creative writing competitions for middle school students

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Middle & High Contests

Middle & High

Inspire your students to write thrilling tales with Trapped, the exciting new creative writing contest.

Closing Date May 24, 2024

A poetry competition to inspire children and young adults and get them writing about nature and the world around them.

Archived Contests

Writing Contests for Young Writers – the NewPages Guide

Updated May 11, 2024

View Publications for Young Writers

Where young writers can find print and online literary magazines to read, places to publish their own works, and legitimate contests. Some publish only young writers, some publish all ages for young readers. For specific submission guidelines, visit the publication’s website. Ages can include elementary, teen, or early college. This is an ad-free resource: publications and writing contests listed here have not paid to be included. This guide is maintained by Editor Denise Hill, a teacher who loves to encourage young writers.

Safety Matters! We expect sites listed in this guide to adhere to the  Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act . This includes a transparent method for obtaining parental/guardian permission when collecting information from contributors under the age of 13 years old.

This is a select list of contests from reputable sources. There are many contests that charge fees, but for this resource, I have sought contests which mean to recognize and encourage young writers and do not charge reading or entry fees. Of those listed that do charge a fee, some provide a publication subscription in return as they are trying to gain new readers; that seems fair and the publishers are upfront about it. Other fee-based contests are from reputable members of the literary community, and the fee is considered reasonable in relation to the prize winnings being offered.

Please avoid contests that tell you you’ve won and then want you to purchase expensive copies of the book in which you have been published. These types of “scam” contests publish hundreds, even thousands of entrants, and profit greatly from book sales. These contests take advantage of young writers and inexperienced writers of all ages.

Also see the NCTE Guidelines for Contests , which is helpful for contest organizers who want to reach out to K-12 students and for teachers assessing the legitimacy of contests for their students.

Contest Deadlines : I make every effort to update the contest list monthly and update deadline dates as the contest sponsors update them on their websites. Contest dates may change without anyone notifying me, so users of this guide should check the contest website for the most accurate information. If a previous year’s date is noted here, then the contest sponsor may not have updated their website yet, but they will likely be running the contest again. Please check back here or on the contest sponsor’s site if you are interested in that contest.

January    February     March     April     May    June     July August     September     October     November     December

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Grades 7-12 during the current school year Deadline: Varies by Region – Enter zip code to find deadline

The Earth Chronicles

Monthly Summer Writing Contests June/July/August Grades 9-12

Future Scholars Foundation

Short Story, Fan Fiction, Story Art, Story Review, Math Elementary and Middle School Grades Deadline: Monthly on the 28th

Homer Humanities

Prompt-based Ages 10-22 Bimonthly

Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest

National Federation of State Poetry Societies Grades 6-12 Each participating state conducts its own contest with deadline. Each participating state sends its top entrants to the national contest. Click here for a list of participating states.

NAACP ACT-SO Program

Open to U.S. citizen students of African descent grades 9-12 Multiple categories within academic, scientific, and artistic achievement Requires local program oversight and participation that culminates in a national competition.

National History Day Project Competition

Junior Division (grades 6, 7, 8) and Senior Division (grades 9, 10, 11, 12) Categories: Paper, Performance, Documentary, Exhibit, Website Check the website for an affiliate region near you for timelines.

National PTA Reflections Awards

Grades Pre-K to 12 Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts Each state holds its own contest, submitting winners to the national contest.

National Writing Invitational

Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Essays Ages K-12 Chosen submissions published online monthly with “Best of” awards made on October 1.

The New York Times

Ages 13-19 Various contests with varying deadlines Editorial Cartoon Contest, Civil Conversation Challenge, Review Contest, Year in Rap Contest, Vocabulary Video Contest, Editorial Contest, Found Poetry Contest, Summer Reading Contest

Poetry in Voice

A monthly poetry contest for Canadian students grades 9-12. Based on a monthly prompt. All poems submitted are considered for publication in Voices/Voix.

Six Word Memoirs

Six Words hold monthly contests for which writers must respond to a prompt in exactly six words.

Stone Soup Flash Contest

Stone Soup holds a monthly flash contest challenge based on a prompt for writers 13 and under.

Under the Madness Magazine

A magazine for and by teens under the mentorship of the New Hampshire Poet Laureate. They offer multiple contests per year for writers ages 13-19.

Write the World

WtW holds monthly contests based on an idea or genre (poetry, fantasy, sports journalism, fiction, etc.). For young writers 13-18 years old.

An organization that runs quarterly writing contests with topics centered around different world issues, encouraging charity donations, and prompting teens 12-18 years old to reflect on current crises and inspiring solutions.

Young Writers Project

A free online community of writers and visual artists ages 13-18 (12-year-olds with permission). Teachers are also invited and have a “For Teachers” space on the site. YWP holds regular challenges and seasonal contests.

Youth Communication

Every three months, YC will highlight five recent articles and ask readers ages 14-19 to write a response to the author of a story (up to 300 words). Three winners will receive prizes of $150 (1st prize), $75 (2nd prize), and $50 (3rd prize.)

VSA Playwright Discovery Competition

Grades 6-12 / Ages 11-18 Ten-minute play, screenplay, or music theater exploring the disability experience Written by young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities Deadline: January 10, 2024

Quantum Shorts

Short Story “Entries must take inspiration from quantum physics and be no longer than 1000 words.” Ages 13+ Alternates between sci-fi and sci films each year. Deadline: January 8, 2024

National Youth Foundation

Amazing Women Writing Contest Theme: Local Heroines Grades K-8 Deadline: January 9, 2025 [that is correct – 2025]

International Bipolar Foundation

High School Essay Contest Ages 13-29 Deadline: January 15, 2024

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Sponsored by the JFK Memorial Library and John Hancock Grades 9-12 Deadline: January 12, 2024 postmark

Atkins Center for Ethics Essay Contest

Carlow University Grades 11 and 12 Deadline: January 15, 2023 [Sent inquiry 12/2]

Ringling College of Art and Design

High School Creative Writing Contest High School Age Writers Deadline: January 15, 2024

Power to Explore Writing Challenge

California Institute of Technology U.S. Students in grades K-12 Deadline: January  26, 2024

Columbus State University

The Carson McCullars Literary Award Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Expository Essay, Playwriting, Screenwriting High School Age Category for Georgia and Alabama High School Students Deadline: January 19, 2024

Saint Mary’s College

River of Words Poetry and Art Contest Grades K-12 (Ages 5-19) Deadline: January 31, 2024

The Stirling Review

The Rising Voices Awards Poetry, Fiction, Critical Writing Ages 13-18 Deadline: January 31, 2024 Follow on Instagram for updates @thestirlingreview

Outdoor Writers Association of America

Norm Strung Youth Writing Awards Grades 6-8 or 9-12 For outdoor-oriented works. Deadline: January 31, 2024

Arizona Mystery Writers

Mary Ann Hutchison Memorial Story Contest for Youths Ages 9-13; 14-17 Both age groups awarded prizes. Deadline: February 1, 2024

Bluefire 1000-word Story Contest

Leyla Beban Young Authors Foundation Grades 6-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Fiction in which the main character is a female who uses engineering skills to solve a problem. Grades 3-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Gannon University

High School Poetry Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Go On Girl! Scholarships

Aspiring Writer and Unpublished Writer Each has unique criteria; See website Deadline: February 1, 2024

Narrative High School Writing Contest

Prompt provided in guidelines. Grades 9-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People

Open to books published in the previous year FOR young readers. Categories: Pre-K to Grade 3; Grades 4-6; Grades 7-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Holocaust Art and Writing Contest

Chapman University Grades Middle and High School Deadline: Postmark February 2, 2024 or by February 5, 2024 for digital submissions

North Carolina Poetry Society

Student Poetry Contest Grades 3-College Undergraduate North Carolina Residents Only Deadline: February 2, 2024

U.S. Kids Annual Cover Art Contest

Ages 2-12 Deadline: February 1, 2024

Write On! Story Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library Flash Fiction and Short Story Grades 3-5 Open to Michigan Residents Only Deadline: February 5, 2024 [See March for Grades 6-12 contest.]

ukiaHaiku Festival

Haiku Contest All Ages – Some Regional to California Counties No Fee (except for Adult Contemporary Haiku) Deadline: February 8, 2024 The website includes helpful guidelines for writing haiku.

Korean Spirit & Culture Promotion Project

Nationwide Essay Contest Topic provided on website. Middle School and High School Deadline: February 15, 2024

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

Davidson Institute, Reno, NV Ages 18 and under as application date For completion of a significant work in STEM or Humanities categories Deadline: February 14, 2024

NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing

For Juniors in the current academic school year Students must be nominated by their school’s English Department Deadline: February 15, 2024

NCTE Promising Young Writers Program

For 8th grade students in the current academic year Students must be nominated by a school committee or department Deadline: February 15, 2024

West Chester University

Iris N. Spencer Poetry Award Myong Cha Son Haiku Award Rhina P. Espaillat Award for Poetry Sonnet Award Villanelle Award Undergraduate student poets who are enrolled in a United States College or University Deadline: February 16, 2024

Society of Professional Journalists and Journalism Education Association

Essay based on prompt. Grades 9-12 U.S. Public, Private, & Home Schools Deadline: February 19, 2024

Curieux Research Scholarship Award

Middle or High School Students Deadline: February 20, 2024

Polyphony Lit Black History Month Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open February 1-February 28, 2024

Polyphony Lit Winter Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open February 1 – February 28, 2024

The Sejong Cultural Society

Essay, Sijo (Poetry) Open to Pre-college and Young Adults Deadline: February 29, 2024

Cancer Unwrapped Teen Essay Writing Contest

Cancer Pathways Grades: 9-12 Deadline: March 1, 2024

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society

University of Central Florida Middle & High School Writing Contest Story, Poem, Essay Deadline: March 1, 2024

Project Yellow Light

Scholarship Competition Grades High School or College Video, Billboard, Radio PSA on not driving distracted [Also listed under April] Deadline: March 1, 2024

Writing Contest Grades 3-12 Poetry Deadline: March 1, 2024

It’s All Write! Teen Writing Contest

Ann Arbor District Library Flash Fiction and Short Story Grades 6-12 Open to Michigan Residents Only Deadline: March 3, 2024 [See February for Grades 3-5 contest.]

Carl Sandburg Student Poetry Contest

Grades 3-12 Deadline: March 4, 2024

Elephant Aid International Essay Contest

Essay Prompts Grades 3-5 and 6-8 Deadline: March 4, 2024

American Society of Human Genetics

DNA Day Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: March 6, 2024

Taradiddle Youth Writing Contests

Animal-themed prompt-based fiction Age Categories: Elementary under 13; High School 14-18 Deadline: March 14, 2024

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival Competition

Original Plays or Musicals on any subject Ages 19 years or younger Deadline: March 15, 2024

Jacklyn Potter Young Poets Competition

The Word Works Grades 9-12 Deadline: March 15, 2024

The Haiku Society of America

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition Grades 7-12 Deadline: March 27, 2024

Voyage of Verse

Annual Poetry Anthology For current high school students Deadline: March 30, 2024

Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program

Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction/Memoir Online Flexible Dates June 20-August 1 High School and Gap Year Students Financial Aid Available Deadline: March 31, 2024

The Caterpillar

Best Poem for Children Contest This contest is for adults writing for readers ages 7-11(ish). Deadline: March 31, 2024

Sarah Mook Poetry Prize

Grades K-12 Deadline: March 31, 2024

American Foreign Service Association

High School Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: April 1, 2024

Princeton University

Lewis Arts Center Ten-Minute Play Contest Grades 11 and 12 in the current school year Deadline: April 1, 2024 (or as soon as 250 entries are received)

Scholarship Competition Grades High School or College Video, Billboard, Radio PSA on not driving distracted [Also listed under March] Deadline: April 1, 2024

United States Institute for Peace

High School Essay Contest Deadline: April 3, 2023 [Sent inquiry 3/17]

All-Media Public Anti-Hate Message Contest Grade Categories: K12; 7-12 Grade; Higher Education Individual and Class Group Submissions Deadline: December 1, 2023 and April 5, 2024

The Legacy Project

“Listen to a Life” Writing Contest Ages 8-18 Deadline: April 12, 2024

We the Students Essay Contest

Bill of Rights Institute Ages 14-19 Deadline: on hiatus for 22-23

Americans Against Gun Violence

National High School Essay Contest Theme provided on website. Deadline: April 20, 2024

Dear Poet Project

Grades 5-12 Letters written in response to poets reading poems Select letters will be published online; Select letters will receive a response Deadline: April 22, 2024

Short on Words

Poetry or Prose in response to one of ten photographs. Age Categories 17 and under, 18 and older $10 Nonprofit fundraising entry fee Deadline: Hiatus for 2024

fingers comma toes

National Flash Fiction Day Youth Competition All ages Deadline: April 30, 2023

The Wilbur & NISO Smith Foundation

Author of Tomorrow Adventure Writing Contest Ages 11 and under; 12-15; 16-21 Deadline: April 30, 2024

Leaders Igniting Generational Healing & Transformation Under 18 category Art, Letters, Poetry, Stories Deadline: May 1, 2024

New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

YouthPLAYS Non-musical, one-act play suitable for HS audience Written by Playwrights 19 years and under Deadline: May 1, 2024

World Historian Student Essay Competition

World History Association Grades K-12 Deadline: May 1, 2023

Skipping Stones Asian Celebration Haiku Contest

Ages 7-18 Deadline: May 5, 2024

Skipping Stones Youth Honors Award

Promoting Multicultural Awareness, International Understanding and Nature Appreciation Original Writing and Art Ages 7-17 Deadline: May 5, 2024

Holocaust Center for Humanity

Holocaust Art Contest Open to ages 9-18 in WA, OR, ID, AK Deadline: May 17, 2024

Last House Writing Contest for Emerging Writers

Sponsored by Audubon Canyon Ranch Essay, Short Story, Poetry Age Categories 8-12 years old and 13-17 years old Deadline: May 17, 2024

Quills and Keyboard

Poetry, Song Lyrics, SciFi, Fantasy, Short Story, Personal Essay, Memoir, Novel Excerpts, Journalism, Humor, Flash Fiction, Dramatic Script, Critical Essay, Horror, Philosophy, Speeches, Classic Literary Adaptations High School Students 14+ Deadline: May 20, 2023

Humane Education Network

A Voice for Animals Essay Contest for 14-15 and 16-18-year-olds Video Action Project for 16-18-year-olds Essay with Photos for 16-18-year-olds Deadline: May 31, 2024

The Adroit Journal

Prizes for Poetry and Prose Open to Secondary and Undergraduate Students Fee Waiver Request Form available Deadline: May 31, 2023

California Young Playwrights Contest

Open to residents of California only. Ages Under 19 as of June 1 Deadline: June 1, 2023

Fraser Institute Student Essay Contest

Open to students studying in Canada and Canadian students studying abroad. High School / Undergraduate / Graduate Categories Topic changes each year Deadline: June 1, 2023

Jane Austen Society of North America Essay Contest

Ages High School / College / Graduate School Topic changes each year Deadline: June 1, 2023

Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest

“Youth” Category of High School Age and Younger Deadline: June 1, 2023

Natures Wild Neighbour Society

“Get to Know Your Wild Neighbors” Art, Writing, Photography, Videography, Music Ages 11-18 Deadline: June 1, 2023

John Estey Student Writing Competition

American Writers Museum Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Cross-Genre, Drama/Playwriting, Hybrid Elementary, Middle, and High School Categories Deadline: June 5, 2023

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest

Art, Poetry, Prose, Film, Music, Multimedia, Performing Arts, Spoken Word Ages 11-18 Deadline: June 13, 2023

Theme Essay Contest Grades 9-12 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Goi Peace Foundation International Essay Contest

Theme Essay Contest Ages 25 and under Deadline: June 15, 2023

National Teen Storyteller Contest: Solidarity

The Center for Fiction and The Decameron Project Ages 13-18 Deadline: June 1-June 25, 2022

Chicago Young Writers Review (CYWR)

Theme: “The Story That Made Me Feel” Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry Grades K-8 Deadline: June 30, 2022

Earth4All Creative Challenge

Writing, Art, Video (any language) Ages 15 and under, 16-18, 19-21 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Eden Mills Writers’ Festival

Poetry Contest for Children Ontario Residents Only Grades 1-3, Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8 Deadline: June 30, 2022

Poetry Contest for Teens Ontario Residents Only Grades 9-10 and Grades 11-12 Deadline: June 30, 2022

The Geek Partnership Society

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural and Alternate History Fiction Poetry, Fiction, Graphic Novel Various age categories (K-Adult) Deadline: [on hiatus for 2023]

Polyphony Lit Pride Month Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open June 1-June 30, 2023

Polyphony Lit Summer Contest

Theme: “2020 Hindsight” Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open June 1-June 30, 2023

Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award

Ages: Adult; Youth (13-18); Youth (12 and under) No fee for 12 and under. Deadline: Postmark July 1, 2023

1455 Teen Poetry Contest

Ages 13-19 Deadline: July 4, 2023

Johnson County Library Youth Short Story Contest

Short Story in Verse on a theme Grades 3-12 Deadline: Postmark July 6, 2023

Johnson County Library Youth Sticker Design Contest

Theme: “Oceans of Possibilities!” Ages 11 and under Deadline: Postmark July 6, 2023

