2020 Writing Contest for Students and Teachers
NO ENTRY FEE ~ Enter Via Teacher E-mail Only
Deadline January 21, 2020
• Limit, 15 student entries per teacher. NO ENTRY FEE. No student or may enter more than two
pieces total, and only one per genre. Teacher may enter two pieces, only one per genre. In
addition, teachers may enter up to 5 student sentences (limit one per student) and one teacher
sentence.
• All entries must be attached to an e-mail sent from teacher’s school e-mail address. Each
entry must be a separate e-mail.
• Winners in each division will be invited to an OWP Spring Celebration & Writing Conference and
will have their writing published in the 2019 OWP Anthology of Winning Writing and on the
OWP Website. Winners and their teachers will receive free anthologies of winning writing.
• Students and teachers will be competing against others in their own divisions and genres.
Divisions are determined by grade rather than by school level: Primary (pre-K though 2nd);
Intermediate, (grades 3-5); Middle School (grades 6-8); High School, (grades 9-12), and
Teacher.
2020 OWP Writing Contest Genres
Descriptive Paragraph
Describe a person, a place, an object, a feeling. The paragraph can be an excerpt from a larger piece of writing or can be
complete in itself. Put the reader there with sensory details and telling facts. Limit 150 words.
Personal Narrative
Write personal memoir or a narration of an event in your life. Try to cover a very short period of time. Details are
important. Be sure to use active, vivid verbs. Weave in description with action to put the reader there. Limit 2000 words.
Poem
It can rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. It can be metered or free verse. Try including similes, metaphors. personification.
Experiment with repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia. Limit, 66 lines.
Short Story
Create the characters and come up with a conflict. Put those characters in a place and time, and see what they decide to
do. Try weaving together action, dialogue, and description to keep the reader involved. Limit 2500 words. Longer stories
will be disqualified.
Essay
Stand up for an issue; change someone’s mind. You can pick the topic. Suggestions? Comment on controversial issues,
current events, art, television, movies, books, videos, video games, products. Show us how to look at something from
another viewpoint. If you cite sources, do it correctly! Limit 1000 words.
Writing across the Curriculum
You can also enter writing you did in a class other than language arts—science, social studies, math, etc. (Description,
Narration, Poetry, Essay) Limit 1000 words.
Flash Fiction
Also called “sudden fiction,” this genre packs a punch with a small amount of text. A complete story includes the traditional
elements of setting, characterization, and conflict. Choose a time and place, narrow your focus, start in the middle of the
action, keep the reader guessing, and end with a bang or a twist! Limit 100 words
Sentence
Write a sentence, any kind, any length, any subject. Be creative. One winner for each grade level. Hint: Using figurative
language and poetic devices might help you win. (Teachers may enter up to 5 sentences, one per student plus one from
teacher. These do not count against the total of 15 other entries. Sentences can be taken from larger pieces of writing.)
2020 Write To Win!
Instructions to Teachers
Please read carefully!
Each piece should be typed as a Microsoft Word document in 12-point font, double-spaced. If we can’t
open the document, it may be disqualified.
Do NOT include student’s name, school, or teacher in the attached document (entry) but only the title
and the writing. Only the attachments will be forwarded to the contest judges.
Send a separate e-mail for each entry. Subject of e-mail should be the title of the piece. In the body of
the e-mail, list
• Genre of entry
• Title of piece
• Student’s name
• Student’s grade
• Teacher’s name
• School
• School address
• School phone
• Teacher’s school e-mail address
Winners, when announced, will receive a form via teacher’s e-mail to have their parents and teacher
sign, verifying originality of the piece and agreeing to have the work published in the OWP anthology
and on the OWP website.
E-mail entries to owpwritingcontest@gmail.com by January 22, 2019. Entries received after that date
will not be accepted. Limit is 15 entries per teacher, limit two per student in separate genres, in
addition to 5 sentences. Teacher may enter 2 pieces, each a different genre, and one sentence.
Questions? E-mail owpwritingcontest@gmail.com or janiscramer@att.net . Text 405-250-5400.
