Contests

Currently we have no ongoing contests but take a look below!

Timeless

Every day. Every second. Every moment. There is a story behind it. A meaning behind it all, and it follows the universe for eternity. It never fades, like a simple memory, permanently carved into existence. It is still as strong as the day of its creation. Make your mark.

No Good Deed

Why should heroes get to have all the fun? They have all the books, movies, and happy endings. In ‘No Good Deed’, we shine the spotlight on vicious villains, between-the-lines anti-heroes, and anyone who is horrible at heroics. Whether an origin story, retelling, or a triumph, we want all types of bad guys.

Manuscript/Chapbook

Myths and Legends

We've been telling stories around a campfire since the dawn of time to share our experiences, learn from one another, and make connections. As our heroes fought the monsters of our myths and tales, we have struggled with the problems we faced across time.

Ekphrasis

Our first contest with a monetary award, Ekphrasis sought to connect writing and art. This contest required submitters to select a piece of artwork to base their submission, creating a world of stunning poetry and prose.

Era

We live in many eras. We live in the era of technology, the era of social media, of space exploration, of existentialism, of division, of political change and stagnation, of acceptance, of oppression. We move through eras like childhood to adolescence and adolescence to adulthood. We depart from eras of ease and step into the real world.

Culture

Culture can be many things. It can be the traditions and customs that come with your ethnicity. It could be of your age, like youth culture. It could be of a community you associate with that makes you you. Explore what culture means to you/the character you're portraying.

Pride

In honor of Pride Month, The Young Writers Initiative decided to theme our contest: PRIDE. All entries relate to the journey of LGBTQ+ folk, ranging from realization, being in the closet, coming out, facing backlash, acceptance, and the emotions that go along with it. We want to hear your story or the story of an LGBTQ+ MC in your story, poem, or art piece.

Vexation

​​A woman stands alone among the destruction of her emotions. She can’t see the bodies from where she stands, alone in the woods, but she feels them. The trillions that lie lifeless across the world. Now she is alone. Soil sits soaked from the days of rain she forced upon them. Trees stand scarred and broken from the crackling lightning that split through the dark sky. Animals float in the running rivers. Plants bow their heads to the ground, too tired to stand tall. Too tired to be alive. All unwitting casualties in her attack against those crushed in their houses and trapped in their cars. And so she sobs. Clouds form again but they are tired too and only drizzle what’s left over the ruins of Earth. “I’m sorry,” she gasps and she crumbles to the ground. There has to be someone, something. But there was no one. Her fury had slaughtered all natural life on Earth. She was no longer their Mother. She was their Murderer.

V E X A T I O N
by Sylvia Bonillos

Art
M E D U S A
Brent Freeman

Enamor

Enamor was inspired by the Greek interpretation of love. It is not only romantic, but familial, friendly, slight, and whole-encompassing. We challenged young writers and artists to take this prompt and at least one of the 7 types of Greek love and create an impactful and creative piece about love. Writers from ages 6–27 were welcomed to join. Though it was based on the Greeks, submissions did not have to pertain to them. All that must be done was to write about at least one of the seven types of love in a beautiful manner. We encouraged fresh interpretations of the prompt as long as they did not stray too far.

Art
"Eros"​
by Sara Elizabeth Keaton