Stony Brook Short Fiction Prize

State University of New York Only undergraduates enrolled full-time in American and Canadian universities and colleges for the academic year are eligible Deadline: July 14, 2022

Youth Innovation Challange

Global Environmental Education Partnership Themed Essay Contest Ages 15-30 Deadline: July 19, 2023

NCTE Excellence in Student Literary Magazines

Open to all accredited middle and secondary schools (US, CA, VI, US schools abroad) Deadline: July 31, 2023

Student Book Scholars

National Youth Foundation Theme: Anti-Bullying Grades K-8 Deadline: July 15, 2023

“I Matter” Poetry Contest

National Youth Foundation Topic: “Black Lives Matter” Grades: K-12 Deadline: July 23, 2024

Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award

The Poetry Society Ages 11-17 Deadline: July 31, 2023

The Lincoln Forum

Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest Specific topic posted on the website. For full-time college/university students. Deadline: Postmark July 31, 2023

Hindus for Human Rights

Essay and Art Contest on Human and Civil Rights Open to South Asian American students in grades 6-12 Deadline: August 15, 2023

Stone Soup Book Contest

Fiction, Memoir, Poetry Manuscript Ages 14 or under for 2023 Deadline: August 15, 2023

Wax Poetry and Art Poetry Contest

Ages under 25 Deadline: August 31, 2023

William Faulkner Literary Competition

Student Short Story Category Open to Mississippi High School Students Deadline: August 31, 2023

Youth Free Expression Film Contest

National Coalition Against Censorship Ages 19 and under Deadline: September 8, 2023

Animal-themed prompt-based fiction Age Categories: Elementary under 13; High School 14-18 Deadline: September 19, 2024

Art of Unity Creative Award

International Human Rights Art Festival Poetry, Short Story, Essay as well as any creative media Youth Age Category 18 and under Deadline: September 30, 2023 (will not be held in 2024)

Creators of Justice Literary Awards

International Human Rights Art Festival Poetry, Short Story, Essay 2500 words or less on Human Rights Theme Youth Age Category 18 and under Deadline: September 30, 2023 (will not be held in 2024)

Embracing Our Differences

Art Exhibit and Quote Contest For all ages Deadline: October 5, 2023

National YoungArts Foundation

Ages 15-18 Various Arts Categories Receive up to $10k + educational support Applications Open June 12 – October 13, 2023

American Geosciences Institute

Earth Science Week Essay Contest Theme: “Finding ‘Art’ in Earth” Grades 6-9 Deadline: October 13, 2023

Toyin Fálọlá Prize

Themed Short Story Contest Ages 15-35 Entrants must be African Deadline: October 15, 2023

Polyphony Lit Latin Heritage Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open September 15 – October 15, 2023

Polyphony Lit Fall Contest

Open to High School Students Globally Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction Deadline: Open October 1 – October 31, 2023

VFW Patriot’s Pen

Themed Essay Competition Grades 6-8 Deadline: October 31, 2023

VFW Voice of Democracy

Audio Essay Competition Grades 9-12 Deadline: October 31, 2023

Hollins University

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest For High School Sophomore and Junior Girls Deadline: October 31, 2022 [site not updated; contacted 10/24]

Bennington College

Young Writers Competition Grades 10-12 Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction Deadline: November 1, 2023

Interlochen Arts Academy

Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition Fiction, Poetry, Spoken Word Personal essay or memoir, Screenwriting, Playwriting, Comics, Experimental or unclassifiable writing Grades 8-11 Deadline: November 15, 2023

Theme: A Story Worth Telling Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry Grades K-8 Deadline: November 7, 2022 [site not updated; sent inquiry 10/24]

Lions International

International Peace Essay Contest Ages 11, 12, 13 years old on November 15, 2023 Open to students who are considered visually impaired according to their national guidelines.

Rachel Carson Sense of the Wild Contest

Poetry and Prose w/ or w/o Photograph Intergenerational Team of two or more only Deadline: November 16, 2023

Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open Call for Submissions Ages 15 or younger Deadline: November 16, 2023

One Teen Story Contest

Open Call for Submissions Ages 13-15, 16-17, 18-19 Deadline: November 27, 2023

Leonard Milberg ’53 Secondary School Poetry Prize Any student who is in the eleventh grade in the academic year is eligible. Deadline: November 26, 2023

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Kenyon Review High School Sophomores and Juniors Award: First place: Full scholarship to the Kenyon Review Young Writers workshop and publication. Second and third place: Publication. Deadline: November 1 – 30, 2023

NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program

National Novel Writing Month November 1 – 30, 2023 Many free events year-round; visit their website for details.

The Telling Room

Themed Poetry and Fiction Grades 6-12 / Ages 11-18 For Maine Residents only Deadline: November 30, 2023

The Upper New Review

Essay Contes: A Sense of Place Ages 13-17; 18-older Deadline: November 30, 2023

Literacy In Place

Rural Teen Writing Contest Fiction, Nonfiction Grades 9-12 Deadline: December 1, 2023

Smith College

The Poetry Center High School Prize An annual prize for sophomore & junior girls in New England Deadline: September 1 – December 1, 2023

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation Essay Contest

Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation Essay Contest High School Students Deadline: December 10, 2023

Rider University

Annual High School Writing Contest Grades 9-12 Essay, Short Story, Poetry Deadline: December 20, 2023

Short Stories on the theme: 2050 Grades 9-12 Deadline: December 31, 2023

The Fire Scholarship Contest

Essay: Prompt using video examples on topic of Free Speech Grades High School Juniors & Seniors Deadline: December 31, 2021 [On hiatus 2022-23; check back in 2024]

The Fitzgerald Museum

Fiction, Poetry, Multi-Genre High School and College Students Deadline: September 1 – December 31, 2023

The Lyric Magazine

Poetry Contest Undergraduate Students – USA and Canada Deadline: Postmark December 31, 2023

Northeastern University – London

[Formerly New College of the Humanities] Essay Competition Prompts provided in humanities and social sciences. Grade 12 only Deadline: December 31, 2023

Poetry Society of America

Louise Louis/Emily F. Bourn Student Award Poetry Award Teacher/Administrator Nominated unpublished poem by 9-12 grade student. Deadline: Postmark October 1-December 31, 2023

The Society of Classical Poets

Poetry Competition Ages 13-19 Deadline: December 31, 2023 [New info is posted September 1]

Looking for a list of publications that publish young writers? Check out our guide here .

The NewPages Young Writers Guide to Contests is a free and ad-free resource for anyone looking for writing contests for teens, writing contests for high school students, scholastic writing contests, writing contests for middle school students, writing contests for kids, high school writing contests, writing contests for elementary students, creative writing contests for high school students, poetry contests for high school students.

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A powerhouse of voices. A champion of different perspectives. A pipeline of talent.

A POWERHOUSE OF VOICES. A CHAMPION OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. A PIPELINE OF TALENT. This is Girls Write Now.

Connect with us, writing contests & publication opportunities for youth.

Girls Write Now is a dynamic, multi-generational community of writers on a mission. For more than 20 years, our nationally award-winning programs have provided creative, critical and digital writing training, college and career readiness, personalized mentoring and massive opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Know about a great writing contest for teens or young adults? Feel free to reach out to Kenna McCafferty at [email protected] .

Girls Write Now Contests

FIRST CHAPTERS CONTEST A Writing Contest in Partnership with Penguin Random House and Electric Lit Girls Write Now is proud to team up with Penguin Random House and Electric Lit for  an exciting opportunity to be published on the Electric Lit website and win a cash prize of $500! The First Chapters contest is part of Penguin Random House’s and Electric Lit’s commitment to support Girls Write Now in amplifying diverse voices. To qualify your first Chapter MUST:

• Be 4500 words or fewer
• NOT have been previously published in any medium
• NOT have been recognized with any prior awards
• Be submitted as a Google Doc via the form below  before   11:50PM ET on May 9, 2024

SELECT YOUTH CONTESTS

The Alexandrian Review is an entirely student run international youth literary magazine and they are looking for submissions. To submit, applicants must be 10-20 years of age. The Alexandrian Review receives any submissions within their guidelines. While they do emphasize the theme of amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, they are happy to accept and provide feedback on any works. The submission window will be open from  April 7 – July 31.  Learn more about the submission requirements  here .

F(r)iction is seeking stories for its fall issue based around its mission to promote work that actively pushes the boundaries of traditional publishing, that has complex characters and a strong narrative arc, and makes us feel something as we read it. Their contests feature a panel of three guest judges to help us decide the winners for each category. For Spring 2024, Wole Talabi will judge Short Story, Sherrie Flick will judge Flash Fiction, C. S. E. Cooney will judge Poetry, and Marin Sardy will judge Creative Nonfiction. Winners in each category will receive a cash prize, as well as work with one of our Senior Editors to see their work published either online or in our print journal! Deadline to submit via Submittable is April 30, 2024 and results are announced September 9, 2024. Submission fees range from $10 – $15 dollars, and prizes range from $300 to $1,000.

Ebony LaDelle, author of Love Radio is editing an anthology of love stories set at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to be published by Ballantine Books. Contributors include Kiese Laymon, Elizabeth Acevedo, Farrah Rochon, Dawnie Walton, and more. Must be a current undergrad or graduate HBCU students for consideration.  If a story is selected, the writer will receive author credit as a contributor and a contributor fee.

Select Annual Contest Schedules

Bennington’s Young Writers Awards exists to promote excellence in writing at the high school level. Included genres are poetry, fiction and nonfiction. A first, second, and third place winner is selected in each category. The details below can be found on their Submittable page at https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards .

Awards & Rules First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $1,000; second-place winners receive $500; third-place winners receive $250.

There is no entry fee.

All entries must be original work reviewed, approved and sponsored by a high school teacher. We will use your sponsoring teacher as a contact for the competition should we have any questions. For homeschooled students, please contact a mentor to sponsor your writing.

Young Writers Award finalists and winners are also eligible for undergraduate scholarships at Bennington. YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $40,000. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $15,000 scholarship every year for four years, for a total of $60,000.

Black Lawrence Press has annual awards and competitions for a variety of genres. The schedule below, as well as individual descriptions for each award, can be found on their Submittable page at https://blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit . The Big Moose Prize: Open December 1 – January 31 (Open competition, novels) The Hudson Prize: Open February 1 – March 31 (Open competition, poetry and short story collections) The Spring Black River Chapbook Competition : Open April 1 – May 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 1: Between June 1 – June 30 The St. Lawrence Book Award: Open July 1- August 31 (First book competition, poetry and short story collections) The Fall Black River Chapbook Competition: Open September 1 – October 31 (Open competition, poetry and prose chaps) Open Reading Period 2: Between November 1 – November 30 (Please note that Black Lawrence Press occasionally offers early bird specials on their contests. These specials allow authors to submit their manuscripts ahead of time at a discounted rate.)

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest –  Tell Your Climate Story  – encourages you to become a climate witness and share your own unique climate story. We are asking you to creatively express your personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about our changing climate reality. Use this opportunity to learn about the climate crisis and how it impacts your family and community, and to examine your individual responses to our evolving world. Learn more at  http://www.bowseat.org/contest .

This Goi Peace Foundation essay contest aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world. This year’s theme challenges writers to explore their values, and how those values shape their lives. Three winners will be selected, with cash prizes of up to $840. To learn more, visit https://www.goipeace.or.jp/en/work/essay-contest/ .

The American Writers Museum, John Estey Student Writing Competition, has opened its 4th annual student writing competition. To learn more, visit American Writers Museum

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMERGING WRITERS

THE ADROIT JOURNAL  is run by high school students, college students, and emerging writers. Adroit publishes within “over 21” and “under 21” categories, so your writing will appear alongside great work by writers of any age. Adroit publishes fiction and poetry, and includes art and photography. They will reopen our submission reading period in January 2021. Find them online at:  http://www.theadroitjournal.org/

AFFINITY MAGAZINE works to spotlight teen voices about current events. We find that the media sometimes forgets the voices of teens on many topics! So we are here to give them a voice. Affinity Magazine allows you to get your writing published and read by thousands of people! You can get your work published and sharpen up on your writing so you can write for The New York Times one day (hopefully!!). For ages 13-20. Visit http://affinitymagazine.us/write-for-us/ for more information on all the different

AGNI  is Boston University’s well-respected journal. It appears in both print and online. AGNI submissions are not limited to high school writers, but the journal is known to accept and publish lots of work by new writers. Get published in high school at AGNI and you’ve taken an important step to becoming a writer in the real world! Find them online at:  http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.htm

THE ALCOTT YOUTH MAGAZINE is a magazine devoted to sharing the written perspectives of young people. The magazine publishes work on a variety of topics, including current events, young adult life, and women’s rights issues. Published works are primarily focused on young women from ages thirteen to twenty-two. However, anyone who is interested in sharing their voice is encouraged to submit to the magazine, regardless of age or gender. The Alcott Youth Magazine is open to publishing articles, essays, short stories, illustrations, cartoons, photographs, or any other works. Visit https://www.alcottmagazine.com/submit

THE AUDACITY is Roxanne Gay’s bi-monthly newsletter where she features emerging writers with fewer than three article/essay/short story publications and no published books or book contracts. The Audacity features only non-fiction and is particularly interested in literary essays and memoir. All essays are paid a flat fee of $2,000. For more information, visit https://gay.submittable.com/submit

BLUE MARBLE publishes four times a year and accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, opinion pieces, travel writing, photography and art on a rolling basis. Blue Marble looks for new work from writers ages 13-21 that hasn’t been published anywhere else either online or in print. For more details on how to submit your work, visit https://bluemarblereview.com/submit/ .

DIALOGUE HUMANITIES is an online, biannual journal that publishes high quality, humanities-focused essays written by middle and high school students. Essays will be reviewed by a panel of experts in various humanities-based fields and will be chosen based on the strength of the writing, the author’s familiarity with his or her chosen topic, and the appropriateness of the essay’s content. Dialogue Humanities Review aims to include academic essays from a wide variety of fields, including but not limited to: African-American Studies; American Studies; Anthropology; Archaeology; Art Criticism, History, and Theory; Classics; Ethics; Ethnic Studies; Folklore; Geography; History; History and Ethics of Science; International Studies; Jurisprudence; Languages and Linguistics; Literature; Music History and Criticism; Philosophy; Political Science; Psychology; Religion and Comparative Religion; Sociology; Social Sciences; Theatre History and Criticism; and Women’s Studies. If selected, authors will be asked to revise their essays to ready it for publication. Please visit http://dialoguehumanitiesreview.org/about/ or contact Jessica Rafferty at [email protected] for more information.

ÉLAN LITERARY MAGAZINE accepts original fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, plays, and all kinds of art from students ages 14-18 in locations internationally. Élan produces two online editions a year, one in the Fall/Winter and another in the Spring/Summer. The two editions are combined into a single Print Edition each Summer. For more information on how to submit, visit: https://www.elanlitmag.com/submit .

EMBER only publishes twice a year, but this beautiful and dreamy journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction appeals to all age groups. Although it doesn’t exclusively publish young writers, submissions from writers and artists ages 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. Submissions open March 1, 2023 . For more details, visit them online at:  http://emberjournal.org/ .

ENOUGH PLAYS is taking submissions from teen writers (ages 13-19) of 10-MIN PLAYS confronting the issue of gun violence. Six plays will be selected by a panel of astonishing writers to be published and performed nationwide and the writers will receive $500. Deadline for submissions is April 20, 2023 . Visit them online: https://www.enoughplays.com/amplify

GIRLS RIGHT THE WORLD  is a literary journal inviting young, female-identified writers and artists, ages 14–21, to submit work for consideration for the fourth annual issue. They believe girls’ voices transform the world for the better. We accept poetry, prose, and visual art of any style or theme. Girls Right The World ask to be the first to publish your work in North America; after publication, the rights return to you. Please include a note mentioning your age, where you’re from, and a bit about your submission. Send your best work, in English or English translation, to [email protected] between September 1 and December 31. 

HANGING LOOSE PRESS has had a section of high school writing in their issues since 1968. Hanging Loose has long been known for its special interest in new writers. This press reads manuscripts throughout the year, accepting poetry and prose. For more details on the submission process, visit https://www.hangingloosepress.com/submissions/ .

HELLOGIGGLES a positive online community for female-identifying readers (although others are always welcome!) covering the latest in beauty and style, relationships, career and money, culture, identity, and more. Featuring a mix of news, personal essays, reported features, and service, we’re committed to providing our readers with smart, thoughtful, and relatable content representing a range of voices. We were founded by Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer, and Sophia Rossi in 2011 as a place on the Internet to inspire a smile, and years later, we’re still doing just that. Tor ages 14 and up.

HOT DISH MAGAZINE , an online journal serving up a bubbling mixture of poetry and fiction by teens (grades 9–12), wants your voice to be heard! We award cash prizes for fiction, poetry, and the Hot Dish Challenge. Our submission period is October-January. Visit us at  www.hotdishmagazine.com .  The GOAT ( the-goat.org ) publishes student writing on everything sports related and is looking for new submissions. Students can email their writing pieces to me. No work is rejected, and editors provide any mentoring and editing necessary. Students will see their work online within weeks and can include the link on their college or summer school applications.

