Get Your Write On!

​Are you an aspiring writer? Looking for ways to expand your writing prowess and get recognized for your talent? If so, check out two upcoming writing contests that will channel your inner creativity.

National Novel Writing Month

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWrMo)? NaNoWrMo is offering a contest where you have 30 days to write 50,000 words. 

This contest “is an opportunity to step out of your everyday life, open your mind to infinite possibilities, and create new worlds with people from around the globe” (Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of NaNoWriMo).

This year, they are also offering weekly pep talks by the following published authors: Andy Weir, Min Jin Lee, Justina Ireland, and Francesca Lia Block; mentorship access to authors Alyssa Cole, Carolina De Robertis, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Destiny Soria; and interactive webcasts with authors Marissa Meyer, Aya de Leon, Sophie Littlefield, and Jennie Nash.

Letters About Literature

Enter for a chance to win money at both the state and national level! ​The Letters About Literature contest is a program requesting students to write a letter to the author of a book, poem or play explaining how their work changed their life or view of the world. Entries will be accepted from November 1 through December 14. Specific details can be found here. Need inspiration? Read past Illinois and national winning letters.