Create
Online Writing Clubs
State Library of NSW Young Writers’ Club – An online fortnightly program during the school term. Suitable for writers aged 8-14 years. Sessions run from 4pm to 5pm.
Voiceworks Magazine – A national literary journal that features exciting new writing and art by young Australians. The purpose is to create a space for people under twenty-five to develop their creative and editorial skills and to publish, and be paid for, their fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art and comics. Each selected piece goes through a collaborative editing process, and we provide individualised feedback for all unsuccessful submissions.
If you’re interested in submitting your work for publication, see Submit to Voiceworks for more information.
You can borrow the hardcopy issues of Voiceworks from the library or you can access the PDF version from the library Canvas page.
A variety of resources about the writing process are available from Voiceworks Guides.
Frankie – An Australian magazine. You can borrow hardcopy issues from the library. If you’re a writer, photographer, illustrator or maker of pretty clothing and bits and bobs, you can submit your work for publication.
Stereo Stories – An online publication about music and memoir, narrative and melody, story and song. Take a song, a place and a time, and you may well have a Stereo Story: a short memoir inspired by a piece of music: pop, country, jazz, rock, punk, classical, electro, disco… submissions welcome.
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
Science Write Now!
Submission date: new theme each issue
Entry fee: $3
Positive Words Monthly Mini-Competitions
Submission date: new theme each month
Entry fee: $2.40
Calanthe Collective Prize for Unpublished Poetry
Submission date: 31st March 2023
Entry fee: none
Geminga Sunspot for Micropoetry, Graphic Novels or Visual Art
Submission date: 31st March 2023
Entry fee: $10
Little Stories Big Ideas
Submission date: 7th April 2023
Entry fee: none
Superhero Competition
14+
Submission date: 15th April 2023
Entry fee: none
Jolley Prize
Submission date: 24th April 2023
Entry fee: $30
Gosnells Writers Circle Aspiring Author Awards
Submission date: 30th April 2023
Entry fee: none
Living Stories Western Sydney Writing Prize
Submission date: 30th April 2023
Entry fee: none
Poetica Christi Poetry Competition
16+
Submission date: 30th April 2023
Entry fee: $9
John Gavin Writing Competition (Open)
Submission date: 30th April 2023
Entry fee: $10.76
Future Leaders Writing Prize
Year 11 & 12 students
Submission date: 1st May 2023
Entry fee: none
What Matters? Writing Competition
Submission date: 5th May 2023
Entry fee: none
The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award for Young Writers
Submission date: 31st May 2023
Entry fee: $25
Anthology Short Story Competition
Submission date: 31st August 2023
Entry fee: 12 Euros (please insert Euro symbol in front)
Hilarie Lindsay Short Story Competition
Submission date: 31st August 2023
Entry fee: $5
Marjorie Barnard Short Story Award
Submission date: 31st August 2023
Entry fee: $15
Furphy Story Competition
18+ at time of submission
Submission date: 30th April 2023
Entry fee: none
Questions Writing Prize
18+ at time of submission
Submission date: 1st May 2023
Entry fee: none
Hilary Lindsay Short Story Competition
Submission date: 31st August 2023
Entry fee: $5