Finding initiatives to write:

 Writing is a skill to develop. But to do that you actually have to start writing, and for some, picking up the pencil is the hardest part. So, finding an initiative to begin writing is the best way to start. 

In some ways, you might be able to see writing from a perspective of a competition. Though it is pessimistic, it is an initiative. But positively, a learning experience. Most competitions provide feedback on the participants' work, which offers a point of view to your own writing that you yourself have not interpreted before. It can lead you down a new path of your writing with new improvements. Here are some competitions and programs and for essays, poems and articles that you should try:

• Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize: open to 11-19 year olds, write a piece of writing up to 1500 words with quotations and adaptations of Shakespeare’s work. The deadline is on September 30, 2026. 

https://englishassociation.ac.uk/the-betty-haigh-shakespeare-prize/

• The Franklin Essay Prize: open to 13- 18 year olds, answer prompts including prompts with science and social studies topics. 

https://essai.in/franklin-prize-2026/

• Yale International Relations Association Global Essay Competition: open to grades 8-12, the ivy league organization hosts webinars to enhance writing skills to prepare for an essay competition with topics of global issues. Registration deadline is on December 30, 2026. https://wwwlearnwithleaders.com/competitions/the-yale-international-relations-essay-competition/

Catch you next Wednesday when you flip the page!