Ready, Steady, WRITE - opportunities and comps for kids

Nearly every time I brush shoulders with my target audience - children, I am asked, 'What now? How can I learn to edit better? Where can I submit my work? Where can I get more information?'

Here is a post by fellow scribe for young people, Chris Bell. Her From Hook to Book site also includes a really comprehensive page of resources especially sourced for young people, YWR. It highlights writing competitions, noting those which are currently open along with other websites and links where budding young writers can find information on everything from punctuation to polishing stories until they blind you with their brilliance.

Some can be found on my Kool Kidz Stuff page, many more are worth noting because most comps and conference are run annually giving you plenty of time and opportunity to practise, practise, practise.

Chris writes...

Calling all young writers, playwrights and poets! While I’ve been gallivanting around the UK, these past few weeks, heaps of regular and new young writers’ competitions and opportunities have opened up. Some are closing soon.
So flex those writing muscles and get your entries in fast. (Only if they’ve been buffed and polished and proofed, of course.) You’ll find further details and some great new resources on my Young Writers’ Resources page, such as details of three KSP residential places in WA, The John Marsden and Scribe Non-fiction Prizes, plus lots more comp details, events and happenings.
All fabulous opportunities to get your writing in front of judges, publishers and selection panels and there’s some not insignificant cash prizes on offer too.
So get those stories and poems in fast for the comps closing soon.
Some tips for success:
  • Follow submission guidelines (exactly)
  • Redraft, redraft, redraft
  • Read your work aloud to pick up jars and jolts and to check for rhythm
  • Vary your sentence structure
  • Be strenuous at spell-checking and proofreading
  • Give your work a few weeks “air time” (you’ll pick up things you never noticed when you go back to it after a break)
  • Flick off that fear goblin nagging on your shoulder. If you’ve put in the work – it’s ready. Repeat – flick and submit.
If you know of any writing opportunities or competitions for young writers, not listed on the YWR page, I’d love you to leave me the details in a comment or email me the link. Thanks. And Good luck!

Comments

Chris Bell said…
Hi Dimity
Great post and great to see the word getting about on the fantastic opportunities and comps available to young writers. Some cool prizes too; I especially love those that offer the chance to get work in front of an editor.
Best wishes,
Chris
15 July 2015 at 11:10
DimbutNice said…
Hey you made it here Chris. Cheers and thanks to YOU for compiling these terrific links. The kids will be more the better for it. :-D Dimity
15 July 2015 at 11:18
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