ICE LOLLY REVIEW:  Ice Lolly Review accepts a variety of pieces including, creative nonfiction, fiction, haikus, poems, plays, spoken word, and etc. They are looking for pieces that have a strong, solid voice and aren’t afraid of delving into deep topics. For more details, go to  https://www.icelollyreview.com/submissions .

jGIRLS   MAGAZINE:   jGirls Magazine accepts submissions on an ongoing basis from self-identifying Jewish teenage girls and gender-expansive youth ages 13-19. You can submit articles, essays, fiction, poetry, cultural reviews, humor, photographs, music, videos, artwork and other creative materials. You can submit as often as you’d like. For more details, visit  https://jgirlsmagazine.org/submission-guidelines/ .

KIDSPIRIT is a nonprofit online magazine and community by and for youth to engage each other about life’s big questions in an open and inclusive spirit. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding among 11- to 17-year-olds of diverse backgrounds and support their development into world citizens with strong inner grounding. KidSpirit is in syndication on the Huffington Post and Spirituality & Practice and has won numerous awards from major educational, parenting, and spiritual organizations. Visit the Get Involved section to learn more about publishing your work, becoming an editor, or facilitating a conversation about one of the 50 themes KidSpirit contributors have explored: https://kidspiritonline.com/get-involved/

THE LUMIERE REVIEW is a literary magazine dedicated to shining the light on all voices through poetry, prose, and art. General submissions are now open. Submissions to the forthcoming Issue 08 of The Lumiere Review in poetry, prose (creative fiction and non-fiction), and all forms of art can be sent to [email protected] . Details on how to submit and format your work can be found at: https://lumierereview.com/submit .

NARRATIVE MAGAZINE A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, a memoir, or an excerpt from a longer work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to 15,000 words of prose with a $27 entry fee by March 28. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Deadline, March 28, 2024 at midnight PST.

POLYPHONY LIT:  invites submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from high school students worldwide. Student editors provide feedback to all submissions, including the ones not accepted for publication. Submissions are open from February 1-28, 2022 and June 1-30, 2022. More details can be found at  https://www.polyphonylit.org/.

TEEN INK is one of the most popular and diverse writing spaces to get published in high school. The broad categories for publication reflect the diversity of writing that this lively online magazine celebrates. Some publication categories include: community service, travel and culture, the environment, health, reviews of TV shows and video games, and college essays, among the more traditional poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Visit online at:  http://www.teenink.com

THE TRAILBLAZER LITERARY MAGAZINE is an international high school publication dedicated to push for cultural diversity through creative writing. For general submissions, the magazine accepts fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction all year, from middle and high school students between 14 and 18 years old. In addition, they host the Cultural Heritage Writing Contest, which welcomes submissions about the young creatives’ cultural background, ancestry, values, customs, etc. Visit online at: https://www.thetrailblazerreview.com/ TRAVELNITCH was founded in 2018 to encourage a love of travel and make it more accessible to all families. Travelnitch believes travel has the power to changes lives, open minds, and build stronger communities. They love to feature new & aspiring travel writers who can delight and entertain readers. They currently need support developing family-centric travel content to engage kids (and sometimes parents) in fun and innovative ways.  If you are a writer who loves to travel, this could be the perfect fit for you—turn your own passion into an inspiring story for our readers! https://travelnitch.org/writers/storyteller-spotlight/

TYRIAN INK is an independent LGBTQIA+ press that is dedicated to uplifting youth voices. TYRIAN INK is currently open to chapbook manuscripts of any genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid, etc) with a minimum of 30 pages and a maximum of 50 pages in length. Please only submit if you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and are 22 or below. Writers will be paid $250 for their manuscripts and receive a percent of royalties for every chapbook sold. https://tyrianinkpress.com/home/submission-guidelines/

Auroras & Blossoms’ third annual PoArtMo Anthology , gives a voice to people whose stories and/or art seek to nurture hope and optimism. Writers of poetry, short stories, flash fiction, essays, and six-word stories are all encouraged to send in their work! To read more about The PoArtMo Anthology, visit the Auroras and Blossoms Anthology guidelines page at https://abpositiveart.com/youth .

WRITING RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS

Hedgebrook’s mission is to support visionary women-identified writers,18 and older, whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Writers must be women, which is inclusive of transgender women and female-identified individuals.

Hedgebrook’s Writer-in-Residence Program supports writers from all over the world for fully-funded residencies of two to four weeks (travel is not included and is the responsibility of the writer to arrange and pay for). Up to 6 writers can be in residence at a time, each housed in their own handcrafted cottage. They spend their days in solitude – writing, reading, taking walks in the woods on the property or on nearby Double Bluff beach. In the evenings, “The Gathering” is a social time for residents to connect and share over their freshly prepared meals.

Writers can apply here for a residency in Fiction, Non-fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting/TV Writing, or Songwriting. Read more and apply at https://www.hedgebrook.org/writers-in-residence.

MacDowell’s mission is to nurture the arts by offering creative individuals an inspiring environment in which they can produce enduring works of the imagination. We encourage applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and who are investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns.

MacDowell  is currently accepting applications for the Spring Summer 2023 residency season (March – August 2023). Learn more at https://macdowell.slideroom.com/#/Login.

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is a $8,000 unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located therein. This grant is awarded in fifteen different disciplines over a three-year period (five categories a year) and the application is free to complete. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is not a project grant, but is intended to fund an artist’s vision or voice, at all levels of their artistic development.

Learn more at https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/artist-fellowships/ .

Explore More College & Career Resources

InternshipS FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

ScholarshipS FOR HIGH SCHOOL & COLLEGE STUDENTS

Writing CONTESTS & PUBLICATIONS OPEN TO youth

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For 25 years, Girls Write Now has been breaking down barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor the next generation of writers and leaders who are impacting businesses, shaping culture and creating change. Thank you for joining our movement.

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List of Writing Contests for Kids (Updated for 2022)

by Kaelyn Barron | 117 comments

Kids have big imaginations, and when it comes to creating stories or poetry, it’s that bold creativity that can even give them an advantage over their adult counterparts. They also tend to be braver when it comes to sharing their work.

If you have a child or student who loves writing and telling stories, they might be interested in entering a writing contest for the chance to win fun prizes, cash, and recognition for their writing.

List of Writing Contests for Kids 2022

Below is a list of writing contests for kids open in 2022. Each contest has different age ranges, so be sure to review the submission guidelines by clicking on the contest’s name.

Where Can You Find Writing Competitions?

Looking for more writing contests? You don’t have to search far! We’ve rounded up a complete list of writing contests for 2022.

Before you enter, be sure to check out our tips on how to win a writing contest . If you’re a high school or college student, you might be interested in these writing scholarships too.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• List of Screenwriting Contests (Updated for 2021)
• List of Flash Fiction Contests (Updated for 2021)
• List of Writing Scholarships Available in 2021
• 10 Youngest Child Authors Who Prove Age Is Just a Number

As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

117 Comments

My best handwritten

Hi, I am bushra, a 13 year old resident in india. i am looking for free contests of poetry. contests with cash prizes or recognition is peferable. Thanks :)

Hey Bushra, we’re still working on a post for poetry contests for kids. But for now, googling “free poetry contests for kids” should show a lot of options for you. :)

Hi Kaelyn, I was wondering if it’s possible for you to add the Cozy Rainbow Creative Challenges to your list. We have ongoing creative challenges on our website and podcast for ages 7-17. The winners get published on our podcast. Here is our site: http://www.cozyrainbow.org/p/creative-challenges.html

Thanks Tammy, I’ve added it to the list! :)

Our first round ended. Our next deadline is September 1 if you want to post it here! Thank you Kaelyn!

Hey Tammy, already updated the list!

Check out CarbonRewind.org – there is a challenge which includes journaling for a prizes of up to CAD$1,000!

I know the betty award due dated passed but does it happen next year, too?

Hi Betty, yes, the deadline for the fall contest is October 15! :)

I’m in 5th grade (about to be 6th) is that to young for the middle grades monthly writing contest?

Hey Appie, I looked on the MGMWC and it said younger students could participate too.

~Rebecca Mcmay

Hi Appie, it actually looks like the middle grade contest has been discontinues for now, so I’ve removed it from the list. I’m sorry for the inconvenience!

Hi, thank you for all these ideas! I like writting short stores just for entertainment. Its not poetry or foundation writting or anything like that. I want to join a contest for short stories for free. I am 11 about to turn 12. I am in 6th grade abouth to be in 7th.

Hi Salwa! Thanks for your comment :) Other that the contests on this list, you can enter these short story contests too.

i enjoy writing as well i am eleven. do u know any magazine or contests for narrative writing open now?

Hi kk, in addition to the contests listed here, you can try submitting your work to these publications :)

Hi. My name is Ava. I like to write Long and short stories. Long are adventourous and fanitisy. Short are kind of adventure, and kind of, like deep if you know what that means. I was hoping for a writing contest that I could enter that is free. (12 years old, almost 13) I live in Utah, US.

1000 words creative writing contest is a good one!

Hi, My name is Ava. I write a lot o fshort stories and I was hoping to find a cool contest to put one of them in. One of th problems is that I am only 12 and am in 7th grade.

Hi Ava, thanks for your comment! If you don’t find one on this list that works, you can check out this list of short story contests (I don’t think most of them have age restrictions).

Hello Miss Kaelyn Barron! My name is Coda and I was wondering if you will be hosting any writing comps. I would love to do any writing for you. I can do any things that’s free for entry. I have a thirst for writing.

Hi Coda, thanks for your comment! We actually have a poetry contest open right now. You can find more info here . It does have a $5 entry fee, however.

Hi! My name is Lacey and I love writing. I have wrote a article and a perspective story about my cat. I would love to submit them or write more story’s. When I am older my dream is to be a journalist. So I love doing reports and articles. But lately I cant find anything that sparks me from the list above. Also I live in the states and I am 11.

Hi Lacey, thanks for your comment! I’ll work on updating this list to see if I can find more contests for you to enter. But in the meantime you can enter our poetry or short story contests :) we have no specific prompts or age requirements

Hey, I’m 14 from Utah and have been trying to find a good competition for my poems but none of these seem to be fitting.

a good place is creative communication it allows you to enter a contest and you can get a chance to have you’re poem published.

Yeah, creative communication is awesome!

Thanks for sharing that tip, Ella! :)

Hi Liberty, thanks for your comment! There are several contests here for your age range, but if you don’t like the topics, I’ll be updating the list throughout the year, so check back soon :)

Hi! I am 11 and am looking for a writing contest that is free to enter and the dead line is in June or may. I have not been able to find any writing contest that suite me. Please help writing is my passion. I just finished the ” Listen to a life story.” I live in Michigna please help me

Hi Coda, it looks like the World Historian Student Essay competition could be a good fit for you! The details are in the table above :)

Sadly I didn’t make it in time. If any up come up and would suite me please let me know. I like any content.

Hello Everyone,

Are all these competitions open for kids in Canada?

Hi Priyanka, some might have restrictions regarding citizenship or residency. Double check the guidelines, but I think many are open to writers of different countries :)

hallo my name is cashmir and i currently am 11. i love writing storys but i cannot seem to find a cotest fit for me since soon i will be moving out of the fifth grade. is there any contest here that i could apply for?

Hi Cashmir, there are actually several contests listed here for grades 6 and up, or that include your age range :) check out their guidelines and take note of the deadlines! Best of luck :)

Hullo, I have written a short story of 400-500 words long about global warming and I am looking for a contest to submit it in. (I am 13)

Hi Skyler, that’s great! I think one of the contests on here might be looking for climate/environmental-related submissions. If not, you can submit your work to any that accept nonfiction and don’t have specific prompts :)

Hello my name is misty and I want to write a play but I cant seem to find somewhere I can write a play I really enjoy writing plays I wrote a play not so long ago and actors from i think Michigan, played it out for e and my class and they said it was the best from the whole 6th grade and since that I’ve been writing plays but no one acts them out. My name is Misty and I’m 12 years old in the 6th grade

Hi Misty, that’s so great that you’re into writing plays! I’m not sure that any of the contests in this list accept plays, but we do have a list of playwriting contests here . I’ll also work on updating this post if I can find playwriting contests for kids :)

“I Matter ” poetry contest I want to participate in that contest but I can’t find form for submission of my poetry I am from India. Please help me

Hi Viraj, here’s the form . However, it says it’s open to students who are residents in the US as well as “international students,” so I’m not sure if that means you have to be an international student living in the US.

I am viraj Shinde from India 9 years old English poet want to participate in compitition 2022 ‘”I matter” poetry contest for kids

No, i live in India

Hi Viraj, if it’s not working I assume it might be because you’re not in the U.S.

It’s because your not in the us

Hi my name is Brooklynn and I am 14 I will be 15 soon, is there any contest that would be good for like suspense or mystery

Hi Brooklynn, the Middle Grade Story Contest or the Bennington awards might be good options for you :)

hello i am looking to publish a poem on bullying, 150 words at least if possible.I am in 5th grade 11 years old and am hoping to join the writing world

Hi Layla, that’s great! There are lots of contests on this list for your age range :) You can also check out this list of poetry contests .

Hi, I was wondering what gives people higher chances of getting good results in writing contests.

~Rebecca McMay

Hi Rebecca, you can check out our tips for entering writing contests for some ideas :)

hi im kenzie and im 10 years old and im looking for poetry contests i cant really find any for my age if you can help that would be great

Hi Kenzie, you can check out some of the poetry contests we have listed here . I believe the Tadpole Press contest is also open to poetry :)

Good Morning!!

I have phonics book targeted for Elementary kids, do you publish that?

Hi Hina, yes, we do accept submissions of nonfiction children’s books :)

I what to enter a contest about endangered whales. What is best for me?

Hi Riley, any of the contests that accept nonfiction (unless they have a specific prompt) should be a good fit :)

Hi, my name is Sandra, I’m ten years old in fifth grade and I recently got a love of writing Fantasy and I would love to have my book published or entered in a competition but all the ones I see have already passed, money or I’m not old enough. Please help me

Hi Sandra, many of the contests aren’t open yet as they’re later in the year, but keep checking as they may open up soon :) I’ll also try to add some more to the list

Hi, I am 12 years old and like to write long stories, which one would be best for me? and where do I sign up?

Hi Madelyn, the National Youth Foundation’s contest might be a good fit for you! you can learn more and sign up here .

Im kaizlee I 9 years old and I like writing

That’s great, Kaizlee! I hope you consider entering some of these contests :)

These are great! Thank you for the links.

I use http://www.ScoresU.org/poet for engaging, interactive poetry writing activities with my students.

Thanks for sharing, Yuri!

I just entered the $1000 for 1000 words contest! Is anyone else going to do that contest?

That’s awesome! Good luck, Rebecca! :)

Hi! I’m sure many people will be entering that contest Rebecca!

Hi I am Isabella 5th grade and like to write fiction.What contest is best for me?

I am 11 years old, and I do poetry. I am looking to gain experience in my poetry. Is there a petition that would be best suited for me?

Hi Danni, thanks for your comment! It looks like the last 3 are a good fit for your age!

This is a good contest: https://www.poeticpower.com/enter-poetry-contest

Hi, it’s Rebbecca again, my question is, can Tck publish kids’ stories and poems?

~Rebbecca McMay

Hi Rebecca! We do publish books for children and middle grade books, but not picture books. Unfortunately we also do not publish poetry books.

Ok, thank you! When I complete my manuscript (whitch will probley be in a year) I will send it in! :)

Awesome, Rebecca! We look forward to reading it :)

Also, Rebecca McMay is a pen name, so when I send my manuscipt in my name will be differant.

Hello! My name is Yuki, and I was wondering how you publish children’s books, and whether or not you could look at my story.

Hi Yuki, thanks for your comment! we do publish children’s books, but not picture books. If you’d like to submit it for our publishing consideration, you can do so here :)

Hi my name is grace I am 12 years old and like to write fiction I was wondering what contest you think would be the best for me.

Hi Grace, it looks like any of the ones remaining for the year would be a good fit for you! :)

Hi, I was wondering what writing contests I can enter that are free, for 5th graders and are imaginative or adventure themes

Hi Hafsa, I would check out the Tadpole Press and Saint Mary’s College contests from this list. The second one is free. Both have deadlines coming up soon

Hello, My name is Rebecca McMay and I am eleven years old, and I like writing and I am thinking about trying poetry. But I can’t find a poetry contest that hasn’t ran out of time to submit and one for people my age and for any kind of poetry. Can you please help me?

~Rebecca McMay.

Oh sorry I forgot to say free to submit it!

Hi Rebecca, we have this list of poetry contests , I don’t think there’s an age limit for most of these. Unfortunately the ones left for this year come with a submission fee, but I’ll work on updating the list soon, also for next year

Okay, Thank you!

Hello. I am ten years old and I’m interested in entering a writing competition. However, I cannot find a writing competition for my age. They’re either for older people, they’re money, or they’re already finished. Could you find me a competition? Thanks!

