Human Impact . Prizes include book vouchers and an online author visit to the winning child’s school. Full details, including a downloadable poster, are on the competition website.
• The Hampshire Young Poets competition is open to any young person aged 4-7; 8-11 or 12-16 “ who lives or studies in Hampshire “. Entrants can submit up to 14 lines of poetry on the theme of ‘ home ’. Full details are on the competition website.
• Foyle Young Poets competition – for 11-17-year-olds, the competition welcomes “poems on any theme and any length”.
• Stephen Spender Trust poetry in translation prize – the challenge is to translate a poem from any language into English. There are three categories for young people: U18, U16, and U14. The top prize is £1000.
• Ledbury Under 18’s poetry competition . Two categories – 11 and under and 12-17 request poems of no more than 40 lines in length. There are cash prizes or book tokens for the winners.
• HG Wells short story competition.

Closing date in August

• Overgrowth Magazine is running an Undergrowth competition open to 16-19-year-olds who can submit 500 words of writing, or artwork, in any form “ about nature and our relationship to it .” Full details and ideas are on the competition webpage.
• Goldsmiths University of London is running a series of competitions for 16-18-year-olds who are invited to a short story, a piece of journalism with a historical angle, or a piece about identity and culture. The Young Writer, Young Columnist, and Young Anthropologist competitions close on 2nd August.
• Cinemagic Young Filmmaker – open to films on any subject from young filmmakers aged under 25. The prizes include winning films being screened in cinemas.
• Young Muslim Writers Award – open to UK children and teens in KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 who can submit a short story or poetry – and in KS3 and KS4, this is extended to also include journalism, screenplays, and play scripts. Full details are on the website.

Closing date in September

• The annual OxBright Essay Competition invites 15-18-year-olds to submit an essay of up to 3,800 characters (around 500 words). Details of the theme and subject requirements are on the competition website.
• Atom Learning’s Young Author Award offers 7-9-year-olds and 10-11-year-olds the chance to win a trip to Disneyland Paris. Children can enter fiction stories of up to 500 words inspired by the theme “If I were in charge for a day…” There’s also a free creative writing activity pack to download.
• C.A.B.B Publishing is running a short story competition for children. Full details are available on their website.
• The Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize – is open to “any sixth-form student of English Literature”. There are two options, both with detailed entry criteria which can be viewed on the competition website.

Closing date in October

• ‘If Dylan met Thomas Hardy’ is the title of a new competition hosted by the Dylan Thomas Society and the Thomas Hardy Society. Writers aged 11+ can submit a play of up to 15 minutes in length for up to four cast members. The best three plays entered will be performed at the Dylan Thomas Theatre.
• The Yorkshire Festival of Story Children’s Story Competition invites short stories from UK children aged 7-12.
• Royal Geographical Society School Essay Competition – an annual competition, run in association with the Financial Times, for 16-19-year-olds, with a closing date in October.
• The Young Walter Scott Prize is dedicated to historical fiction, defined as “in a time before you were born”, and this competition has two age categories: 11-15 and 16-19. Entries can be prose, poetry, drama, fictional letters, or reportage. The closing date is the end of October.
• The Solstice Prize For Young Writers , organised by Writing East Midlands, invites children and teens aged 7-17 to write ‘ imaginative short stories (up to 500 words) and p rovocative poems (up to 40 lines)’. The competition offers cash prizes and an anthology of the best entries. There are three age categories: 7-11, 12-14 and 15-17.
• Saugus Halloween story writing contest.

Closing date in November

• BBC 500 words short story competition for children –  with two age group categories, 5-7-year-olds and 7-11-year-olds.
• The WILD WORDS National Eco-Poetry Project is open to young people aged 18 and under in the UK, who are asked to “imagine co-writing a poem with a tree, river, or even the weather” . Poem entries should be a maximum of one side of A4. Full details are on the competition website.
• Poetry Together Competition – children under 18 in the UK are invited to enter poems of no more than 14 lines on a theme detailed on the competition website, and choose a poem on any theme to learn by heart. There are two age group categories and full details are available on the competition website.
• The East Riding Festival of Words runs an annual poetry competition. Entries of up to 45 lines are open to children aged 4-10 and 11-16 and there are cash prizes for the winners.
• The Tadpole Press 100 Word Writing Contest is a worldwide competition open to writers of all ages. There’s an entry fee for this one, with cash prizes and writing development packages on offer for the winners. The deadline is November 30th.
• Wenlock Olympian Society Short Story Competition – open to students aged 16+ who are invited to write a story on any theme of up to 2500 words. Full entry details are on the Wenlock website.
• One Teen Story – story submission site for teenagers. The deadline is 27th November.
• The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize for writers aged 18-25 invites entries of 1000-1500 words on a Franklin quote which changes each year. The deadline is 30th November.

Closing date in December

• Love Letters to London , run by the London Society, offers children aged 11 and under and 12-18 year-olds the opportunity to win cash prizes by entering prose (fiction, essays, and reportage) or poetry that celebrates ‘our wonderful, fantastic, infuriating city’. Full details, including this year’s theme, can be found on the competition website.
• Into Film awards will hopefully return in 2024. See also the ‘Film of the Month’ competition and the extensive resources to encourage school film clubs.

