1. What is Write the World series writing competition?
Write the World is a series of free, monthly, online writing competitions for all high school students worldwide. Since its launch at Harvard University in 2012, Write the World has welcomed over 110,000 teens and educators from 125 countries to its competitions and community portal. Write the World aims to “develop voices, refine editing skills, publish on international platform.” The competition is a supportive, fun opportunity to try out many different writing genres and receive insightful, detailed feedback from professional expert writers.
How Write the World Works
Community: Write the World has a global online portal where community members have posted over 215,000 pieces of writing in a forum format. Student writers, educators, and expert writers can read others’ written work and get peer-reviewed feedback on their own pieces.
Competitions: Every month, Write the World has a new themed writing competition, including but not limited to fun novel genres such as personal narrative, poetry, food writing, flash fiction, and songwriting. Prompts are fairly open-ended, and students have the creative freedom to express their talents. The Writing Guidelines essentially state to avoid harmful content in your writing and, of course, not to plagiarize.
Workshops: College Essay Review and virtual 2024 summer writing camps for teens are also offered. Write the World can help high schoolers with their college application essays and aspiring authors with a wide range of styles!
2. When is Write the World series writing competition?
Past
Personal Essay Competition 2024
- Essay Prompt: Open a window.
- Details: Write a personal story (aka “creative nonfiction” or “personal narrative”) inside of you that needs to see the light of day in 400-1,000 words. Through introspection, concoct a story that reflects an experience in your life and how you make sense of this experience. Some questions to think about are: How does it sit with you? Why has it surfaced? What is powerful about it? What has it taught you? How has it changed you? More details.
- Dates:
- Competition Open: June 3, 2024
- Submit Draft for Expert Review: June 10, 2024
- Reviews Returned to Writers: Friday, June 14, 2024
- Final Submissions Due: June 24, 2024
- Winners Announced: July 12, 2024
Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024
- Poem Prompt: Seeds of change.
- May 6, 2024 to May 27, 2024
Environmental Writing Competition 2024
- Essay Prompt: Consider the collision.
- April 1, 2024 to April 22, 2024
Fairytales & Myths Competition 2024
- Story Prompt: Leap forward.
- March 4, 2024 to March 25, 2024
Op-Ed Competition 2024
- Op-Ed Prompt: Say what matters.
- February 5, 2024 to February 26, 2024
Songwriting Competition 2024
- Lyrics Prompt: Strike a chord.
- January 2, 2024 to January 22, 2024
People’s Choice Awards 2023
- Prompt: Your choice!
- December 4, 2023 to January 1, 2024
Short Story Competition 2023
- Prompt: Fiction: Truth in story.
- November 6, 2023 to November 27, 2023
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing Competition 2023
- Story Prompt: Reimagine the world.
- October 2, 2023 to October 23, 2023
Nature & Environmental Poetry Competition 2023
- Poem prompt: Bear witness.
Current
Journalism Essay Competition 2024
- Article Prompt: Global correspondents.
- Details: Immerse yourself in a newsworthy event inside the borders of your own country and invite your readers there through your written reporting. What are the most important issues taking place close to home? Perhaps a rare bird sighting in the nature preserves near your town? Or a band of young people in your province fighting for access to higher education? More details.
- Dates:
- Competition Opens: July 1, 2024
- Submit Draft for Expert Review: July 8, 2024
- Reviews Returned to Writers: July 12, 2024
- Final Submissions Due: July 22, 2024
- Winners Announced: August 9, 2024
Upcoming
Flash Fiction Competition 2024
- Prompt: 100 Words: “A work of art carved onto a grain of rice”
- Details: Write a story in 100 words—otherwise known as “the drabble” or “microfiction.” Read this helpful Guide to Write the World Flash Fiction that will walk you through everything you need to know about this prompt.
