If you don’t follow one or more of the rules when writing and submitting your essay, your essay may be disqualified, so make sure to read over the rules several times if necessary. It’s a good idea to print out the guidelines so that you can refer to them as you’re writing.
It’s super important to stick with the theme when you’re writing and not get off-topic. For example, if the contest asks you to write about a person who has influenced you, make a list of the people that have had a big impact on your life and choose the person who you can write lots of descriptive examples about.
It’s okay if you have several different drafts of one essay. Make an outline of your essay before you start to help you organize your thoughts.
Ask a friend or family member to read over your essay to see if it’s interesting and makes sense. It may help you to put the essay aside for a day or two after you’ve written it so that you can revise it again with a fresh perspective.
It may help to ask another person to read over the essay to see if they spot any mistakes.
Check to see when the submission deadline is in the contest’s guidelines and rules. It may help you to put the essay deadline on your calendar so that you don’t forget when it is. If you’re sending the essay by mail, make sure you send it far enough in advance that it will reach the judges in time.
An example of an attention-grabbing introduction might be, “I held my breath for 82 seconds before I was yanked out of the water,” or “Sarah walked slowly up to the door, her body drenched in nervous sweat, before firmly knocking. ”
The title should give the reader a glimpse of what your essay is about while leaving them intrigued. For example, if you’re writing an essay about a lemon picker, you might title the essay, “Living with Sour Fingers. "
Instead of saying, “The wheelbarrow fell down the hill,” you could say, “The rusty wheels of the wheelbarrow skidded over smooth rocks and sharp blades of grass until it skidded to a stop at the edge of the water. ”
Read over your essay and look for sentences or ideas that would likely not be found in another person’s essay. If you’re having trouble figuring out if you have an original element, have someone else read over your essay and tell you which parts stand out.
Review the essay guidelines to see if there’s a special way they’d like the essay formatted.
