• A writing contest can motivate students and community members.pen image by Rog999 from Fotolia.com
  
  A writing contest is a way to encourage students or community members to develop their writing skills while working toward an end goal. Writing contests can be used to solicit pieces for publication and can attract a variety of novice and experienced writers. As you plan the contest, consider who the contest will be open to and the contest theme that will motivate writers to enter their work.
  
  

Updated Motto or Mission

• If your school or organization wants to update its mission or motto, you can hold a writing contest for employees, students, clients, and constituents to create the new version. In this way, you ensure that the motto and mission are written by the people who are affected by its execution and create a sense of community ownership of goals and growth. Ask participants to create a new version that expresses their understanding of what the organization should work toward, and be sure to lay out any specific word counts that will be necessary for signs and plaques. As a reward, you can give cash prizes or donated goods from local businesses, and ensure that the author's name appears with their winning entry on a prominently placed display.
  
  

Personal Essay

• If you are interested in soliciting manuscripts in a variety of styles and formats, sponsor a personal essay contest. Because of the highly individual nature of the personal essay, you will receive entries that range a great deal in subject matter, composition style and language, which makes for a more interesting judging process. Personal essay contests can be particularly useful in therapy groups or when working with a population that has undergone traumatic life events because they encourage writers to explore issues that are difficult to speak about.
  
  

Travel Writing

• Many aspiring writers dream of one day becoming a travel writer who gets paid to explore the world and tell stories. Encourage the development of descriptive skills and narrative by hosting a travel writing contest. The contest can be open to almost any group of people, and can focus on a variety of places. One of the most important things for an aspiring travel writer is clips, so the winners of the contest should be published in local newspapers, college literary journals, or small magazines. For a new regional magazine, you might hold a contest for the best article that will entice visitors and give a prize of publication and cash.