2020 Young Writers Contest Guidelines
Enter to Win our $200 Grand Prize
Writing for Peace challenges young writers (ages 13-19) to expand their empathy skills by researching an unfamiliar culture and writing from the point-of-view of a character within that new world, while exploring social, political, and environmental pressures, and universal themes.
- The deadline for entrance is June 1st, 2020.
- There is no fee for participation.
- Writers, ages 13-19, may submit in one of three categories – poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Ages are counted from the entry date, and entrants are required to show proof of age (those images are never shared publicly).
- Winners and published finalists will be asked to submit an author’s photograph and biography. We encourage you to explore the past winners’ pages on our website to see the types of information and pictures authors share.
- The contest is open internationally, but all submissions must be written in English and submitted with the completed form. Both American and British English are accepted.
Awards:
First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry categories. Announcements will be made on July 1st on the Writing for Peace Blog. Be sure to subscribe to our blog to receive email posts and updates.
- First, second, and third place winners will receive a certificate, publication, and an invitation to participate in our 2020 Youth Summit. One Grand Prize Winner will receive $200.
- Winners’ work, photo, bio, and a follow-up interview will be published in our August 1st, 2020, online journal, DoveTales, An International Journal of the Arts.
- Finalists may be eligible for online publication in our Writing for Peace blog, and a chance to work with Writing for Peace editors, as well as opportunities to participate in other Writing for Peace Events, such as our Annual Youth Summit, readings, and possible mentoring opportunities.
- The author will retain copyright of the literary work with the understanding that Writing for Peace may publish in DoveTales, online, and/or republish at a later date in a printed anthology.
In all divisions your work should attempt to:
- Show day-to-day life.
- Show family relations and friendships.
- Show outside forces at work (weather, government/politics, social pressures, etc.)
- Avoid stereotypes and generalizations. Dig beneath the surface to explore common humanity and universal themes.
All submissions (even fiction) should be about a real country or culture, although it could be a country that no longer exists. For example, you could choose to write a period piece that takes place between 1918 and 1992 about Czechoslovakia, or a fiction piece about Anatolia that takes place during the 13th century. The challenge is to research the pressures faced by your characters so that you are able to convey their point-of-view convincingly.
While there are different cultures within the man-made borders of our countries, and there is value in exploring those differences, the purpose of this challenge is to stretch as a writer and develop the empathy that not only leads to powerful writing, but a greater understanding and compassion between peoples. If you feel strongly that researching a culture within your borders would be a stretch for you, and beneficial to your writing development, then we will allow it. But be sure to give a thorough explanation of your decision.
Fiction Division:
Submit an original unpublished short story of 800-1000 words in the voice of a character from another country or culture.
Poetry Division:
Submit one poem (no longer than 1000 words) in the voice of a character from another country or culture.
Nonfiction Division:
Write an 800-1000 word essay about a social, political, environmental, or familial challenge faced by individuals within a cultural group, or a personal experience with another culture.
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Congratulations on the publication of your book!
Can one person submit in multiple divisions?
Yes! Good luck!
can we write an essay on a particular topic or is it supposed to be a story with the character’s pov
We have both fiction and nonfiction divisions. We look forward to seeing your essay! Good luck!
I am 17 years old but I graduated high school this month. Can I participate?
If yes then what should I fill in the school, grade and language teacher boxes in the submission form?
Yes, absolutely! Just give the most relevant information on the form. Good luck!
Hi, I have a question about prove of my age.
I have a student ID which I used last year but it’s written about my birthday and year. Also it’s a school one so it’s not a kind of national thing as passport and drive license. Can I use it to prove my age?
Yes, please send what you have. Good luck.
Do submissions have to be about a culture or in a country different to ours?
Thanks,
R
R,
Thanks for your question! While there are different cultures within the man-made borders of our countries, and there is value in exploring those differences, the purpose of this challenge is to stretch as a writer and develop the empathy that not only leads to powerful writing, but a greater understanding and compassion between peoples. If you feel strongly that researching a culture within your borders would be a stretch for you, and beneficial to your writing development, then we will allow it. But be sure to give a thorough explanation of your decision.
Good luck!
Hi, I was wondering if you could clarify what “within your borders” mean? Does this mean physically, in the country you live in, or your ethnicity? And at what part of the application would we explain why it was a stretch for us? Thank you
These are good questions. Yes, the guidelines are referring to physical borders, but an argument can be made for ethnicity or cultural “borders” as well. There are places on the form that give entrants an opportunity to write about their research and what they learned during the process of writing. Good luck!
I am half-fillipino, so could I write about Fillipino culture? Also, if I set it in the present, would it be considered non-fiction?
Hi Hannah,
Yes, absolutely. And yes, it sounds like your piece would fall into the nonfiction category. Good luck!
Or, could I write something about someone of mixed race?
Certainly, but be sure to read the guidelines closely.
