Essay Papers Writing Online
Engaging in competitive essay writing – how to excel in essay writing competitions.
Essay writing competitions can be a great opportunity to showcase your writing skills and win accolades for your creativity and thoughtfulness. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, competition can be fierce, so it’s vital to have a winning strategy in place.
In this article, we will discuss top tips and strategies that can help you stand out from the competition and increase your chances of winning essay writing competitions.
From identifying the right competition to crafting a compelling thesis statement and polishing your final draft, there are several key steps you can take to improve your chances of emerging victorious. Let’s dive into these tips and strategies to help you succeed in essay writing competitions!
Prepare Your Essay
1. Understand the topic: Before you start writing your essay, make sure you completely understand the topic. Research and gather relevant information to build a strong foundation for your argument.
2. Develop a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly convey the main point of your essay. It will serve as the guiding principle for the rest of your writing.
3. Create an outline: Organize your thoughts and arguments by creating an outline. This will help you structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner.
4. Write a compelling introduction: Start your essay with a compelling introduction that captures the reader’s attention and clearly presents your thesis statement.
5. Support your arguments with evidence: Back up your arguments with reliable evidence, examples, and research. This will strengthen your essay and make your points more convincing.
6. Craft a strong conclusion: End your essay with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and reinforces your thesis statement. Leave a lasting impression on the reader.
7. Edit and revise: Once you have completed your essay, take the time to edit and revise it. Check for spelling and grammatical errors, ensure your arguments flow smoothly, and make any necessary revisions to improve clarity and coherence.
Research Your Topic
One of the most important steps in preparing for an essay writing competition is to thoroughly research your topic. Ensure that you understand the key concepts, arguments, and perspectives related to the subject matter. Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites to gather information and support your arguments.
| Tip 1: | Utilize library resources to access scholarly articles and books that delve into your topic. |
| Tip 2: | Take notes and organize your research findings to structure your essay effectively. |
| Tip 3: | Consider different perspectives and sources to develop a well-rounded argument. |
Understand the Competition Guidelines
One essential aspect of winning essay writing competitions is understanding the competition guidelines. Before you start writing your essay, carefully read and follow the rules and requirements provided by the competition organizers. Pay attention to the word count, topic restrictions, formatting guidelines, submission deadlines, and any other specific instructions.
By familiarizing yourself with the competition guidelines, you can ensure that your essay meets all the necessary criteria for consideration. Failure to adhere to the rules could result in disqualification, so it is crucial to read and understand the guidelines thoroughly before you begin your writing process.
Develop Your Writing Skills
Improving your writing skills is essential if you want to succeed in essay writing competitions. Here are some tips to help you develop your writing skills:
- Read extensively: Reading a variety of books, articles, and essays can help you improve your writing style and vocabulary.
- Practice writing regularly: The more you write, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to write and experiment with different writing techniques.
- Seek feedback: Ask teachers, peers, or writing professionals to provide feedback on your writing. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement.
- Study grammar and punctuation: Understanding the rules of grammar and punctuation is crucial for producing high-quality writing. Take the time to study these rules and apply them to your writing.
- Learn from successful writers: Study the works of successful writers and analyze their writing techniques. Try to incorporate some of these techniques into your own writing.
Practice Regularly
One of the key ways to improve your essay writing skills and increase your chances of winning competitions is to practice regularly. Writing is a skill that improves with practice, so make time each day to write essays, articles, or even short stories. Set aside dedicated time to work on your writing, and challenge yourself to explore different topics and styles.
By practicing regularly, you’ll not only improve your writing technique but also build confidence in your abilities. This confidence will show in your competition entries and set you apart from other participants. Remember, practice makes perfect, so the more you write, the better you’ll become.
Seek Feedback and Editing
Getting feedback on your essay is crucial to improving it and making it stand out in competitions. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, peers, or writing tutors to review your work and provide constructive criticism.
Consider joining a writing group or workshop where you can share your essay and receive feedback from other writers. This can help you identify weak points in your argument or areas where you can improve your writing style.
After receiving feedback, be open to making edits and revisions. Polish your essay by fixing grammar and punctuation errors, tightening up your arguments, and ensuring your ideas flow logically and cohesively.
Remember, the more eyes you have on your essay, the better it will become. Don’t hesitate to seek feedback and editing to make your essay the best it can be.
Hook Your Readers
One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is grabbing the reader’s attention right from the start. Your introduction should be compelling and draw the reader in, making them want to continue reading. Here are some effective ways to hook your readers:
- Start with a powerful quote: Using a thought-provoking quote at the beginning can set the tone for your essay and intrigue your readers.
