1. Writing Contests!
Get published! Win Prizes!
Earn bragging rights!

2. Why Should I Enter?
• Are you a writer? You may be able to win
cash, scholarships, trips, and other
awards with your essay-writing and
creative writing abilities. There are many
contests out there that address a wide
variety of topics. Why not enter a
competition today?

3. Reasons
• Writers of all ages need an audience. And
what better way to gain one than to enter
a writing contest? It’s so satisfying when a
student receives a reward for his/her
writing—whether it’s a cash prize, a
special gift, or simply a chance to get
published.

4. Deadlines!
• Deadlines: Students, particularly you
teens, need to begin the practice of
working within time limits, as you’ll face all
sorts of deadlines throughout high school
and college. Contest deadlines help you
pace your writing so you can develop,
write, and proofread the piece with time to
spare.

5. Word Count
• Word count: Writing contests usually
have some sort of word limit. Cutting a
story or essay down to its most essential
core will result in a tighter composition. It
takes skill to whittle away excess verbiage
in order to make every word count, but it’s
a skill well worth developing.

6. Subject Matter
• Subject matter: Because most contests ask for a
specific kind of writing—a short fictional story, a patriotic
piece, or a poem, for example—you get to fine-tune your
skills and focus your writing while practicing with a
variety of themes. Writing on a given topic, even if it
doesn’t especially interest you, is good practice for future
writing assignments. You won’t always have a choice,
and practicing with different genres broadens your base
of writing experiences.

7. Have Confidence!
• Your may not want to enter writing
contests because you don’t think you’re
good enough to win, or you worry that
everyone is better than you are. Try
anyway—it’s a great learning experience!
And the more your write, the better your
writing will become.

8. What Are The Rules?
• Contest rules will vary significantly, and
some may contain important information
about possible restrictions, so be sure to
read all individual rules carefully.

9. Okay, Okay!! Where Are The
Contests??!!

13. Even More! Where?

14. Are you ready to write??
We are breaking out into teams. The goal is to take the boring,
bad, and/or overgrown sentences/paragraphs and to turn them
into vibrant beauties that leave your readers satisfied and happy.
In your BO room, WORK TOGETHER! Don’t be afraid to voice
your opinion or to suggest ideas.
Select one person who will be the spokesperson of your team.
Try to “outwrite” your competition.
Type your revised writing onto the whiteboard.

15. My cat is fat. She eats and eats. Her name is Lola. She weighs 23 pounds. She
has green eyes. She hates water. She has no claws. She is black. She is fat.
She likes tuna. I like to pet her. She is soft. I sneeze around her. She makes
purring noises. She is my best friend, not the dog Petie. Brushes, litter, food, water,
treats, and toys is what she needs. That is my cat Lola.
With your team, write a new paragraph using the ideas above. Be creative and descriptive!
You all must work on this together to write a strong and interesting paragraph. You may
change whatever you’d like to make this excellent! Type your final paragraph below.