personal narrative essay contest

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Our 3rd Annual Personal Narrative Writing Contest

We invite students to tell a short story about a meaningful life experience in 600 words or fewer. Contest Dates: Oct. 13 to Nov. 17, 2021

By The Learning Network

Update, Jan. 20, 2022: Winners have been announced!

When you think of The New York Times, you probably think of front-page news, but The Times also has a long tradition of publishing personal narratives, and you can find new ones online nearly every day if you know where to look.

In fact, over the years there have been columns dedicated to personal narratives on themes from love and family to life on campus, how we relate to animals, living with disabilities and navigating anxiety.

For this contest, we invite you to write a personal narrative of your own about a meaningful life experience.

We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

Take a look at the full guidelines and related resources below. Please post any questions you have in the comments and we’ll answer you there, or write to us at [email protected]. And, consider hanging this PDF one-page announcement on your class bulletin board.

Here’s what you need to know:

How to submit, resources for teachers and students, frequently asked questions.

Students ages 11 to 19 anywhere in the world attending middle or high school can participate. Read the instructions carefully to determine the best way to participate.

Student Submission Form

If you can answer YES to either of these two questions, then you can use our student submission form :

Are you a middle or high school student residing in the United States or the United Kingdom who is 13 - 19 years old?

Are you a middle or high school student residing in any country outside the United States or the United Kingdom who is 16 - 19 years old?

If you are a middle or high school student who answers “No” to both of those questions, then please ask an adult to submit on your behalf.

Teacher/Parent Submission Form

Adults can submit on behalf of any middle or high school students ages 11 - 19. We offer two forms for teachers and parents. Choose which form is best for you.

Individual Submission Form: If you are an adult submitting on behalf of one student, use this submission form .

Bulk Submission Form: If you are an adult submitting entries on behalf of more than one student, use this bulk submission form .

Your narrative should be a short, powerful, true story about a meaningful experience from your own life.

It must be 600 words or fewer, not including the title.

You must be a student ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school anywhere in the world to participate. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in 6th grade. Students in lower grades cannot participate. For students outside the United States, students must be 11 years old to have their work submitted to this contest.

Your essay should be original for this contest, meaning, it should not already be published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.

Keep in mind your audience. You’re writing for a family newspaper, so, for example, no curse words, please.

Submit only one entry per student.

While many of our contests allow students to work in teams, for this one you must work alone.

All entries must be submitted by Nov. 17, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific using the appropriate contest form above.

Please read through all the official eligibility and submission rules before submitting your narrative. If you have questions, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

A unit plan on personal narrative writing , including writing prompts, mentor texts, lesson plans and reader ideas.

An on-demand introductory webinar, Teaching Narrative Writing With The New York Times , with Learning Network staff on using writing prompts and mentor texts to prepare students for the contest.

An on-demand webinar, Personal Narratives From the Newsroom to the Classroom , featuring two guest experts — a New York Times editor who selects stirring personal stories for the popular Modern Love column, and a high school English teacher who uses our narrative-writing unit and mentor texts from The Times to help her students write college essays with voice, style and meaning.

A lesson plan, “ From ‘Lives’ to ‘Modern Love’: Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times ,” on everything from avoiding “zombie nouns” to writing “dangerous” college essays.

An annotated essay from the Modern Love column, “ Annotated by the Author: ‘Why Can’t Men Say “I Love You” to Each Other?’ ”

The seven winning essays from our 2020 contest and eight essays from our 2019 contest.

Three annotated essays — “Pants on Fire,” “Speechless” and “Cracks in the Pavement” — and video interviews with past student winners that illuminate the narrative writing process.

A short video with advice from three or our past winners (embedded above).

Our collection of 550 Writing Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing .

Our contest rubric .

Below are answers to your questions about writing, judging, the rules and teaching with this contest. Please read these thoroughly and, if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, post your query in the comments or write to us at [email protected].

Questions About Writing

What is a personal narrative?

For this contest, we’re defining a personal narrative as a short, powerful, true story about a specific experience, event or incident from your real life.

Because you’re telling a story about a particular moment rather than, say, summarizing your whole life or reflecting on your feelings about a topic, there should be a clear narrative arc — a beginning, middle and end — that is driven by a conflict of some kind that is eventually resolved or spurs an attempt at an ongoing life change.

Keep in mind, however, that any story can work. It doesn’t have to be the most dramatic thing that ever happened to you; it can, instead, be about baking brownies with your brother, or a conversation you had on Tuesday’s bus ride to school. It’s all in how you tell it.

And a good personal narrative not only tells a story but supplies a reason for telling it , so that readers come away with a sense of some larger meaning or a universal message they can relate to. The best essays often do this subtly and leave room for the reader’s own interpretation.

How can I make my essay stand out?

We are primarily looking for good storytelling, as explained above. But we’re also looking for writing that is vivid and engrossing. A few tips:

Hook your readers right from the start by dropping them into the scene .

Write from your own point of view in your real voice . We want to see your personality come through on the page.

Follow the adage “ show, don’t tell. ” For example, don’t simply say: “my brother was angry.” Instead, describe his clenched fists or flared nostrils. Such imagery elicits a more powerful response because readers can imagine the scenes you describe, and feel what the narrator is feeling. But be careful to avoid overly ornate or complicated wording that could detract from your story.

Try to avoid sweeping conclusions, clichés and platitudes (like “it’s always darkest before the dawn”). A strong story will clue us onto its themes without having to state them overtly.

I have no idea what to write about. Where should I start?

Everyone has a story to tell. Read essays from the Times’s personal narrative columns (linked below) or look at winning essays from 2019 and 2020 .

You might also scroll through our list of “ 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing ” that includes questions about childhood memories, friendship, travel, social media, food, sports, school and more. Try responding to a few that interest you. You might choose one that you enjoyed writing about to turn into your piece.