Closing date in January

• This Page is Printed offers an under-18s competition with cash prizes for entries of up to one page of A4 ‘in any genre: prose, poetry, script’. Judges will be looking for ‘something that dares to be different.’
• The Young Cartoonist Awards have an under-18 category where children and teens can enter ‘pocket (gag) cartoons, political cartoons and short strip cartoons.’
• The Cheshire Prize for Literature invites primary and secondary-aged students to enter short stories, poetry, children’s literature and scriptwriting. To qualify, entrants ‘must live or have lived, work or have worked, studied or have studied in Cheshire, Wirral, Warrington or Halton.’
• The Royal Mint Museum short story competition – will return in January 2024.
• The Japan Society runs the World Children’s Haiku Contest . Students aged 15 and under can enter a haiku on A4 or letter-sized paper on the theme of “family”, accompanied by hand-drawn artwork on the same page. Full details are available on the competition website.
• The Immerse Essay Competition offers teens aged 13-18 the opportunity to write an essay choosing from a range of topics including architecture, science, law, international relations, medicine, economics, creative writing and many more. There are two age groups: 13-15 and 16-18. The deadline is 4th January.
• North Eastern University London is running an essay competition for students in year 12. Pupils can submit up to 1,500 words, choosing from a range of set essay titles that span a broad range of topics including humanities, philosophy, social issues, the law and creative writing. There are cash prizes for the top three entries.
• The Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project Essay Contest is an international competition open to children in two age group categories: years 6-9 and years 10-13. There are cash prizes for the top three entries and honourable mentions in each category. Full entry details are available on this information poster . All submissions must be submitted by 15th January.
• The Herne Hill Lit Fest is running a “Stepping into Stories” competition for children aged 4-7, 8-11 and 12+. The theme is “ bouncing back “. Entries can be written stories, drawings, comic strips, poetry, raps, or digital animations. There are book token prizes for the winners.
• Bournemouth Young Writers prize – open to children in years 3&4, and years 5&6 and stories can be “ about anything you like “. Prizes include £150 worth of books.
• Rotary Club International Young Writer competition.

Closing date in February

• The Philosophy Garden is running a ‘Write a Script’ competition. Open to 11-18-year-olds in full-time education who live in the UK, students are invited to write a script for a short explainer video ‘ to explore how people with different beliefs and values can deal with disagreement and come to a decision or solve a problem together .’ Full details can be found on the competition webpage.
• The Elmbridge Literary Competition is open to children under 18 (free) in four age group categories: 5-7; 8-11; 11-13 and 14-18. The theme for 2024 is “Fame”. Short stories or poems can be entered. Full entry details and requirements can be viewed on the competition website.
• Perse Research’s Year 9 Aristotelian Award is open to students in Year 9 or equivalent. The award exists to “ promote the independent study skills in Year 9 pupils while simultaneously providing an avenue to explore super-curricular interests in the arts, humanities and sciences. ” Entrants are invited to write an 800-1500 word essay choosing a title from a choice of topics and essay titles spanning arts, humanities and the sciences.
• The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition – annual – open to all children of school age, including school and college pupils, home-educated children and entries from young people’s community organisations. There are three age categories: 5-10; 11-14 and 15-18. The 2024 theme is “ Being Part of a Group “.
• Bright Light Education Creative Writing Competition for children aged 7-13. This annual competition returns in 2023 and is open to all children in the UK, with three age categories – 7-9, 9-11 and 11-13. Entries need to be a 500-word story (full criteria on the website) inspired by Joseph Coelho’s advice on the website.  Closes on February 28th.
• The Royal Society of Literature invites students aged 13-18 to write up to 500 words about “ the writer from the past that most inspires them “. Prizes for the “ History is in the Making ” competition include book tokens for both entrants and the school.
• The Hugo Young Award – held in memory of Guardian political columnist Hugo Young, this competition encourages “fresh voices” aged 16-18 and 19-25 from UK state schools to pen political opinion pieces. Highly recommended for students studying A-level politics, sociology or looking towards a career in journalism.
• Voices – a writing competition, run by the charity Coram Voice, which is open to children and young people who are in or have experience with the care system.
• Christopher Tower Poetry Prize – open to young adults aged 16-18.

Closing date in March

• Young Science Writer of the Year Award – run by the Association of British Science Writers, this award is open to UK pupils aged 14-16 in non-selective state schools. Students can submit up to 800 words “on any subject in science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics.”
• Humanimal Trust Creative Awards – children and teens aged 7-18 can share their creative skills on the theme of ‘ Time to Connect ‘ in four age group categories: 7-9; 10-11; 12-15 & 16+. Full details are on the competition website.
• Young Songwriter 2024 – “ The world’s leading songwriting competition for young aspiring songwriters, aged 8-18 “. Children are invited to enter up to five songs. There are three age group categories for UK children and teens: 8-12; 13-15 & 16-18. Full details are on the Song Academy website.
• The BBC Young Reporter Competition is open to children and teens aged 11-18 who “want to report on a story or issue which is important to their life or the world around them”.
• Young Financial Journalist Competition – open to secondary students aged 14-15, 15-15, 16-17 and 18-19. “We are seeking well-argued articles from students aged 14–19”.
• Fitzwilliam College Cambridge is running a series of essay competitions aimed at pupils in their penultimate year of education before university – i.e. Year 12, S5 or Y13 (Northern Ireland). Entries (written in English) are welcome from around the world. With six categories: Ancient World and Classics, Archaeology, History, Land Economy, Medieval World, and Architecture; this competition is highly recommended for 6th formers and could provide useful evidence for university applications, a starting point for an EPQ project, or a talking point for an admissions interview. The deadline is 3rd March.
• The BBC Young Writer’s Award – is open to 14-18-year-olds who can submit a piece of original fiction of up to 1000 words. Highly recommended.
• The Portico Sadie Massey Awards feature two competitions open to children. There’s the KS2, KS3, KS4, and KS5 Young Readers Competition (write a book review – any genre – on any subject) and the Young Writers competition, open to pupils in KS3,4&5 (write a story based in the North of England.)
• The Girton College Humanities Writing Competition – open to Year 12 students in the UK, the writing task is based on five objects in the college’s antiquities museum.
• The Royal Mint runs an annual competition for primary school pupils aged 8-11 who can enter short stories of up to 500 words. Prizes include books for the school library. For this year’s theme and entry details, see the competition website.
• The Lowry’s Creative Writing Challenge is open to children aged 7-11 from across Salford and Greater Manchester. “ Pupils can draw on all aspects of writing for performance “, and enter writing of up to 500 words including poetry and stories or up to three minutes of playscript.
• The ISA Handwriting Competition is open to children in years 1, 2, 3-4 & 5-6 in ISA member schools, “to showcase their handwriting skills”.

