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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ages 13-18 |
National |
Oct: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing
Feb: Op-Ed |
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 |
9th-12th | National |
poetry/songwriting short fiction nonfiction/journalism |
September 20, 2023 | |
9th-12th |
National |
audio essay |
October 31, 2023 |
|
VFW Patriot's Pen | 6th-8th | National | essay | October 31, 2023 |
12th |
State |
essay |
October 31, 2023 | |
7th-12th |
National |
critical essay |
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 comic art |
January 2024 |
PK-12th; teacher |
State |
descriptive paragraph |
January 2024 |
|
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 |
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 |