creative writing ink competitions

Writing Competitions

Writing competitions : unleash your potential and gain recognition.

Writing is a beautiful art form that allows individuals to express their thoughts, emotions, and ideas to the world. It is a medium through which we can communicate, inspire, and evoke powerful emotions in others. If you’re an aspiring writer looking to enhance your skills and gain recognition, one fantastic avenue to explore is entering writing competitions. This blog post will delve into the incredible benefits that await you when you take part in these literary contests.

Sharpen Your Skills

Writing competitions provide a unique opportunity to sharpen your writing skills. Each contest has specific guidelines and prompts, forcing you to think creatively and approach your craft from different angles. The challenges presented by these competitions push you to experiment with new writing styles, themes, and genres. Through regular participation, you’ll develop a versatile writing voice and expand your literary repertoire.

Feedback and Critique

One of the most valuable aspects of entering writing competitions is the feedback you receive from judges and fellow writers. Receiving constructive criticism and detailed feedback on your work can be immensely beneficial in improving your writing abilities. Judges’ comments can shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of your writing, helping you identify areas that require improvement. This valuable feedback is instrumental in your development as a writer, allowing you to refine your craft and develop your unique writing voice.

Building Confidence

Entering writing competitions can be a powerful confidence booster. Submitting your work for evaluation and putting it out into the world takes courage. The validation that comes from being recognised, winning awards, or even making it to the shortlist can instil a sense of accomplishment and belief in your abilities. This confidence is invaluable as you continue to pursue your writing dreams, motivating you to keep honing your skills and striving for excellence.

Exposure and Recognition

Writing competitions offer a platform for exposure and recognition. Winning or being shortlisted in a prestigious contest can push your writing career to new heights. It increases your visibility among publishers, literary agents, and editors and provides a valuable addition to your writing portfolio. Many competitions offer publication opportunities, showcasing winning entries in anthologies or literary magazines, allowing you to reach a wider audience and gain credibility as a writer.

Networking and Community

Participating in writing competitions opens doors to connect with fellow writers, judges, and industry professionals. The writing community is a vibrant and supportive network of individuals passionate about words. Engaging with other writers, both online and offline, provides opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and lifelong friendships. The connections you make through writing competitions can open doors to new writing opportunities, workshops, and invaluable advice from seasoned authors.

Deadlines and Discipline

Writing competitions often come with strict deadlines, forcing you to manage your time effectively and develop discipline in your writing routine. This discipline is an essential skill for any writer, as it fosters productivity and consistency in your creative process. By adhering to deadlines, you train yourself to produce quality work within a specified timeframe, an invaluable skill in professional writing.

Entering writing competitions is a fantastic way to enhance your writing skills, gain feedback and recognition, build confidence, and connect with the writing community. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, these contests provide a platform for growth and an opportunity to showcase your talent to the world. So, embrace the challenges, polish your work, and get started on your exciting journey of self-discovery and literary success. Happy writing!

Take a look at our competition listings here!

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Best Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 383 contests that match your search.

The Reedsy Prompts Contest

Genres: Fiction and Short Story

Every Friday, Reedsy sends out five writing prompts. Enter your response within a week for a chance at $250. Winners may also be included in a future issue of Reedsy’s literary magazine, Prompted.

Additional prizes:

$25 credit toward Reedsy editorial services

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: December 31, 2024

The Screw Turn Flash Fiction Competition

The Ghost Story

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Short Story, and Thriller

We’re interested in flash fiction pieces of between 250 and 1,000 words. We’re seeking the finest work we can find that incorporates an uncanny element. Ghost stories are welcome, of course—but your submission may involve any paranormal or supernatural theme, as well as magic realism. What we’re looking for is superb writing, fresh perspectives, and maybe a few surprises.

print and online publication

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

National Essay Contest

U.S. Institute of Peace

Genres: Essay

This year, AFSA celebrates the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. Over the last century, our diplomats and development professionals have been involved in groundbreaking events in history – decisions on war and peace, supporting human rights and freedom, creating joint prosperity, reacting to natural disasters and pandemics and much more. As AFSA looks back on this century-long history, we invite you to join us in also looking ahead to the future. This year students are asked to explore how diplomats can continue to evolve their craft to meet the needs of an ever-changing world that brings fresh challenges and opportunities to the global community and America’s place in it.