Closing date in April

• The Guardian newspaper is running a Young Country Diary  writing competition open to 8-14-year-olds based in the UK. Six winners will be published in the Guardian and to enter students need to write a 200-250 word article about ‘a recent encounter they’ve had with nature’. Full details can be found on the competition webpage.
• Pitch Magazine is running a Young Sports Journalist competition . Students aged 14-24 can enter an article of 400-600 words in response to the question prompts on the website. There are four age group categories: 14-15, 16-17, 18-19 and 20-21 and there’s a £50 prize and work experience opportunity for each winning entry.
• Tadpole Press is running a worldwide 100-word writing contest open to writers of all ages. 100 words can be submitted in any genre. There is an entry fee for this competition and there’s a cash prize for 1st place and writing coaching and editing packages for the 2nd and 3rd places. The deadline is 30th April.
• Reading Zone offers a Create a Picture Book competition that’s open to 4-18-year-olds in three age group categories: 4-7; 7-11 and 11+. Prizes include £200 of books.
• Author of Tomorrow – run by the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation, the Author of Tomorrow prize aims to find adventure writers of the future. Young people under 21 can submit entries between 1500 and 5000 words (under 500 words for primary-aged pupils). The prizes are £1000 for the 16-21 age group, £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 12-15 age group, and £100 and £150 in book tokens for the 11 and under age group.
• The Day ‘ Young Journalist Awards ” are open to anyone under 19 (under 10 and 11-18)  and entrants can submit a written article, a video clip, an audio piece, photography, an illustration or a graphic in any one of 12 subject categories. Full details including how to enter are on the competition website.

Undated or open

• The Scottish Book Trust runs monthly mini-sage 50-word story writing competitions for children aged 5-11 and 12-18, with a different theme each month.
• Wordhound runs a monthly creative writing challenge for children aged 12 and under, who can send in 300-word stories “of funny, weird or otherwise unique writing” on a different subject each month.
• Kids’ Poetry Club runs a variety of competitions for primary and secondary-aged children, with a new theme announced every few months.
• The Young Poets Network runs regular writing challenges and competitions, which can be viewed on their website.
• BBC Today Student Journalism Awards – annual. this competition features a variety of journalism categories, including journalism (any medium), broadcasting, visual and photojournalism, criticism, publication, and programme. Entrants must be over 18 and in full-time UK higher education. The prizes include places on highly coveted BBC Journalism Trainee Schemes (paid positions).
• BBC Writers Room is inviting speculative screenplay submissions of at least 30 pages from young scriptwriters aged 16+ in the UK or the Republic of Ireland.
• Blue Things Zine invites young writers aged 13+ to write articles and stories under 1500 words for consideration for publication.
• Scholastic We Are Writers – not a competition per-se, but lots of ideas for literacy and writing projects with the aim of getting your pupils published. Ideal for fundraisers or whole-school writing initiatives.
• Inkhead short story competition and writing clubs.
• Amnesty International has a series of online resources – ‘ Words That Burn ‘ – to inspire teenagers to write about human rights, equality and discrimination.
• National Literacy Trust competitions page.
• Readers’ Digest Competitions . – including a 100-word story competition for children.
• The Guild of Food Writers Write It – Young Food Writer of the Year – is open to children up to 18 in three age categories.
• Live Canon: Children’s Poetry Competition – for young people aged 5-18.
• For a non-competitive option, the John Muir Award offers schools an opportunity to “encourage people of all backgrounds to connect with, enjoy and care for wild places.” Through an award scheme, pupils can create a dossier of experiences, challenges and presentations to demonstrate how they have discovered a wild place, explored it, done something to conserve it and shared their experience. A good option for larger groups, classes and year groups, this award requires teacher input and planning. Suitable for year 4 through to secondary-aged pupils.
• The First Story Young Writers Festival offers pupils a day-long online festival with workshops, resources, interviews with writers, showcases for young writers, resources and CPD for teachers. This is a fantastic resource to inspire children to write for publication and would make a great starting point for pupils considering entering writing competitions. ( Note the festival is not running a competition of its own ).

Resources for creative writing in schools and at home

• Hoo’s Writing Corner – an exciting creative writing website for primary-aged children. The website includes writing prompts and exercises, and the monthly subscription magazine includes story construction ideas and spelling worksheets.
• Below is a collection of books recommended to inspire children to write – whether it be creative writing, nonfiction, or poetry.

Help! We Need a Story by James Harris

Write Like a Ninja: An essential toolkit for every young writer by Andrew Jennings

500 Words: A collection of short stories that reflect on the Black Lives Matter movement

Descriptosaurus by Alison Wilcox

How to Write your Best Story Ever! by Christopher Edge

How to Write Poems by Joseph Coelho

Just Imagine by James Carter

Spilling Ink – A Young Writer’s Handbook by Ellen Potter & Anne Mazer

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

For more competition ideas, have a look at our public speaking and debating contests.

Browse our list of Children’s Book Publishers in the UK

Peruse our list of magazines for children and teens

Why not have a look at our suggested reading lists for children aged 3-16?