- Dates:
- Competition Opens: August 5, 2024
- Submit Draft for Expert Review: August 12, 2024
- Reviews Returned to Writers: August 16, 2024
- Final Submissions Due: August 26, 2024
- Winners Announced: September 13, 2024
3. Who is eligible for Write the World?
Write the World welcomes 13 to 19-year-old high school students from all countries and schools. There are no fees involved, making this an accessible and more competitive program than other competitions. You don’t need to register with your school or receive permission from an advisor.
4. How do I register for Write the World?
Register for a free account to enter in the Write the World series writing competition. Once into your account, click the “Enter Competition” button in the vertical left menu bar and browse through the current competition prompts and upcoming competitions. After you select a topic you’d like to try out, click “Respond to Prompt” to begin writing. Your draft will automatically save, but you should always keep a backup on a Word document on your computer.
Write the World lets participants submit a draft for review by published authors, writing teachers, and educational professionals—just click “Request an Expert Review” before the appropriate deadline. You can also publish your draft for peer review by community members—just click “Publish for Peer Review.”
Got more questions? Check out this video tutorial and Write the World FAQ.
5. Why should I participate in Write the World?
Write the World announces three winners every month for each competition. All winners will be publicly recognized on Write the World blog, published along with feedback from guest judges such as Poet Laureates and White House speechwriters. Write the World is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get individualized constructive criticism and praise from such acclaimed judges. Additionally, the online community of hundred thousand writers available 24/7 to peer-review your work is a surefire way to improve your writing skills!
With interesting new competition prompts every month, Write the World is the perfect chance to gain exposure and try your hand at different writing styles and genres—on your own schedule. Writing is undeniably one of the most important skills for college and life beyond. Build up your general writing skills or a portfolio of creative writing pieces with Write the World competitions!
Write the World Competition Prizes
First place: $100
Runner up: $50
Best peer-reviewed piece: $50
6. How do I prepare for Write the World series writing competition?
Write the World has countless blogs with writing tips and winner announcements—it’s a great resource to check out for competition participants. Start with Five Ways to Outline Your Stories and Six Tips for Writer’s Block, both by Write the World student writers. Also, check out this helpful list of writing tip blogs based on competition prompts.
Writing Tips from Write the World Student Writers:
- Environmental Writing Tips from the Winners of Write the World Climate Awards
- Poetry & Spoken Word Competition Winner: Allison Hsu
Writing Tips from Writing Professionals:
- Gender Equality Op-Ed Q&A with Guest Judge Vee Kativhu
- Climate Change Writing Q&A with Guest Judge Bill McKibben
- Speechwriting Tips from Sarah Hurwitz, White House Speechwriter
- The Art of the Short Story, with Guest Judge Carolyn Kuebler
- Tips for Writing Creative Nonfiction, from Guest Judge Sy Montgomery
- Fairytales, Myths, and Reworking the Past: Q&A with Author Giselle Vriesen
- Poetry Tips from Guest Judge Carla Panciera
- Food Writing Competition Expert Tips
- Songwriting Tips from Guest Judge Chadwick Stokes
7. Who Won Write the World?
In a 2023 series, an Aralia Education student was awarded as a Finalist in Write the World—only 6 students worldwide receive this esteemed award! Read more about previous Write the World winners to see what it takes to win! In each link, you’ll be able to read the winning entries as well as the feedback given by judges.
2023 Write the World Winners: Short Story, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Nature & Environmental Poetry, Flash Fiction
2024 Write the World Winners: Poetry & Spoken Word, Environmental, Fairytales & Myths, Op-Ed, Songwriting
8. Take Aralia Education’s Write the World class
If you want to win as a Finalist, take Aralia Education’s online class and prepare for Write the World with a star competition coach! At Aralia, our student’s personal growth and success are the core focus—we accomplish this by pairing students with experienced, professional, dedicated teachers from the best high schools and colleges in America. With Aralia’s Write the World class, you will work with your teacher to create an individualized curriculum perfectly suited to your unique writing needs. The entire team at Aralia is rooting for your success! Inquire more about Aralia Education’s Write the World class.