Runner-up: $1,250

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

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Fairytales & Myths Competition 2024

Write the World

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Flash Fiction

Since the very first tale told by the fireside, the idea of mysterious worlds—rife with talking trees, dragons and beasts, and spells of all kinds—has captivated us humans. This month, dear writers, write a myth or fairytale that uses fantasy as a lens to understand the reality of everyday life.

Best entry: $100

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

📅 Deadline: March 04, 2024 (Expired)

Interactive Narrative Writing Contest

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, and Romance

An interactive narrative writing contest. Four categories, capped at 20 participants in each category, and 3 prizes for the winners in each. No need to write a complete novel, just 3 shorts "episodes". We're hosting the contest to find amazing writers and get feedback on our interactive narrative writing tool!

2nd: $150 | 3rd: $100

📅 Deadline: May 22, 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)

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2024

Oxford Flash Fiction

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

Write yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. For centuries, the greats have come to Oxford to ink masterpieces. Now, in one of the oldest towns, where the history of the English language can be traced back to its ancient streets, we are celebrating one of the newest forms in literature – flash fiction.

2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100 | New Voice Prize: £200

💰 Entry fee: $9

Season Themes

HAVOK Publishing

Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

HAVOK is a constant flash fiction contest, with rolling deadlines. Each season is split into monthly competitions with thematically connected prompts in a range of genres.

Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.

📅 Deadline: June 28, 2024

Maggie Award for Prepublished Writers

Georgia Romance Writers

Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Romance

The purpose of the Prepublished Maggie Award for Excellence is to encourage, recognize, and reward the mastery of romance writing by Prepublished authors of romantic fiction. The Maggie Award is a symbol of achievement given by the Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) to bring special attention to these writers. The Maggie Award, a silver medallion commissioned by GRW, receives national attention.

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: April 21, 2024 (Expired)

Scriptwriting Scholarship

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Script Writing

The Gotham Scriptwriting Scholarship is open to people of color who have an interest in writing scripts for movies, TV shows, or plays. Any level of experience is fine. All we ask is the desire to write scripts. Three scholarships will be offered.

2 10-week script-related courses | 3 Intensives | 1 12-hour Mentorship

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize

University of Pittsburgh Press

Genres: Poetry

The award is open to any poet writing in English who has not had a full-length book of poetry published previously. We define “full-length book” as a volume of 48 or more pages published in an edition of 500 or more copies. Books whose publication costs have been borne by their authors are excluded from this definition.

Publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Annual Novel Opening Competition

Genres: Fiction and Novel

We are looking for an opening chapter up to 3,000 words, plus a one page synopsis outlining the balance of your story of any genre, so long as it's unpublished.

2nd Place: £200

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: October 31, 2024

42 Miles Press Poetry Award

42 Miles Press

The 42 Miles Press Poetry Award was created in an effort to bring urgent and original voices to the poetry reading public. The prize is offered annually to any poet writing in English, including poets who have never published a full-length book as well as poets who have published several. New and Selected collections of poems are also welcome.

Publication

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

HOLT Medallion Contest

Virginia Romance Writers

Genres: Fiction and Romance

The Virginia Romance Writers Chapter of the Romance Writers of America® is pleased to announce the 27th Annual HOLT Medallion competition for the best romantic fiction. Entries must be a single work of romance fiction, with an original copyright date (not a release date) of January-December 2021 regardless of format (e-book or print).

Certificate and a pewter HOLT medallion

💰 Entry fee: $30

📅 Deadline: January 15, 2024 (Expired)

I Am Writing Competition

Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Young Adult

Please submit the first 3,500 words of your novel. A one-page synopsis is also required.

30-minute consultation with genre expert

📅 Deadline: May 28, 2024 (Expired)

Creative Writing NZ Short Story Prize 2024

Creative Writing NZ

Genres: Short Story

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

Best Stories on Human Impact of Climate Change

Secant Publishing

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

We are seeking the year's best original short stories (fiction) devoted to the theme of global climate change and its human impact. We are interested in literary interpretations of how individuals and families, cities and nations are bearing the brunt of a world dominated by new extremes of weather, seasons, and eco-disasters. All genres welcome.