Books for EYFS & Reception Books for Year 1 Books for Year 2 Books for Year 3 Books for Year 4 Books for Year 5 Books for Year 6 Books for Year 7 Books for Year 8 Books for Year 9 Books for Year 10 Books for Year 11 Books for 6th formers

Please respect copyright and don’t copy or reproduce our reviews. Thanks .

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60 Senior Project Ideas for High School Students – 2024

May 13, 2024

Many high school students look forward to the exciting moment of choosing a senior project. This makes sense since senior projects provide opportunities for students to direct what they’ve learned into something they care about, and to take their academic interests beyond the classroom. At the same time, deciding what to pursue can be nerve-wracking. After all the anticipation, when it finally comes time to decide on a project, students might ask themselves, now what ? If you find yourself in this dilemma, or if you could just use some further inspiration, continue reading for a list of 60 senior project ideas for high school students. Once you find a senior project idea that catches your eye, you can always put your own spin on it, or use it to inspire projects on topics outside this list.

What is a senior project?

Put simply, a senior project is a semester-long project you take on in your final year of high school. So, what counts as a senior project? This can vary widely. While different schools have different requirements (for example, some high schools expect students to focus specifically on internship experiences), the assignments tend to be pretty flexible. In the senior project ideas listed below, you will find suggestions ranging from assisting a science researcher, to interning at a local museum, to organizing an academic tutoring program, to helping with community voter registration. The final outputs for senior projects may also vary in form, from guidebooks, to plays, to research papers, and apps.

Considerations when choosing a senior project

Because a senior project is often seen as the culmination of your high school experience, you should choose a topic that reflects your passions and interests. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to develop new skills and challenge yourself as you prepare for your next steps after graduation. Whether you have plans to begin a 4-year university program, enroll in a 2-year degree program , take a gap year , or start a new job, a senior project can prepare you with experience that you wouldn’t receive in your high school classes in an ordinary semester.

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when thinking of a senior project idea:

• What field or career do you wish to pursue? If you’re not sure, what are 2-3 fields that you could possibly see yourself pursuing at this point in your life?
• What world issues do you care most about? Climate change? LGBTQIA+ rights? Accessible healthcare? If thinking about a particular issue sparks a passion, this could be a great place to start.
• Based on your high school coursework experience, could you see yourself spending extra time on an artistic project? A science-based one? A research paper with a political theme?
• What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Volunteering with kids? Hiking and camping? Dancing? Cooking? Perhaps you can orient your senior project to something that you already know brings you joy.

60 senior project ideas

Below you can find 60 high school senior project ideas, divided into some general categories that might help you focus your search. As you read through, feel free to stick to these exact ideas or use them to inspire other ones.

Business – Senior Project Idea

• Write a printed or virtual guidebook to small local businesses in your area, including descriptions, photographs phone numbers and social media accounts.
• Help a local business with an advertising campaign, through local news outlets and social media.
• Develop a mentorship program to help those who are searching for jobs with resumes, interviews, and cover letters.
• Intern at a start-up based in your area.
• Write a research paper about models for sustainable businesses.
• Organize an after-school program that helps students learn financial literacy.

Community service

• Organize a ride service to bring elderly community members to and from doctor’s appointments, or to provide them with groceries and other needs.
• Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.
• Organize a food drive at your school.
• Create a social media campaign for a local animal shelter to raise awareness.
• Collaborate with a local charity or non-profit with a mission you believe in to organize a fundraiser.
• Collect school supplies and art supplies for families in need.

Creative writing – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and illustrate a children’s book.
• Create a handmade poetry book.
• Intern at a small local publisher or magazine.
• Work to translate a short story or poem to another language.
• Write a screenplay for a short film.
• Start a school literary magazine that accepts student submissions of poems, essays, and short stories. Organize a team so that the magazine can continue after you graduate.
• Organize a peer tutoring program at your school for students who need extra help with writing, languages, or math.
• Construct a free library box in your neighborhood so that more people have access to books.
• Volunteer at a local elementary school to help children with their homework after school.
• Work with a local senior center to teach a foreign language to residents.
• Develop a website or app for students to match with language partners for practicing conversation skills.
• Start a visual or performing arts class for children in your community.

Environmentalism- Senior Project Ideas

• Design and build a sustainable garden.
• Organize a community clean-up day, or a series of community clean-up days, at a local park or waterfront.
• Organize an Earth Day festival at your school. This could involve live music and performance, environmental art displays, local vegetarian food, and sustainable clothing swaps.
• Write a research paper on one thing that contributes to climate change, as well as potential solutions.
• Write a guidebook to local parks and hiking trails so that locals and visitors alike can appreciate these outdoor spots.
• Create a fashion line with all reused materials.
• Research historic sites in your neighborhood or town, and write a printed or online guidebook to these points of local history.
• Record a podcast on the history of one of your hobbies (fashion? sports?) Contact an expert on this history to ask if you can interview them on the podcast.
• Write a research paper on the history of a particular protest movement.
• Write and direct a short play with a contemporary take on a historical event that interests you.
• Create a documentary film on the history of your community (school, town, etc.), and organize a community screening.
• Intern at a local history museum.

Performing Arts – Senior Project Ideas

• Write and record an original song.
• Write, direct, and show a one-act play.
• Organize a community dance performance with student choreographers and performers, featuring a range of different styles.
• Volunteer to help with accessibility needs (theater access, live captioning, etc.) at a local theater.
• Organize a school comedy night or talent show that benefits a charity of your choice.
• Research the history of a film genre, and direct a short film that reflects this genre.
• Intern for a local political newspaper or magazine.
• Volunteer on the campaign of a local candidate.
• Create an online blog to write on a political issue you care about, or write a series of op-eds for a local newspaper.
• Write a research paper on a local problem (housing prices, green space, voting access) that discusses possible solutions to this problem.
• Create a Model UN or Mock Trial team at your school if one doesn’t already exist.
• Help teens and other community members register to vote.

