On the Lookout For:
Fabulous Writing Competitions for Young Adults
Dana occasionally searches the web for reputable competitions, hoping to find those gems that will appeal to young voices. If you have a suggestion for a contest, please contact Dana. Thank you!
Competitions are listed by month according to the published submission deadline. If you're looking for a contest to submit your work to and the deadline for one you're interested in is already past, you might consider writing for next year's anticipated competition deadline.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Ongoing
Thanks to these sources for providing links to contests for young writers:
Last updated in 2017.
Competitions are listed by month according to the published submission deadline. If you're looking for a contest to submit your work to and the deadline for one you're interested in is already past, you might consider writing for next year's anticipated competition deadline.
January
- Young Playwrights Inc. - No defined length; deadline: postmarked by Jan. 2, 2014; age 18 or younger by competition deadline
- JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - deadline: Jan. 6, 2014; grades 9-12
- PUSH Novel Contest - 15-50 pages of a novel; deadline: January 16, 2014; Grades 7-12
February
- The Bishop Prize - poetry, fiction, or play; deadline: Feb. 1, but this is a revolving deadline, so the next year's competition opens March 1; grades 8 - 11
- National Peace Essay Contest - deadline: Feb. 10, 2014 (possibly near that date in Feb. 2015; a high school coordinator must sign up first, then open the competition to students); high school students
- NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing - Open category; deadline: Feb. 13 (though manuscripts are accepted beginning in Nov.); grade 11 only; NOTE: submitted by high school
March
- National Federation of State Poetry Societies - poems; national deadline: March 1, 2014, however, student poems are to be submitted to the Poetry Society within the state the student resides; grades 6-12
- Apprentice Writer - fiction, poetry, essay, memoir, photography; deadline: March 10, 2014; grades 9-12
- Walt Whitman Young Poets Contest - This year's theme = A Song of Joys; assignment = write a poem about singing; March 14, 2014; grades 3-12.
- Anthem Essay Contest - Ayn Rand contests; deadline: March 20, 2014; grades 8-10
- Scriblerus Live Arts Contest - Greenville College's Literary Magazine launches with its Live Arts Contest, accepting short fiction, nonfiction, poetry/song lyrics, cartoons/graphic stories, and serialized novel chapters; deadline: March 31, 2014; grades 9-12
April
- The Fountainhead Essay Contest - Ayn Rand series of contests; deadline: April 26, 2014; grades 11 & 12
May
- Skipping Stones Magazine - essays, interviews, poems, plays, short stories, etc., (plus art--photos, paintings, cartoons, etc.); deadline: May 25, 2014; ages 7-17; NOTE: fee of $4, though it may be waved in some circumstances
June
July
August
September
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards - 28 categories; contest opens in September (waiting to hear when the annual deadline falls; 2013 competition is already closed; NOTE: It appears there are regional competitions; in Maine watch the Southern Maine Writing Project for more information.)
October
- Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest - Ayn Rand series of contests; deadline: October 24, 2014; 12th graders, undergrads, and graduate students
November
- Patriot's Pen - Essay contest; deadline: Nov. 1, 2014; 2014 theme = "Why I Appreciate America's Veterans"; grades 6-8
December
- River of Words - Poetry of 32 lines or fewer (& art); deadline: Dec. 1, 2014, K-12 students 19 years-old or younger, entry forms and rules are available HERE
- Letters About Literature - Letter to a literary figure; Deadline: Dec. 10, grades 9-12, and Jan. 10, grades 4-8
Ongoing
- Check out this page on the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth website
- The Claremont Review - poetry, short stories, plays; ages 13-19
- The Concord Review - history essays; high school students; NOTE: there is a $40 submission fee
- Creative Kids Magazine - cartoons, songs, stories, plays, poetry, editorials, etc.; ages 8-16
- Skipping Stones Magazine - essays, stories, letters to the editor, riddles, etc.; youth (ages are not defined, though the target audience is 7-17); some adult submissions too; also: occasional contests
- Stone Soup - creative writing; ages 8-13
- Teen Ink - poetry, fiction, nonfiction, reviews; ages 13-19
Thanks to these sources for providing links to contests for young writers:
Last updated in 2017.
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