Create

Writing and Other Competitions

Writing contests are a wonderful way for students to hone their writing skills. Here are a few of the benefits:

• Practice makes perfect – the more you write, the better you’ll become.
• Authentic audience – your writing will (often) be read by people experienced in the publishing industry. If you win your piece could be published for a wider audience!
• Learning experience – whether you win or not, entering writing competitions is wonderful experience and will help to improve your confidence in writing.
• Deadlines and parameters – writing competitions have specific parameters e.g. intended audience, subject matter, word count as well as a deadline. These boundaries help to focus your writing.
• Develop perseverance – developing perseverance is key to success so keep trying.

Writing Tips from WestWords: https://westwords.com.au/clubhouse/blog/

Print out and colour in items from the State Library of Queensland’s collections: https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/get-involved/library-home/play-our-collections/colour-our-collections

Current Competitions

NOTE: Ensure you carefully read and understand the requirements of each competition you enter.

Write the World
Submission date: Monthly competitions
Entry fee: none

Furious Fiction Writing Competition
17 years+
Submission date: Starts 5pm on the first Friday of every month. Ends 55 hours later – midnight Sunday.
Entry fee: none

Minds Shine Bright Writing Competition
Submission date: 28th February 2022
Entry fee: $5

Little Black Dress Spooky Writing Competition
Submission date: 24th March 2022
Entry fee: none

Sheila Malady Short Story Competition
Submission date: 25th March 2022
Entry fee: $5

Ethel Webb Blundell Literary Awards
Submission date: 31st March 2022
Entry fee: $10

Wombat Books Illustration Challenge
Submission date: 1st April 2022
Entry fee: free

The Illustration Station & CYA Award
Submission date: 3rd April 2022
Entry fee: free (under 18s)

Author of Tomorrow
Submission date: 22nd April 2022
Entry fee: free

Future Leaders Awards – various
Various competitions open to Year 12 students for writing, photography, contribution to environment etc
Submission date: 1st May 2022
Entry fee: free

What Matters?
Submission date: 6th May 2022
Entry fee: none

CBCA Make Your Own Storybook Competition
Year 7-8 students
Submission date: 10th June 2022
Entry fee: free

RD Walshe Memorial Writing for the Environment
Submission date: 17th June 2022
Entry fee: none

Dorothy Mackellar Poetry Awards
Submission date: 30th June 2022
Entry fee: free

Poems Forest
Submission date: 23rd September 2022
Entry fee: free