Can I submit my college application essay?

As long as it suits the requirements of this contest and our definition of a personal narrative above, your entry will be considered.

However, please keep in mind that we are not looking for a résumé of your accomplishments or a reflection on the themes or patterns from your life thus far, which many college applications ask for. Instead, we want a concise, compelling story about a life experience that transformed you, whether it was in a small or profound way.

Can I have someone else check my work?

You are welcome to get suggestions for revising and editing your narrative, of course, but the work you submit should be fundamentally your own.

Where can I find examples of personal narratives in The Times?

Start with the Lives column, the inspiration for this contest. It ran from 1996 to 2017 and invited writers to tell short, powerful stories about meaningful life experiences in 800 words.

Here are several more personal narrative columns from around The Times:

Modern Love , a weekly column about relationships, feelings, betrayals and revelations.

Rites of Passage , essays that explore notable life transitions and events, big, small and absurd.

Metropolitan Diary , reader tales from New York City.

On Campus , dispatches from college students, professors and administrators on higher education and university life.

Disability , essays, art and opinion exploring the lives of people living with disabilities.

Menagerie , essays that explore the strange and diverse ways the human and animal worlds intersect.

QUESTIONS ABOUT JUDGING

How will my narrative be judged?

Your work will be read by New York Times journalists as well as by Learning Network staff members and educators from around the United States. We will use this rubric to judge entries.

What’s the prize?

Having your work published on The Learning Network and being eligible to be chosen to have your work published in the print New York Times.

When will the winners be announced?

About two months after the contest has closed.

My essay wasn’t selected as a winner. Can you tell me why?

We receive thousands of entries for this contest, so, unfortunately, our team does not have the capacity to provide individual feedback on each student’s essay.

Questions About the Rules

Who is eligible to participate in this contest?

For this contest, we invite students ages 11 to 19 in middle school or high school to write a personal narrative. For students in the United States, we consider middle school to begin in 6th grade; students outside of the United States must be at least 11 years old to enter.

The children and stepchildren of New York Times employees are not eligible to enter this contest. Nor are students who live in the same household as those employees.

If you are not sure if you are eligible for this contest (for example, if you’re taking a gap year), please see our more detailed eligibility rules .

My personal narrative was published in my school newspaper. Can I submit it to this contest?

No. We ask that your narrative be original for this contest. Please don’t submit anything you have already published at the time of submission, whether in a school newspaper, for another contest or anywhere else.

Who can I contact if I have questions about this contest or am having issues submitting my entry?

Leave a comment on this post or write to us at [email protected].

QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHING WITH THIS CONTEST

I’m a teacher. What resources do you have to help me teach with this contest?

Start with our unit plan for personal narrative writing . It includes writing prompts, mentor texts and lesson plans that can support this contest. To learn more about how to teach with this unit, watch our on-demand webinar .

You can also use winning essays from 2019 and 2020 as student examples.

Do my students need a New York Times subscription to access these resources?

Students can get free access to Times pieces through The Learning Network . All the activities for students on our site, including mentor texts and writing prompts, plus the Times articles they link to, are free. Students can search for articles using the search tool on our home page.

However, if you are interested in learning more about school subscriptions, visit this page .

How do my students prove to me that they entered this contest?

After they submit their essays, students should receive an email from The New York Times with the subject heading “Thank you for your submission to our Personal Narrative Contest,” which they can forward to you to show their entry has been accepted.

We connect YOU th writers to competition and publication opportunities. Find one today!

Competition

New York Times Personal Narrative Writing Contest

November 17, 2023.

High School

Description:

For this contest, we invite you to write a personal narrative of your own about a meaningful life experience. We’re not asking you to write to a particular theme or to use a specific structure or style, but we are looking for short, powerful stories about a particular moment or event in your life. We want to hear your story, told in your unique voice, and we hope you’ll experiment with style and form to tell a tale that matters to you, in a way you enjoy telling it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/10/learning/our-3rd-annual-personal-narrative-writing-contest.html

Writing Type

Essay, Prose, Nonf𝔦ction

Publication

International

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Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

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After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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40 Free Writing Contests: Competitions With Cash Prizes

by Kelly Gurnett | Aug 29, 2023

Have you ever Googled “writing contests”? Many require reading fees or prizes—like seeing your work in print—that you can only receive if you pay for it.

Some legitimate contests charge small entry fees, but often a fee can be a red flag for a scam, so those might be the ones you want to stay away from. 

Besides, there are plenty of free writing contests that encourage and inspire boundless creativity with real cash prizes and career-advancing opportunities! Since it can be hard for a writer to know where to find them, we did the legwork for you.

We found 40 reputable, well-reviewed, free writing contests for poets, fiction writers, essayists and more.

With thousands of dollars in cash prizes and numerous opportunities to secure a publishing contract, you’re sure to find the right free writing contest for your work.

If you don’t mind paying a little money to enter, our friends over at Smart Blogger have rounded up some great writing contests that have small entry fees. And if you’re still hungry for more opportunities, we also have posts on writers grants and writing fellowships .

Table of Contents

Fiction and nonfiction writing contests this year.

Ready to share your novel or personal essay with the world? Whether you’re a newbie or more established writer, you’re likely eligible for a few of these contests.

Here are some fiction and nonfiction writing contests worth considering .

1. L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest

Whatever your feelings about L. Ron Hubbard’s work and philosophy, the prizes for this regular contest are nothing to sneeze at. Every three months, winners earn $1,000, $750 and $500, plus an additional annual grand prize of $5,000.

Submissions must be short stories or novelettes (up to 17,000 words) in the genre of science fiction or fantasy, and new and amateur writers are welcome to apply.

