Personal essay writing contests can be a great opportunity for both amateur and experienced writers to practice their craft and gain exposure. By entering your original personal essays into competitions, you have a chance to receive valuable feedback from judges and potentially win cash prizes or publication opportunities. Many writing contests ask entrants to submit their best autobiographical or reflective essay on a given topic or theme. Here are some key things to know about personal essay writing contests.
What Types of Personal Essays Do Contests Accept?
Contests may accept essays on a wide range of personal topics, including but not limited to:
Reflective essays sharing a pivotal life event or experience and what was learned. Examples could include overcoming a challenge, a move or major transition, an epiphany, or personal growth experience.
Memoir excerpts recounting stories from your life in an engaging narrative format. Events from childhood, adolescent years, career transitions, or relationships often make compelling topics.
Essays exploring your cultural heritage or personal identity and how it has shaped your worldview. Discussions of ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, religion or philosophy can be appropriate depending on the theme.
Tributes honoring someone who made an impact, such as a family member, mentor, or public figure and how they influenced your life. Permission from any individuals featured is generally required.
Opinions, perspectives or commentary on current social or political issues through the lens of your own experiences and values. Topics that provoke thought and discussion tend to appeal to judges.
Most contests specify acceptable word counts, which usually range between 500-2500 words. Check specific rules to ensure your essay meets format guidelines regarding typeface, spacing, bibliography format if sources are included, etc. Proofread thoroughly for grammar, spelling and flow.
The Main Elements of an Effective Personal Essay
Regardless of the topic, compelling personal essays share some key attributes that draw readers in:
A clear narrative arc with a beginning, middle and satisfying conclusion that ties back to the opening. Use detail and vivid descriptions to paint a picture for the reader.
Honest, emotionally evocative writing that allows your personality and voice to come through on the page. Be yourself.
Specific, concrete examples and anecdotes to illustrate broad concepts or lessons learned rather than vague generalizations. Show, don’t tell.
Well-paced storytelling that builds narrative momentum to engage the reader until the very end. Vary sentence structure for flow.
Meaning and insight conveyed through self-reflection on experiences and their impact on you as an individual. Leave room for interpretation.
Carefully edited essay without errors both for readability and to show polish. Check for consistency of verb tense and point of view.
Choosing Topics Relevant to Contest Themes
When picking your essay topic, consider the overarching theme if one is specified by the contest. Aligning your topic and focus to match what the judges are looking for can give your work an edge. Some common themes include:
Coming of age stories related to exploring identity and making the transition to adulthood.
Overcoming adversity through challenges involving health issues, disabilities, personal losses or traumas and how you grew as a result.
Lessons learned from failures, setbacks or risks that did not pan out as planned and the insight gained.
Inspirational life lessons shared for the benefit of others facing similar hurdles.
Insight on under-discussed topics like mental health issues, traumatic experiences, controversial beliefs, or taboo subjects handled with empathy, care and purpose.
Moving personal tributes to people, places or historical moments that changed the world or your place in it.
While some contests allow broad topics, following the theme increases alignment with judge expectations and shows insight into what stories they aim to amplify. Review entry requirements and formatting diligently.
Researching Personal Essay Contests
Now that you understand the essential components to crafting compelling personal essays, it’s time to search for applicable writing competitions to enter your work. Here are some tips:
Check literary magazines and journals related to your genre interests and location. Regional often signifies smaller pool of entries.
Search writing contest directories and databases online for keywords like “personal essay.” Specific themes always narrow down options best matched to your work.
Explore opportunities associated with writing/literary organizations, universities without applying, ethnic/cultural groups and non-profits focused on underrepresented perspectives.
Set alerts on competition alert websites to receive monthly/seasonal updates on new calls for entires. Major deadlines tend to occur in Spring/Fall.
Consider entry limits as repeated wins may affect eligibility. Gaining feedback once is preferable to a volume approach with the same story.
Note monetary amounts and potential publication exposure clearly listed for winners to gauge prestige of different contests.
With diligent research matching your best essays that exemplify the elements discussed here, you have a good shot at being selected as a winner. Many judges emphasize originality, craftsmanship and emotional resonance most. So enter with belief in your message and voice. Feedback alone expands your growth as a writer regardless of placement. By bravely sharing your lived truths, personal essay contests can be an empowering experience.
Andrew Stroud