There are many essay writing competitions in the UK these days. A few of them give you a topic, and you need to write an essay on it in the set time; some ask for an original short story, and some want a creative poem. But they all test your creative abilities. Anybody with decent writing skills can participate, but only a few are successful. There are no formal restrictions to enter the competitions. Anyone can enroll, but not everybody makes it through.
The question is, what sets apart winners from losers?
What are the qualities needed to prepare for an essay writing competition?
Uniqueness
The topic you have been given may already be in the public domain or written on earlier by someone else. It is virtually impossible to write a whole essay in the given time without using anything that has been already written. But what sets your work apart from others is how you present it. For instance, if someone else has written an essay on “War” and you have been asked to write on this topic, your presentation can make all the difference. How you write about a topic will speak of your creativity and the depth of knowledge on the subject. It also tells how well-read you are. If you have short pieces from published authors, quotes from famous people or websites as references, it proves that your research is up to date and comprehensive.
The same topic can be written on in multiple ways. A topic on which there are many published authors may also have several versions of the opinion provided by the same author. If you are able to present their idea in your own words, it shows that you understand what they mean and can adapt or rephrase their thoughts to make it concise and clear for your essay. If this is done well, your chances of winning increase significantly.
Coherence
You may be given an essay writing competition topic that is quite abstract. It will test how well you can construct your argument and transition between the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion to link everything together.
Using some quotes from other authors or website links as references can help you boost your credibility if you are not able to provide enough evidence for your argument.
The last paragraph of the conclusion should sum up everything you have written in your essay. The way you present it is crucial to make a lasting impression on the judge. If you leave them with any doubts or questions, they will mark it as incomplete work and deduct points accordingly.
Balance
Balance is an important element of any essay writing competition topic. This means that no matter what the topic is, you should keep it neutral by not favoring one side too much.
If your argument goes overboard with either pessimism or optimism, you will lose marks. If this happens in the final paragraph of the conclusion, all the hard work you put into your essay will go to waste.
An essay writing competition entry requires extensive research and time. You need to ensure that you are well prepared before you can even submit your entry. Here are a few tips to help you.
Find the Topic
Choose the subject matter properly. It is often difficult to find an interesting topic in a short time, especially if there is something you already know little about. So it’s better if the writing competition theme appeals to you and inspires you to create a masterpiece.
Start working on it early. You need to let your creative juices flow and not limit yourself to just one idea. The more ideas you have, the higher chance of coming up with something exceptional. Write down these ideas before they leave your memory.
Write freely Whatever writing competition theme you’ve chosen, start writing about that topic without thinking too much about the structure. Let your creativity flow and get the essay ideas flowing.
When you feel stuck, take a break. Come back to it after some time has passed so that you can view it with fresh eyes.
Use your imagination. Writing exercises are good practice for when you need to come up with creative ideas in a short period of time. So, try them out if you are struggling.
Ensure the quality of your words is up to par with professional standards before submitting it online or even printing the entry. Use grammar checker software to find errors and ensure that all sentences are written correctly.
Once you have completed writing down your essay ideas just by brainstorming, it is time to prioritize some of them. Make a list for each priority level on a sheet of paper.
The top priority ideas are the ones that you really want to write about. The next priority would be those which you think might work if they are written differently or need more research.
Don’t choose any ideas with the lowest priority. Make sure all your ideas are good quality and organized in their respective groups to ensure you cover all important points.
Write a rough draft of your essay to get an idea on where the content is going. This will also help you check if your essay answers the question effectively or not and build up a strong base for writing the final product.
After you have completed your rough draft, organize the ideas into sections. This will help you focus on each of the points individually and make sure they are relevant to one another.
Check for punctuation errors. Once everything is complete, go through it several times using spell check software to ensure there are no more words left out of sentences or any other errors that might have gone unnoticed.
Proofreading
Proofread your work. The appropriate content, grammar, and punctuation are all important for writing a high-scoring essay. So make sure to take care of these points before submitting it.
When you begin the process of writing the final version, consider making use of essay checkers online or offline to ensure no mistakes are left behind. These tools are easy to use and provide better results than just using a regular spell checker.
It is crucial that you produce an exclusive piece of work since there are many people submitting their essays on the same topic. So, choose something unique to write about so that your content stands out from the rest.
Know the word count limitations. Check with your essay competition’s website to find out the appropriate length for your work.
When you are done creating quality content, go through it once again and make sure it is free of any errors. Ask someone else to proofread it as well if you think you might have missed something.
Before submitting your work to achieve essay competitions, carefully read the rules and make sure you follow all listed requirements. This will give your work a better chance of being accepted.
Preparing for competition is not easy but it is possible if you have the correct information. These guidelines will help you get started on creating an original piece of work that can impress judges and win you a prize.
And it’s also possible to win online competitions. There are many websites dedicated to giving away cash and other prizes for the best essays written on different topics.
By clicking on the following link;
you will be redirected to the page where you can find some beneficial information about An entire guide on how to Write a cause & effect essay
