Each teacher can enter up to 15 student manuscripts and there is no entry fee. No student may have more than two pieces entered, total, and only one per genre.
Teachers may enter two pieces, only one per genre. In addition, teachers may enter up to 5 student sentences (limit one per student) and one teacher sentence. (Sentences do not count against the total of 15 other entries. Sentences can be taken from larger pieces of writing.) Please do NOT enter pieces previously entered in other statewide contests.
Read the following guidelines for entries:
Students and teachers have several genres to choose from:
Grades 3rd - 12th & Teachers
Descriptive Paragraph
Describe a person, a place, an object, a feeling. The paragraph can be an excerpt from a larger piece of writing or can be complete in itself. Put the reader there with sensory details and telling facts. Limit 150 words.
Personal Narrative
Write a personal memoir or a narration of an event in your life. Try to cover a very short period of time. Details are important. Be sure to use active, vivid verbs. Combine description with action to put the reader there. Limit 2000 words.
Poem
It can rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. It can be metered or free verse. Try including similes, metaphors. personification. Experiment with repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia. Limit, 66 lines.
Short Story
Create the characters and come up with a conflict. Put those characters in a place and time and see what they decide to do. Try weaving together action, dialogue, and description to keep the reader involved. Limit 2000 words. Longer stories will be disqualified.
Flash Fiction
Also called “sudden fiction,” this genre packs a punch with a small amount of text. A complete story includes the traditional elements of setting, characterization, and conflict. Choose a time and place, narrow your focus, start in the middle of the action, keep the reader guessing, and end with a bang or a twist! Limit 100 words.
Essay
Stand up for an issue; change someone’s mind. You can pick the topic. Suggestions? Comment on controversial issues, current events, art, television, movies, books, videos, video games, products. Show us how to look at something from another viewpoint. If you cite sources, do it correctly! Limit 1000 words.
Comic
Use drawing and words to tell a story. Use color or black and white. It can be one panel or multiple panels. Limit 2 pages (Standard Letter size 8.5 by 11 inch). Upload a PNG or JPEG of your comic into a Word document.
Sentence
Write a sentence, any kind, any length, any subject. Be creative. One winner for each grade level. Hint: Using figurative language and poetic devices might help you win.
Grades PreK - 2nd & Teachers
Descriptive Paragraph
Describe a person, a place, an object, a feeling. The paragraph can be an excerpt from a larger piece of writing or can be complete in itself. Put the reader there with sensory details and telling facts. Limit 150 words.
Personal Narrative
Write a personal memoir or a narration of an event in your life. Try to cover a very short period of time. Details are important. Be sure to use active, vivid verbs. Combine description with action to put the reader there. Limit 2000 words.
Poem
It can rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. It can be metered or free verse. Try including similes, metaphors. personification. Experiment with repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia. Limit, 66 lines.
Formula Poem
Giving students a pattern is a great way to start young writers. This category can include Haiku; Cinquain, Rhyme Patterns/Sentence Starters
Picture Sharing
Using story book paper–use drawing and words to communicate a main idea. It could be reflection from mentor text, sentences inspired by a journal entry, or a simple story with beginning, middle and end. Limit 2 pages. Ensure student writing can be read; however, teachers can attach typed text to accompany student entry. Scan or send images (jpeg) of student work. Winners will be published, so student writing and drawing must be legible.
Class Story
Early childhood classrooms include interactive writing. This category is to give a class an opportunity to be published. Class stories must be created by at least 5 students. Teachers can provide guidance. Entries must have beginning, middle and end. If inspired by a mentor text, mentor text must be listed under title. Example: Matt’s Big Black Boot inspired by The Mitten by Jan Brett
Sentence
Write a sentence, any kind, any length, any subject. Be creative. One winner for each grade level. Hint: Using figurative language and poetic devices might help you win. (Sentence may be taken from a larger piece of writing.)
More Information
For more information, check out the teacher instructions on our Write to Win Contest page or download the flyer.