Deadlines: Quarterly on March 31, June 30 and September 30

Website: Writers of the Future

This boutique publishing firm offers cash prizes and promotional packages to winning authors. Submit a novel of 10,000 words or more in any fiction genre (no fanfic or poetry).

Inkitt’s writing contest runs monthly and gives authors the chance to win cash prizes up to $300, exclusive book badges and promotional packages while showcasing their books to Inkitt’s audience of more than 3 million users. Winners are determined by Inkitt’s unique algorithm based on overall reader engagement.

Deadline: See individual contest pages

Website: Inkitt

Disclosure: Inkitt is an advertising partner of The Write Life. We hold our advertisers to high standards and vetted this contest just like others on this list. 

3. Drue Heinz Literature Prize

You can win $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press with this prize, awarded for a collection of short fiction.

You may submit an unpublished manuscript of short stories , two or more novellas or a combination of novellas and short stories. Your total word count should be between 150 and 300 typed pages. You must also have already published a novel or book-length work of fiction “with a reputable publisher,” or no fewer than three short stories or novellas in nationally-recognized journals.

Deadline: Annual submissions must be postmarked between May 1 through June 30

Website: University of Pittsburgh Press

4 . Young Lions Fiction Award

This $10,000 award recognizes “young authors,” which the rules define as any author aged 35 or younger. Submit any novel or collection of short stories published or scheduled to be published in the calendar year. Works must be written for adults; children’s or YA pieces are ineligible.

Deadline: Submissions for this year are open through September 8 at 5pm Eastern Time

Website: New York Public Library

5 . Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prizes

One of the best-loved small presses in the creative writing world, Graywolf Press hosts a variety of contests for both established and up-and-coming writers. Graywolf also offers smaller fiction and nonfiction prizes, with genres rotating by year; 2020 was a nonfiction year, so fiction was up in 2021, then back to nonfiction in 2022, and so on. These awards include a sizable advance— $12,000 in previous years—as well as publication with Graywolf.

Deadline: Contest is held annually with rotating genres. The contest next opens for submissions in February 2024

Website: Graywolf Press

6 . The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans

Hosted by the prestigious Iowa Review, the Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award is offered to U.S. military veterans and active-duty members writing in any genre about any subject. Manuscripts of up to 20 pages will be accepted, and the first-prize winner will receive $1,000 and publication in the Review. A second place prize of $750 is also available, as well as three runner-up prizes of $500 each.

Deadline: Biennially. The next contest will be held in May 2024

Website: The Iowa Review

7 . Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

For 15 years, this contest has provided visibility for emerging African American fiction writers and enables them to focus on their writing by awarding a $15,000 cash prize. Eligible authors should submit a work of fiction, such as a novel or short story collection, published in the calendar year. (Galleys for publication within the year are also accepted.)

Deadline: Annually. The entry window closes on December 31

Website: The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence

8. PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

Honoring the best work of fiction published by an American author in a single calendar year, this award has been given to the likes of John Updike, Philip Roth and Ann Patchett. Novels, novellas and collections of short stories are all eligible.

The winner receives a hefty cash prize—up to $15,000 in the past—and an invitation to read at the award ceremony in Washington, D.C. Plus, there are no submission fees or application forms to deal with; just send a PDF of each book (as many as you’d like) to [email protected] .

Deadline: S ubmissions will be accepted from July 1 to September 30

Website: Pen/Faulkner

9 . PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers

This contest requires you to have already published a short story in a literary magazine or journal or cultural website. But if you’ve made your debut (but gone no further), you may be eligible for the generous cash prize of $2,000, which is annually awarded to 12 emerging writers, whose works are then published together in an anthology.

Short stories of up to 12,000 words are eligible and must be published in the calendar year preceding the year in which the award is given. Additionally, keep this in mind: Submissions are only eligible if submitted by an editor. Authors may not submit their own work.

Deadline: Submissions close November 1

Website: PEN America

10. Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

Fiction and nonfiction writers who have recently published a book that “contribute[s] to our understanding of racism and our appreciation of cultural diversity” are eligible for this award, which offers $10,000 cash as well as media and publicity opportunities. Plus, winners receive their prize at a ceremony in Cleveland.

Submissions must be published in the prior year (so books published last year are eligible for the award this year).

Deadline: Annual submission window is September 1 through December 31

Website: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards

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11. Marfield Prize (aka National Award for Arts Writing)

Presented by the Arts Club of Washington, this award seeks to honor nonfiction books that deal with the “visual, literary, media, or performing arts.” The prize is $10,000 and may be awarded to works of criticism, art history, memoirs and biographies, and essays.

Deadline: Annually in the last quarter of the year. The submission window in 2023 is October 15

Website: The Marfield Prize

1 2 . W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

If you’re a war buff, this competition is for you. It awards $5,000—and a 24-karat-gold-framed citation of achievement—to the best piece of fiction set during a period when the U.S. was at war (war may either be the main plot of the piece or simply provide the setting). Submissions may be adult or YA novels.

Deadline: Annually on December 31

Website: American Library Association

13. Friends of American Writers Chicago Awards

FAW presents two annual awards: an Adult Literature Award for literary fiction or nonfiction, and a  Young People’s Literature Award for a children’s/YA book.

Authors must reside in the state of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin—or they must set their book in one of those locations. Prize amounts vary from year to year, but you don’t have to bother with an application and all winners are celebrated at the organization’s May luncheon.

Deadline: Annually in December

Website: Friends of American Writers Chicago

14. Hektoen Grand Prix Essay Contest

Hektoen International, an online journal dedicated to medical humanities, offers two prizes annually for essays of no more than 1,500 words: $5,000 is awarded to the winner and $2,500 to the first runner-up. Eligible topics are broad so long as they have a relation to medicine, and many include art, history, literature, education and more.