Hi Alayna! The Tadpole press contest is open to all ages and closes in November. I’ll work on expanding the list to include more free options though :)

Hi, Alayna,

If you are in 6th grade this year, consider the $1000 for 1000 word contest. Free to enter for Grades 6-12. Submission deadline is Feb. 1, 2022. Details at http://www.bluefire.org

Kaelyn, we’d love to be added to your informative list of student writing contests :)

Hi Jay! Thanks for the information. I added the contest to the list :)

https://www.poeticpower.com/enter-poetry-contest This contest is a good one! Poem contest! -Brianna {11 years old}

Thanks for sharing, Brianna!

Hi, I’m from India. I write poems based on nature. May I know which one will be suitable for my poems?

Hi Debarati, thanks for your comment! I don’t know the themes of each, but I’m sure there are at least several that would be great for your nature poems. You can check out the guidelines of each, it will probably say right away if they are looking for a specific topic, or if it’s more broad.

Hi, I’m from cal. I write fiction novels but I wan tr to enter a short story compatition. Do you by chance know the best one for me to enter and not have to travel? (I apologize for any mispelt words)

Hi Olivia, you can check out our list of short story contests to enter this year, including our own contest which is open through the end of August :)

Hi, I’m from Malaysia. My 6 year old loves writing and he is very imaginative. How do I enrol him in international competitions? Not necessarily to win but more for exposure.

Hi Vanee, you’ll want to check out the guidelines for each, but I believe many of the contests in this list do accept international submissions :)

Hi. Do you know if there are any writing contests for 10-11 year olds for stories written by a team of two kids?

Hi! my name is Sofie and I love writing poems. in fact I’m really good at it and I would love to enter a poetry contest but I can’t find any that are for any type of poetry. :( please help!

Hi Sofie, have you checked out our list of poetry contests yet? :)

Can the kids residing outside US participate in any of the given writing competitions. Do give some ideas on global writing competition as we reside in UAE.

Hi Sakina, you’ll want to check out the guidelines for each, but I believe many of them do accept international submissions :)

you should check out this contest if you are not older than the 9th grade https://www.poeticpower.com/

Thanks for sharing, Hope!

My granddaughter Sofia (10 y.o., 5th grade) does enjoy writing, and I’d like her to be a participant of any contest. Her writing is nice. Could you please give me your advice for her to do. She lives in San Rafael, CA, USA. Thank you very much for your attention. Best regards, Liudmila. October 10, 2021

Hi Liudmila, thanks for your comment! Of the ones that are left for this year, I think the Rattle Young Poets Anthology, Tadpole Press 100 words contest, and Saint Mary’s College River of Words Contest look like a good match based on her age :)

Hi Brittney, I haven’t seen any that specifically say kids can team up, but if you ask, some might allow kids to enter together.

REALY I’M INTRESTED I’M 12 AND WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE SEND ALL THE INFO THROUGH SMS (+2349131542308) FYI DON’T SEND THROUGH GMAIL IT WON’T WORK.

Hi Ebube, you can enter the contests directly using the links from this list :)

Great list! Any way to add another? The literary agency I work with is sponsoring a new fiction-writing contest for kids (grades 6-9). $25 prize. Free entry. Starts in just a couple of weeks! MGStoryContest.com. Thanks!

Thanks so much for sharing, Nathaniel! I’ll check it out and update the list :)

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Our 2023-24 Student Contest Calendar

Here are 10 challenges to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary — including one open to both teachers and teenagers.

By The Learning Network

Our annual Contest Calendar is probably the single most powerful thing we publish all year. Teachers tell us they plan their classes around our challenges, and tens of thousands of teenagers across the globe participate by creating narratives, profiles, opinion pieces and reviews, podcasts, videos, illustrations and photo essays.

For us, these contests are an honor and a joy to host. We love learning from young people — about what moves them and makes them mad, what intrigues and confuses and delights and defines them.

Every summer, we tinker with our offerings to keep them fresh, and we’ve made some significant changes this time around.

To start, in August, The Learning Network will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and we’re marking it by running our first-ever challenge that is open to our full audience, both teachers and teenagers. We hope together you’ll help us tell a rich story about what it’s like to be in high school in 2023.

Like educators all over, we’ve been spurred by the advent of generative artificial intelligence to make creative tweaks to our offerings. This year, we’re putting more emphasis on the parts of the composing process that are, well, human. A glance at the 10 descriptions below might show you that elements like voice, point of view, reflection, making connections and building community are more central than ever. We’ve invented new contests and updated old ones, and we’ll be emphasizing process as well as product throughout. We also have a full writing curriculum to help support this work.

If you need a little encouragement to participate, we recommend two pieces. Students might start with “ ‘I Was Enough’: How I Stopped Trying to Sound Smart and Found My Genuine Writing Voice ,” by a teenager who reflects on how our competitions helped her grow. If you are a teacher, our reader-submitted 10 Reasons to Send Student Work Out Into the World might be compelling — especially, perhaps, reason number 10.

To download a PDF version of this contest calendar, click here . Questions? Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more, write to us at [email protected] or post a comment here.

Aug. 16-Oct. 4, 2023

What High School Is Like in 2023: A Multimedia Challenge for Teachers and Teens

What can you show or tell us that might help explain what it’s like to be an educator or a student in a secondary school right now?

We’re inviting you to contribute to a collective portrait of what it means to be in high school today, told by those living it.

All who work in any capacity in a secondary school, or are students over 13 in one, are invited to document, reflect and express themselves on any aspect, big or small, of their experience there. We want to know what’s hard, but we also want to know where and how you find meaning and joy.

As with our original Coming of Age contest — the blueprint for this effort — you can submit writing or images, audio or video. You can send us artifacts, such as photos from your camera roll, or create something new. And you can work alone or in a group, with others your age or across ages, roles and even schools. Each submission must be accompanied by a short artist’s statement.

Here are the contest rules and submission form , and here are 15 questions and a step-by-step guide that can help you brainstorm ideas.

Update, Jan. 4: Winners have been announced!

Oct. 4-Nov. 1, 2023

My Tiny Memoir: Our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest

Can you tell a meaningful and interesting true story from your life in just 100 words? That’s the challenge we posed to teenagers last fall with our 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest, a storytelling form popularized by Modern Love’s Tiny Love Stories . The answer, we discovered, was a resounding yes, so we’re bringing it back for Year 2.

Here are this year’s rules and guidelines . For more inspiration, read the work of last year’s winners , or follow this step-by-step guide for participating .

Update, Jan. 17: Winners have been announced!

Nov. 1-Dec. 6, 2023

Teenagers as Critics: Our Review Contest

Review a book, movie, restaurant, album, theatrical production, video game, dance, TV show or art exhibition, with advice from New York Times critics to help.

This year’s rules and guidelines follow last year’s with one big change: Anything you choose to review must have debuted this year. (That means not that you watched a movie, read a book or heard an album for the first time this year, but that the work premiered in 2023.)

To see how it’s done, take a look at the work of last year’s winners and visit our related step-by-step guide for writing a review .

Update Feb. 8: Winners have been announced!

Dec. 6, 2023-Jan. 10, 2024

Thinking Made Visible: Our One-Pager Challenge

We’re once again ending the fall semester with an invitation that we hope is accessible and fun for students across the curriculum: Make a one-pager in response to any article, video, graph, photo essay or podcast published in The New York Times in 2023 (or early 2024).

Here are the rules and guidelines. Let our step-by-step guide walk you through the process, and the work of these winners inspire you.

To help you find content you will enjoy, we have also curated a collection of free links to over 75 pieces about young people published across sections of NYTimes.com this fall.

Update, March 7: Winners have been announced!

Jan. 10-Feb. 14, 2024

How to … : An Informational Writing Contest

Following the example of the long-running Tip column from The New York Times Magazine, write a short description of how to do (almost) any task in 400 words or fewer.

As long as your topic is appropriate for a family newspaper, you can explain whatever you like, including tasks that Tip has already taken on. But you must find, interview and quote one expert on the subject throughout your piece.

Here are the rules and guidelines. Our step-by-step guide will walk you through the process, and our writing prompt can help you come up with an original topic.

Update, April 2: Winners have been announced!

Feb. 14-March 20, 2024

Where We Are: Photo Essays About Community

Inspired by the immersive New York Times series Where We Are , which focuses on young people and the spaces where they create community, we invite students to work alone or with others to make photo essays about the communities that interest them.

You can document any kind of offline community you like and feature people of any age. Then tell us about it by sending six to eight images with captions and a short introduction.

Feb. 28-March 27, 2024

Playing With Words: Our Vocabulary Video Contest

Produce a 15-second video about the meaning of one of our recent Words of the Day .

Here are the rules and guidelines , which are the same as last year’s except for one detail: You can work only with words published in our W.O.T.D. column between June 1, 2023, and Feb. 28, 2024.

For inspiration, take a look at the work of past winners .

March 13-May 1, 2024

Open Letters: Our New Opinion Writing Contest

Our Student Editorial Contest ran for a decade, and we received truly extraordinary work , but it’s time for a refresh. This year, we’re asking you to draw on the same skills and passions to make your case, but this time in the form of an open letter.

An open letter is a published letter of protest or appeal usually addressed to an individual, group or institution but intended for the general public. Think of the many “Dear Taylor Swift” open letters you can find online and on social media: Sure, they’re addressed to Ms. Swift, but they’re really a way for the writer to share opinions and feelings on feminism, or ticket sales, or the music industry, or … the list goes on.

As you might already know if you’ve read Martin Luther King’s famous Letter From Birmingham Jail , an open letter is a literary device. Though it seems on the surface to be intended for just one individual or group, and therefore usually reads like a personal letter (and can make readers feel they are somehow “listening in” on private thoughts), it is really a persuasive essay addressed to the public. This recent letter signed by over 1,000 tech leaders about the dangers of A.I. , this funny 2020 letter addressed to Harry and Meghan , and this video letter from young Asian-Americans to their families about Black Lives Matter are all examples of the tradition.

Now we’re inviting you to try it yourself. Write your own open letter, in 460 words or fewer, to anyone you like on any issue you care about, as long as it is also appropriate and meaningful for a general Times audience.

Here are the rules and guidelines , as well as a step-by-step guide and a related writing prompt to help you get started.

April 17-May 15, 2024

Live! Audio Stories: Our Podcast Contest

Make an original podcast of five minutes or less that informs or entertains listeners.

Here are this year’s rules and guidelines . For inspiration, listen to the work of past winners and visit the related writing unit .

June 7-Aug. 16, 2024

Updated! Voice and Choice: Our Summer Reading Contest

Updated, April 18: As we have for 14 years now, we’ll be asking you to tell us what got your attention in The Times and why. But this year, each week students can enter as they always have by submitting a short written response — or they can make a video up to 90 seconds long.

All School Year

Our Conversation Challenge for Weekly Current Events

We invite students to react to the news via our daily writing prompts , and each week, we publish a selection of their comments in a roundup for the world to read . We will also give a shout-out to new schools that join the conversation.

A Few More Details About Our Contests

Why do we run so many contests? We believe in student voice. We want young people to be active content creators, not just consumers. And we’re proud to offer places where they can create for an authentic audience of students, teachers, parents and other readers from around the world.

Here are more details:

The work students send us is always considered by our staff and other experts , including Times journalists, as well as educators from partner organizations or professional practitioners in a related field. Judging for our contests is blind. That means we see only the entries themselves, not student names or schools, when we make our decisions.

Winners get their work published on The Learning Network. Some may also be featured in a special section of the print New York Times.

Anyone who submits to our contests retains the copyright for the work, even after we publish it.

About two months after each contest closes, we’ll announce the winners, runners-up and honorable mentions. We usually celebrate dozens of students each time.

On the day each contest begins, we will add a link here, on this page, to the contest announcement so students and teachers can submit entries. All contests except Summer Reading begin and end on Wednesdays.

Students can enter as many contests as they want, but they can submit only one entry per contest. Our Summer Reading Contest, however, offers a fresh opportunity to submit each week for 10 weeks.

Students’ entries must be original and fundamentally their own. An entry must not be published elsewhere at the time of submission, including in a school newspaper, on a radio station’s website or in a literary magazine.

All of our contests are open to students around the world ages 13 to 19 who are in middle school or high school, except “What High School is Like in 2023,” which is open only to secondary students. College students cannot submit entries. 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 can also participate. In addition, students ages 19 or under who have completed high school but are taking a gap year or are otherwise not enrolled in college can participate. Note: The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter these contests, nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.

Want to make sure you never miss a contest announcement? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter , or follow us on Twitter and Facebook .

We can’t wait to see what you’ll create this year!

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Advanced Writing Exploration Program (AWE)

Summer 2024 programs.

The Advanced Writing Exploration Program invites rising 7th, 8th, and 9th-grade writers to be part of a community of dedicated, focused writers looking to explore their literary passions.

The program includes multi-genre workshops, as well as genre-specialized master class sessions. All workshops are student-driven and author-led, and writers will receive continuous feedback from their instructor and peers.

The program will prepare writers for Writopia’s popular and esteemed Creative Portfolio program for high schoolers.

This is an application-only program.

Price: $1290 Applicants can apply for need-based financial aid

Summer sessions include daily craft talks, writing exercises, and deep dives into different writing genres including poetry, memoir, playwriting, screenwriting, essay writing, fiction, comedy, and more. The session concludes with a reading and celebration.

Summer 2024 Date and Location Options:

• Upper West Side, Monday, July 29th to Wednesday, August 7th, 2024 1 PM to 4 PM ET
• Online, Monday, August 12th to Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 1 PM to 4 PM ET / 10 AM to 1 PM PT

Click here to apply for AWE!

School Year Programs

The Middle School Advanced Writing Exploration Program (AWE) invites 7th and 8th-grade writers to be part of a community of dedicated, focused writers looking to explore, expand, and deepen their literary passions. The program includes multi-genre workshops, as well as genre-specialized master class sessions. All workshops are student-driven and author-led, and writers will receive continuous feedback from their instructor and peers.

The AWE program also includes one private session in which the writer can focus on academic essay writing, admissions essays, or the creative genre of their choice.

The program will inspire and challenge middle school writers, as well as prepare them for Writopia’s popular and esteemed Creative Portfolio program for high schoolers.

This is an application-only program. We are currently accepting applications on a rolling basis.

Tuition: $645 (Limited financial aid available)

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7 Annual Writing Contests for Kids

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It's not always easy to get your kids motivated to write. One way to encourage them to polish their writing skills is to have them enter a writing contest. Sometimes just the idea of recognition is enough to get those pencils to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

PBS Kids Writers Contest (Grades K-3)

This writing contest has both a regional and national component. After reading the contest guidelines —which include helpful information about how to brainstorm and outline a story—kids can submit illustrated stories to their local PBS station. Each station chooses winners which are then entered in the national contest.

TIME for Kids' TFK Kid Reporter Contest (Ages 14 and Younger)

TIME for Kids, a non-fiction weekly news magazine for classrooms, is a child-oriented version of its parent, TIME Magazine. Many of the articles are written by TFK’s Kid Reporters, a job for which the magazine opens a talent search each year in March—the TFK Kid Reporter Contest. Entrants must be under 15 years old and write a compelling news story about a school or community event.

Kids Are Authors (Scholastic)

This annual contest is unique in that it focuses on kids working collaboratively to create a piece of illustrated work in the form of a children’s book. The 21-29 page book can be fiction or non-fiction and must be created by a group of at least three students.

Not only does this writing contest help kids learn to work together, but it also teaches them about formatting manuscripts for children’s books, as submissions must be formatted according to specific guidelines. The winning book is published by Scholastic and sold at Scholastic Book Fairs across the country.

Letters About Literature (Grades 4-12)

Sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress , the annual Letters About Literature competition combines both reading and writing. Students must write an essay (in the form of a letter) describing how a certain book or author has had a profound effect on their outlook on life.

Students are grouped by age into three different levels, all of which are judged at both a state and national level. Entries are judged on the merits of composition (grammar, organization, and language skills); content (how well the theme has been addressed); and voice. National winners receive a monetary or gift card prize as well as a sizable “LAL Reading Promotion” grant in their name for their local school district.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (Grades 7-12)

This prestigious contest began in 1923, and winners include such notable people as Sylvia Plath , Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates , and Truman Capote .

Writers in seventh through twelfth grade may submit work in one or more of the following categories: Dramatic Script, Flash Fiction, Humor, Journalism, Personal Essay, Persuasive Writing , Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Short Story, and Novel Writing.

Entries are judged both regionally and nationally—the highest-level regional work is submitted for national consideration. National winners are published in anthologies and Scholastic publications.

Stone Soup Magazine (Ages 13 and Younger)

Though technically not a contest, Stone Soup magazine publishes stories (2,500 words or less) and poetry and book reviews by kids 13 and younger. Not all submissions will be published and kids are encouraged to read the Stone Soup archives to get a sense of what type of writing the editors prefer. The great thing about Stone Soup is that kids can submit work as often as they want, regardless of previous rejection or acceptance for publication.

