More Writing Contests

When students write with an authentic purpose and audience, they are motivated to craft powerful words into prose and poetry. The New York Times Learning Network has an article with ten reasons to send student work out into the world. The Learning Network also has a list of over 70 avenues for student publication of writing.

The following contests—state, national, and international—are ways for students to submit their writing. The contests are organized chronologically by their deadline, but they can also be sorted by clicking on any of the other headings.

NameParticipantsTypeGenre(s)Deadline
 Teen Ink Ages 13-19 National various Ongoing
 Skipping Stones Ages 7-17 National various Ongoing
 Scope's Contests 4th-10th National various Ongoing
 Gotham Writers 6th-12th; adults National various Ongoing
 The Talon (NSU) 9th-12th Northeastern  OK

 fiction

 nonfiction

 poetry

art

non-traditional forms

Ongoing

Write the World

Ages 13-18

National

Aug: Flash Fiction

Sept: Science Writing

Oct: Scary Stories

Nov: Short Story

Dec: People's Choice

Jan: Nature & Environmental Poetry

Feb: Op-Ed

Mar: Songwriting

Apr: Poetry & Spoken Word

May: Environmental Writing

Monthly, 2024-2025

 Learning Network from The New   York Times6th-12thInternational

various genres

Monthly, 2024-2025
 Rattle's Ekphrastic Poetry  Challengeall agesNationalpoetryMonthly
 Future Scholar FoundationK-5thNationalshort storyMonthly
 The First Line literary journalall agesInternationalfictionQuarterly
 NYC Midnightall agesInternationalshort story
screenwriting
flash fiction
microfiction
short screenplay
Quarterly
 Darling Axehigh school; adultsInternational

novel/fiction:

Clash of the Query Letters

The Synopsis Skirmish

First Page Challenge

An Axe to Grind

Quarterly
 One Teen StoryAges 13-19Internationalshort storyFall 2024
 Leonard L. Milberg '53 High   School Poetry Prize11thInternationalpoetryFall 2024
 Lampost Writing Awards (OBU)9th-12thState

essay

fiction

poetry

September 2024

 Women Writing the West High   School Writing Contest

9th-12thNational

poetry/songwriting

short fiction

nonfiction/journalism

September 2024
 YoungArts National Arts   CompetitionAges 15-18 

fiction

nonfiction

play/script

poetry

spoken word

October 17, 2024

 VFW Voices of Democracy

9th-12th

National

audio essay

October 31, 2024

 VFW Patriot's Pen6th-8thNationalessayOctober 31, 2024

 Masonic Charity Foundation of   Oklahoma

12th

State

essay

October 31, 2024
 Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest10th-11th girlsNationalpoetryOctober 31, 2024
 Rattle Young Poets AnthologyAges 15-18NationalpoetryNovember 16, 2024
 Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for   Young Writers10th-11thNationalpoetryNovember 30, 2024

 Scholastic Writing Awards

7th-12th

National

critical essay
dramatic script
flash fiction
humor
journalism
novel writing
personal essay & memoir
poetry
science fiction & fantasy
short story
writing portfolio

December 2024

 My Favorite Book4th-12thStateessayDecember 2024
 Oklahoma Bar Association Law  Day Writing Contest1st-12thStateessayJanuary 2025
 Profile in Courage Essay Contest9th-12thNationalessayJanuary 17, 2025

 Oklahoma Council of Teachers   of English Young Writers   Contest

6th-8th; 9th-12th

State

poetry
essay
descriptive paragraph
personal narrative
fiction

comic

art

January 2025

 Oklahoma Writing Project   Contest

PK-12th; teacher

State

descriptive paragraph
personal narrative
poem
short story
essay
writing across the curriculum
flash fiction
sentence

January 2025

 If I Were Mayor Essay Contest

8th

State

essay

January  2025

 Narrative High School Writing   Contest9th-12thNationalprose & poetryJanuary 2025
 Jane Austen Society of North   America Essay Contest9th-12thInternationalessayFebruary 2025
 Penguin Random House Creative  Writing Awards Program12thNationalpoetry
memoir/personal essay
fiction/drama
spoken-word 
February 2025
 Engineer Girl3rd-12thNationalpiece of writing

February 2025

 R. Darryl Fisher Creative   Writing Contest9th-12thStatefiction & poetryFebruary 2025
 Promising Young Writers (NCTE)8thStatevariousFebruary 2025
 Achievement Awards in Writing  (NCTE)11thStatevariousFebruary 2025
 OKC National Memorial Annual   Student Essay Contest5th-12thNationalessayFebruary 2025
 Sejong Cultural SocietyK-12; adultsNationalpoetry (sijo)
literary analysis essay
February 2025
 Cancer Unwrapped Teen   Writing Contest9th-12thNationalessayMarch 2025
 Podcast (NPR)5th-12thNationalpodcastMarch 2025
 White Rose Memorial Essay   Contest6th-12thStateessayApril 2025
 Oklahoma Poem ContestK-12th; adultsStatepoetryApril 2025

 Ayn Rand

8th-12th

National

essays on AnthemThe Fountainhead, & Atlas Shrugged

April 2025

 Adroit Prizes9th-12th; collegeInternationalpoetry
short story
May 2025
 Bulwer Lytton Fiction ContestPK-12th; adultsNationalbad sentenceJune 30, 2025
 English JuejuK-12; adultsStatepoetryon hiatus
 Aerie InternationalAges 13-19Internationalpoetry
short story
flash fiction
brief nonfiction
lyric essay
short drama
foreign language poetry and translations
on hiatus
 Saugus Ghost Storyelementary; middle school; high school; adultsInternational

fiction

interactive fiction

on hiatus

Want to learn more?

Check out these articles below

css.php
>