In the Spring we held our first creative writing competition for children age 10-11 and we’re excited to announce that it’s now time for the 12–14-year-olds to have their turn. They just need to have used Copywork Cave at some point in their life and be willing to have a go!
Here are all the details you need to know:
Stories must be between 800 and 1,000 words
Deadline for entry is midnight Friday 1st November - GMT
The story must be the child’s original work – you can help them with ideas and planning, and you can give feedback, but please don’t edit it for them.
You can choose to either submit a scanned copy of the child’s written story or email a typed document of their story exactly as it’s written (including the child’s choice of spelling and punctuation please).
All three winners will receive a digital Amazon voucher: £25 for first place, £15 for second and £10 for third.
All three winners will have the option of having their story published on the Copywork Cave website to share with family and friends (if they like!)
The competition is open to all families around the world who have used Copywork Cave at some point in their learning journey – but it’s not open to anyone else. Trust me; this gives your children a good shot at winning!
Children must be aged between 12 and 14 on Friday 1st November 2024 to be eligible.
Parents must email their entry to support@copyworkcave.com with ‘competition’ in the subject line.
If you know your Copywork Cave order number, please include that, but if you can’t find it, please don’t worry. (I can track down your order in other ways.) Please put the child’s name and age in the email but NOT in the documents you email. Thank you!
To help your kids out, I'm discounting my SIX WEEKS TO WRITE A STORY resource by 50% until the competition closes, so check that out if you think it might be useful.
Judging criteria and process
The entries will be judged by an independent group of adults and will be judged anonymously. We will be looking for:
1. Originality
Being original doesn’t mean everything has to be completely made up. Perhaps you will create an original setting (either in place or time), or you might develop a really original character in an ordinary setting. Maybe it’s what happens that’s original, but with everyday characters. We just want to see some imagination at work.
2. Characterisation
You don’t need lots of characters, just one or two who are really interesting. Help us to get to know your characters so that we care about what happens to them. Maybe they will discover something about themselves or change throughout the story?
3. Plot
A good plot makes all the difference. It usually includes a conflict or a crisis of some sort that ends in a resolution, and often in unexpected ways. Consider how your characters will interact with each other and the setting to build excitement and tension.
4. Language
We love interesting vocabulary choices and will be keen to see how children use punctuation and dialogue to ignite the reader’s imagination, create drama and tell their story. We will pay some attention to spelling but overall, we want to see what language children choose to use and how they put words together for effect.
5. Enjoyment
This is simple really – how much did we enjoy the story? If it’s got great characters, a plot that keeps our interest and some sparks of originality, I’m sure we will!
Dan Freedman shares some wonderful tips on how to get started with writing a story here:
We look forward to reading what your kids create and to celebrating the winners!
Amanda & team
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