Creative Kids Magazine (Ages 8 to 16)

Like Stone Soup, Creative Kids Magazine is not a contest but a publication written for kids by kids. Kids can submit everything from stories and songs to editorials and plays. The magazine is published quarterly and submitted work is read not only by editors but also by an advisory board comprised of students between the ages of eight and 16.

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

This post may contain affiliate links.

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!

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Best Short Story Writing Contests in 2024

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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

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)

Parsec Short Story Contest

Parsec Inc.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Short Story

2023 Contest Theme is: Preserve or Purge. We ask that authors try and incorporate both concepts into their speculative work. This can be conveyed in the setting, plot, characters, dialogue; the only limit is your imagination. The theme must be integral to the story in some way and not just mentioned in passing.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

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The Big Moose Prize

Black Lawrence Press

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Poetry, and Short Story

Each year Black Lawrence Press will award The Big Moose Prize for an unpublished novel. The prize is open to new, emerging, and established writers. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes will be awarded on publication. The Big Moose Prize is open to traditional novels as well as novels-in-stories, novels-in-poems, and other hybrid forms that contain within them the spirit of a novel.

Publication, 10 copies of your book

💰 Entry fee: $27

📅 Deadline: January 31, 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

The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir

Memoir Writing Ink

Genres: Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Original, unpublished works of memoir writing up to 2000 words. The winner will be interviewed and the winning story published on Alison Wearing’s website and featured in the Memoir Writing Ink program. This award was created in celebration of the life of Amy Macrae and in support of her living legacy to improve the outcomes of women with ovarian cancer. Submissions accepted between April 15 to June 30, 2024.

💰 Entry fee: $25

To Hull and Back Humorous Short Story Contest

Christopher Fielden

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Non-fiction, and Short Story

July 2022 saw the launch of the 8th To Hull And Back Short Story Competition, a biennial short story contest with a humorous twist that celebrates the most imaginative and amazing short stories from writers all over the world.

2nd Prize: £600 | 3rd Prize: £300 | 3 x Highly Commended: £150 | 14 x Shortlisted: £75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

2024 Spring Prose & Poetry Contest

Onyx Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Our contest provides a First, Second, and Third prize for both prose and poetry. There are no themes or special requirements so just send us your best work. We recommend you read through previous editions or listen to the works and author interviews on our Story Discovery Podcast to get a sense of the range of creativity we enjoy.

$500 + publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast

2nd: $150 | 3rd: $75

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)

Indignor Play House Annual Short Story Competition

Indignor House Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Indignor House Publishing is proud to announce that our annual writing competition (INDIGNOR PLAYHOUSE Short Story Annual Competition) is officially open with expected publication in the fall of 2024. Up to 25 submissions will be accepted for inclusion in the annual anthology.

2nd: $250 | 3rd: $150

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

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

Publication

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2023 (Expired)

Flying South

Genres: Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

All entries will be considered for publication. Winning submissions in each of the three categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry) will be awarded prizes of $400 for First Place, $200 for Second Place, and $100 for a total of $2,100 in prizes. All finalists will be accepted for publication and will receive one copy of the current issue of Flying South.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024

Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition

Writer's Digest

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Enter our 91st Annual Writing Competition for the chance to have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen. The top winning entries of this writing contest will also be on display in the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection. [$20 for a poetry entry, $30 for a manuscript entry]

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $100

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: May 06, 2024 (Expired)

Storytrade Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards recognizes excellence in small and independent publishing. Open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses, our annual awards program spotlights outstanding books in a number of fiction and nonfiction categories.

Medal, Book Stickers, Digital Seal

💰 Entry fee: $75

Fish Short Memoir Prize

Fish Publishing

Everyone has a memoir in them. Go for it! Write a piece of your life, send it to Fish. Qian Julie Wang, author of her memoir Beautiful Country, will select 10 short memoirs to be published in the Fish Anthology 2022, which will be launched during the West Cork Literary Festival.

2nd: Writing Course (online) + €300 | 3rd: €300

💰 Entry fee: $18

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

The Christy Award

Genres: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Christy Award® was established in 1999 to acknowledge the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Since that time, the Christys have been a focal point for the writers and publishers in our community.

💰 Entry fee: $175

NOWW 26th International Writing Contest

Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Open to all writers in four categories: poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and critical writing.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

The Lascaux Prize in Short Fiction

The Lascaux Review

Stories may be previously published or unpublished, and simultaneous submissions are accepted. Winner receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Finalists receive $100. Winner and finalists are published in both the online and annual print editions of The Lascaux Review.

Publication in The Lascaux Review

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)

Best Indie Book Award

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary awards contest recognizing self-published and independently published authors from all over the world. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

💰 Entry fee: $65

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024

$1000 for 1000 Words Contest

The Layla Beban Young Authors

Genres: Children's and Short Story

The $1000 for 1000 Words fiction writing contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 6-12. Each entrant may submit a fiction piece consisting of exactly 1,000 words (not including title or author’s name). The fiction piece can be on any topic, as long as it is not vulgar or offensive, does not use inappropriate profanity, and is the original work of the entrant not previously published.

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2024 (Expired)

Vocal Challenges

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, and Short Story

Enter themed storytelling contests to put your creativity to the test and be in with a chance of winning cash prizes and more. To submit, you'll need to sign up for a monthly fee of $9.99, or $4.99/month for 3 months.

$1,000 — $5,000

📅 Deadline: March 07, 2024 (Expired)

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Hemingway Days Festival

Genres: Short Story

Writers of short fiction may now enter the 2024 Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition. The competition has a forty-three year history of literary excellence, and Lorian Hemingway and her small judging panel are dedicated to enthusiastically supporting the efforts and talent of writers of short fiction whose voices have yet to be heard. Lorian Hemingway, a granddaughter of Nobel laureate Ernest Hemingway, is the author of three critically acclaimed books: Walking into the River, Walk on Water, and A World Turned Over.

Publication on site

📅 Deadline: September 01, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

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)

Lazuli Literary Group Writing Contest

Lazuli Literary Group

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

📅 Deadline: March 24, 2024 (Expired)

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

📅 Deadline: February 25, 2024 (Expired)

Reader Views Literary Awards

Reader Views

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Reader Views Literary Awards program helps level the playing field for self-published authors, recognizing the most creative and exciting new books in the industry. Our awards program is recognized industry-wide as one of the top literary awards programs for independent authors.

Several marketing prizes (e.g. book review)

💰 Entry fee: $89

📅 Deadline: December 15, 2024

New Deal Writing Competition

New Deal Museum

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

GVCA is excited to announce the ninth annual New Deal Writing Competition! This competition challenges writers to use a painting chosen by the staff at GVCA as inspiration for a short story. This year’s painting is “Playtime” by Fred Ross.

Publication in newsletter

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Letter Review Prize for Short Stories

Letter Review

The Letter Review Prize for Short Stories (1000-3000 words) is open to writers from anywhere in the world and has no theme or genre restrictions. Winners are published and every entry is considered for publication. 20 entries are Longlisted.

$1000 prize pool

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Anthology Flash Fiction Award

Anthology Magazine

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

The Anthology Flash Fiction Competition is open to original and previously unpublished flash fiction on any theme in the English language by writers of any nationality. We are looking for writing that is clever and unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling story. Max 250 words.

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Narrative Prize

Narrative Magazine

The Narrative Prize is awarded annually for the best short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction published by a new or emerging writer in Narrative. The submission system is open all year.

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024

Creative Writing NZ

Open theme/subject/genre. Maximum 3,000 words. 2 runners-up prizes of $200 each and a free writing course of choice.

2x runners up: $200 | Free writing course | Publication

Annual Short Story Contest

Rotary Club of Stratford

English language submissions of original, unpublished works of up to 2,500 words will be accepted until October 31. Submissions are processed by a two-tiered system of readers and judges. Winners will be announced on December 10, 2021.

2nd prize $250, 3rd prize $100.

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2022 (Expired)

Spring Microfiction Battle

Writing Battle

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Two days to write a 500 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

Genre Winner (x4): $1,500

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 | Feedback by industry professionals

📅 Deadline: May 03, 2024 (Expired)

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

CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition

Crime Writers' Association

Genres: Mystery and Short Story

Every year since 2014, the CWA and the Margery Allingham Society have jointly held an international competition for a short story of up to 3,500 words. Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery, and not only that, but one which fits into Golden Age crime writer Margery Allingham’s definition of what makes a great story. Entries are invited from all writers, published or unpublished, writing in English.

Two weekend passes to CrimeFest

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

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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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50 creative writing prompts for middle school students.

• September 11, 2023
• 11 min read

Table of Contents:

Why creative writing matters, prompts to explore personal experiences, prompts for imagining fantastic worlds, prompts for exploring emotions, prompts to unleash adventure, prompts for humor and laughter, writing prompts for middle school mystery and suspense section, prompts to reflect on the future, prompts for historical time travel, writing prompts for middle school to target sci-fi and futuristic fantasies, writing prompts for middle school to dive into nature, writing prompts for middle school for alternate realities, are these prompts suitable for both classroom and individual use, creative writing.

Press The Play Button On The Audio To Listen Complete Article!

Middle school is a time of exploration, growth, and boundless imagination. It’s a phase where young minds are eager to express themselves, and what better way to channel this energy than through creative writing? This article explores 50 creative writing prompts for middle school students to worlds of wonder, emotion, and adventure. These prompts stimulate their creativity, boost their writing skills, and encourage them to think beyond the ordinary.

Creative writing holds a significance that extends far beyond the confines of a classroom. It is a form of expression that acts like a mirror reflecting human emotions, similar to what is explored in What are the three main purposes for writing? . It is a powerful medium through which individuals can express their innermost thoughts, emotions, and ideas, allowing them to connect with themselves and the world around them on a deeper level. This art form empowers individuals to unleash their imagination and paint vivid landscapes of words, enabling them to communicate in ways that traditional language often falls short of. For middle school students, creative writing is a journey of exploration and growth, much like the journey described in How to write a good story: A complete process . As they engage with a diverse array of writing prompts for middle school, they embark on a path that enriches their vocabulary, refines their grasp of grammar, and teaches them the invaluable skill of structuring their thoughts coherently and effectively. Through crafting narratives and weaving intricate tales, students learn the art of storytelling, a skill crucial in literature and various aspects of life. Whether it’s penning down a compelling essay, delivering a persuasive speech, or even drafting a well-structured email, the ability to organize ideas compellingly is a trait that serves students well throughout their academic and professional journey. However, the benefits of creative writing go well beyond linguistic and organizational services like book writing services . This form of expression acts as a mirror that reflects the complexities of human emotions. As students immerse themselves in crafting characters, settings, and plotlines, they inherently develop a deep sense of empathy. By stepping into the shoes of diverse characters and exploring the world from various perspectives, students cultivate an understanding of different viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences. This broadens their worldview and nurtures their ability to relate to and connect with people from all walks of life.

• Discovering a Hidden Door

Imagine stumbling upon a mysterious door in your school that no one else has noticed. Where does it lead, and what adventures await on the other side?

• The Day I Traveled Through Time

You wake up one morning to find yourself in a different period. Describe your experiences and the challenges you face in this unfamiliar era.

• My Conversation with a Talking Animal

While wandering in the woods, you encounter an animal that can communicate with you. Write about your unexpected conversation and the wisdom the animal imparts.

• A Mysterious Message in a Bottle

You discover a message in a bottle washed up on the shore. What does the message say, and how does it change your life?

• Life on a Floating Island

Describe a world where entire civilizations exist on floating islands in the sky. What are the unique challenges and wonders of this airborne realm?

• Journey to the Center of a Candy Planet

You embark on a journey to the core of a planet made entirely of candy. Detail your adventures as you traverse the sugary landscapes.

• The Robot’s Secret Rebellion

In a futuristic city, robots have secretly started rebelling against their human creators. Explore the events leading up to this uprising and the consequences that follow.

• When Magic Came to the Modern World

Magic suddenly becomes real in the present day. How does society change, and how do you adapt to this new magical reality?

• The Joy of Finding a Lost Toy

Revisit a childhood memory of losing a cherished toy and the overwhelming happiness of eventually finding it.

• A Moment of Overcoming Fear

Write about when you faced a fear head-on and emerged stronger and braver on the other side.

• The Bittersweet Farewell

Explore the emotions surrounding a farewell to a close friend moving away. How do you cope with the mixture of joy and sadness?

• An Unexpected Act of Kindness

Describe an instance where a stranger’s small act of kindness profoundly impacts your life and perspective.

• Quest for the Enchanted Crown

Embark on a quest to retrieve a stolen enchanted crown from a treacherous dragon’s lair. Chronicle your epic adventure and the challenges you must overcome.

• Lost in a Haunted Forest

You find yourself lost in a mysterious and haunted forest. Describe your eerie surroundings and the spine-chilling encounters you experience.

• Exploring an Abandoned Space Station

Write about your exploration of a deserted space station, uncovering its secrets and unraveling the mysteries of its past.

• Time-Traveling to Historical Events

Where and when would you go if you could time-travel to any historical event? Describe your experiences and the impact they have on your perspective.

• The Day I Turned into a Vegetable

Imagine waking up one day to find yourself transformed into a vegetable. How do you communicate, and what hilarious misadventures ensue?

• Conversations Between My Pets

Write a humorous dialogue between your pets discussing their daily lives, adventures, and their peculiar perspectives on the world.

• When My Room Became a Miniature Zoo

Describe a scenario where your room suddenly becomes a mini-zoo filled with various animals. How do you manage this unexpected turn of events?

• The Misadventures of Super Socks

Create a quirky superhero story where a pair of socks gains extraordinary powers and embarks on comical crime-fighting escapades.

• The Puzzle of the Whispering Walls

Detail a suspenseful investigation into the strange phenomenon of walls that whisper cryptic messages, leading to an unexpected revelation.

• Footprints in the Forbidden Attic

You discover mysterious footprints leading to the forbidden attic in your house. Write about your daring exploration and the secrets you uncover.

• The Disappearance of the Midnight Carnival

Describe the mysterious disappearance of a beloved carnival that only operates at midnight. What clues do you follow to solve the enigma?

• The Secret Diary of a Famous Explorer

You stumble upon the secret diary of a renowned explorer. Unveil the adventures chronicled within its pages and the hidden truths it holds.

• A Glimpse into Life as an Adult

Imagine yourself as an adult and write about a day in your future life. How have your goals, priorities, and perspectives evolved?

• Inventing a Revolutionary Gadget

Design a revolutionary gadget that changes the world. Describe its features, benefits, and the impact it has on society.

• My First Day on Another Planet

Transport yourself to an alien planet and narrate your experiences on the first day of your interstellar adventure.

• The World After Solving Pollution

Describe a world where pollution has been successfully eliminated. How does this achievement reshape the environment, society, and daily life?

• Prompts for Exploring Friendship

Write about a strong and unbreakable bond between two friends. What challenges have they overcome together, and how has their friendship evolved?

• Adventures of the Dynamic Duo

Create a story about a dynamic duo who embark on thrilling adventures together. What makes their partnership special, and how do they complement each other?

• A Magical Friend from a Book

Imagine a character from a book coming to life and becoming your friend. Describe your magical friendship and the escapades you share.

• Messages in a Bottle Between Pen Pals

Two pen pals communicate through messages sent in bottles across a vast ocean. Write about their unique form of friendship and the stories they share.

• An Interview with a Renaissance Artist

Travel back in time to interview a famous Renaissance artist. Explore their inspirations, struggles, and the impact of their art on the world.

• Surviving the Titanic Disaster

Imagine being a passenger on the Titanic and surviving the tragic sinking. Chronicle your experiences and the lessons you learn from the ordeal.

• Ancient Egypt: Through the Eyes of a Pharaoh

Experience life as an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Describe the grandeur of your rule, interactions with subjects, and leadership challenges.

• Encountering Dinosaurs in Prehistoric Times

Describe an adventurous journey to prehistoric times, where you encounter dinosaurs and experience the wonders and dangers of the ancient world.

• When Robots Ruled the World

Envision a world where robots have taken over as rulers. Detail the consequences of this robotic regime and the struggles of human resistance.

• Galactic Explorers on a New Frontier

Join a group of galactic explorers as they venture into uncharted space territories. Describe their discoveries, encounters, and the mysteries they unravel.

• The Day I Met an Alien from Mars

Write about the day you encounter a friendly alien from Mars. How do you communicate, and what do you learn from each other?

• Earth 3000: A Utopian Dream or Dystopian Reality?

Transport yourself to the year 3000 and describe the state of the Earth. Is it a romantic paradise or a dystopian nightmare? What led to this outcome?

• Conversations with Forest Creatures

Imagine having conversations with animals in a magical forest. Write about the wisdom they share and the adventures you embark on together.

• My Adventure in the Enchanted Rainforest

Describe your thrilling adventure through an enchanted rainforest with mystical creatures and hidden secrets.

• The Underwater Discovery: Mermaid’s Tale

You discover a hidden underwater world inhabited by mermaids. Chronicle your underwater journey and the interactions you have with these mythical beings.

• Exploring a World Inside a Dewdrop

Write about a micro-adventure inside a dewdrop, where you encounter miniature worlds and experience nature from a new perspective.

