Writing Contests and Reading Challenges

Check out these Awesome Opportunities

for Readers and Writers

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Writing Contests

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The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has an impressive legacy dating back to 1923. Over the years, the Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers. A noteworthy roster of past winners includes Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and many more.

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literary-arts organizations across the country to bring The Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

In the last five years alone, students submitted nearly 900,000 original works of art and writing. During that period, more than 60 top arts institutes and colleges have partnered with the Awards to make $40 million in scholarships and financial aid available to regional and national Scholastic Award winners.

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Writers of the Future

Every three months, winners earn $1,000, $750 and $500, or an additional annual grand prize worth $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 January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1.

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This is a poetry contest. Creative Communication is a company who is devoted to the promotion of writing, teaching and appreciation of student writing. Winners of their poetry contest win cash and prizes, and other entries of high merit are accepted for publication in their anthology.

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The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is open to amateur and professional songwriters who submit entries in any one of 12 categories (Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, World, Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, Latin, Folk, Gospel/Inspirational, Electronic, and Children's).

You don't need a professional recording. Entries will be judged on originality, melody, composition, and lyrics (when applicable). Instrumental compositions are encouraged.Open year-round, featuring two sessions — with 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners, 12 Lennon Award Winners and 1 Song of the Year.

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Canvas Literary Journal. Teen literary magazine published quarterly.

Seeking writers ages 13-18 to submit fiction, novel excerpts, poetry, plays, nonfiction, new media, and cross-genre.

Ages: 13-18

Deadline: Fall

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National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, empowering approach to creative writing. The challenge: draft an entire novel in just one month.

Why do it? For 30 wild, exciting, surprising days, you get to lock away your inner editor, let your imagination take over, and just create!

Participants in our NaNoWriMo event begin writing November 1 and must finish by 11:59 PM on November 30. The word-count goal for our adult program is 50,000 words, but the Young Writers Program (YWP) allows 17-and-under participants to set reasonable-but-challenging individual word-count goals.

Novelists can write directly on our website (or in a separate document), find inspiration in our noveling resources, and tap a worldwide community of fellow writers for support.

NaNoWriMo can last all year! Writers can edit their novels on site, create new personal writing challenges, or participate in mini-events like Camp NaNoWriMo in April and July.

In 2017, over 100,000 young writers took on the NaNoWriMo challenge.

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Narrative is a literary magazine that welcomes previously submissions of unpublished manuscripts of all lengths, ranging from short short stories to complete book-length works for serialization.

Narrative regularly publishes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including stories, novels, novel excerpts, novellas, personal essays, humor, sketches, memoirs, literary biographies, commentary, reportage, interviews, and features of interest to readers who take pleasure in storytelling and imaginative prose. We look for quality and originality of language and content.

In addition to submissions for issues of Narrative Magazine itself, we also encourage submissions for our Story of the Week, literary contests, and Readers’ Narratives.

Reading Challenges

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Here is a list featured by Plexus.com that highlights 15 Classics that high school students should read before going to college.

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This reading challenge featured by Bookscrolling.com highlights 37 titles that high school students should read before college. This list is made up of a combination of classical literature and contemporary novels.

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