A Writing Contest for Teens, Judged Without the Age Label
Quick answer: Writers worldwide aged 13 or older may enter under the contest rules. Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. Entries of 100 to 3,000 words to Writory's debut short story contest cost $8 and are judged blind, so a teenager's story is read with no age attached. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100, useful in school portfolios.
Writers worldwide aged 13 or older may enter under the contest rules. Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. Judging is blind, so a teenager's story is read with no age attached, and every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 that belongs in a school writing portfolio.
Judged blind, which is the whole point at fifteen
Everything a teenager writes is normally read by someone who knows them: a teacher, a parent, a friend. This contest is the other experience. Manuscripts reach the judges with no name, no age and no school attached, and a fifteen-year-old's story is marked against the same published rubric as everyone else's: storytelling, character, language, originality and resonance, totalled out of 100.
That cuts both ways, and honestly so. Nobody grades you gently because you are young, and nobody discounts you either. The marks that come back are the same instrument the adults get, which is exactly why they are worth having.
What it costs, what you get, and the fine print
Entry is $8 for one story of 100 to 3,000 words, in any genre. Every entrant receives a certificate and the full five-mark score on 30 November 2026. The certificate carries your name and slots into a school writing portfolio, and entering across a term builds a dated series that shows a habit, not a one-off.
Writers worldwide aged 13 or older may enter under the contest rules. Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. There is no separate teen category. Prize-payment availability is separate from entry-payment availability. If you are unsure whether you can pay or receive a prize in your country, contact contest@writoryofficial.com before entering.
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. Winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Do I need my parents' permission to enter?
Writers must be 13 or older. Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. Review the contest rules together; payment and prize availability depend on the country and account.
Will the judges know how old I am?
No. Age is not on the manuscript, and neither is your name or school. Your story is read as a story and scored on the same five criteria as every adult entry, which is the contest's best feature for a young writer.
Can I enter something I wrote for school?
If it is your own original work and lands between 100 and 3,000 words, it qualifies. A classroom story usually benefits from one more pass before it meets a rubric, so give it that pass; the deadline, 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, leaves room.
Can I enter a story I already posted on my blog or Wattpad?
Writory has no previously-unpublished rule, so a story from your blog or Wattpad qualifies as long as it is your own work. One caution: many other contests and magazines do have that rule, and public posting may count as published for them. Entering here changes nothing either way.
Does anything about me appear publicly?
Nothing does. Entries are not published, non-winners' scores stay private, and the certificate carries your name and nothing else. If you win and Writory wants to showcase the story, that happens only with permission.
What does entering cost a teenager?
$8 a story, the same as everyone, because there is no junior category. Win a month and the next entry is free, and entering three months running earns the Seasoned Quill badge, which also carries a free entry.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 40 countries have entered, readers come from more than 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.