Guidelines

National Writing Invitational (NWI): Created by Students, For Students

Sponsored by students of Buena Park High School (Competition and Creative Skills Club), Valencia High School, Sunny Hills High School, Orange County School of Arts, Fisler, Sunset Lane, Apex High School, Troy High School.

1. Judging Standards

• An impartial panel of judges composed of students, teachers, and parents will judge the submissions for award consideration (first, second, and third prize). 

• Judges shall review all submissions within the span of a month in order to ensure quick results; if the number of submissions is high, the judges may divide the submissions among themselves for initial evaluations.  

• Student judges may submit their own submissions for publications, but will not be eligible for award consideration. 

2. Submission Standards

• We do not condone the usage of AI tools when it comes to writing, please do not submit any piece of writing which has contributions made by systems such as ChatGPT

• All submissions must be in good taste and age-appropriate, with proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar. However, intentional errors are allowed if they add value to the writing piece. (For example, spelling "clock as "cloc" in order to show how the -ck suffix is unnecessary)

• The text should be indented correctly and in eleven (or twelve) point Times New Roman 

• Illustrations and images are allowed if they provide necessary context and add value to the writing; but we do not guarantee their final publication on contest website or Kindle book. 

• Do not put your name on any pages of your entry unless necessary; your name, phone number, and email address, along with the title of your entry, go on a cover page 

• Multiple entries per participant for any category are not allowed; the applicant can submit one for each category. 

• Please submit entries directly using the website's forms; please use email for personal questions. 

• October 1 deadline for all submissions

• We accept concurrent submissions: you can submit to our contest and other external contests if the other is willing. But please let us know if your work cannot be published in our Kindle book. 

• We will also post submissions monthly to our website, please let us know if you would prefer to not have it uploaded

3. Participant Standards

• A participant may not plagiarize any existing works 

• If a participant were to conduct activities considered illicit and illegal by the board, the participant will be barred from participating in any future contests 

• Any deviation from the aforementioned rules may result in the suspension of the participant’s submission

4. Eligibility Standards

• The contest is open to anyone in grades K-12 in the United States. The participant’s grade is the one just completed (before July 1). 

  • There are four age/grade categories: Grades K-3; 4-6; 7-9; 10-12

• A participant may submit to any of the following submission categories

  • Stories 

  • Poems 

  • Scientific Essays

  • Discovery Essays

• There is no hard limit on the minimum or maximum word count, but we prefer under 700 words and definitely under 1000.