2nd: $500 | 3rd: $250 | Publication in anthology

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Universe of Threats Natural Disaster Writing Contest

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

CAPTRS is building a catalog of threats, called the “Universe of Threats,” which will be used to prepare decision makers for future threats. We invite you to submit a 2,500 word or less story describing a threat scenario related to natural disasters, including floods, wildfires, hurricanes or another natural disaster of your choosing.

2nd: $2,500 | 3rd: $1,000 | Publication on CAPTRS website

The Restless Books Prize For New Immigrant Writing

Restless Books

Genres: Fiction and Non-fiction

The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing was created in 2016 to honor outstanding debut literary works by first-generation immigrants, awarded for fiction and nonfiction in alternating years. The winner receives $10,000 and publication by Restless Books.

Publication by Restless Books

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025

Winter Flash Fiction Battle

Writing Battle

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

Three days to write a 1000 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): $2,000

Genre Runner-up (x4): $500 | Feedback by industry professionals.

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2024 (Expired)

Nimrod Literary Awards

Nimrold International Journal of Prose and Poetry

Genres: Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, and Novel

All finalists in fiction and poetry will be published and paid at our standard publication rate. Semi-finalists in poetry will also be published and paid at our standard publication rate.

$2000 + Publication

2nd: $1000 + Publication

💰 Entry fee: $20

Climate Change Writing Competition

Genres: Essay, Memoir, and Non-fiction

This month, dear writers, ahead of COP27, help us raise the voices of young people in this urgent fight. In a piece of personal narrative, tell the world’s leaders gathering in how climate change impacts you. How has this crisis changed your environment, your community, your sense of the future? Storytelling, after all, plays a critical role in helping us grasp the emergency through which we are all living, igniting empathy in readers and listeners—itself a precursor to action.

Runner-up: $50

📅 Deadline: October 18, 2022 (Expired)

International Poetry Book Awards 2023

Poetry Book Awards

The Poetry Book Awards is an annual, international book award given to the best poetry books produced by indie writers, self published authors or books published by small, truly independent presses. We are proud to be a Welsh based international awards programme, open to all indie authors and self published poets globally.

2nd: £200 | 3rd: £100 | Publication

💰 Entry fee: $44

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Flash Fiction Competition 2024

Genres: Flash Fiction

“There was more room to think,” wrote novelist David Gaffney on becoming a flash fiction convert, “more space for the original idea to resonate, fewer unnecessary words to wade through.” This month, gather your briefest bits of story, your flashes in a pan, your poetic impulses, and give us a story in 100 words or fewer.

Best Entry: $100

Runner up: $50, Best Peer Review: $50

📅 Deadline: August 26, 2024

Great American Think-Off

New York Mills Regional Cultural Center

Genres: Essay and Non-fiction

The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level. The Cultural Center, located in the rural farm and manufacturing town of New York Mills, sponsors this annual philosophy contest.

Goldilocks Zone

Sunspot Literary Journal

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

Sunspot Lit is looking for the perfect combination of craft and appeal in stories, CNF, novel or novella excerpts, artwork, graphic novels, poems, scripts/screenplays. Literary and genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope.

Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest

Arizona Mystery Writers

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, and Short Story

Every year the Arizona Mystery Writers hosts the Jim Martin Memorial Story Contest. Naturally, since we’re the Arizona Mystery Writers, we want a mystery story, but we’re flexible about the boundaries of that category, and we also accept thrillers and suspense stories. It doesn’t matter if your story’s characters are in outer space, riding horses, or living underground. Costumes and settings don’t matter as long as the story is a mystery, thriller, or suspense tale as described.

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $75

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024

Hastings Book Festival - Short Story

Hastings Book Festival

Hastings Book Festival writing competition is open to writers from anywhere in the world writing in English on any theme. We invite short stories up to 2,500 words. We have additional prizes for LGBT+ writers and writers resident in Sussex.

2nd: £100 | 3rd: £50

📅 Deadline: July 07, 2024

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

📅 Deadline: May 06, 2024 (Expired)

Rhyming Poetry Contest

FanStory.com Inc.

Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme scheme.

📅 Deadline: August 12, 2024

Ironclad Creative Short Story Competition

Ironclad Creative CIC

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

We are looking for short stories that respond in any way to: 7:12am. You can use that in the text, as a theme, or any way you want. We accept any prose genre and any length of story up to 6k words. We’re looking for writers who have exciting voices and can move us - that can happen in any genre of prose. We’re not accepting plays or poetry for this competition.