- Pose a question: Asking a question can engage your readers and make them curious to find out the answer, encouraging them to keep reading.
- Provide a shocking statistic: Sharing a surprising statistic can capture your readers’ interest and make them want to learn more about the topic.
- Share a personal anecdote: Connecting with your readers on a personal level by sharing a relevant anecdote can make your essay more relatable and engaging.
- Use descriptive imagery: Painting a vivid picture with descriptive language can transport your readers into the world you’re describing, making them more invested in your essay.
By hooking your readers from the beginning, you set the stage for a captivating essay that will leave a lasting impression on the judges of the competition.
State Your Thesis Clearly
One of the most important aspects of winning an essay writing competition is to state your thesis clearly in the introductory paragraph. Your thesis is the main argument or point you will be making in your essay, and it serves as the foundation for your entire piece. Make sure your thesis is specific, debatable, and concise. Avoid vague statements and ensure that your thesis directly addresses the prompt provided for the competition.
Tip: Your thesis should be strong and compelling, drawing the reader in and establishing the purpose of your essay from the start. It should be clear enough that your reader can easily understand what you will be arguing throughout the rest of your essay.
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Languages, Literature, and Writing
Creative Writing Workshop & Competition
The annual Creative Writing Workshop offers students at Union University, as well as regional high schools and home school students the opportunity to compete for prizes and learn from Union faculty and accomplished guest writers. Held every spring, the event consists of two parts - the literary competition and workshop - and has featured prominent writers such as Charles Wright, Mark Jarman, Kate Daniels, and Ann Patchett. For the competition, students are invited to submit entries for a number of genres such as poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction. The workshop section involves critiquing and analyzing a sample of the students' works. A learning experience for both college and high school students, the Workshop is another opportunity to recognize a cross-section of local writers.
Recent Event
31st annual creative writing workshop reading featuring christine bailey.
Thursday, February 29, 2024 , 1 p.m., Grant Event Center, Salon 2 Book signing and reception at 2 p.m.
Christine Bailey writes young adult fiction and has published multiple novels. Her most recent, Burning Little Lies , will be released in February 2024. Her doctoral research/dissertation explores creative writing research and pedagogy within the composition classroom and is titled "The Role of Aesthetic Artifacts in Creative Writing Research: Casting Student Identity Narratives as Cultural Data." Before coming to Union University, Bailey worked as a journalist, a marketing/PR writer, and a book editor. She currently serves as Director of Composition Support. Bailey's areas of interest include composition and rhetoric, YA literature, creative writing, professional writing, editing, and publishing. She is the editor of the Journal of the Union Faculty Forum — a journal comprised of faculty-written submissions, encompassing a wide range of academic and creative topics.
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5 Tips to Win a Writing Contest. When it comes to winning story contests, follow these five tips: 1. Recognize you are human. This may be a strange way to begin a list of tips on how to win a writing contest, but let me explain. Stephen King once said, "To write is human, to edit is divine.".
If the contest has a theme, make sure you adhere to it. You might write a brilliant story—but if you ignore the theme, skip part of it, or in any way disobey the contest guidelines, that's a quick way to get your story disqualified. 2. Focus on a bite-sized story. Here's the thing: a short story is not a novel.
Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ...
Use credible sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites to gather information and support your arguments. Tip 1: Utilize library resources to access scholarly articles and books that delve into your topic. Tip 2: Take notes and organize your research findings to structure your essay effectively. Tip 3:
Use tools and resources to polish your submission. A well-edited and error-free manuscript not only reads better, but also shows the judges that you take the contest seriously. The structure and pacing of your story or piece are also critical. Writing contests often have word count limits, so make every word count.
Write your story in such a way that the judge has to know what happens in the end before they move on to the next story. Write your story so that it is so interesting it can compete with Netflix, video games, social media, and other stories for the judges' attention. Tip 4: Understand how contests work.
Tip 4. If it states a particular theme in the rules, then that theme must be intrinsic to your story. Tip 5. Whatever kind of work you are writing, title is everything. The title is the judge's first impression of your work. Spend time thinking of something relevant to the story that is eye catching and appealing. Tip 6.
I switched words to be more descriptive. Others I adjusted to better reflect theme and symbolism. I obliterated instances of passive voice. I also eliminated most forms of verbs like "is," "was," "were," etc. So keep polishing, even after the story works. 5. Supercharge Your Draft Using Critiques.
