A Writing Competition for Under 18s in the UK, Judged Blind
Quick answer: Writing competitions for under 18s in the UK usually stop at a shortlist. Writory's monthly short story contest is open from age 13, costs $8 a story of 100 to 3,000 words, and is judged blind. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 across five published criteria, and a parent can pay and receive any prize.
Open from age 13 with no separate junior category, $8 a story paid through PayPal, entries closing on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 with all five marks on 30 November 2026, win or not.
Who can enter from the UK, and how a parent pays
Anyone aged 13 or over can enter, which in England and Wales means Year 9 upward, or Year 8 once you have had your birthday; S2 in Scotland, Year 10 in Northern Ireland. There is no under-18 category and no consent form; the age floor is the only rule. Stories of 100 to 3,000 words qualify in any genre, and a story in Welsh, Scots or Urdu is read in that language and judged in the same pool as English entries. Entry is online at /submit-story.
Payment is in US dollars through PayPal: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. There is no sterling option, so a UK bank card is charged at that day's exchange rate. Most entrants under 18 have a parent pay from their PayPal account or card at the point of submission, and if the story wins, the $100 prize can be paid to a parent's or guardian's account without any fuss.
The deadline keeps Indian time. Entries close at 11:59 PM IST, which is 6:29 PM in the UK during Greenwich Mean Time and 7:29 PM during British Summer Time; the first round closes on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Results and certificates follow on 30 November 2026. Judging is blind throughout: no name, age, school or postcode reaches the judges, only the story.
The certificate, the score, and what they are worth beside GCSEs
The certificate carries your name and the contest month and arrives whether you win or not. It is not a qualification, it carries no UCAS points, and it should not be described as an award unless you won. What it is: a dated record that a piece of your creative writing was judged against a published standard by readers who did not know you. Sixth form applications and personal statements have room for that, described plainly.
The score does the real work. Five marks add to 100: Storytelling and Structure 25, Character and Emotional Impact 25, Language and Craft 20, Originality and Voice 20, Impact and Resonance 10. GCSE English Language marks creative writing on content and organisation and on technical accuracy; this rubric gives half its weight to whether the story moves and whether anyone in it matters. A 14 out of 25 for character beside a 17 out of 20 for language is a note no exam board sends.
Nobody at school sees your number unless you show them. Non-winners' scores are never published, the certificate does not display marks, and entries themselves are not published. Winners take $100 and free entry to the following round; entering three rounds running earns the Seasoned Quill badge and a free entry with it. Free entry is earned that way or not at all.
Craft notes for a UK teenager entering
Do not write the exam story. GCSE creative writing trains you to produce a shaped piece in 45 minutes from a picture or a title; here you have weeks and up to 3,000 words, and the judges reward what that time buys: a second draft, a cut opening, an ending that was planned rather than reached. Retire the twist that undoes everything and the character waking from a dream. Both lose marks on the structure criterion.
Write in your own English. A story set on a Bradford estate or a Fife coast, with the speech that belongs there, is read on its own terms, and the 20 marks for Originality and Voice go to the angle nobody else had. Give one character something concrete to want before the end of the first page. Then read the free Story Craft course at /academy/story-craft, which covers shape, character and dialogue in the order the rubric weighs them.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 3,000 words by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 30 November 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Do I need a parent's permission to enter?
Writory's rule is age 13 and over; there is no consent form. In practice a parent usually pays, because the fee goes through PayPal, and any prize can be paid to a parent's or guardian's account. Tell them what you are entering and show them this page; the fine print is short.
Can I pay in pounds?
No. Entry is priced in US dollars, $8 a story, and paid through PayPal, so a UK card is charged at the exchange rate on the day. There is no separate UK fee and no junior discount, because there is no junior category. Two stories cost $14 and five cost $25.
Does the certificate count for UCAS or sixth form applications?
It carries no UCAS points and is not a qualification. It is evidence, with a date and your name on it, that you entered a blind-judged writing contest, and a series of them shows a habit. Personal statements can say that honestly. Only describe it as an award if you won the round.
Can I enter a story I wrote for GCSE English?
If it is your own original work and lands between 100 and 3,000 words, yes. A story written under exam conditions usually needs one more draft before it meets a rubric that weighs character at 25 marks, so give it that draft. Coursework rules are your school's business; Writory has no previously-unpublished requirement.
What time does the deadline fall in the UK?
Entries close at 11:59 PM Indian Standard Time on the closing date, which is 6:29 PM in the UK during GMT and 7:29 PM during British Summer Time. The first round closes on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Submit the evening before if the school day is unpredictable; nothing is gained by cutting it fine.
Will anyone at school know my score?
Not unless you tell them. Non-winners' scores are never published, the certificate does not show your marks, and entries are not published. If you win, your name appears on the dated results page for that month, and any wider use of the story happens only with your permission.
I am 12. Can I enter?
Not yet. The floor is 13 with no exceptions. The monthly rhythm means nothing is lost by waiting: the round after your birthday is open the moment the previous results land, and the free Story Craft course at /academy/story-craft can be read at any age, so the first entry can be a second draft.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.