2018 Anthology of Winning Writing by Oklahoma Students and Teachers available on Amazon.com
NO ENTRY FEE ~ Enter Via Teacher E-mail Only
Deadline January 21, 2020
• Limit, 15 student entries per teacher. NO ENTRY FEE. No student or may enter more than two
pieces total, and only one per genre. Teacher may enter two pieces, only one per genre. In
addition, teachers may enter up to 5 student sentences (limit one per student) and one teacher
sentence.
• All entries must be attached to an e-mail sent from teacher’s school e-mail address. Each
entry must be a separate e-mail.
• Winners in each division will be invited to an OWP Spring Celebration & Writing Conference and
will have their writing published in the 2019 OWP Anthology of Winning Writing and on the
OWP Website. Winners and their teachers will receive free anthologies of winning writing.
• Students and teachers will be competing against others in their own divisions and genres.
Divisions are determined by grade rather than by school level: Primary (pre-K though 2nd);
Intermediate, (grades 3-5); Middle School (grades 6-8); High School, (grades 9-12), and
Teacher.
2020 OWP Writing Contest Genres
Descriptive Paragraph
Describe a person, a place, an object, a feeling. The paragraph can be an excerpt from a larger piece of writing or can be
complete in itself. Put the reader there with sensory details and telling facts. Limit 150 words.
Personal Narrative
Write personal memoir or a narration of an event in your life. Try to cover a very short period of time. Details are
important. Be sure to use active, vivid verbs. Weave in description with action to put the reader there. Limit 2000 words.
Poem
It can rhyme, but it doesn’t have to. It can be metered or free verse. Try including similes, metaphors. personification.
Experiment with repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia. Limit, 66 lines.
Short Story
Create the characters and come up with a conflict. Put those characters in a place and time, and see what they decide to
do. Try weaving together action, dialogue, and description to keep the reader involved. Limit 2500 words. Longer stories
will be disqualified.
Essay
Stand up for an issue; change someone’s mind. You can pick the topic. Suggestions? Comment on controversial issues,
current events, art, television, movies, books, videos, video games, products. Show us how to look at something from
another viewpoint. If you cite sources, do it correctly! Limit 1000 words.
Writing across the Curriculum
You can also enter writing you did in a class other than language arts—science, social studies, math, etc. (Description,
Narration, Poetry, Essay) Limit 1000 words.
Flash Fiction
Also called “sudden fiction,” this genre packs a punch with a small amount of text. A complete story includes the traditional
elements of setting, characterization, and conflict. Choose a time and place, narrow your focus, start in the middle of the
action, keep the reader guessing, and end with a bang or a twist! Limit 100 words
Sentence
Write a sentence, any kind, any length, any subject. Be creative. One winner for each grade level. Hint: Using figurative
language and poetic devices might help you win. (Teachers may enter up to 5 sentences, one per student plus one from
teacher. These do not count against the total of 15 other entries. Sentences can be taken from larger pieces of writing.)
2020 Write To Win!
Instructions to Teachers
Please read carefully!
Each piece should be typed as a Microsoft Word document in 12-point font, double-spaced. If we can’t
open the document, it may be disqualified.
Do NOT include student’s name, school, or teacher in the attached document (entry) but only the title
and the writing. Only the attachments will be forwarded to the contest judges.
Send a separate e-mail for each entry. Subject of e-mail should be the title of the piece. In the body of
the e-mail, list
• Genre of entry
• Title of piece
• Student’s name
• Student’s grade
• Teacher’s name
• School
• School address
• School phone
• Teacher’s school e-mail address
Winners, when announced, will receive a form via teacher’s e-mail to have their parents and teacher
sign, verifying originality of the piece and agreeing to have the work published in the OWP anthology
and on the OWP website.
E-mail entries to owpwritingcontest@gmail.com by January 22, 2019. Entries received after that date
will not be accepted. Limit is 15 entries per teacher, limit two per student in separate genres, in
addition to 5 sentences. Teacher may enter 2 pieces, each a different genre, and one sentence.
Questions? E-mail owpwritingcontest@gmail.com or janiscramer@att.net . Text 405-250-5400.
2018 Anthology of Winning Writing by Oklahoma Students and Teachers available on Amazon.com