Deadline: Annually; September 15 is usually the deadline

Website: Hektoen International

15. Biopage Storytelling Writing Contest

There’s no denying it: social media is a huge part of our modern-day lives. It’s easy to get used to limiting our communications to 280-character and emoji-strewn snippets, which is why this marketing firm is hosting an essay writing contest to “remind people of the benefits of writing.”

Essays of up to 5,000 characters (roughly 1,000 words) will be accepted, and right now they’re looking for stories of COVID-19 quarantine life. The grand prize winner will receive $300, and five runners-up will be awarded $100 each.

The contest is free to enter, but you’ll need to register for a Biopage account to be eligible.

Deadline: The current contest ends January 31, 2024

Website: Biopage

16. St. Martin’s Minotaur / Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition

Writers 18 and older who have never had a novel published (in any genre) are eligible for this prize, awarded to an original book-length manuscript where “murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story.” The winner receives a publication contract with Minotaur Books and an advance of $10,000 against future royalties.

Deadline: December 17 each yea r 

Website: Edgar Awards

17. ServiceScape Short Story Award

ServiceScape, a platform matching freelance writers, editors and graphic designers with clients (i.e. a great place to look for paid writing work !) offers a yearly Short Story Award of $1,000 to a winning fiction or nonfiction work of 5,000 words or fewer. The winner will also have their story featured on the ServiceScape blog, which sees thousands of readers each month.

Deadline: November 29 each year

Website: ServiceScape

18 . Stowe Prize

This biennial prize of $10,000 honors an American author whose adult fiction or nonfiction work has had an impact on a critical social justice issue (as did Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin ). The book must be written by a U.S. author and have been published in the United States during the previous three calendar years.

Deadline: Contact the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center for this year’s deadline .

Website: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

19 . The Diana Woods Memorial Award in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction essays of no more than 5,000 words on any subject are eligible for consideration for this award, whose winner receives $250 and publication in Lunch Ticket , the literary and art journal produced by the MFA community of Antioch University Los Angeles.

Works must not have been published elsewhere. Award winners are required to submit a 100-word biography, recent photo and a short note thanking the Woods family for their generosity and support.

Deadlines: Biannual reading periods are in February for the Summer/Fall issue and in August for the Winter/Spring issue

Website: Lunch Ticket

20 . The 2023 Brandon Langhjelm Memorial Essay Contest

Each year, this Canadian organization offers three prizes, ranging from $500 to $1,500, to the essay with the most thoughtful, well-reasoned arguments around a specific human-rights theme. (For example, 2022’s prompt was, “ Canadian governments are making Digital ID technologies a precondition of access to essential services and goods. What can Canadians do to protect their Charter rights and freedoms against the dangers of these technologies? ”

The contest is open to Canadian college and university students, and essays should be 2,500 words or less in length.

Deadline: November 5

Website: Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms

21. Write the World

For young writers ages 13-18, these cool contests also serve as mini workshops. Recognizing that “a first draft is never perfect,” submissions actually receive peer review by authors, writing teachers and other experts and writers are given the chance to revise their pieces based on this feedback before submitting them for final prize consideration.

Contests vary each month, but there’s a $100 prize for the winner and $50 for the runner-up (plus $50 for the best peer-reviewer). All three are featured on Write the World’s blog alongside comments from a guest judge. And since each month’s prompt is from a different genre, developing writers get a chance to test out different styles.

Deadline: Monthly

Website: Write the World

Stuck with writer’s block and looking for a way to jumpstart your escape? Prose offers weekly challenges meant to spark your creativity; many are just for fun, but look for the weekly numbered challenges posted by Prose (rather than community members or sponsors) for a chance to win money.

Prizes are typically between $100 to $200 and word counts are low—some as low as under 150, some as high as 500. So even if all you get from the prompt is a chance to flex your brain, it’s not a bad deal.

Deadline: Weekly and monthly

Website: Prose.

23. The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing

First-generation immigrants have a chance to win $10,000 and publication by Restless Books for telling their stories (real or imagined). The contest alternates annually between fiction (novel or short story collection) and nonfiction (memoir, essay collection, narrative nonfiction). In 2021, it went to a work of nonfiction of at least 25,000 words; 2022 will be fiction.

Deadline: Submission window is usually between December and March

Website: Restless Books

24. AFSA National High School Essay Contest

The U.S. Institute of Peace and the American Foreign Service Association sponsor this annual high school essay contest, where the winner receives a $2,500 cash prize, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., and a full-tuition paid voyage with Semester at Sea upon the student’s enrollment at an accredited university. Essays should be between 1,000 and 1,250 words and have to answer all aspects of the prompt as well as demonstrate an understanding of the Foreign Service.

Runners-up get a pretty sweet deal too, a $1,250 cash prize and a full scholarship to participate in the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Deadline : April each year

Website: American Foreign Service Association

25. Science-me a Story

Born in 2018, the Society of Spanish Researchers invites talented and original writers to write a 100-word blurb for a hypothetical novel. This might sound really easy, but your blurb has to quickly hook readers and make them want to read more. Open to anyone over 18 anywhere in the world, your real or fictional short story for this competition must be either in English or Spanish and “conceived from the objective of scientific dissemination to primary school” to qualify for the cash prizes: £150, £100 and £50. 

Website: Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom

26. VCU Cabell First Novelist Award

Virginia Commonwealth University sponsors this award that honors an outstanding debut novel published in the preceding calendar year. While you may have published previous books in a different form, the submission must be your first published book marketed as a novel.

The award is a $5,000 cash prize, and the winning author must agree to attend the award event, usually scheduled for November.

Deadline : Annually; the submission window runs from July 1 through December 30

Website: Virginia Commonwealth University

27. Daisy Utemorrah Award

The Daisy Utemorrah Award is for an unpublished manuscript of junior or YA fiction written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples currently living in Australia. Generously supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and the State Government of Western Australia, the winner of the award receives $15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books.