Science and medicine – Senior Project Ideas

• Build a Rube Goldberg machine .
• Work in the lab of a STEM professor at a nearby university who works on a topic you’re interested in.
• Research a community health problem (drug safety, air/water quality, nutritional food access) and develop solutions with the help of local politicians and/or medical experts. Create a research paper, blog, or documentary film on your findings.
• Assist at a doctor’s office or hospital by helping to translate for patients who are non-native English speakers.
• Design an architectural structure (for example, a house or bridge) and build a 3D model.
• Organize a technology support group at your school to make technology more accessible and help with easy tech repairs.

Visual arts

• Design a mural for your school to highlight an aspect of the school culture or commemorate an important moment in its history.
• Intern at a local art museum and learn how to give a tour of its current exhibits.
• Organize the collaborative building of a sculpture at your school made of all reused or found objects.
• Offer to take wedding or senior photographs for those who might not be able to afford a professional photographer.
• Study a famous painter, and then create a series of paintings (or art of another medium) based on, or in response to, their works.
• Create a school-wide photography exhibition, with a theme of your choosing.

Senior Project Ideas – Final thoughts

We hope that this list has sparked inspiration for your high school senior project. Remember that while senior projects are important (and hopefully fun) opportunities to culminate your high school experience, you don’t need to do it all in one project! If you’re inspired by more than one of these project ideas, hold onto them for years to come or pursue them as summer internships .

If you’re interested in more project ideas for high school students, we recommend the following articles:

• 100 Examples of Community Service Projects
• 98 Passion Project Ideas
• 100 Best Clubs to Start in High School
• Persuasive Speech Topics
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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Celebrating Health Profession Students' Poetry, Prose, and Visual Arts

Program for Humanities in Medicine 2024 Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest Awards Ceremony

Lenique Huggins - First place in Art category

Created by MD student Hang Nguyen. Second place in Art category

WInston Trope - Honorable Mention in Art category

Zeynep Inanoglu - Honorable Mention in Art category

2024 PHM Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest Award Ceremony - Student Winners

Winning artwork

Black Motherhood in Medicine

Created by MD student Lenique Huggins. First place in Art category

These Small Things

These are the titles of the poetry, prose, and visual artworks that received first-place in the annual Yale School of Medicine (YSM) Program for Humanities in Medicine (PHM) Health Professions Students' Creative Writing & Art Contest. On May 2, the student winners were celebrated at a gathering where they shared and often provided context for their creations. A supportive and appreciative audience applauded enthusiastically after each presentation.

Professor and PHM Director Anna Reisman, MD, welcomed everyone to the celebration, sharing that the contest began more than two decades ago. It originally was a poetry and prose contest just for medical students; the family of Marguerite Rush Lerner, MD, established and endowed the contest to honor her. Lerner was a dermatologist at YSM, as well as a children’s book author. (Lerner’s husband, Aaron Lerner, MD, PhD, was the first chair of Yale’s Department of Dermatology, and two of their four sons, Ethan Lerner, MD, PhD ‘82 and Michael Lerner, MD ’81, attended YSM.) Reisman explained that several years ago the contest expanded to include visual arts, and also students from across the health profession schools and programs—MD, MD-PhD, Physician Associate, Physician Assistant Online, Nursing, and Public Health.

This year, almost 100 students participated in the contest. MD student winners receive the Marguerite Rush-Lerner prize; the other Yale health professions students receive the Program for Humanities in Medicine prize. See the list of winners under "Related Links."

While second-year MD student Lenique Huggins had been thinking about creating Black Motherhood in Medicine for a few months, it only took two evenings to do so, once she began.

She explains that the inspiration for the piece started in her first week of medical school, when she learned that the maternal mortality rate for Black mothers is 2.6 more than non-Hispanic white mothers. “As a young Black woman, this statistic especially pained me and my close friends.” Additionally, she says that in classes throughout the year, she was part of formal and informal discussions about being a mother in medicine. “I heard from classmates across racial backgrounds about their real fears of balancing pregnancy with their medical training and pregnancy complications among medical professionals.” That led her to begin to think about “my intersection as a future Black mother in medicine and the challenges I may face because of these identities. Now, as a second-year student, I created a piece that captures something I have thought much about these past two years.”

Huggins grew up in a Caribbean household close to art and culture from all over the world. “I’ve always been surrounded by music, dance, storytelling, and visual art, and my family hosted international students throughout my childhood. I started playing the piano at age three, and have been singing, dancing, and doodling for as long as I can remember.” However, it was not until she was an undergraduate at Duke University and participated in community service that she “began to understand the therapeutic value of art.”

Through her involvement in different programs at that time, including Families Moving Forward, a shelter for families without homes, and Reflections, a weekly art program for adults with dementia at Duke Nasher Museum, Huggins says, “I saw how encouraging self-expression could bring peace during uncertain times, reduce stress, and empower communities. When I went through a rough time in my sophomore year, I found myself using painting for a lot of healing.”

Huggins continues, “I will continue practicing art. It’s a self-care practice that helps me combat burnout and show up better for patients who need me.”

Class of 2025 MD student Hang Nguyen started painting at age 11, when her family immigrated to America from Vietnam. She explains, “I did not speak English at the time, so art was a vessel through which I could communicate my tumultuous adolescent mind.”

Currently, she paints often and says her favorite subject is “surreal, tranquil, and, occasionally, liminal landscapes, such as a classroom at midnight, an overgrown, abandoned church, and a long corridor that leads nowhere. For me, these landscapes represent a longing for a space that exists tranquilly, where one can be one's true self.”