So study these eight vital steps below, and send us a story that will grab us and make us say, 'This one's got something!'. 1. Create plausible, detailed characters. Name your characters. Work in their ages and details about their appearance in subtle ways. Don't give us vague, shadowy, formless characters.
What wins me over. Intentionality takes on two forms in fiction (and narrative nonfiction as well). 1. A character with intentional trajectory. This is intention in the Sorkin sense. "I worship at the altar of intention and obstacle. Somebody wants something. Something's standing in their way of getting it.
The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we've published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it.
These tips can also be applied to essay writing, as particular case studies, anecdotes and imagery can help to anchor the focus of your work, highlighting your personal take on the subject. 9. Pay attention to tone. It's important to bear in mind the tone you want to set for your piece.
Follow these 8 steps to make the most of your writing contest experience and increase your odds of winning. 1. Choose a contest. If you don't already have a specific contest in mind, you'll need to find a list of writing contests that are currently accepting submissions. Then, there are several factors you'll need to consider before ...
Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest. Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult. We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 ...
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.
1. Read the Terms & Conditions. Writing competitions tend to have to remove a number of their entries because of mistakes like incorrect font sizes or entries sent after the deadline. Read the Terms and conditions carefully before doing anything else. They will usually go over the theme of the event, any extra expenses when entering, and how ...
When in doubt, you can follow these general guides when submitting for writing competitions: • Double space (except for poetry and scriptwriting) • Use a standard font, like Courier, Times New Roman or Arial. • Be sure your name and contact info is at the top of the submission. • Cut and paste in body of e-mail.
There are several websites - which you can subscribe to in order to get information on writing competitions. These include: creative writing news, Brittle paper, Inkitt, Reedsy and More! Carefully go through each writing contests' requirement. Each writing competition has unique requirements according to their vision, mission and core values.
Get an endorsement from a respected figure in the writing community (this could be in the form of a guest judge) Get your contest listed by credible publications. Establish yourself as a respected and professional publisher/editor prior to hosting a contest. Make sure your contest details are thorough.
1. Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2023. Deadline: August 31, 2023. Who may enter: Open to anyone. Contest description: The competition is organized by the international art and culture magazine Aesthetica. The competition accepts works of fiction and poetry. Fiction entries should be no more than 2,000 words.
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Winners will be announced in our Nov/Dec 2024 issue. Writer's Digest has been shining a spotlight on up-and-coming writers in all genres through its Annual Writing Competition for over 90 years. Enter our 93rd Annual Writing Competition for your chance to win and have your work be seen by editors and agents! Almost 500 winners will be chosen.
Genres: Fiction, Novel, and Young Adult. The Caledonia Novel Award is an Edinburgh-based international writing competition for unpublished and self-published novelists. It offers cash prizes and a place on a Moniack Mhor writing retreat. Alice Lutyens, literary agent at Curtis Brown, will judge the 2025 award.
The benefits of honing your creative writing skills in high school are countless, just as the list of potential careers as a writer is endless. Put your writing skills to the test with the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest! This blog will walk you through all the details of one of the most prestigious and popular writing competitions available to high school students—including steps ...
Girls Write Now is a dynamic, multi-generational community of writers on a mission. For more than 20 years, our nationally award-winning programs have provided creative, critical and digital writing training, college and career readiness, personalized mentoring and massive opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
If you've ever felt inspired by the grandeur and intensity of the Olympic Games, these Olympic writing prompts are the perfect way to channel that energy into your creative projects. The thrill of competition, the dedication of athletes, and the spirit of global unity offer a wealth of material to explore in your writing.
Important Tips for Writing a Research Proposal Writing a research proposal begins much before the actual task of writing. Planning the research proposal structure and content is an important stage, which if done efficiently, can help you seamlessly transition into the writing stage. 3,5 The Planning Stage Manage your time efficiently.
Convey a variety of human experiences and states of being in these creative writing exercises to try right now . ... GET THE write idea ... now get into print! Find the most up-to-date calls for submissions, writing competitions to enter and publishing opportunities to suit you and your writing in our easy-to-navigate news pages .
Creative Writing Workshop & Competition. The annual Creative Writing Workshop offers students at Union University, as well as regional high schools and home school students the opportunity to compete for prizes and learn from Union faculty and accomplished guest writers. Held every spring, the event consists of two parts - the literary ...
Open to young people aged 11-18, the contest challenges aspiring writers to use the works of George Orwell as a starting point to think and write about the world they live in. The theme for the 2024 prize was 'Home', with entrants allowed to use various forms of writing, including imaginative stories, essays and poems.