Deadline : Submission window usually opens at the beginning of each year

Website: Magabala Books

28 . Short Fiction Prize

If you’re an undergrad at a college in the U.S. or Canada, this writing competition is for you. (Traditionally, this contest has encouraged applicants with an Asian background, but anyone is invited to apply.) Submissions should be no more than 7,500 words.

One winner will get a $1,000 prize as well as a scholarship to the next Southampton Writers Conference .

Deadline : Submission window is usually between March 1- July 14

Website: Stony Brook University | Lichtenstein Center

29. Bacopa Literary Review Contest

The Bacopa Literary Review is an international journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. Each year, it opens submissions for pieces in four genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry and prose poetry. Find detailed guidelines for each genre on its website. First place gets $300, and the second prize in each of the four genres gets $100.

Deadline: May 30 each year

Website: Writers Alliance of Gainesville

30. Insecure Writer’s Support Group Annual Anthology Contest

As long as you stick to the guidelines, The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s annual contest welcomes your 5,000- to 6,000-word (previously unpublished) creative story. But before you send it off, make sure your story is polished and formatted! Plus, the prizes aren’t too shabby—winning stories will be edited and published, authors will receive royalties, and the top story will even get to give the anthology its title. 

Deadlines: September 1 each year

Website: Insecure Writer’s Support Group

31. Ultimate Meal Plans Nutrition Scholarship

College students studying nutrition, kinesiology or exercise-science fields: you’re going to be all over this one. Twice per year, the Ultimate Paleo Guide (aka the best paleo resource on the internet) awards $500 scholarships to two deserving students who meet all eligibility requirements—as well as write an 800-word essay about why you chose your field, an impact you’d like to make in your career, a challenge you’ve faced and more.

Deadlines: January 30 (awards in March) and July 31 (awards in September)

Website: Ultimate Meal Plans

32. New Voices Award

Presented by Lee & Low Books, an award-winning children’s book publisher, this award is given for a previously unpublished children’s picture book manuscript of no more than 1,500 words written by a writer of color or Indigenous/Native writers who’s a resident of the U.S.

The winner receives $2,000 cash and a standard publication contract, and an additional Honor Award winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000. You may submit up to two manuscripts.

Deadline: The contest is on hiatus for 2023, check the website for a follow-up announcement in 2024. 

Website: Lee & Low Books

33. St. Francis College Literary Prize

Since 2009, this biennial literary award has honored mid-career writers who have recently published their third, fourth or fifth work of fiction. The winner receives $50,000 and may be invited to the St. Francis College campus in Brooklyn, New York, to deliver a talk about their work or teach a mini fiction workshop to St. Francis students.

Deadline: Biennially. The contest was not offered the last three years due to the pandemic and limited campus access

Website: St. Francis College

Poetry contests this year

Curious about opportunities for poets? Your stanzas—rhyming or not—could be worth a fair amount of money in these poetry competitions.

Check out these poetry writing contests.

34. Black Voices in Children’s Literature Writing Contest

This contest is open to Black writers who are over the age of 18 and residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin.  It’s hosted by Strive Publishing and Free Spirit Publishing and seeks to fill the need for Black representation in children’s and young adult books. Original board and picture books for children aged 0-4 and picture books for ages 4-8 are eligible, provided they feature contemporary, realistic Black characters and culture and focus on character development, self esteem, community and other aspects of positive childhood development.

Three prizes, ranging from $250 to $1,000, will be awarded, and the first-place winner will be “seriously considered” for publication, though it’s not guaranteed.

Deadline: Usually late July, each year

Website: Free Spirit Publishing  

35. James Laughlin Award

If you’re already a published poet, this is the award for you; it’s given for a second book of poetry due to come out in the forthcoming year. The winner receives $5,000 and an all-expenses-paid week-long residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. In addition, copies of the winning book are distributed to 1,000 members of the Academy of American Poets.

Deadline: Annual submission window is January 1 through May 15

Website: Academy of American Poets

36. African Poetry Book Fund Prizes

The APBF awards three prizes annually for African Poetry. The Luschei Prize for African Poetry gives $1,000 for a book of original African poetry published in the prior year.

The Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets gives $1,000 and a publication contract for a book-length collection of poetry by an as-yet-unpublished African author.

The Brunel International African Poetry Prize is a new prize that grants £3,000 to a poet who was born in Africa, or has African parents, who has not yet had a full-length book of poetry published. (U.S. citizens qualify.) To submit, you’ll need 10 poems.

Deadlines: See individual prize pages

Website: African Poetry Book Fund

37. Tufts Poetry Awards

Claremont Graduate University presents two awards each year to poets they deem to be “outstanding.” The Kate Tufts Poetry Award grants $10,000 for a published first book of poetry that shows promise.

The Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award grants a mammoth $100,000 for a published book of poetry by an established or mid-career poet.

Deadline: Submission window is July 1 to June 30 each year

Website: Claremont Graduate University

38. Graywolf Press Walt Whitman Award 

The Walt Whitman Award is a $5,000 prize awarded, along with publication, to an American poet with a winning first book manuscript. He or she also receives an all-expenses-paid six-week residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy.

Graywolf Press is also one of the publishers of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize , “a first book award dedicated to the discovery of exceptional manuscripts by Black poets.” Winners receive $1,000 and Graywolf publishes every third winner of the prize.

Deadline : July 1 to September 1 each year

Website: Poets

39. Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Now in its 23rd year, this humor contest wants your best published or unpublished work for a grand prize of $2,000; runners-up are awarded $500 and 10 honorable mentions will receive $100 each. Writers of all ages from eligible countries can submit an original, humorous poem with 250 lines or less, and it must be in English.