Nguyen painted Submerged specifically for this contest; “In other words, this contest inspired me to look inward and reflect on — instead of simply overcome and move forward from — the challenges that I have encountered in medical school.” Through the work she wanted “to convey the various feelings that I experienced while studying for board exams using motifs that are near and dear to me like water and fish in a surreal, tranquil, and liminal ambience.” She painted it during time dedicated to Step 1, over the course of a week, working on it for an hour to two at night.

Hunger , On Chinese Medicine , and On the First Day of Anatomy Lab

First-year Physician Associate (PA) student Kelly Dunn was honored with three prizes: A tie for first place in prose for Hunger , a tie for second place in poetry for On Chinese Medicine , and honorable mention in prose for On the First Day of Anatomy Lab , each of which she shared with the audience. While Dunn, who “always considered the humanities to be a part of my life,” has been an avid reader and artist for as long as she can remember, she did not start writing until the COVID-19 pandemic. She says she mostly wrote nonfiction, and only semi-frequently, “whenever something momentous transpired, or I suddenly felt called to it,” explaining, “so much of my love and appreciation for writing comes from the fact that it’s a medium to better articulate an experience through. Having something so fresh and felt so acutely is a wonderful impetus to begin writing.”

The contest was one of Dunn’s first times writing poetry, “I’ve always been intimidated by it. Learning the different poetic forms and metric lines, as well as how to be economical with my words, seems like something I’ll never be able to achieve.” She continued, “I’m grateful for this contest for giving me an opportunity to try”

For Dunn, writing in PA school has been “incredibly helpful processing all that has happened. Every day I vacillate between feelings of immense wonder, humility, and gratitude— and these words in themselves don’t even do the moments I’ve witnessed justice.”

Acknowledgements

Reisman thanked PHM Manager Karen Kolb for her work coordinating the contest, and the 16 YSM faculty and staff members who served as judges:

Aba Black, MD, MHS, Anne Merritt, MD, MS, Terry Dagradi, Sarah Cross, MD, Lorence Gutterman, MD, Melissa Grafe, PhD, Randi Hutter-Epstein, MD, MPH, Kenneth Morford, MD, Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD, Vincent Quagliarello, MD, Lisa Sanders, MD, Nora Segar, MD, Elizabeth Marhoffer, MD, Rita Rienzo MMSC, PA-C, Sharon Chekijian, MD, PhH, and Cynthia McNamara, MD.

Featured in this article

• Aba Black, MD, MHS
• Sharon Anoush Chekijian, MD, MPH
• Sarah Cross, MD
• Terry Dagradi
• Randi Epstein
• Melissa Grafe, PhD
• Lorence Gutterman, MD
• Lenique Huggins
• Karen P Kolb
• Elizabeth Marhoffer, MD
• Cynthia Frary McNamara, MD, FACP
• Anne Merritt, MD, MS
• Kenneth Morford, MD, FASAM
• Hang Nguyen
• Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD, IBCLC
• Vincent Quagliarello, MD
• Anna Reisman, MD
• Rita Rienzo, MMSc, PA-C
• Lisa Sanders, MD, FACP
• Nora Segar, MD

Related Links

• Contest winners
• 4 YSN Students Earn Prizes at Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest
• On Chinese Medicine
• On the First Day of Anatomy Lab

• Precepting at YSN
• Event Calendar

4 YSN Students Earn Prizes at Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest

Four Yale School of Nursing (YSN) students took top prizes in prose and poetry and earned honorable mention status at the 2024 Program for Humanities in Medicine (PHM) Health Professions Creative Medical Writing and Art Contest. Recipients were honored on May 2 at the Child Study Center in New Haven, CT.

Courtney Hart ’25 MSN | First Place, Prose

Hart is a nurse midwifery/women’s health student and her prose entry, “These Small Things,” opens on a family tragedy in 1988. The essay then skips through time to milestones in 2019, 2022, and the very recent past.

I was with my mother when she discovered that my brother’s heart had stopped, on his due date. Until then, she’d had a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy. A true knot in the umbilical cord, we discovered later, was what caused Brennan’s death. I was ushered out to the receptionist’s desk to draw, blissfully unaware of my mother’s emotional wreckage contained by the door behind me as she waited for my father to come. I imagine that the receptionist did the best she could with me, in an office made for adults. I wonder if they have crayons by now—maybe just a few in primary colors, paper peeling off, and a well-worn coloring book, for times like these.

Read the full essay here.

Terri Motraghi ‘26 MSN| First Place, Poetry

Motraghi is a clinical research nurse and online MSN candidate in the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner specialty. In her prize-winning poem, “Care Taker,” the narrator makes a road trip with her family in honor of a special occasion.  

But “a nurse’s work is never finished,” and the celebrant realizes that she has provided all of the festivities herself.

Read the full poem here.

A pediatric NP primary care student, Inanoglu’s artwork is acrylic on wood, approximately four inches square. The subject’s clear brown eyes gaze directly at the observer, a manicured hand resting against her chin and cheek. The portrait is set against a bright green backdrop dotted with floating blood cells. The piece was created in 2021.

Inanoglu was previously saluted as an honorable mention in this forum in 2022 for the acrylic on canvas piece “Mom and me.”

A psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (NP) student in the online MSN program, Raimondi was recognized for a graphite on paper submission titled, “Kapatid ko,” which means “my brother” in Tagalog. The drawing is a rendition of her youngest brother, Yuri, who died by suicide in 2021.

“I honor him with this drawing, as well as with my current pursuit of a master’s in nursing degree here at Yale University to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner,” Raimondi wrote in the object’s description.