2nd: £50 | 3rd & 4th: £25 | 10 short-listed entries: publication

💰 Entry fee: $8

3 Line Poetry Contest

Fanstory.com Inc.

Write a poem that has a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. It does not rhyme. But the poem must address a loved one.

📅 Deadline: August 30, 2024

Black Orchid Novella Award

Wolfe Pack & Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

Genres: Crime, Mystery, and Novella

Novellas are an important part of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe's opus. To celebrate this format, the Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine have partnered to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Award. Each entry must be an original, unpublished work of fiction that conforms to the literary tradition of the Nero Wolfe series.

Publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

The Porter Fleming Literary Competition

The Morris Museum of Art

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Script Writing

Welcome to the 2024 Porter Fleming Literary Competition, now in its twenty-ninth year of recognizing outstanding writing and writers. The competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming, one of Augusta, Georgia’s leading citizens and foremost philanthropists. The competition is administered, with the support of the Porter Fleming Foundation, by the Morris Museum of Art, the first museum in the country to focus on the art and artists of the American South. Writers, ages 18 and older, who reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington, D.C are invited to apply.

1st place in each genre category: $1,000

2nd place: $500 & 3rd place: $250 in each of the four genre categories

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

The Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize

Texas Review

Established in 2001, The Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize highlights one book a year that excels in the chapbook format. Since 2019 the Prize comes with $500, a standard royalty contract, and 20 copies of the published book.

A Standard Royalty contract, 20 copies of the book published

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

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Poetry competition: The Creative Writing Ink Poetry Prize 2023

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Creative Writing Ink Poetry Prize 2023

31 may 2023.

• Deadline:  4:00 pm (UK time) on 31 May 2023
• Entry Fee:  €6 for first entry, €5 for each subsequent entry
• Prizes:  Winner: €1,000
• Word Limit:  42 lines
• Judge:  Eileen Casey
• Category:  Poetry Competitions
• Competition Website:   creativewriting.ie/creative-writing-ink-poetry-prize-2023/

The Creative Writing Ink Poetry Prize 2023 offers the winning poet and whopping €1,000 prize (plus a free creative writing course). Poets have 42 lines within which to craft their verse and you need to stick to Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt, black font, double spaced.

The judge is poet and author Eileen Casey .

Creative Writing Ink are a well-regarded organisation who offer a range of courses and editorial services to writers.

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Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition 2023

Competition Information

The Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition 2023 is open to all writers, aged 16 or over, from around the world.

Closing date: September 30th at 4pm (GMT).

Stories do not need to follow any particular theme or genre, but must be written in English.

Maximum word count is 3000 words.

1st prize: £1000, plus a free creative writing course of the winner’s choice and publication on our site.

Runners-up: £200 each.

Entry fee: £9.

Final judge: Lucie Brownlee

Find out all the details here.

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IELTS Exam Preparation: Free IELTS Tips, 2024

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Take IELTS test in or nearby Elektrostal'

There is no IELTS test center listed for Elektrostal' but you may be able to take your test in an alternative test center nearby. Please choose an appropriate test center that is closer to you or is most suitable for your test depending upon location or availability of test.

Closest test centers are:

Make sure to prepare for the IELTS exam using our Free IELTS practice tests .

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An Overview of the IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is designed to measure English proficiency for educational, vocational and immigration purposes. The IELTS measures an individual's ability to communicate in English across four areas of language: listening , reading , writing and speaking . The IELTS is administered jointly by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment at over 1,100 test centres and 140 countries. These test centres supervise the local administration of the test and recruit, train and monitor IELTS examiners.

IELTS tests are available on 48 fixed dates each year, usually Saturdays and sometimes Thursdays, and may be offered up to four times a month at any test centre, including Elektrostal' depending on local needs. Go to IELTS test locations to find a test centre in or nearby Elektrostal' and to check for upcoming test dates at your test centre.

Test results are available online 13 days after your test date. You can either receive your Test Report Form by post or collect it from the Test Centre. You will normally only receive one copy of the Test Report Form, though you may ask for a second copy if you are applying to the UK or Canada for immigration purposes - be sure to specify this when you register for IELTS. You may ask for up to 5 copies of your Test Report Form to be sent directly to other organisations, such as universities.