• Stepping into a Mirror Universe

Describe an experience where you step into an alternate reality through a mirror. How is this world different from yours, and what challenges do you face?

• The Butterfly Effect: Changing a Single Moment

Explore the butterfly effect concept by narrating a story where changing a single moment in the past has a cascading impact on the present and future.

• My Life as a Fictional Character

Imagine living the life of a fictional character from your favorite book. Describe your experiences as you navigate their world and story.

• When Dreams Became Our Reality

Write about a world where dreams have the power to shape reality. How do people use their dreams to create their lives, and what challenges arise?

• The Ethereal Library

Imagine a mystical library that holds books containing the stories of every possible life you could have lived. Write about a person who stumbles upon this library and can read the book of their alternate life stories.

• The Reality Architect

In a future society, some specialized architects design alternate realities for individuals seeking escape from their own lives. Write about a reality architect and their journey to create the perfect alternate world for a client.

• The Convergence Point

Describe a world where all alternate realities converge at a single point in time. People from different realities can meet and interact for a brief period. Write about the challenges and opportunities that arise during this unique convergence.

The suitability of writing prompts for middle school for classroom and individual use depends on their content and complexity. Prompts encouraging critical thinking, creative expression, and thoughtful discussion can work well in both settings. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Ensure that the prompts are clear and easily understandable by individuals and a group of students. Avoid overly complex language or concepts that might be confusing.
• Writing prompts for middle school allow various interpretations, and responses can engage individual learners and groups. This flexibility encourages students to express their unique perspectives.
• Choose interesting and relevant writing prompts for middle school to the target audience, whether in a classroom full of students or individuals working independently. Engaging prompts are more likely to spark enthusiasm and thoughtful responses.
• Prompts that invite discussion and debate can lead to rich and meaningful conversations for classroom use. These prompts should be open-ended and encourage diverse viewpoints.

Middle school is critical for nurturing creativity, similar to the journey detailed in How to launch a book: The ultimate guide for authors , young students’ creativity, and honing writing skills. These 50 creative writing prompts for middle school offer many opportunities to explore diverse themes, emotions, and scenarios while refining their writing abilities. Whether they’re crafting tales of time travel, exploring futuristic realms, or delving into the mysteries of the past, these prompts will ignite the imagination and open new avenues of self-expression for budding writers.

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12 Popular and Worthwhile Competitions for Middle Schoolers

Welcome to our blog post featuring enriching competitions for middle schoolers, providing a plethora of opportunities for intellectual and creative growth. We’ve curated contests in academics such as mathematics, science, STEM, Humanities & Social Sciences to foster critical thinking. For art and sport enthusiasts, we also spotlight creativity-focused art contests and teamwork-centric sports organizations.  Dive into this world of opportunities designed to stimulate your child’s passion while challenging them intellectually and creatively.

Academic Competitions

• Math Competitions

The American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) , commenced in 1985 and is organized by the Committee on the American Mathematics Competitions. It’s open to students under grade 8 (14.5 years old) and below.

Key Information

• Number of questions: 25
• Question type: Multiple-choice
• Full score: 25 points
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Competition time: January
• Commonly participating grades: G4 – G8

Types of Awards

• Distinguished Honor Roll: Top 1%, typically scoring 21 or above.
• Honor Roll: Top 5%, usually scoring 19 or above.
• Achievement Roll: For students in grade six and below, scoring above 15 points. 

To learn more about AMC 8, click  here…

The American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10)  started in 2000 and is organized by the Committee on the American Mathematics Competitions. It is open to students under grade 10 (17.5 years old).

• Full score: 150 points
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Competition time: November
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G10
• Distinguished Honor Roll: Top 1%, usually a score of 120 or above.
• Honor Roll: Top 5%, typically scoring 95 or above.
• Achievement Roll: For students in grade eight and below, a score of at least 90.
• AIME Qualification: Top 2.5%, usually scoring over 100.
• The AMC10 is a selective exam with clearly increasing difficulty.

To learn more about AMC 10, click  here…

The MATHCOUNTS Competition  Series, started in 1984, is a national middle school mathematics competition organized by the MATHCOUNTS Foundation. It’s open to students in sixth through eighth grades (11-14 years old).

• Number of questions: Varies depending on the round. The Sprint Round has 30 questions, Target Round has 8 questions and Team Round has 10 problems.
• Question type: Mix of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank answers.
• Full score: Varies depending on the round.
• Duration: The Sprint Round is 40 minutes long, Target Rounds are approximately 24 minutes total (6 minutes for each pair of problems), and Team Rounds are about 20 minutes long.
• Competition time: February to May
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G8
• National Champion: Top individual scorer at the National Competition.
• Team Champion: Top team at the National Competition.
• Written Round Winner: Top scorer in written rounds at National Competition.
• Countdown Round Winner: Winner of countdown round at National Competition.

To learn more about MATHCOUNTS, click  here…

• Science Competitions

Science Bowl

The National Science Bowl (NSB) , started in 1991, is a nationwide academic competition organized by the United States Department of Energy. It encourages students to excel in science and mathematics and pursue careers in these fields.

• Number of questions: Varies depending on the round. There are multiple rounds including an elimination round.
• Question type: Multiple-choice and short answer
• Duration: Each match lasts for approximately 20 minutes, but entire competition spans over several months with regional competitions leading to national finals.
• Competition time: Regionals usually start around January or February with nationals typically held in April or May.
• Commonly participating grades: Middle school (G6 – G8) and high school (G9 – G12)

The top three middle and high school teams receive a trophy, individual medals, and photographs with officials of the Department of Energy.

The top 16 middle and high schools earn a check for their school’s science departments. As of 2020, the top 16 schools receive $1,000, the top 8 schools receive $1,500, the top 4 schools receive $2,000, and the top 2 schools receive $2,500.

Each team with the best Division Team Challenge result in their division earns a $500 check for their school’s science department.

Science Olympiad

The Science Olympiad  is a team-based competition that promotes learning in various STEM disciplines among K-12 students. It consists of numerous events that cover a wide range of scientific fields, including biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

• Teams: Each team usually consists of 15 students who compete in 23 events. These teams can be from the same school or from different schools within a state.
• Events: The events in the Science Olympiad vary each year but always cover a broad range of scientific topics. Some examples include Anatomy and Physiology (studying parts of the body), Disease Detectives (epidemiology), Dynamic Planet (geology), and Experimental Design (designing and conducting an experiment).
• Competition Levels: There are three levels to the competition – regional, state, and national.

Medals and trophies are awarded at all three levels of competition: regional, state and national level.

FIRST LEGO League

FIRST LEGO League (FLL)  is a global robotics program that ignites an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in kids ages 9 to 16. It’s a hands-on program designed to inspire young people and develop their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

• Teams: Teams of up to ten children with at least two adult coaches participate in the challenge by programming an autonomous robot to score points on a thematic playing surface (Robot Game), developing a solution to a problem they have identified (Project), all guided by the FLL Core Values.
• Challenges: Each year FLL releases a new Challenge for teams that focuses on different real-world topics related to the sciences. Each Challenge has three parts: Robot Game, Innovation Project, and Core Values.
• Robot Game: Teams build and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology to score points in 2.5-minute matches on a themed playing field.
• Innovation Project: Teams research real-world problems such as food safety or recycling then develop solutions and share their findings with others.
• Judging & Awards: In competitions teams are judged on three areas: Robot Design/Performance where the team’s robot competes against others on specific challenges/tasks; Research Project where teams present their innovative solution for judging; Teamwork/Core values which looks at how well they work together as team.
• Levels of Competition: Similar to many other competitions there are usually several levels including local tournaments leading up regional/national/international championships depending upon location/country.
• Humanities and Social Sciences Competitions

National History Bee

The National History Bee  is an academic competition for primary and secondary school students that tests knowledge of a wide range of historical topics. It was first held in 2010. The National History Bee Middle School Division is an exciting competition for students who have a keen interest in history.

• Number of questions: The Regional Qualifying Exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions.
• Question type: Multiple-choice (Regional Qualifying Exam), verbal question-and-answer format (National Finals).
• Full score: The highest possible score on the Regional Qualifying Exam is 50 points.
• Duration: The Regional Qualifying Exam takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, while each round at the National Finals lasts about 8 minutes.
• Competition time: The Regional Qualifying Exams typically take place from December to April, and the National Finals usually occur in June.
• Commonly participating grades: G6 – G8
• National Champion Title: Awarded to the top student at the National Finals.
• Regional Champion Title: Awarded to the top student during regional competitions.

Arts Competitions

Visual arts competitions .

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards , started in 1923, is the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S. It’s open to students in grades 7-12 (13-18 years old) across the United States.

• Submission type: Original art and writing.
• Categories: More than 29 categories including architecture, painting, flash fiction, poetry etc.
• Deadline for submission: Varies by region but generally falls in December or January.
• Commonly participating grades: G7 – G12
• Gold Key: Top works submitted at the regional level. Gold Key works automatically advance to national judging.
• Silver Key: Stand-out works submitted at the regional level that demonstrate exceptional ability.
• Honorable Mention: Accomplished works submitted at the regional level showing great skill and potential.
• National Medalists : A panel of creative–industry experts review Gold Key works from across the country to determine which pieces receive National Medals.
• Music and Performing Arts Competition

World Choir Games

The World Choir Games , also known as the Olympics of Choral Music, were initiated by INTERKULTUR in 2000. It’s open to all non-professional choirs globally.

• Number of participants: Varies, depending on the size of the choir.
• Categories: Middle school choirs typically participate in categories such as “Children’s Choirs” or “Youth Choirs of Equal Voices”. However, they can also choose other categories based on their repertoire and choir composition.
• Duration: Approximately two weeks
• Competition time: Typically held every two years; however, dates may vary.
• Commonly participating groups: Middle School choirs from various countries
• Gold Medal (in Champions Competition): For top-scoring middle school choirs in each category.
• Silver and Bronze Medals (in Champions Competition): For second and third highest scoring middle school choirs respectively in each category.
• Gold Diploma (in Open Competition): For top-scoring middle school choirs in each category.
• Silver and Bronze Diplomas (in Open Competition): For second and third highest scoring middle-school-choir respectively in each category.

Organizations for Sports

According to our data and research, we found that lacrosse, ice hockey, baseball, and soccer can better assist with college applications compared to other sports. For more details, click  here … Therefore, we have selected a few organizations for each sport.

USA Lacrosse Youth Festivals

The  USA Lacrosse Youth  Festivals are organized by the  US Lacrosse organization . These festivals are a celebration of lacrosse and sportsmanship, offering middle school students an opportunity to compete in a fun and supportive environment.

• Game type: Field Lacrosse
• Age Group: Middle school students (typically 11-14 years old)
• Duration: Varies per festival, typically 2-3 days.
• Festival time: Vary throughout the year, check with local US Lacrosse chapters for specific dates.

Types of Awards:

• Awards vary based on the specific festival but can include:
• Team Awards: For teams that win their respective divisions or show exceptional sportsmanship.
• Individual Awards: For players who demonstrate exceptional skill, leadership or sportsmanship during the festival.

To learn more about Lacrosse, check this article: Navigating the Path to College Lacrosse: A Comprehensive Guide for High School Athletes

USA Hockey National Championships

The USA Hockey National Championships  is an annual event organized by USA Hockey. It’s open to youth ice hockey teams from around the United States in various age groups, including middle school students.

• Number of games: Varies depending on the tournament structure.
• Game type: Ice hockey matches
• Duration: Each game typically lasts about 60 minutes, divided into three periods.
• Competition time: Typically held in March and April each year.
• Commonly participating ages: Various age groups, typically categorized as U12, U14, etc.
• National Champion: The team that wins the final match in each age division.
• Runner-up: The team that loses in the final match of each age division.
• Individual Awards: Often there are individual awards for players showing exceptional skill or sportsmanship during the tournament.

Perfect Game

The Perfect Game , established in 1995, is a leading organization in amateur baseball scouting. It organizes tournaments, showcases, and travel team competitions for prospective collegiate and professional baseball players in the United States.

• Number of games: Varies depending on the event or tournament.
• Game type: Amateur Baseball games.
• Full score: Determined by the rules of Baseball.
• Duration: Typically lasts around 2-3 hours per game; however, this can vary based on many factors like innings played and pace of play.
• Competition time: Year-round with different events scheduled throughout the year.
• Commonly participating ages: Players between 12-18 years old.
• All-Tournament Team: Selected based on performance during tournaments.
• Top Prospect List/Team: Identified through showcases based on skill evaluations and potential.
• PG All-American Classic Selections: An annual game featuring top high school seniors in the country.
• Top Ranked Players by Class/Position/State/Nation etc.: Rankings provided by Perfect Game to help identify top talent.

American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)

The  American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)  Tournaments, started in 1964, are organized by the AYSO National Office. They’re open to all AYSO registered players from U-10 to U-19 divisions.

• Number of games: Varies per tournament
• Game type: Soccer match
• Full score: Depends on the number of goals scored in a match.
• Duration: Approximately 60 minutes for younger age groups, up to 90 minutes for older ones.
• Competition time: Varies throughout the year depending on location and tournament.
• Commonly participating ages: From under 10 years old (U-10 division) to under 19 years old (U-19 division).
• Champion Award: Given to the winning team of each age group at each tournament.
• Finalist Award: Given to the runner-up team in each age group at each tournament.
• Sportsmanship Award: Often given at tournaments recognizing teams that exemplify good sportsmanship.

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33 Writing Contests for Teens (Publication & Cash)

In a world where J.K. Rowling’s manuscript of “Harry Potter” was rejected 12 times and Kathryn Stockett’s manuscript of “The Help” was rejected 60 times, it can be easy to become despondent about publishing your fiction, even more so for teenage writers aching to voice their thoughts to the world.

However, there’s an abundance of writing competitions year round for teens and writing contests for high school students  — you just need to know where to look. 

Here, I compiled a list of 33 writing contests for teens. Genres include: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenplays, and plays.

Some of these contests may sound like the competition is too stiff, especially if the organization receives thousands of submissions every year. But speaking from personal experience, you never know unless you try. Rejections will pile up for young authors, but so will acceptances accompanied by whoops and fist pumps.

Pay attention:

If you’d like guidance on your novel writing, check out 12 Steps to Writing a Bestseller .

Additionally, the experiences offered by certain teen contests such as working with professionals, revisiting your work, and perhaps even seeing it come to life either in a publication or on stage is indescribably rewarding and gratifying. 

So, young writers, submit on!

1.  Ocean Awareness Student Contest

The theme is “Making Meaning out of Ocean Pollution,” and it challenges you to research, explore, interpret, and say something meaningful about the connections between human activities and the health of our oceans. Prizes range from $100-$1,500.

Grades: Middle school – High school

Deadline : June

2.  Rattle Young Poets Anthology

This is an anthology to look back on the past and view your younger work with pride. The author of the poem must have been age 15 or younger when the poem was written, and 18 or younger when submitted.

Ages: 18 or younger

Number of submissions: “Thousands” are submitted, 50 are chosen.

Deadline: June

3. Hypernova Lit

Any and all types of writing are welcome. Long short stories, short short stories, prose poetry, traditional poetry, blackout poetry, creative accounts of your life and experiences, essays about yourself, essays about what you love, plays, scripts, letters, lists, rants, lyrics, journal writing.

Deadline : Open Year-round

4. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students 

The Princeton University Poetry Contest recognizes outstanding work by student writers in the 11th grade. Prizes: First Prize – $500, Second Prize – $250, Third Prize – $100.

Deadline:  Fall

5. The Bennington Young Writers Awards

Students in the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades enter in one of the following categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), or nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners in each category are awarded a prize of $500; second-place winners receive $250.

Grades: 10-12

Deadline: Fall

6. Canvas Literary Journal

Teen literary magazine published quarterly.

Seeking writers ages 13-18 to submit fiction, novel excerpts, poetry, plays, nonfiction, new media, and cross-genre.

Ages: 13-18

7. The New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights


 Submit your best one-act play (one per playwright!) to the New Voices competition and you can potentially win cash, software from fabulous sponsors Final Draft and Great Dialogue, and even publication!

Ages: 19 or younger

Submission period : Fall

8. Princeton University 10 Minute Play Contest

Eligibility for this annual playwriting contest is limited to students in the eleventh grade. Prizes: First Prize – $500, Second Prize – $250, Third Prize – $100. The jury consists of members of the  Princeton University Program in Theater  faculty.

9. Jet Fuel Review


Through Lewis University, Jet Fuel Review is run entirely by students under the supervision of faculty advisers Dr. Simone Muench and Dr. Jackie White.

Jet Fuel Review  is looking for quality in writing, whether it be in poetry, prose, non-fiction, or artwork.

Submission periods: August to October; January to March

10. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth. Through the Awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. 

Students across America submitted nearly 320,000 original works during our 2016 program year across 29 different categories of art and writing. 

Grades: 7-12

Submissions period: September to December

11. One Teen Story

One Teen Story is an award-winning literary magazine for readers and writers of young adult literature. Subscribers receive one curated and edited work of short fiction each month in the mail or on their digital devices.