This drawing is one of three in the series called, “Love is in the eyes of the beholder—from three continents to one heart.”

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Best Short Story Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 131 contests that match your search.

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

Additional prizes:

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

The Bedford Competition

Genres: Poetry and Short Story

The Bedford Competition is nonprofit, net proceeds go to literary-leaning charities and funding for a writer to attend residential or on-line writing course. Critiques offered. Main story judge Liv Maidment, Poetry judge Jessica Mookherjee. Includes special prizes for 17-25 year-old writers.

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200 | Publication in anthology

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Letter Review Prize for Books is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Seeking most unpublished (we accept some self/indie published) novels, novellas, story collections, nonfiction, poetry etc. 20 entries are longlisted.

$1000 USD shared by 3 winners

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

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7 Day Story Writing Challenge

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Register now for our next 7-day story writing challenge. A secret theme, a randomly assigned genre, and just 7 days to write a story of no more than 2,000 words. Our 7-day story writing challenges take place throughout the year. The challenges are free and you can even get feedback on your story. Take part in one challenge or take part in all of them!

Publication on website

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

The Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction

Association of Writers & Writing Programs

AWP sponsors the Award Series, an annual competition for the publication of excellent new book-length works. The competition is open to all authors writing in English regardless of nationality or residence, and is available to published and unpublished authors alike.

Publication by Red Hen Press

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2024 (Expired)

Historical Fiction Challenge

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

For this short story challenge, all participants will be randomly assigned a period in history. As soon as you receive your assignment, you'll have until the closing time to research, write, and submit a short story of no more than 4,000 words, set during this historical period.

💰 Entry fee: $17

📅 Deadline: October 28, 2022 (Expired)

Season Themes

HAVOK Publishing

Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

HAVOK is a constant flash fiction contest, with rolling deadlines. Each season is split into monthly competitions with thematically connected prompts in a range of genres.

Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.

📅 Deadline: May 03, 2024 (Expired)

The Pinch Literary Awards & Page Prize

The Pinch Literary Journal

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Non-fiction

The 2023 Pinch Literary Awards accepts poetry and fiction. The 2023 Page Prize accepts non-fiction.

$2000 for poetry & fiction winners

$1000 for Page Prize winner

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Passionate Plume

Passionate Ink

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Novella, Romance, and Short Story

The 2024 Passionate Plume celebrates the best in erotic fiction, both long and short, and features a special category for emerging authors.

Engraved award

Publication in the Passionate Ink Charity Anthology

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: March 21, 2024 (Expired)

As Bright as the Moon

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Can’t decide between the headstrong alpha or the hunky omega? Us either. We’re seeking stories featuring steamy werewolf romance, perfect for reading under a full moon. Whether you’re Team Jacob Black or Team Alcide Herveaux…we’re all Team Awoooo. Works up to 3,000 words will be considered.

2nd place: $300; 3rd place: $100

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Expired)

Frightening First Line Contest 2023

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Short Story, and Thriller

Autumn is the season of rustling leaves, a chill in the air, and, of course, Halloween. In that spirit, we invite you to create the first line of a frightening story. But we want that first line to be so intriguing or chilling or scary that it makes our skin tingle and our nerves twitch.

Free Gotham Writers class

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2023 (Expired)

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Moth Short Story Prize 2024

Judged by Louise Kennedy, The Moth Short Story Prize is open to anyone over 16, as long as their story is previously unpublished. The word limit is 3,000. Winning story published as part of the summer fiction series in the Irish Times, while the 2nd and 3rd-prize-winning stories will be published in the Irish Times online.

2nd: week-long writing retreat at Circle of Misse in France plus open travel stipend | 3rd: €1,000

💰 Entry fee: $16

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Twist in the Tale - May 1k Words

Twist in the Tale

Genres: Flash Fiction, Short Story, and Fiction

All entrants share a main genre but will be given a twisted subgenre (unusual) from a pool of ten. Entrants will also get either an event/character/object/subject (depending on the contest) that they must include. They can reroll subgenre and subject three times each. For example, if thriller is the main genre, you might get occult detective as your subgenre. Rerolling that might give you cyberpunk, environmental, etc.

📅 Deadline: May 19, 2024

Short Story Competition 2021

Exeter Writers

Exeter Writers runs an annual short story competition. The competition began in 2009 and is very popular, receiving entries from all over the world. The maximum word count is 3,000.

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2021 (Expired)

Ironclad Creative Short Story Competition

Ironclad Creative CIC

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller

We are looking for short stories that respond in any way to: 7:12am. You can use that in the text, as a theme, or any way you want. We accept any prose genre and any length of story up to 6k words. We’re looking for writers who have exciting voices and can move us - that can happen in any genre of prose. We’re not accepting plays or poetry for this competition.

2nd: £50 | 3rd & 4th: £25 | 10 short-listed entries: publication

💰 Entry fee: $8

Geminga: $250 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art

Sunspot Lit

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, Short Story, and Novella

Geminga is a neutron star so small it was difficult to detect. With Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art, Sunspot Lit honors the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Graphic novels should be 4 pages or less.

Publication in digital and print

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Askew's Word on the Lake Writing Contest

Shuswap Association of Writers

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Essay, Memoir, and Short Story

Whether you’re an established or emerging writer, the Askew’s Word on the Lake Writing Contest has a place for you. Part of the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival in Salmon Arm, BC, the contest is open to submissions in short fiction (up to 2,000 words), nonfiction (up to 2,000 words), and poetry (up to three one-page poems).

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $11

2024 International Literary Prize

Hammond House Publishing

Genres: Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Our Annual Literary Prize is back again for 2024, with bigger cash prizes, publication for all shortlisted entries in our annual anthologies, a televised award ceremony, and an inspiring new theme.

