Write the World Competitions: A Practical Guide

Write the World Competitions: A Practical Guide

This guide was checked on 2026-08-25.

Editorial overview

Founded in 2012 at Harvard University, Write the World is a nonprofit organisation devoted to helping teenagers develop confidence and competence as writers. Write the World holds a new writing competition every month. That rhythm gives the programme the feel of a changing editorial desk rather than a once-a-year event: genres rotate, writers can return with a different kind of work, and revision matters as much as producing a first draft.

March 2026 marked Write the World's first Screenwriting Competition, guest-judged by Zoe Cheng, and the competition received hundreds of scripts from teenagers around the world. The winner was Lily Wynyard, age 17, from New Zealand, for Fish Creek. Her bicultural story, and Cheng's praise for its emotional precision and almost magical atmosphere, show what the judges were responding to: a distinctive voice carried by disciplined choices, not simply an ambitious subject.

CompeteMap's view is that this is most valuable for a writer who wants a firm timetable, an audience, and a reason to revise across several genres. The monthly cycle is accessible, but a polished piece still needs close reading and selective use of feedback. Students who return across several months are likely to gain more than those who treat one result as a verdict; the strongest outcome is a body of finished work and a clearer sense of which forms suit their voice.

Quick Facts

For current dates, eligibility and registration details, see the Write the World Competitions competition page.

Review Evaluation

Rated Intermediate. The main challenge is shaping an original response to a focused brief, using feedback selectively, and completing a polished revision within the monthly window.

What the entry involves

Each competition begins with a genre-specific brief. A useful first move is to identify the required form, intended audience, recommended length, and emotional or argumentative centre of the prompt. Drafting should then separate idea generation from line-level polishing. Writers benefit from producing enough material to discover the real subject of the piece before compressing it into a deliberate structure.

Individual online entry through a free Write the World account. The platform allows revision before judging, so feedback is most valuable when the writer can still make meaningful structural changes rather than only correcting punctuation.

Timing and feedback

Each monthly prompt follows its own timetable. Work backward from the published closing point: reserve early time for interpreting the brief, a middle period for drafting and feedback, and a last period for revision and a clean read aloud.

Peer comments and limited reviewer feedback can offer useful signals, but the writer still needs to decide which suggestions strengthen the intended piece. The submitted version should be coherent in its own voice, not a patchwork of every comment received.

Judging and outcomes

Awards and public features include the following: Cash prizes plus features on the organiser's blog and social media; recent competitions also identify a winner, runner-up, best peer review, and finalists. Regardless of placement, a carefully revised entry can become a strong portfolio sample and a record of how the writer responds to editorial input.

Key Takeaways

• Start by reading the current official brief and turning every requirement into a checklist.
• Choose an idea that can survive revision, not merely one that sounds impressive at first.
• Build time for feedback, verification, and a last compliance pass before submission.
• Keep drafts, research notes, and judging feedback as evidence of growth after the result.

Sources checked

• https://info.writetheworld.org/faqs
• https://info.writetheworld.org/publishing-for-students-teens
• https://info.writetheworld.org/teaching-writing-resources
• https://blog.writetheworld.org/writing-advice-teen-screenwriting-competition-winners