Winning Writing Tips for the Young Writers Contest

What's a great short story?

A short story has a beginning, middle and an end. It has characters, a setting and an intriguing story that includes a problem. The main character should solve this problem. A short story is NOT an essay.

What's a good essay?

Many good essays are about the writer. It can be a personal experience you had. Engage the reader with the same storytelling techniques as you would use in a short story. Make sure you have a beginning, middle and an end. Create characters and a setting. Make the reader feel like he or she is right there with you! Is there something that you learned through the experience? This can be your theme, or universal truth.

How do poetry judges find winning, wonderful poetry?

1. Originality! Finding a new subject is a difficult task . . . almost everything has been written about before. But even with a subject that has been the basis of thousands of poems, it is still possible to give it a new twist if you make it yours. Is this another poem about spring? Then show the reader how you see spring differently from anyone else. Be specific to one experience; don't make generalizations.
2. Metaphor. There should be more than one layer to a poem, and metaphor creates layers. At face value, the words may mean one thing, but with a deeper look, there may be more to be understood.
3. Rhythm. Poetry need not rhyme, but the words need to work together in harmony. When reading the poem aloud, there should be a rhythmic flow but that doesnt mean sing-songy. Really listen to the words and how each one sounds with the ones around it.

A good poem will make the reader feel or think something new about the subject.

Remember: A poem is not simply prose put in broken lines. Every word counts, each line forms its own thought. Use the words that make you feel an emotion and/or offer a visual sense. Remember your other senses too! Engage the reader.

Topic example: Instead of writing about the subject spring, write about the sun's reflections on a drop of dew. Start small. Think about what you might see in the reflection. Think about what you might smell around it, or hear nearby or how it would feel to touch the dew drop and how you would interpret what you experienced. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. That's what makes a poem unique - and yours alone.