General rules and information
All students who live or attend school in Shawano or Menominee Counties are allowed to submit entries to the contest. Students living in Shawano or Menominee County, even though they are attending a school outside of these two counties, are allowed to enter. The contest is coordinated and sponsored by the Shawano Area Writers. The 2026 contest is now open. Submissions are welcome up to the deadline.
The contest is FREE to enter.
Students from first grade through high school are invited to participate in this contest. There are four grade groups, and they will be competing only in their grade group.
Grades 1 – 2
Grades 3 – 5
Grades 6 – 8
Grades 9 – 12
There are three categories that each grade group can enter: Fiction, Nonfiction, and/or Poetry. A student may enter as many times as they want in any category, and each entry must have a separate entry form, but it can be mailed in the same envelope. There will be a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winner in each age group category.
The prize for grades 1 through 8 is: 1st place is $25, 2nd place is $15, and $10 for 3rd place. For grades 9 through 12 1st place $50, 2nd place is $25, and $15 for 3rd place. Judges can also pick honorable mentions in each category/grade group. Winning students will also receive a certificate of achievement.
The judges for this contest will be from outside Shawano/Menominee counties. If the judges have a problem deciding between two entries, they are directed to pick the entry with the fewest misspelled words and the fewest punctuation mistakes.
A copy of these rules and an entry form example will be posted on SAW’s website: ShawanoAreaWriters.org. For questions, email: Student.Writing.Contest@ShawanoAreaWriters.org.
Student contest entry rules
1. There are limits to how long an entry can be. A poem can be no longer than two pages, and a fiction or nonfiction story can be no longer than 1,000 words. Entries that exceed these limits will be disqualified. Only the title and page number should be on the entry.
2. All entries should be no smaller than 12-point font. Poetry can be single-spaced, but fiction and nonfiction entries must be double-spaced.
3. Each entry must have a title at the beginning of the story or poem.
4. Each entry must have an entry form with the student’s name, phone number, name of the student’s school, grade group, entry title, word count, and category (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry).
5. At the end of the student’s entry, type or print the words, The End.
6. Students may not copy any other person’s work. Nor can they submit entries written by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
7. The deadline for the 2026 contest is March 27, 2026.
Entries will need to be emailed or postmarked no later than that date.
Email: Student.Writing.Contest@ShawanoAreaWriters.org. Please include the subject line: Student Writing Contest Entry.
Complete this Form:
Mail: Remember, with the new USPS rules, postmarks do not necessarily coincide with when you put it into a postal service box. Email is preferred. But if you need to snailmail, please send to: Shawano Area Writers, P.O. Box 657, Shawano, WI 54166.
Winners will be notified, and their names will be shared on this website and on our social media.
All the rules and the entry form are posted on our website. Each entry must have an entry form to be considered.
Each emailed entry will be acknowledged, and if it isn’t, please resend it until you hear that we’ve received it.
GOOD LUCK!
Entry Form for Student Contest (PDF)
Entry Form for Student Contest (Online)