Deadline : April 1, each year (and no, this isn’t an April Fools joke)

Website: Winning Writers

40. The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize

This writing competition is looking for the best piece of unpublished, themed writing. For example, one year, the theme was “Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization.” Submissions may be prose, poetry or non-academic essays. Maximum word count is 2,500, and this is open to all nationalities and to anyone 18 or older. The winner gets a £10,000 cash prize, second place gets £3,000 and third place gets £2,000.

Deadline : Applications open at the beginning of each year. Follow the Alpine Fellowship on Instagram for updates

Website: The Alpine Fellowship

Where to find more legitimate, free writing contests

Looking for more opportunities to submit your work? Here are a few great sites to keep an eye on for writing contests.

Winning Writers

A number of the contests found on our list came highly recommended by this site, which compiles some of the best free literary contests out there. Along with a wide range of recommended contests for writers of all stripes, Winning Writers also lists some contests and services to avoid , which is just as useful!

They also offer a handful of contests themselves , including the North Street Book Prize.

Poets & Writers

Another fantastic source for legitimate writing contests we consulted when compiling this list, Poets & Writers vets competitions, contests, awards and grants to make sure they’re following legitimate practices and policies. It’s worth checking out regularly as it features both annual and one-time contests.

This listing contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thank you for that!

The original version of this story was written by Kelly Gurnett . We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers. 

Photo via Viktoriia Hnatiuk / Shutterstock

10 Best Personal Essay Competitions of 2024

Personal essay competitions are a great way to break into getting your work in print — and many great contests are coming up in 2024. The competitions help build a writing resume to help with future publication; grants and fellowships; even MFA applications . Also, most competitions bestow cash awards. Several of my clients have won awards, and I’ve seen how it boosts their writer’s profile and confidence. 

You’ll notice a range of personal essay prize amounts (generally $250-$2,000) depending on the contest and placement—many offer prizes even for runners-up. Fees also vary, usually ranging from $15-$25. Themes differ a bit, with opportunities for personal essays , memoir, personal travel essays, personal nature essays, hybrid journalism essays, and more. 

Bookmark this page—I’ll add more to the list when I have a chance.

Personal Essay Awards

Sponsor: Writer’s Digest Deadline: Opens June 2024 First-place prize: $2,500 Fee: $25-$30 Learn More about the Personal Essay Awards

Wide-ranging 2000-word essay competition with a fabulous grand prize that includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations and conference fees for Writer’s Digest’s annual conference. Runner-up prizes range from $100-$1,000. 

Swamp Pink Prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry

Submit nonfiction personal essays of up to 25 pages to this annual competition, formerly known as the Crazyhorse Prizes; the winners receive a $2,000 prize and publication in the literary magazine swamp pink. 

Deadline: January 1st to January 31st , 2024 First-place prize: $2,000 Fee:   $15  Learn More about the swamp pink prizes .

The 2024 Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Lascaux Review   Deadline : Opens April 1, 2024 Winner: $1,000 and a bronze medallion. Fee: $15.  Learn More about The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction category is expansive in many ways. Your piece can run up to 10,000 words and include personal essays, memoirs, humor and more. It must be something you’ve “witnessed, experienced, learned, or discovered.” Accepts previously published works. Even finalists receive $100, and the winner and finalists are published in The Lascaux Review.

Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize

Missouri Review Deadline: TBA Cash Prize: $5,000 Fee: $25 Learn More about the Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize .

Submit up to 8,500 words of prose, and potentially win one of three $5,000 prizes and your essay’s publication in the venerable Missouri Review. 

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Creative Nonfiction

Reed Magazine Deadline: TBA 2024 Cash Prize : $1,333 Entry Fee: $20 Read more about the Gabriele Rico Challenge for Creative Nonfiction .

Submit personal essays or narratives of up to 5,000 words to California’s oldest literary journal. Winners receive $1,333 from Reed Magazine, a publication of San José State University. Fun fact: The journal is named for James Reed, a survivor of the infamous Donner Party fiasco. 

The Moth Nature Writing Prize

Sponsor: The Moth Deadline: TBA Prize: €1,000 (approximately $1,090)  Fee: €15 (approximately $16) Read more about the Nature Writing Prize .

Cash prize and online publication in the Irish Times for a story, personal essay or poem focused on “an exploration of the writer’s relationship with the natural world.” You’ll also receive a weeklong stay at a Missé, France retreat. Submit up to 4,000 words. Second and third prizes also receive €500 and €250, respectively. 

Pro Tip : Ensure you understand the rules for writing dialogue before submitting your personal essay, and any differences between U.S. and U.K. styles.

Solas Awards

Sponsor: Travelers’ Tales Deadline: TBA Cash Prize: $1,000 Entry Fee: $25 Read more about the Solas Awards .

Submit travel essays ranging from 750 to 5,500 words to this contest, where winners receive a prize and online publication. The recommended word count is 1,000-3,000 words, however. Entries must be true stories and can be previously published, but you must own rights to the essay. Read through the site’s category descriptions to see if you can align your essay to a category. Second prize is $750, and third is $500. 

2024 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose

Sponsor: Gulf Coast Deadline: TBA Cash Prize: $1,000 Entry Fee: $26 Learn more about the Barthelme Prize for Short Prose .

The University of Houston’s Gulf Coast literary journal sponsors this prize, which offers cash and publication of a micro essay of up to 500 words. Your entry fee also includes a subscription to Gulf Coast. Runners-up (honorable mentions) receive $250.  

2024 Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers

Sponsor: Boulevard Deadline: January 31, 2024 Cash Prize: $1,000 Entry Fee: $18 Learn More about the 2024 Nonfiction Contest for Emerging Writers .

Awards to go to a winning essay by a new writer—one who hasn’t published a book of fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction with a nationally distributed press. Boulevard specifically seeks works of up to 8,000 words that are researched and reported, such as hybrid essays, reported essays, and literary journalism.