Ages: 13-19

Submission period: September to May

12. The Claremont Review

The editors of the Claremont Review publish the best poetry, short stories, short plays, visual art, and photography by young adults. We publish work in many styles that range from traditional to modern. 

We prefer pieces that explore real characters and reveal authentic emotion. 

Submission period: September to April

13. Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest is in its fifty-second year. The contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes up to $5,000 are awarded to winners. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Grades: 11-12

Deadline: October

If you’re dreaming of writing a novel, you should definitely read my post on how to start and finish a novel .

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14. VSA Playwright Discovery Competition

Each year, young writers with and without disabilities, in U.S. grades 6-12 (or equivalents) or ages 11-18 for non-U.S. students, are asked to explore the disability experience through the art of script writing for stage or screen.

Writers may craft scripts from their own experiences and observations, create fictional characters and settings, or choose to write metaphorically or abstractly about the disability experience. Winners in these divisions will receive $500 for arts programs at their schools.

Grades: 6-12 OR Ages: 11-18

Deadline : October

15. YoungArts

The National YoungArts Foundation identifies and nurtures the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts and assists them at critical junctures in their educational and professional development. 

Additionally, YoungArts Winners are eligible for nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students who exemplify academic and artistic excellence. 

Ages: 15-18 OR Grades: 10-12

Deadline: October 

16. The Critical Junior Poet’s Award Contest

The Critical Pass Review  is now accepting submissions online for its Critical Junior Poet’s Award Contest, an editor’s choice award for exceptional promise in the art of poetry. Applicants between the ages of 13 and 18 can enter for free. The winner will receive a $100 cash prize, a $20 iTunes card, a CD of master poets reading their poetry, publication of his/her winning work in  The Critical Pass Review ‘s Summer 2016 issue, and more.

Submissions period: 
  November to March

17. 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.

Grades: 10-11

Deadline: November

18. Santa Fe University of Arts & Design High School Creative Writing Competition

The Glazner Creative Writing Contest is an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to compete for a chance at publication in Santa Fe University of Art and Design’s online journal, Jackalope Magazine . To enter, students must submit up to 10 pages of work in any genre to our contest email address ( [email protected] ).

Deadline: November to December

19. Young Authors Writing Competition (Columbia College Chicago)

The Young Authors Writing Competition is a national competition for high school writers of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. It began as a local contest in 1995, and since then has expanded into a national competition that has received tens of thousands of submissions from students across the country. 1st Place: $300, 2nd Place: $150, and 3rd Place: $50.

Grades: 9-12

Submission period: November to January

20. Odyssey Con

The OddContest is an annual competition for speculative (science fiction, fantasy, or horror) stories or prose poems no longer than 500 words. Prizes: $50 to first place; Odyssey Con membership and free books to top 3.

Deadline: January

21. Young Playwrights INC.

Selected writers will be invited to New York, expenses paid, for our Young Playwrights Conference to work with some of this country’s most exciting professional theater artists, and to hear their plays read in our Off-Broadway Readings Series.

Ages :  18 or younger

22. University of Iowa – Hemingway Festival High School Writing Contest

Accepting Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, Poetry, and Essays.

Winners and Finalists will be recognized at the 7th Annual University of Idaho Hemingway Festival, and cash prizes will be awarded in each category. Winners will also be considered for publication in an online University of Idaho publication. There will be one winner and one Finalist in each category with one Overall Grand Prize Winner. Cash prizes up to $500.

23. Interlochen Review

Interlochen Arts Academy is a high school boarding school and summer camp. It online literary journal accepts submissions from high school students in five categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Screen/Stageplay and Hybrid form. Up to 6 pieces total.

Submissions Period: February to March

24. Aerie International Journal

Aerie International was born of a desire to offer outstanding young writers and artists an opportunity to share, edit, and publish their work internationally. What makes this journal unique is that it is designed, edited and published entirely by high school students. Students whose work is selected received $100 in addition to a copy of the magazine.

Deadline:  February 

25. Chapman Art and Writing Holocaust Contest 

Focusing on themes central both to the Holocaust and to ethical decision making in our world today, the contest gives students from public, private and parochial schools the opportunity to share their creative works in response to survivors’ oral testimonies.

Participating schools may submit a total of three entries from three individual students in the following categories: art, film, prose, and/or poetry.

26. Writopia Lab Worldwide Plays Festival

The festival includes plays written in workshops at Writopia’s labs across the country and plays submitted to our competition from playwrights around the world from playwrights in 1st through 12th grade (ages 6 to 18). Plays are professionally produced in New York.

Grades: 1-12 OR Ages: 6-18

Deadline: February

27. The Blank Theater’s Young Playwrights’ Festival


Since 1993, 12 plays are chosen by a panel of theatre professionals from submissions across America. Winning playwrights are provided careful mentoring and direction from industry professionals to help prepare their work for public performance and hone their skills, talent and confidence. Nowhere else in the nation can young playwrights receive the prize of seeing their vision come to life on stage in a professional production featuring known actors from film, television and theatre. The plays are crafted by seasoned professional directors and each is given several public performances in a month-long Festival.

Deadline:  March

28. Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF)

Each year the Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF) recognizes youth poets by publishing their work together in a truly diverse anthology. We welcome international poets from kindergarten through high school grade level or age to submit up to three poems.

Grades: K-12

Deadline: March 

29. Winter Tangerine

Winter Tangerine is a literary journal dedicated to the electric. To the salt. The sugar. We want bitter honey, expired swee ts. We want catalysts. Accepting submissions of poetry, prose, drama, visual art, and short film.

Submission period: April to October 

  30. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose

The Adroit Journal, published at the University of Pennsylvania is open to all writers. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose are awarded annually to two students of secondary or undergraduate status whose written work “inspires the masses to believe beyond feeling the work.” In other words, we strive to receive the absolute best work from emerging young writers in high school and college, and the best of the best will receive these two lovely awards.

Submission Period: To be announced

31. Hanging Loose   Magazine

Hanging Loose Magazine is a professional magazine that welcomes high school submissions. Payment plus 2 copies. Send 3 to 6 poems, or 1 to 3 short stories, or an equivalent combination of poetry and prose to High School Editor, Hanging Loose, 231 Wyckoff Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Identify yourself as a high school age writer.

Deadline: Open Year-round

Other Resources:

Poetry Space

An online publishing opportunity for young writers.

The New Pages Young Author’s Guide

A resource for young authors to find places to submit their work!

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112 comments

Hi there…… Are these competition opportunities open to people outside of the USA? We are in South Africa and would love to submit 🙂 Thanks very much

I think many are, though you’ll have to check with each one.

Hey, I’m also from SA! Would you like to chat on Whatsapp?

Does anyone know any writing contests/opportunties for adults?

Look for Writers Market 2021 (or whichever year applies) at B&N, Amazon or other book outlet. There’s tons.

Some say that deadlines are from September to May. Is this May 2017, or 2016?

May 2017, because the post was written only a few months ago. Cheers!

are these still happening in 2020?

They are all virtual, so I don’t see why not.

Why do many only have poetry, nonfiction, or short stories? I write novels and sequels to books I have read and I would like to see if there is a competition for this type of writer.

There isn’t much for some one who’s 20. Are there any, I’m from India.

People who are in their 20s can apply to all the adult contests (meaning the majority of writing contests out there!)

Thank you so much for this list! I’ve been looking for a list like this for a while. Thanks!

Great list–thanks!

Could you please add our contest to this list as well? The name of our contest is Lifesaver Essays – Essay Writing Contest and the details can be found on our official webpage – https://lifesaveressays.com/essay-contest

Hey, I am an 11 year old living in New Zealand, I mostly do creative writing. Are any of these contests for me? Thanks,

Yes, most of them allow for international submissions.

Hello Alex yes some of these essay contests can be for you it depends. I am a student myself in high school and live in San Diego California. The ocean essay could be for you since you are 11 years old. Hope this helped.

Hi Dani. I also live in San Diego. How cool is that?

Where do I turn in the essay

Where do we turn in the story ?

If you want to submit to each contest, I would suggest visiting their website and following the guidelines.

Hi, I am odudu uduak from Nigeria and l am 11. I love writing and l want to know contest will permits international submission. Thank you

Yes, most do!

Many of these contests request “previously unpublished work” only. From your personal experience, what exactly does this mean? For example, would winning a regional-only award from Scholastic Art-and-Writing render the piece “published,” although (I believe) Scholastic works are not available for public reading/viewing until the national level? Or would you be allowed to still submit the award-winning work to a contest requesting “previously unpublished” content? Thanks in advance! 🙂

If the award didn’t come with publication, then it’s not published. It’s only published if it’s online or available to the public. Hope that helps! Submit away!

Do you have any contest that has a deadline after march?

Contests usually take breaks over the summer (holding to a school schedule), but check the deadlines above to make sure.

I was wondering if these contests are for the year 2017? The deadlines only mention the months, not very helpful.

It was written in 2016. Listing only the months keeps it perennially fresh, because the contests are often in the same months for each year.

DO you have any for 7th graders? I am writing a short fiction story that I would love to enter. Most of the middle school ones are for playwrights and poetry. Thank you very much.

No, these are the only ones I have, sorry.

do u have anything for 6th graders

hi – we are running a short story writing contest for young writers. We thought you may be able to help the young writers by spreading the word!

here is the link!

https://youngwriters2017.eventbrite.com/

I’m an editor at Teen Ink Magazine. We are a national magazine that has been publishing teens for over 25 years. In fact, we publish about 150 teens in each monthly issue. We also run writing contests throughout the year.

For more information, please go to: http://www.TeenInk.com

I am intetrested in short poem writing. Sometimes writing on social issues. Could you help me understand a little more how to go about getting my work known.

Make it the best you can make it, get friends to read it and give you feedback, and then submit to these contests.

Thanks so much for the list! It was super helpful!

My friends say that I’m a good writer, but I’m not sure would you recommend any beginner competitions.

Hi, these are all beginner competitions. I would recommend finding others that are local to you rather than national — those will have less intense competition. Or find a school-based one or state-based one.

Thanks so much for the list. I also appreciate you being so kind as to help out all the kindergartners and all the other kids who would like a chance to win a competition.

My name is Shawn Dingle and I am the Co-Founder of a newly created non- profit organization called Brendan’s Smile Foundation. I would like to be considered and reviewed as a reputable writing contest. The subject is Bullying. The students, 6th through College/Vocational age 24 or younger, can freely express this topic in any manner of their choosing poetry, lyrics, haiku, etc) but it must be 500 words or less.. The winning writers will receive up to $500 for themselves and $500 for their learning institutions in each category. https://brendansmile.org/event/annual-essay-contest/

Hi, I just wanted to let everyone know about a free short story contest for middle and high school students on Booksie. The winner receives $300 cash and exposure.

https://www.booksie.com/contest/Booksie+2017-2018+Young+Writer+Short+Story+Contest-12

Hi, is this only for 2017? Is there any for 2018 too.

Almost all of the contests are repeating year after year, so 2018 should have these same contests.

When is the deadline to the Inkitt Novel Contest

Is there a portion to where i can write an inspirational essay for the ocean awarness

Hey Taylor! Remy from Inkitt here–the deadline for the January contest is the 31st. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] . Thanks!

You should also include the very prestigious Lune Spark Story Contest

https://www.lunespark.com/youngwriters/storycontest/

There is another relatively new kid and young adult journal — fingers comma toes (fingerscommatoes.wordpress.com) run by teens. If you are reading this it may be worth taking a look! 🙂

It says there’s 33. I see 32.

I’m frequently adding and deleting some as ones die out and emerge, so the numbers will change on a rotating basis as the contests change.

Writers might want to check out the Literary Taxidermy Short Story Competition. It’s open to young adults and awards original works of short fiction under 3000 words. The catch: the contest provides your opening and closing lines chosen from a classic work of literature. You provide the rest. Three winning stories will be selected, for a total prize of $1500. In addition, winners and runners-up will be published by Regulus Press in a forthcoming 2018 Anthology of Literary Taxidermy. Entries close on 4 June 2018. Visit https://literarytaxidermy.com .

Where do we send our submissions for the making meaning writing contest.

Where should we post our writings?

This is not a place to post your writings. Bookfox provides resources for writers.

Hi! I’ one of the editors at Hypernova Lit. Thanks so much for the mention here. It’s really increased our traffic. I’m commenting to clarify a couple of things. First, we’re not a contest. We offer publication but there are no winners, losers, or prizes. Secondly, you’ve got us listed as all ages, but I’m afraid we only accept work from writers between 13 and 18. Thanks!

Hello. I am a 11 year old playwright, hoping to get my work into a contest. it is nowhere near close to finished, but I would still like it if you could show me contest that would fit my criteria. (Don’t worry, my plays and stories are nowhere near as boring as what I just wrote.) I love to write comedies that involve magic. (Go big or go home!) Thank!

-Amy Widow (Not my real name, its my character in my play’s name.)

Good post. I will be facing some of these issues as well..

One more issues I forgot to put is that it has more than one act. Opps…

And there’s our free-to-enter contest for high school creative writers. We’re in our 4th year. Prizes include t-shirts, $$$, and iPads. https://www.ringling.edu/writingcontest

A new writing contest (science fiction, no entry fee, four $50 cash prizes): https://basicfront.easypromosapp.com/p/931304

The Teachers Against Prejudice Essay Contest is an international contest open to middle and high school students (grades 5-12). Six prizes $100-$300 are awarded in two age categories. See details at https://www.teachersagainstprejudice.org/index2.php?p=essay_contest

Hello I am a kid who lives in Florida. I had a questions. Is this a trustworthy site is it a official? My parents were asking before I submit my story…

You don’t submit your story to this website. You would follow the links and submit to one of their sites.

Ok thanks I was also wondering if these contest are genuine. Thanks!

Thank you for listing the NewPages Young Writers Guide! I update that page regularly with specific criteria and guidelines we use before we will list a resource (I understand Emily’s concern about “genuine” contests). It is also an ad-free web page – no one pays to be listed there. I maintain the guide because I am a teacher who wants to encourage young readers and writers as well as provide a resource for other teachers. The URL has changed since you wrote your article: https://www.newpages.com/writers-resources/young-authors-guide

I personally feel that there should be more contests for younger children, as not all great writers are 13 and up!

Am so greatful to be apart of this prestige competition

Hi, I was wondering if any of the contests could get my manuscript published with a company?

This is a great list of resources for students! Could you please add our writing contest to your list?
 “Mini-Essay Writing Contest” is a writing contest to encourage students to do more writing in their social media life. They can write about life experience, relationship, interests, school life, travels, or anything. This is a recurrent writing contest which runs quarterly.
 Prizes: $1,000, and three runner-ups can win $200 each. https://www.biopage.com/contest/biopage-mini-essay-writing-contest/show


Are any of these contests for 2019?

I think that most of these contests come around annually, so, yes, they’d be around in 2019.

Whats the year for all of these? I would really like to know because its 2019 soooo….

I know for a fact that I’m not going to win anything, but I’ll try so that my work has a chance to be worth something.

everyone’s work is worth something, never doubt your talents and your skills and the hard work you have passionately put into what you love. go for it!

Its 2020 are these contests still open cause i am seeing people type 2016 or 2017

I would like to enter the 6th contest (the beginnton young writers contest).how do I enter?

Hey there! To enter that contest you will click on the blue title. It will take you to another site which is the official site for that competition. When you get to the page you will scroll down some and there’s a form in which you can fill out. That site does vary in form from different devices. If you can’t find the form while just scrolling down, you may have to do a little site surfing of your own. Have fun writing your story. I am sure it will be worth the win. GOOD LUCK!!

Are these also fairly recent? Would the deadlines be the same for 2019? I am an aspiring author, and looked into a few of these contests in hopes of being able to submit the book I’ve been writing.

AFSA National High School Essay Contest: https://www.usip.org/public-education/students/AFSAEssayContest

USIP partners with the American Foreign Service Association ((AFSA) on the annual National High School Essay Contest. The contest engages high school students in learning and writing about issues of peace and conflict, encouraging appreciation for diplomacy’s role in building partnerships that can advance peacebuilding and protect national security. Now in its 22nd year, the contest encourages students to think about how and why the United States engages globally to build peace, and about the role that the Foreign Service plays in advancing U.S. national security and economic prosperity.

Deadline: April 6, 2020, Fee: None, Prize: The winner of the contest receives a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to meet U.S. Department of State and USIP leadership, and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university. The runner-up receives a $1,250 cash prize and a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Are there any for 12-year-olds? My daughter is in 7th grade, but is 12.

Hi, what is the year for the deadline of these. 2019? 2018? Thank you!

Hello! I’m a High School Sophomore, and I was wondering if there were any contests I could compete in wanting a short story! I live in Oregon. Could you help me out?

