Writing Contests


Contact:

Jason Stephenson
Project Manager of Secondary ELA

(405) 522-3628

Sharon Morgan
Director of Elementary ELA

(405) 521-3034

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.

Name Participants Type Genre(s) Deadline

Write the World

Ages 13-18

National

Oct: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing
Nov: Short Story
Dec: People's Choice
Jan: Lyrics

Feb: Op-Ed
Mar: Environmental Writing
Apr: Poetry & Spoken Word
May: Fairytales & Myths
June: Personal Essay
July: Journalism
Aug: Flash Fiction

Monthly, 2023-2024

Learning Network from The New York Times 6th-12th International

various genres

Monthly, 2023-2024
Rattle's Ekphrastic Poetry Challenge all ages National poetry Monthly
The First Line literary journal all ages International fiction Quarterly
NYC Midnight all ages International short story
screenwriting
flash fiction
microfiction
short screenplay
Quarterly
Darling Axe high school; adults International

novel/fiction:

Clash of the Query Letters

The Synopsis Skirmish

First Page Challenge

An Axe to Grind

Quarterly
Gotham Writers 6th-12th; adults National various genres Ongoing
The Talon (NSU) 9th-12th Northeastern OK

fiction

nonfiction

poetry

art

non-traditional forms

Ongoing
Lampost Writing Awards (OBU) 9th-12th State

essay

fiction

poetry

September 2023

Women Writing the West High School Writing Contest

9th-12th National

poetry/songwriting

short fiction

nonfiction/journalism

September 20, 2023

VFW Voices of Democracy

9th-12th

National

audio essay

October 31, 2023

VFW Patriot's Pen 6th-8th National essay October 31, 2023

Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma

12th

State

essay

October 31, 2023

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 2023

My Favorite Book 4th-12th State essay December 2023
Oklahoma Bar Association Law Day Writing Contest 1st-12th State essay January 2024
Profile in Courage Essay Contest 9th-12th National essay January 12, 2024

Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English Young Writers Contest

6th-8th; 9th-12th

State

poetry
essay
descriptive paragraph
personal narrative
fiction

comic

art

January 2024

Oklahoma Writing Project Contest

PK-12th; teacher

State

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

January 2024

If I Were Mayor Essay Contest

8th

State

essay

January  2024

Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards Program in Partnership with We Need Diverse Books 12th National poetry
memoir/personal essay
fiction/drama
spoken-word 
February 2024
Engineer Girl 3rd-12th National piece of writing

February 2024

R. Darryl Fisher Creative Writing Contest 9th-12th State fiction & poetry February 2024
Promising Young Writers (NCTE) 8th State various February 2024
Achievement Awards in Writing (NCTE) 11th State various February 2024
OKC National Memorial Annual Student Essay Contest 5th-12th National essay February 2024
Sejong Cultural Society K-12; adults National poetry (sijo)
literary analysis essay
February 2024
Cancer Unwrapped Teen Writing Contest 9th-12th National essay March 2024
Scope's First-Line Contest 4th-10th National short story March 2024
Podcast (NPR) 5th-12th National podcast March 2024
White Rose Memorial Essay Contest 6th-12th State essay April 2024
Oklahoma Poem Contest K-12th; adults State poetry April 2024

Ayn Rand

8th-12th

National

essays on Anthem, The Fountainhead, & Atlas Shrugged

April 2024

Adroit Prizes 9th-12th; college International poetry
short story
May 2024
Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest PK-12th; adults National bad sentence June 30, 2024
English Jueju K-12; adults State poetry on hiatus
Aerie International Ages 13-19 International poetry
short story
flash fiction
brief nonfiction
lyric essay
short drama
foreign language poetry and translations
on hiatus
Saugus Ghost Story elementary; middle school; high school; adults International

fiction

interactive fiction

on hiatus
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Last updated on March 7, 2024