Is the due date May 1st or June 1st of 2020?
The due date is May 1st.
What will you do with the contact information of my teacher?
It will not be made public, but may be used for verification and notification.
Would I be able to write about a slightly controversial topic? I’d like to write about Armenian genocide, but a few nations don’t recognize the Armenian genocide. I’d like to write about the topic for the non-fiction category but I don’t know if it would be considered too controversial.
Absolutely. Don’t hesitate to be controversial. In a nonfiction entry, you’ll want to make sure you do your research nd check your facts. Good luck.
How long can a poem be?
The poem should be no longer than 1000 words. Good luck!
My students are finishing their persuasive essay as though writing like Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of Civil War, anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin), that their essay may persuade others to end slavery. Would that be applicable for this contest?
Yes! That sounds very interesting. Thank you for sharing our contest with them.
I was wondering if college students are allowed to apply. Or are there similar contests for college students? Please let me know. Thank you.
The contest is open for ages 13-19. We also hope you’ll consider submitting work to our journal. The summer issue is themed “Resistance.”
I am wondering when the results will be announced. Thanks!
Hi Joe, Announcements will be made on July 1st, 2020. Thanks for your question.
Hi! I saw a few comments earlier in the threads about the deadline being May 1st. It seems that the deadline noted on the website elsewhere is June 1st. Is there a discrepancy and/or what’s the actual deadline? Thank you!!
Thanks for your question! The board of directors has voted to extend the deadline to June 1st. This news went out with the post on Monday, along with an invitation to join us for a Zoom reading with poet and literary activist E. Ethelbert Miller this Friday, May 1st, at 8pm Eastern Time. You can find the information on our blog. Hope you’ll check it out!
On the article it says the entrance deadline is June 1st, but in the comments it says that it’s May 1st. So, what is the deadline?
The Board of Directors recently approved an extension to June 1st.
Hi there! If I’m homeschooled, what do I put for my English Teacher’s name? I don’t have one.
Good question! You can write “Homeschooled” and we’ll know to use your parents’ information if we need to reach them for any reason. Good luck!
In the piece I’m thinking of writing about, it alludes to sex. Is that okay? This is because I’m basing it off of a Vestal Virgin in the ancient Roman culture?
Our guidelines do not specify against it. We trust you to use your best judgement. Good luck!
Can I submit multiple pieces under the same category?
No, we ask that you limit that to one. Thank you, and good luck!
Do we have to put in our teacher’s information? I’m doing this in the regulation of my parents, and I wouldn’t want my teacher getting emails they didn’t ask for. Also, I do not know their phone number.
You can use your parents’ information there. Many people are homeschooled, especially now during the pandemic. Good luck!
Does everything have to be completely factually correct. Or can we twist it just a little bit?
Hi Bel, If you would like to twist the facts, you’ll just want to enter the fiction division. Good luck!
What exactly is the grand prize winner? Is it a person chosen between the 1st places of each category? Also, how is the grand prize winner paid via? Thank you!
Yes. We work with the winner to determine the best way to pay. It can be different from country to country.
Can the fiction piece (short story) be longer than 1000 words? Thank you
No. The maximum word count is 1000 words. Good luck.
Would I be able to switch between different points of view to have a more in depth look at each characters emotions?
Absolutely. Good luck.
can the fictional story be more than 1000 words?
No. Maximum word count is 1000 words. Good luck.
If we choose to write about a personal experience with another culture, would we have to do any research or can it just be based on the experience?
Your experience may count as research, but you would be wise to supplement that with additional research. Good luck.
Where can I read the past winning entries?
They are published in DoveTales. You can view some online here: https://writingforpeace.org/one-world-one-people/
Or you can purchase copies of previous books here: https://writingforpeace.org/shop-now/
Can we submit in multiple categories?
Yes, that is allowed. Good luck.
Hi there!
Will only the first,second and third place winners of each category receive an invitation to the Youth Summit 2020 or will there be a set number of finalists who will be invited too? for example, the top 10 authors of each category…
Thanks for your question. Finalists will be invited, as well.
I am wondering- I am twelve right now, but will turn 13 a month after the contest. Can I still join the contest?
I’m so sorry, no. But we hope you will enter next year. Keep writing. And, of course, you are always welcome to submit your work to DoveTales.
Is it okay if we go a little bit over 1000 words? Like 5 words over? I finished my document, but when I convert it to a Google Docs, it says 1005 words. But, everywhere else, it says 1000 words. I guess Google Docs is counting the page numbers? Do the page numbers count?
1000 is the max word limit, but neither the page numbers, nor the title count.
Hi, can I use some non-English words in my writing?
Yes, absolutely.
Hi!
I was wondering if a non fiction essay can be about a family member’s experience of discrimination for their culture? Also, when will the winners be announced?
Yes, you will want to be clear about the context. Announcements will be made on July 1st.
Any nationality allowed?
Yes. Allowed and welcomed!