There are no restrictions on re-sitting the IELTS. However, you would need to allow sufficient time to complete the registration procedures again and find a suitable test date.

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Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition 2023

ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS

• Submissions for the 2023 Competition will be accepted from May 15th, 2023.
• The DEADLINE for receipt of entries is  4 pm (GMT) on August 31, 2023.
• Entries will only be accepted through  Submittable.
• All authors are strictly required to obtain the prior approval of any third party who holds any rights in their story before submitting an Entry.
• Entries can be any theme or genre. You can enter any number of short stories but please check you are submitting the correct version of your work before uploading, as mistakes cannot be rectified later. If you have submitted the wrong version or have made a mistake in the work, you can withdraw it and resubmit a corrected version with the word ‘FINAL’ included in the file name. Please note a further fee would be payable. Entries can be withdrawn by logging into your account. To see how to withdraw, please  click here . Entry fees will not be refunded.
• Fill in the Entry Form and submit your short story via  Submittable.  All entries are judged anonymously. Please do not include your name, address, phone number, email, website, social media details, etc on the short story document or in the file name as this will result in disqualification.

ENTRY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Your short story must be written in English
• A maximum of 3000 words. No minimum. Title not included in the word count.
• Arial or Times New Roman, 12pt, black
• Double spaced
• Include a front page which details the title of the short story and the word count ONLY.  The author’s name should not be included anywhere in the document or the file name .
• No illustrations
• Save as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). We also accept file types .rtf, .pdf, with the short story title as the file name.  Please do not include the author’s name in the file name or it will be disqualified. 

1.1 “Competition” means this competition to find the best short story, as determined by the appointed judges, along with two runners-up and which shall be known as the “Creative Writing Ink Short Story Competition 2023”.

1.2 “Entrant(s)” means all authors submitting an entry.

1.3 “Entry” means any short story meeting the submission criteria entered for the Competition and “Entries” shall be construed accordingly.

2. THE COMPETITION

2.1 From the Entries submitted, the judges will draw up a longlist of up to twenty (20) Entries. The judges will then reduce this to a shortlist of three (3) outstanding Entries, from which they will select the winning Entry. Creative Writing Ink reserves the right to increase or reduce the number of Entries selected for the longlist and shortlist at their sole discretion.

2.2 First prize is  € 1 ,000,  an online creative writing course with Creative Writing Ink, and publication on our website. Two runners-up will receive  £200  each. These prizes will be presented to the author of the best, eligible Entry in the opinion of the judges.

2.3 The prize money will be transferred to the bank account of the winning Entrant and runners-up Entrants only.

3. ELIGIBILITY

3.1 The Competition is open to writers across the globe, writing in the English language, aged 16 years or over at the time of submission.

3.2 The Entry must not contain more than 3000 words. The word count should be listed on the Entry and must be precise.

3.3 Entries must be submitted by the author. Entries must be entirely the author’s own work. Any evidence to the contrary will result in immediate disqualification.

3.4 The author may submit more than one short story, as long as the entry fee accompanies each individual Entry.

3.5 Entries must not have been published, self-published, published on any website, blog or online forum, broadcast, have won or been placed (2nd, 3rd, runner up etc) in any other competition. If your entry has been long-listed or shortlisted in other competitions, and provided it has not won a prize or been published, it is eligible.

3.6 Simultaneous submissions are allowed but will become ineligible should they win a prize elsewhere, be published or scheduled for future publication prior to the date of prize giving. Entry fees will not be refunded. You must inform us immediately should your entry be published or win a prize elsewhere.

3.7 Entrants warrant that their Entry is original, entirely the Entrant’s own work, does not infringe any existing copyright, moral rights or any other rights of any third party and contains nothing obscene, libellous, unlawful, defamatory or anything which Creative Writing Ink may otherwise deem to be inappropriate, and the Entrant warrants that the Entry is suitable for publication on the Creative Writing Ink website.

3.8 The Competition is not open to employees, tutors, or editors of Creative Writing Ink, any of its associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies, the administrators, or anyone connected with the Competition or their direct family members.

3.9 Entries are limited to short stories written in English. Translations of short stories originally published in other languages and translated into English are also eligible for the Competition.

