Creative Writing Tips for Competition Success

Practical strategies to elevate your competition submissions.

Writing Tips Competitions Craft

Competition writing is a distinct skill. It's not just about being a good writer — it's about producing your best work within constraints, on deadline, and in a form that can be evaluated systematically. Here's how to maximize your chances, whether you're submitting to CWA or any other contest.

1. Write What Only You Can Write

Judges — whether human or AI — read hundreds of submissions. The ones that stand out aren't necessarily the most technically polished; they're the ones with a distinctive voice. Write from your specific experience, perspective, and obsessions. Authenticity is unforgeable.

2. Master Your Opening

Your first paragraph (or first line, in poetry) sets the tone and makes the promise. It should:

• Create immediate interest or tension
• Establish voice
• Signal what kind of reading experience follows

Avoid throat-clearing. Don't start with weather, waking up, or dictionary definitions.

3. Revise More Than You Think Necessary

Most writers under-revise. The distance between a good submission and a great one is almost always revision. Strategies:

• Let your draft sit for at least 48 hours before revising
• Read aloud — your ear catches what your eye misses
• Cut 10% of the word count — most pieces tighten beautifully
• Get outside feedback if possible

4. Study the Criteria

Know what you're being evaluated on. For CWA, the criteria are published. Write with them in mind — not to be formulaic, but to ensure your natural strengths align with what's measured.

5. Choose Your Category Wisely

Don't default to your comfort zone. Sometimes your strongest piece crosses categories. A personal essay might work better as a short story. A narrative poem might be more powerful as flash fiction. Consider what form best serves your idea.

Review CWA's three categories to find your best fit.

6. End Strong

Endings linger. A great ending doesn't just stop — it resonates. It reframes everything that came before. It leaves the reader changed, even slightly. Spend as much time on your last paragraph as your first.

7. Proofread Like It Matters (Because It Does)

Typos, grammar errors, and formatting issues create friction. In AI evaluation, language precision is an explicit criterion. In human evaluation, errors signal carelessness. Either way: proofread.

8. Submit Early

Last-minute submissions are rushed submissions. Submit well before the deadline to give yourself a buffer for technical issues and a final revision window.

Competition writing isn't about impressing judges — it's about doing justice to your own ideas. Write the piece that needs to exist.

Put these tips into practice. Submit to CWA — $10, three categories, November 15 deadline.