An annually updated list of magazines, newspapers, and literary journals seeking personal essays. This is a curated list, focusing on the best markets. At present, the list contains 43 publications, and is current for 2024.

100-Word Writing Contest

Sponsor: Tadpole Press Deadline: TBA 2024 First-place prize: $2,000 USD. Fee: $15 Learn More about the 100-Word Writing Contest

This contest emphasizes growth but is open to personal essays mixed with other genres, including fiction. No violence. Contest notes that judges review a piece based on its creativity, new angles, upending stereotypes, unexpected delights and expansion of “our beliefs about what's possible.” 

FAQs About Writing Competitions

How do i win a personal essay writing contest.

Carefully read the rules for any contest you enter —your personal essay may require editing as it must be shorter or longer to fit the competition’s parameters. Most importantly, don’t let Chat GPT write your essay.

How Do I Improve My Personal Essay?

Read examples of amazing, memorable personal essays to inspire your own writing and improve it. Understand rules for writing dialogue in personal essays. You can also take an online personal essay class to better your writing skills.

What Should I do if I don’t Win a Personal Essay Writing Contest?

Keep submitting. As an alternative, you can also submit your personal essay to publications known to welcome and publish first-time writers. Many literary journals are thrilled to discover new writing talent, and pay writers for their work.

I teach a lot of classes on personal essay writing and find students are often a bit befuddled by the words I’m using. So I’ve created this rundown of the common lingo that relates to the art and business of writing personal essays. (NOTE: along the way I’ve tossed in terms of my own, made up by me). 

Why are personal essay prompts often so . . . blah? I’ve sometimes found myself scouring the internet trying to find something valuable in the way of a prompt, maybe to share with students, and been disappointed by the results. But after a deep dive into some…

The term “memoir essay” is used to describe something akin to a personal essay. Definitions bleed every direction, but I tend to think of a memoir essay as decidedly NOT like an op-ed, and definitely not a reported personal essay. It’s a pure narrative from the author’s life.

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Del Norte student wins New York Times contest with essay on in-person connections

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Ellen Xu allowed herself to be vulnerable.

The Del Norte High School student penned a story about her sometimes strained relationship with her father, who moved to China the summer after her sixth-grade year. Xu didn’t see her father again for three years.

“It’s a story I’ve shared with very few people,” Xu said.

After writing an essay, mostly for herself, she submitted it to a competition. Her work was published recently in the New York Times — and shared with people all over the world.

Xu, 16, is one of eight winners of the New York Times’ 3rd annual Personal Narrative Essay Contest for Students.

Her essay, titled “Autocorrect,” tells the story of conversing with her overseas father via telephone and yearning for an in-person connection. It was one of more than 11,000 submissions.

“I think of all the things I want to say: It’s not the same to call. It’s been two years since I was last with you. I just had my first driving lesson today and don’t you remember promising me years ago that you would be the one to teach me to drive? Do you know how many memories we’ve traded for texts and calls?” Xu wrote in her essay.

One judge commented, “I’m always blown away by the vulnerability and tenderness so many of these stories hold,” according to the New York Times.

To read Xu’s essay, visit https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/20/learning/the-winners-of-our-3rd-annual-personal-narrative-essay-contest-for-students.html#link-18241cba .

The contest was open to students aged 11 to 19. Entrants were asked to tell a short, powerful story about a meaningful life experience. Xu said the topic she used was the first that popped into her mind.

When she saw her name on the list of winners, she said she thought there must have been another Ellen.

“I was so, so shocked,” she said. “I was not expecting to win.”

Xu was at school when she found out, and promptly texted her mother, sister and father.

Her mother cried after she read the essay. One of her teachers said they teared up while reading it.

Her father read it after it was published.

“He was definitely feeling sad he missed out on pieces of my life,” Xu said.

Between the time the essay was penned and the award won, Xu’s father came for a visit and the two were able to connect in person.

Technology can advance relationships but there remains the desire of raw connection, she said. The human aspect of the communication is often lost in the technology.

Xu said she never thought her writing could resonate with so many readers. She said she read a comment on the New York Times website from a teacher who had shared her essay with her classroom in Zambia.

“It felt surreal. When I saw my writing on the screen alongside the other winning essays, I almost couldn’t believe it and had to keep double checking to make sure I had seen it correctly,” she said.

“It still amazes me that the New York Times journalists and judges took to my essay — that through my writing, someone on the other side of the screen was able to connect and find value in my words. It is an incredible feeling, and I’m truly grateful for the NYT for giving me and other students this platform to share our messages with the world.”

Xu has always loved writing. In the fourth grade, she won first place in creative writing from the San Diego California Association of Teachers of English with a story about a bird. It was in that moment she realized “writing is a way for me to share stories,” she said.

She is a fan of the “sense of wonder that writing can bring.” She is inspired by reading books such as the Harry Potter stories and a bevy of poetry.

Her writing varies from lighthearted to deeply personal. She hopes to someday write a novel.

While she intends on continuing with her writing, Xu doesn’t think she wants to do it as a profession. She’s still exploring her interests, which include technology, science, engineering and mathematics.

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The Paw Print

Freshman reaches New York Times Personal Narrative Competition finals

Max Dujmovic, a Woodside freshman, has been selected as one of the 200 Personal Narrative Essay Contest finalists for this year’s competition. 

Dujmovic was announced as a finalist for the competition on January 20. Many ninth graders from Woodside chose to enter the competition, as it was strongly correlated with an AS English I project last semester. Though the majority of Woodside’s entries came from freshmen, the competition was available to all high school students internationally, making Dujmovic’s success all the more significant.        

“It’s crazy because there were [200] finalists, and 11,000 entries, which is insane,” Max Dujmovic said. “I wasn’t a winner, and I was honestly kind of disappointed about that. But being part of [200] people out of 11,000 is… wow.”