4. COPYRIGHT AND TERMS OF USE

4.1 Worldwide copyright of each entry remains with the author but Creative Writing Ink has unrestricted rights to publish the winning, and shortlisted short stories on the Creative Writing Ink website and any relevant promotional material.

4.2 The Entrant acknowledges and agrees that each shortlisted Entry shall be cleared and can be used for publicity purposes to generate coverage for the Competition, in a format, manner and for such time as may be determined by Creative Writing Ink.

5.1 The Competition judges (as appointed by Creative Writing Ink) will select a longlist from which they will select a shortlist of three Entries. Creative Writing Ink reserves the right to increase or reduce the numbers of Entries selected for the longlist and the shortlist at their sole discretion.

5.2 All shortlisted Entries will be contacted personally by telephone. The overall winner of the Competition will be announced on September 30th, 2023, on the Creative Writing Ink website.

5.3 The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into or appeals shall be heard. Judges are unable to comment on individual Entries. Judging is fair and unbiased.

5.4 The judging panel will be appointed by the Competition Director in association with Creative Writing Ink and will include a representative from Creative Writing Ink as well as members of the literary community.  Published author Lucie Brownlee will be the final judge.  Creative Writing Ink reserves the right to change the panel of judges without notice.

6. ADMINISTRATION AND COMMUNICATION

6.1 The Entry Form, short story and payment must be completed and submitted by 4pm (GMT) on July 31, 2023.

6.2 Entrants must provide their telephone number and postal address. Creative Writing Ink will only ever use personal details for the purposes of administering this Competition, and will not publish them or provide them without permission to anyone not involved in the administration of this Competition. Uses of personal data received by Creative Writing Ink in the course of the Competition are subject to the privacy policy found on the Creative Writing Ink website. As a condition of entry to the Competition, Entrants consent to their names being published by Creative Writing Ink in connection with the Competition.

6.3 Online Entries are confirmed by the email receipt of your payment to PayPal plus an email from Submittable. Please check your spam folder as emails can land there. It is NOT possible to confirm receipt of Entries by phone or email.

6.4 Entrants must supply full details as required above, and comply with all rules and terms and conditions to be eligible for the Competition. Ineligible, obscene or fraudulent Entries will be automatically disqualified. In the event that any Entrant breaches or Creative Writing Ink reasonably believes that an Entrant has breached these Terms and Conditions, Creative Writing Ink may reject the Entry and/or remove the Entrant from any longlist or shortlist and/or retract the Competition.

6.5 Please note that no Entries can be returned.

6.6 Creative Writing Ink reserve the right to refuse any Entry to the Competition for any reason at their absolute discretion.

6.7 Any author who submits an Entry warrants that they have all necessary consents, approvals, rights and licences required to submit an Entry in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

6.8 Entrants indemnify and will keep Creative Writing Ink indemnified against loss, injury or damage (including any legal costs or expenses and any compensation costs and disbursements paid or incurred by Creative Writing Ink, on the advice of legal counsel to compromise or settle any claim) occasioned to Creative Writing Ink, in consequence of any breach of the warranties contained in these terms and conditions or arising out of any claim alleging that the submitted Entry constitutes an infringement of any third party intellectual property rights or contains libellous, obscene or defamatory matter.

6.9 There is no alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions.

6.10 Creative Writing Ink will not be liable for any failure of receipt of Entries. Creative Writing Ink have no responsibility or liability for any Entries which are lost, delayed, illegible, damaged, incomplete or otherwise invalid.

6.11 Creative Writing Ink reserves the right at any time to cancel, modify or supersede the Competition (including altering prizes) if, at its sole discretion, the Competition is not capable of being conducted as specified. Creative Writing Ink reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal value in the event that circumstances beyond their control make this unavoidable or such other reasons as Creative Writing Ink may deem reasonable.

6.12 Creative Writing Ink reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions. Any amendments will be published on www.creativewriting.ie. It is the responsibility of the Entrant to check for any changes to the Terms and Conditions.

6.13 These Terms and Conditions are exclusively governed by the laws of Ireland and Entrants submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ireland. Nothing contained in these Terms and Conditions shall limit the right of Creative Writing Ink, its affiliates or subsidiaries, successors or assigns, to bring a claim against any party in any other jurisdiction.