Write the World Competitions

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.