The New York Times expressed their interest in unique, powerful narratives written by students. With the heavy competition and myriads of talented writers, standing out in the contest was a substantial feat. 

“In the pieces that are selected, I see really, really good writing,” Dujmovic’s English teacher Jascha Dolan said. “I see really solid narrative writing. I don’t see thematic trends, and I don’t necessarily see trends in content, but what I do see is young people who are exercising really awesome writing moves.”

The successful pieces that the New York Times selected were meant to be personally meaningful and significant to the writer. 

“My personal narrative was just about me talking to my grandma about stuff… like being trans,” Dujmovic said. 

All AS English I students at Woodside were encouraged to enter, as a large project for the class had been to craft a 600 word-long personal narrative, which also met the requirements of the contest. Despite the daunting odds, as the contest was open to high school students all over the world, many English students chose to enter simply for the experience of competing. 

“I chose to enter the competition mostly for fun,” Woodside freshman Emma Miller said.  “I just kind of wanted to see how far I could go. I wasn’t expecting anything, but it was just nice [to enter].”

Without even considering winning, the idea of submitting work into a high-profile competition was exciting to many, including Max.  

“My expectations were honestly that nothing would happen,” Dujmovic said.  “I didn’t expect anything to come from it. But…it felt cool to have submitted it to a big thing.”  

Dolan even offered some of his famous half-hearted prizes to people who entered. 

“Mr. Dolan said that we could take a thing from the mystery bins,” Dujmovic said. “I got a singular staple for my entry.” 

Much of the encouragement from teachers came from their own enthusiasm for the competition, as they recognized the exciting opportunity of competing just as much as their students did.

“Sometimes students [say] ‘I’m just writing for my teacher [and] … for a grade,’” Dolan said.  “So we thought it’d be a neat way to expand the audience for people who were interested in submitting,” Dolan said. “I think it’s been about three years that we’ve encouraged our students to go ahead and submit writing into the contest.”

The Personal Narrative Essay Contest has been a valuable experience for many students. Breaking away from the common practice of writing for temporary, short-term projects allowed budding writers to explore their skills on a scale that spans beyond the classroom. 

“I think it’s always really special and relevant when students have a real audience,” Principal Karen van Putten said. “I think it just kind of amps up the quality of writing because when we know that we have an audience in mind… We just kind of take a little bit more attention to our editing and our revision process.”

With Max being the first finalist from Woodside since the competition began, his accomplishment is without a doubt a great inspiration.

“I think that Max is a gifted writer, and I was really, really, happy about the turnout,” Dolan said. 

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

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Best 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12

Competitions in STEM, ELA and the arts, and more! Continue Reading

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New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

Competition Overview

Students ages 13 to 19 around the world, october 4, 2023 to november 1, 2023, january 17, 2024, competition details.

1. Eligibility This contest is open to students ages 13 to 19 in middle school or high school worldwide (high school postgraduate students who haven’t enrolled in a college can apply). Students attending their first year of a two-year CEGEP in Quebec Province can also participate.  If students are directly related to New York Times employees or live in the same household as those employees are not eligible to enter this contest. 

2. Competition Topic Can you tell a meaningful and interesting true story from your life in just 100 words?

3. Results The results will be announced on January 17, 2024

4. Prizes Having your work published on The Learning Network and being eligible to be chosen to have your work published in the print editions of The New York Times.

How Will Your Work Be Judged?

The narrative tells a short but memorable story about a life experience and communicates some larger meaning or universal message.

The narrative uses vivid details and images to make the story come alive for the reader. The writing avoids clichés.

The narrative demonstrates a unique personal voice, style, and point of view. The story is fresh and original. 

The narrative presents a clear conflict, an obstacle, problem, or tension that is resolved in some way.

Entry follows all contest rules and guidelines. 

• Student Awards

Submission Details

All entries must be submitted by November 1, 2023 at 11:59pm

1. Word Limit 100 words (not counting title). 

2. Individual/Group Submission Students must work alone and submit one entry per student. 

3. Submission Requirement As part of your submission, you must also submit an “artist’s statement” that describes your process. Students are asked to reflect on what they did and why, what was difficult in order for the team to improve their contests and the curriculum to support students. 

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Narrative High School Writing Contest

Our Ninth Annual High School Contest is now closed . We’re in the process of reading submissions and will be announcing the winners and finalists in mid-April 2024.

Welcome to the High School Writing Contest —an invitation to be discovered and to have your voice shared with the world!

This year we invited students to use the prompt MY NOTE TO THE WORLD as a springboard to craft a letter (essay) or story of no more than 600 words, or a poem of 10 to 50 lines, to depict a theme or problem and propose some kind of solution. We invited students to imagine they were onstage and the world was listening: what challenge did they feel compelled to address creatively and in their own unique voice?

Our sincere thanks to all the students who sent in their stories, letters, and poems and to all the teachers who submitted on their students’ behalf!

Here’s a short video featuring recent contest winners, along with former guest judge Jericho Brown and Narrative editor Carol Edgarian, as they share their thoughts on inspiration and writing.

The Ninth Annual High School Contest: My Note to the World

The Eighth Annual High School Contest: True or False?

The Seventh Annual High School Contest: Blind Spots

The Sixth Annual High School Contest: Escape

The Fifth Annual High School Contest: The Choice

The Fourth Annual High School Contest: The Mistake

The Third Annual High School Contest: When Everything Changed

The Second Annual High School Contest: Dear America

The First Annual High School Contest: Where I’m Going

Welcome | For Teachers | For Students Narrative High School Writing Contest | Explore Our Library by Theme Best Advice, Letters & Interviews | Writers & Mentors Videos Video Tutorials with Carol Edgarian | Recommended Reading Writing Prompts