Worldwide publication for all shortlisted entries

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Annual Short Story Contest

We are looking for stories (of any genre) ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used). Make us laugh, make us cry, but most of all, make us feel!

£200 for 2nd place, £100 for 3rd place

Stringybark Open Short Story Award 2024

Stringybark Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Short Story, Crime, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Our annual flagship competition, the Stringybark Stories Open Short Story Award 2023, is now bigger than ever! Thanks to Graeme Simpson and Anne Buist, a record prize pool of over $1300 is on offer. The theme is open, the only constraint is that there must be a reference to Australia somewhere in the story. It doesn't matter how small a link there is (it could be a jar of vegemite on the counter), there just needs to be one!

2nd: $360 | 3rd: $210 | 4th: $110

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: February 25, 2024 (Expired)

Crossings Travel Writing Competition

Intrepid Times

Genres: Non-fiction, Short Story, and Travel

Write an original, factual, first-person travel story that centers on a crossing of some kind. Your travel story should, as always, grow around the context of a place or experience; we want to see the theme being used in a way that enhances both. Editors will be looking for originality, voice, and a satisfying story arc that captures attention and makes use of imagery to pull the reader along at every step.

Publication in Intrepid Times

Dream Quest One Writing Contest

Dream Quest One

Write a short story, 5 pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, fiction, non-fiction, creative nonfiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries, short stage plays, screenplays, and screenwriting). All entries must be either typed or legibly hand printed. Multiple and simultaneous poetry and short story entries are accepted.

2nd: $125 | 3rd: $50

Cranked Anvil Short Story Competition

Cranked Anvil Press

Our quarterly short story competition is open for entries all year round. The competition is open to any theme or genre, but your story must be a maximum of 1,500 words (not including the title). You can enter up to three stories in each quarterly competition.

£75 for 2nd, £30 for 3rd

💰 Entry fee: $7

Rigel 2024: $500 for Prose, Poetry, Art, or Graphic Novel

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Literary or genre works accepted. Winner receives $500 plus publication, while runners-up and finalists are offered publication. No restrictions on theme or category. Closes: February 29. Entry fee: $12.50. Enter as many times as you like through Submittable or Duotrope

$500 + publication

Runners-up and finalists are offered publication

Hispanic Culture Review Contest 2022-2023

Hispanic Culture Review

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

As the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano once said, "the best that the world has is in the many worlds that the world contains." Therefore, this year we invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do you or your community celebrate these connections? How do you value those experiences with those people who leave a mark on your life? 1 work will be awarded in each category: 1) photography & visual arts, 2) poetry, and 3) narrative/essay/academic investigation.

$100 for photography, poetry, and essay winners

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Best Stories on Human Impact of Climate Change

Secant Publishing

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

We are seeking the year's best original short stories (fiction) devoted to the theme of global climate change and its human impact. We are interested in literary interpretations of how individuals and families, cities and nations are bearing the brunt of a world dominated by new extremes of weather, seasons, and eco-disasters. All genres welcome.

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250 | Publication in anthology

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers

University of Tulsa

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

The Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning manuscripts will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Winners will have the chance to work with the Nimrod board of editors to refine and edit their manuscripts before publication.

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

Creative Writing Award for Short Fiction

Aesthetica Magazine

The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award celebrates outstanding writers. The Award was launched after the publication of Aesthetica Magazine, as a way to support the next generation of literary talent. The Creative Writing Award is open to Poetry and Short Fiction submissions on any theme, however, we are particularly interested in works that reflect upon our ever changing world.

Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual | A five-day course from Arvon | Consultation with Redhammer Management | Six-week writing short stories course from Curtis Brown Creative

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: August 31, 2024

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

$500 Editors' Choice award

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest

Arizona Mystery Writers

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, and Short Story

Every year the Arizona Mystery Writers hosts the Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest. Naturally, since we’re the Arizona Mystery Writers, we want a mystery story, but we’re flexible about the boundaries of that category, and we also accept thrillers and suspense stories. It doesn’t matter if your story’s characters are in outer space, riding horses, or living underground. Costumes and settings don’t matter as long as the story is a mystery, thriller, or suspense tale as described.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $75

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024

Hastings Book Festival - Short Story

Hastings Book Festival

Genres: Short Story

Hastings Book Festival writing competition is open to writers from anywhere in the world writing in English on any theme. We invite short stories up to 2,500 words. We have additional prizes for LGBT+ writers and writers resident in Sussex.

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50

📅 Deadline: July 07, 2024

"Write On!" Short Story Contest

Ann Arbor District Library

Genres: Children's and Short Story

The annual "Write On!" Short Story Contest for Grades 3-5 accepts story entries each winter. All writers, their friends, and families are invited to a Story Celebration and awards ceremony on Saturday, April 23, 2022, featuring a published children's author and the top three writers in each grade will receive an award.

📅 Deadline: February 05, 2024 (Expired)

Artificial Intelligence Competition

New Beginnings

Genres: Essay, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

There is no topic relating to technology that brings more discussion than artificial intelligence. Some people think it does wonders. Others see it as trouble. Let us know your opinion about AI in this competition. Include experiences you have had with AI. 300-word limit. Winners will be selected January 1, 2024. Open to anyone, anywhere.

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2023 (Expired)

Inspiring Fiction's Special Edition Short Story Contest

Inspiring Fiction

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Inspiring Fiction’s special edition short story contest is on the theme ‘Freedom’. We are looking for crime, speculative, and fantasy short stories. The winner and shortlisted entries will be published in a bumper crossover issue of Tangled Web Magazine and Mirk Fantasy Magazine.

Publication and published review by the editor

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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