11 Writing Contests for High School Students with Cash Awards

• Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. …
• Young Lions Fiction Award. …
• Ocean Awareness Contest. …
• The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose. …
• NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship. …
• YoungArts Competition. …
• The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest.

What are the best writing competitions to enter?

Writing Contests For You to Enter!

• Young Lions Fiction Award.
• 53 Word Story Contest.
• W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction.
• The Gabo Prize.
• Willie Morris Awards for Southern Poetry & Fiction.
• Pen/Heim Translation Fund Grants.
• Newfound Prose Prize.
• Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest.

Should I enter a writing contest?

And there have been years that the prize for winning one contest more than covered the entry fees for the others I entered. So even though I’m not a big winner, I say yes — it’s worth the effort to try. Entering writing contests helps writers prepare to follow the rules. That’s good practice for a writing career.

How do you know if a writing competition is legit?

Warning Signs of a Bad Literary Contest

• An unusually large number and size of cash awards (e.g., $58,000/year)
• The contest claims the right to publish your work as soon as you enter it, even if you don’t win a prize.
• Contest sponsor tries hard to sell you products that incorporate your work, like anthologies.

How do you win a writer?

So here are the five main points he suggests, followed by my observations:

1. Write something unique. …
2. Follow the rules. …
3. Show don’t tell. …
4. Keep a consistent perspective (point of view). …
5. A good story is better than perfect grammar.

Where can I submit my short story?

Where to Publish Short Stories: Legitimate First Publications

• Apparition Lit. Apparition Lit is a themed quarterly journal. …
• LampLight Magazine. LampLight Magazine is a quarterly journal of dark fiction and horror. …
• SmokeLong Quarterly. …
• Write City Magazine. …
• Genuine Gold. …
• Dark Magazine. …
• Typishly. …
• SAND Journal.

How long is a short story?

5,000 to 10,000 words

How Long Should a Short Story Be? The average short story should run anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 words, but they can be anything above 1,000 words. Flash fiction is a short story that is 500 words or less.

Is FanStory com legit?

Overview. FanStory has a consumer rating of 4.37 stars from 133 reviews indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Consumers satisfied with FanStory most frequently mention better writer, wonderful people and cash prizes. FanStory ranks 5th among Writing Other sites.

Are vocal writing contests legit?

Vocal Challenges represent a very lucrative opportunity, but because it’s a contest, you can’t depend on winning the prize. Still, an annual Vocal membership is inexpensive and it gives you the chance to sign up for a weekly writing lottery ticket with a good cash prize and reasonable odds of winning.

Is Live Poet Society legit?

It is this commitment to excellence that, for over a decade has solidified our spot as the premier poetry venue among legitimate high school poets.

What do judges look for in a writing competition?

Once the field of entries has been narrowed down, judges in writing contests often re-read promising entries. What they are looking for is writing that stands out from the rest of the field. This is very subjective, but experienced judges develop a feel for quality writing.

What do writing competitions look for?

Writing contests generally lean toward certain genres. If the genre is not explicitly stated, read previously published stories from the contest to get a sense of what the judges will be looking for. If there is a theme, ignore it. Writing contests often ask for pieces that fit a certain theme or even follow a prompt.

What do judges look for in a short story?

There are plenty of other things that catch a judges eye, of course. A writer’s style and vision. Freshness of ideas. Interesting use of language.

Why are writing contests important?

Writing contests are a great way to help you get past any writer’s block you might be feeling. What might start off as an entry into a writing contest could lead you to developing something even bigger. Many times it could even turn into something bigger, or they inspire ideas for your other writing.

Are poetry competitions worth it?

Is it worth it? IMHO, individual poem contests aren’t worth the cost. There are any number of paying, viable publications that take individual poems and pay good money for them. Unless you’re trying to publish a book, writers get less out of these contests.