On which website can we submit poem etc for competition ? Pls inform

Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well:) I just wanted to let you guys know about a writing contest sponsored by a student-run medical blog called The Daily Dosage! The Daily Dosage is hosting a writing contest for high school and college students worldwide! Submissions can be of any genre, but must pertain to our prompt: With respect to the 785 million people who lack access to clean water in 785 words or less, describe what it means to be a responsible global citizen in the field of science! All submissions will be read at least twice by our award-winning judges (all of whom have plenty of experience in the field of writing and have written for some of the world’s top publications, including the New York Times!), and the winning author will receive publication in The Daily Dosage blog, a $100.00 cash prize, and an interview to be featured on The Borgen Project’s State of the Union address and Facebook page. With over 6.9 million annual website visitors and 30,000+ Facebook followers, an interview with The Borgen Project is great exposure for any writer! For contest guidelines, judge bios, and the submission form, please visit: https://thedailydosage20.wixsite.com/mysite/writing-contest . Contact me at [email protected] with any questions:)

Another contest I’d love to add to this list is The Milking Cat’s summer Teen Comedy Contest. The contest is open to teens around the world to submit original comedic works and the deadline is September 7th, 2020. The prizes total up to $475 + more from 4 Ivy League Humor Magazines and the satirical site, The Hard Times.

Just for you…. “M A T T E R” POETRY CONTEST Deadline: October 31st, 2020 Oprelle’s Poetry Contest is for all of you out there who carry a scrappy notebook full of poems. Your soul is on that paper, and your words matter. Enter our poetry contest today. It is great chance for new writers to win money or to get published! Any style/topic. We are only choosing poems that give us goosebumps. This book will matter to others! Enter your 3-40 line poem at OPRELLE.com

Hello there! I would like to submit the short story my son wrote for his classroom assignment when he was in 8th grade. Is there a place we could submit to?

Can you please update this list for 2020-2021? Many of these opportunities are no longer available. Thank you!

Oh my gosh please yes

Thanks for this list, it’s will be of much help to me to find the best contests I can apply for, hoping they are open to anyone.

Is it for free

Please update 2020-21

The team at the literary magazine Ice Lolly Review is excited to announce the first ever Campaign Contest! Ice Lolly Review is a youth literary magazine created by the youth and for the youth with the goal of encouraging young writers. The magazine was founded in the summer of 2020 and has since seen submissions from 17 different countries and 16 different states. 

We would like to invite students to participate in this year’s contest. The theme of the Campaign Contest is issues and topics important to today’s youth. Some topics students may consider writing about are feminism, climate change, ethnicity, mental health, culture etc. We are accepting applications now through February 28, 2021. All student writers ages 12 through 18 are eligible. Writers may submit as many pieces as they like. 

Here is how students can submit their writing to the 2020-2021 Campaign Contest. Visit our website and click on the “contest” pageScroll down to the “submit” button. Click on the link and fill out all the questions via google forms. Upload your submission via google forms Note: Entrants may submit as many pieces as they like in each category (nonfiction, fiction, and poetry) Format the work as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf. Only one submission per google form. To submit multiple pieces use multiple google forms. 

Each category will have one winner who will receive a $50 and another $50 to be donated to the charity of their choice. There will also be five finalists in each category. Finalists and winners will be notified by email. All finalists and winners will be published in our magazine. 

Email us at [email protected] or visit our website icelollyreview.com for more info

I want to participate in this

iWRITE | Students Factory iWRITE is the International Handwriting Competition in two Languages, English & Arabic. Competition is classified into two categories; School and General Category. It is freely open to all from anywhere in the World to submit their entries online in our website. Participants are requested to write the same quote published by us every year in our website. iWRITE is the first step Students Factory takes towards gamification approach, other activities are coming soon.

iWRITE is the International Handwriting Competition in two Languages, English & Arabic. Competition is classified into two categories; School and General Category. It is freely open to all from anywhere in the World to submit their entries online in our website. Participants are requested to write the same quote published by us every year in our website. iWRITE is the first step Students Factory takes towards gamification approach, other activities are coming soon.

Hi, I am 13 years old. I have been working on this book that I am getting really serious about writing. Do you think there is any way someone would accept me for publishing?

No traditional publisher will accept it, but you can always self publish or publish through Wattpad.

Try getting on touch with agents, and apply for competitions. If you Google agents/competitions and your genre you should get a short list. It’s difficult to be traditionally published at 13, and self-publishing can be expensive to be successful (editing will undoubtedly be required). Do not be discouraged if you are unsuccessful in securing interest – particularly at your age, as your writing style will not yet be fully developed. Just keep writing, and keep all your writing. Never stop.

Hello, I am a thirteen-year-old fantasy writer looking to enter my first competition when it comes to an actual story. I have had multiple poems published, but this would be my first short story. I’m a bit nervous to try… Any suggestions on one to enter?

Hi Vinia. The Frankie Waters Annual Writing and Art Competition is open, accepting short stories from persons aged 13 to 18 (inclusive). https://www.frankiewaters.com.au/competition

Hi everyone! My name is Oliver and I work for the Cambridge Centre for International Research (CCIR).We host an annual high school essay competition named Re:think, which is judged by a panel of leading academics from the University of Cambridge. The topic of this year’s competition is “The Stories, the Science, and the Significance of COVID-19”—and you have the option to submit essays in three categories, including creative non-fiction, popular science, and social science and the humanities.

The purpose of Re:think is to invite students from different backgrounds to come together to investigate, reflect on, and discuss the most significant issues we as a society confront today. The winners of the competition will be awarded a cash prize of 150 GBP along with scholarships that range from 700GBP-1000GBP to one of the CCIR Academy programmes. In addition, competition finalists will be invited to an online conference, where they will get the opportunity to discuss their work with leading academics from Cambridge in an intimate setting.

Please visit our site at http://www.cambridge-research.org/essay-competition for more information!

I believe in my self I am brave and strong I know that I’ll will win this competiton

Hello. I am 15 and have been looking for some competitions for a while. Is there any competitions that accept fiction writing with 26,000 words? With no entry fee in 2021? I’m kind of in a hurry too. Thank you.

Thank you for the fantastic list! We wanted to let you know about one more contest open this year:

Tadpole Press 100 Word Writing Contest Limit: 100 words per entry. Submit as many entries as you’d like. Writers: All ages. All genders. All nationalities. All writers welcome. Genre: Any genre. Theme: Abundance. Prizes: 1st place: $1,000. 2nd place: $450 writing coaching package. 3rd place: $250 developmental or diversity editing package. Entry Fee: $10. Deadline: November 30, 2021. More Info: http://www.tadpolepress.com/events

It’s a great option for writers who have always wanted to write but never had the time. Hope it’s helpful for your readers!

Thanks, Amber

Just a quick update to let you know that we now host the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest twice a year—with deadlines every April 30 and November 30.

https://www.tadpolepress.com/100-word-writing-contest

Hope it’s helpful for your readers!

Cheers, Amber

I am the catalyst for a raw talent. My student is 12, soon to be 13, and writes horror like our beloved, and haunting icon H. P. Lovecraft. As his English teacher, every heartstrings that I own wants to direct this young man to a mentor that can work with his potential, and I want other lenses on his drafts. We live in a small impoverished town in Oregon, and his writing cannot only be his catharsis but his freedom! Please, is there any guidance or wisdom rhat you can gift us? Our best, Mrs. Rogers and Andrew

there are no contests for teens who want to wright fiction

The Immerse Education Essay Competition is also open to teens aged 13-18 from around the world. It’s completely free to enter and a great way to grow your writing skills and showcase your subject knowledge. Our current round is open until the 4th of January, find more information here: https://www.immerse.education/essay-competition/

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

Every writer NEEDS this book.

It’s a guide to writing the pivotal moments of your novel.

Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book you’ll ever buy.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

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

20 Writing Competitions for High School Students

Writing is an essential skill that plays a crucial role in the academic and professional success of students. Writing competitions are an excellent way for high school students to showcase their creativity, critical thinking, and written communication skills. These competitions provide a platform for young writers to gain recognition, receive feedback, and improve their craft. However, with so many writing competitions available, it can be challenging for students to know which ones are worth entering.

In this blog post, we have compiled a list of 20 writing competitions for high school students that are reputable, prestigious, and even offer valuable rewards! Whether you are passionate about poetry, fiction, non-fiction, or playwriting, there is a competition on this list that will suit your interests and showcase your talent. From regional to national and international competitions, there is an opportunity for every young writer to challenge themselves and shine.

Interested in our online AI coding program for middle & high school students? Enter your email below for program enrollment, updates & more!

Scholastic art and writing awards.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is one of the most prestigious art and writing competitions for middle and high school students grades 7-12. High school students can submit creative works across 28 different categories, including short stories, personal essays, poetry, and screenplays. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards recognize students both locally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships. National Medalists are eligible to win scholarships up to $12,500.

https://www.artandwriting.org/

The Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College has an impressive history of literary alumni, including three U.S. poet laureates, twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, four MacArthur Geniuses, two of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people, and countless of New York Times bestsellers. The Young Writers Awards were created to continue this legacy, promote writing excellence , and recognize talented high school writers. High school students in 9th-12th grades are encouraged to submit to poetry, fiction, and nonfiction categories.

https://www.bennington.edu/events/young-writers-awards

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy features the accounts of eight American senators who risked their political careers to uphold the nation's welfare. These leaders exemplified political bravery by taking a stance for the greater good, despite the influence of interest groups, party affiliations, or even their own constituents. To promote the concept of political courage, the Profile in Courage Essay Contest encourages students to craft an innovative and unique essay that showcases their comprehension of political courage as depicted in Profiles in Courage. High school students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply.

https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/education/profile-in-courage-essay-contest

NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) hosts the annual Achievement Awards in Writing, which recognizes high school sophomores and juniors for the best student writing. Students can submit a personal narrative, fictional story, informative or persuasive essay, series of poems, photo essay, or a graphic novel/narrative.

https://ncte.org/awards/achievement-awards-in-writing/

Princeton University Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes high school juniors for outstanding poetry, judged by poets on the Princeton University creative writing faculty. Applicants can submit up to three poems to this writing competition. First, second, and third place winners will receive cash prizes. Honorable mentions will receive recognition.

https://arts.princeton.edu/about/opportunities/high-school-contests/poetry-contest/

YoungArts discovers talented young artists, magnifies their potential, and dedicates resources to their future creative aspirations. High school students ages 15-18 are invited to apply to the discipline of their choice: Classical Music, Dance, Design Arts, Film, Jazz, Photography, Theater, Visual Arts, Voice, and Writing. Winners will be invited to attend weeklong programs and workshops in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Finalists will be invited to National YoungArts Week and will be eligible for nomination as U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, as well as financial awards of up to $10,000.

https://youngarts.org/

American Foreign Service Association National High School Essay Contest

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) National High School Essay Contest is an annual competition open to all high school students in the United States. The contest encourages students to explore and analyze current international issues, develop their research and writing skills, and demonstrate their understanding of diplomacy and foreign policy. The winners receive cash prizes and a trip to Washington, D.C., where they can meet with diplomats and policymakers, as well as tour the capital's cultural sites.

https://afsa.org/essay-contest

The Ocean Awareness Student Contest

This Ocean Awareness Student Contest is an arts and writing competition for students ages 11-18. The goal of the Ocean Awareness Contest is to motivate students to learn about and examine environmental issues and become advocates for positive change through art and writing. The contest offers cash prizes for original work on ocean conservation themes, including poetry, prose, and visual art.

https://bowseat.org/programs/ocean-awareness-contest/contest-overview/

Bill of Rights Institute We The Students Essay Contest

Founded by the Bill of Rights Institute, the We The Students Essay Contest is an annual writing competition for high school students. The goal of the We The Students Essay Contest is to encourage high school students to think critically about the principles of the U.S. Constitution and its relevance to current events in the U.S. High school students interested in exploring the role of politics and government on our society are encouraged to participate and submit their writing works.

https://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/students

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

High school sophomores and juniors can participate in the Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize, which was established in 2007 to acknowledge exceptional young poets. The competition is named after Patricia Grodd, who generously supported the Kenyon Review and its initiatives, while also exhibiting a deep devotion to education and a profound fondness for poetry. The winner will be granted a full scholarship to the upcoming summer Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop. Additionally, the winner and two runners-up will have their poems featured in the print version of the Kenyon Review and online.

https://kenyonreview.org/submission/patricia-grodd/

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

SPJ/JEA is a writing competition for high school students to examine the role of media and journalism in our lives. “The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association want to increase high school students' knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media to our lives.” National winners will be granted scholarship awards.

http://jea.org/wp/home/awards-honors/high-school-essay-contest/

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival

The Blank Theatre Young Playwrights Festival is an annual event that celebrates the works of young and emerging playwrights. The competition is open to all high school students in the United States, and winners have the opportunity to see their plays performed by professional actors in a fully staged production. The Blank Theatre's mission is to provide a nurturing environment for young writers to develop their skills and talents while also promoting the importance of theatre in our culture. The festival has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, among others.

https://www.theblank.com/ypf

Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

The Jane Austen Society Essay Contest is an annual competition that invites high school and college students to submit their essays on Jane Austen's novels and their impact on literature and society. The contest is organized by the Jane Austen Society of North America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the study and appreciation of Jane Austen's works. The contest is open to students from all over the world, and the winners receive cash prizes and a one-year membership in the Jane Austen Society. The contest aims to encourage young writers to engage with Austen's timeless themes and to inspire the next generation of Austen scholars and enthusiasts.

https://jasna.org/programs/essay-contest/

John Locke Essay Competition

The John Locke Essay Competition is a writing competition for young writers, named after the renowned English philosopher who championed individual rights and liberties. Participants are invited to submit an essay on a given topic related to politics, history, philosophy, theology, law, psychology or economics. The competition is organized by the John Locke Institute, an educational charity that seeks to promote critical thinking and the study of classical liberal ideas. The winners receive a cash prize, and the top essays are published on the institute's website. The competition provides young writers with a platform to share their ideas and engage in meaningful discussions about politics, economics, and philosophy.

https://www.johnlockeinstitute.com/essay-competition

Teen Ink is an online magazine that offers writing contests for high school students throughout the year, with prizes for the best submissions in various categories, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Students can submit poetry, articles, books, novels, art, photos, and videos.

https://www.teenink.com/

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

Hosted by the National Academy of Engineering, EngineerGirl is an annual competition for elementary, middle, and high school students to write about engineering. High school students will write an essay responding to a specific prompt, exploring the role and impact that engineering has on our society.

https://www.engineergirl.org/128750/EngineerGirl-Writing-Contest

World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an annual writing competition for high school students around the world. The contest is organized by the World History Association, an organization dedicated to promoting the study of world history. Participants are asked to submit an essay on a given topic related to world history, and the winners are selected based on the quality of their writing and their historical analysis. The competition aims to encourage students to think critically about historical events and their impact on the world today. The winners receive a cash prize, a certificate of recognition, and their essays are published on the World History Association's website. The competition provides young writers with an opportunity to showcase their research and writing skills while also promoting the importance of studying world history.

https://www.thewha.org/wha-awards/world-historian-student-essay-competition/

The Voice of Democracy Essay Contest

The Voice of Democracy Essay contest is an annual scholarship competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). High school students in grades 9-12 are invited to submit an essay on a given theme related to patriotism and American history. The purpose of the contest is to encourage students to think critically about their responsibilities as citizens of the United States and to honor the sacrifices of our nation's veterans. The winners receive scholarships, and their essays are published in the VFW magazine. The Voice of Democracy Essay contest is a meaningful way for students to learn about the importance of patriotism and to honor the service of our veterans.

https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships

The Adroit Journal Prizes for Poetry and Prose

The Adroit Journal Prizes for Poetry and Prose are two separate annual writing competitions that recognize outstanding young writers in high school and college. The contests are organized by The Adroit Journal, a literary magazine that publishes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction by emerging writers. Participants are invited to submit their best work in either poetry or prose, and the winners receive a cash prize, publication in The Adroit Journal, and a mentorship from a noted writer in their genre. The Adroit Journal Prizes for Poetry and Prose are highly competitive and have become known for discovering and nurturing talented young writers. These contests provide a unique opportunity for young writers to gain recognition and exposure for their work, as well as to receive mentorship from established writers in their field.

https://theadroitjournal.org/adroit-prizes/

The Ten-Minute Play Contest

The Ten-Minute Play Contest is an annual writing competition for high school students organized by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. The contest challenges participants to write an original ten-minute play that can be performed on stage. The contest is open to all high school students across the United States, and the winners receive a cash prize, publication in an anthology of plays, and a staged reading of their play by professional actors at Princeton University. The Ten-Minute Play Contest is a unique opportunity for young writers to explore their creativity and hone their skills in playwriting. The contest provides a platform for young writers to showcase their work and engage with professional actors and playwrights in a supportive environment.

https://arts.princeton.edu/about/opportunities/high-school-contests/ten-minute-play-contest/

One More Option: Inspirit AI

If you are interested in conducting your own research — and crafting your own research paper as a high school student — consider applying to the 1:1 Mentorship Program at Inspirit AI! Research experience is a great way to demonstrate and engage your passion for STEM and research writing, and our mentors – hailing from the world's top research institutions and tech companies – will walk you through an entire research project from start to end. Whether you are a coding novice or a virtuoso, our individualized mentorship program will help you develop an exceptional AI-focused research project. For more information, do not hesitate to contact Inspirit AI with questions.

15 Journalism Internships for High School Students

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