Michelle L Devon

Encourage Kids to Enter Writing and Illustrating Contests



Posted: Thursday, July 17, 2008

by
Accentuate Services

When I was a child, I loved to draw, read, and write, but my parents never really encouraged me to pursue that passion. I was always told that writing is a hobby and not a career. Well, it took me over 15 years to get to the point where I didn't hear those words in my head and actually learned to take what I love to do and make a profession out of it. I can't help but wonder though how differently my life might have turned out if my parents had encouraged me to be a writer from a very young age.

My son loves to draw pictures about my books and my daughter loves to read them, and she also likes to write short stories on my writer's forum. As a novelist and an author, you can imagine that I love the fact that my children are interested in the arts and literature.

Do you have a child who likes to write? Are you a parent or a teacher of a child who seems to always have their nose stuck in a book? Maybe you know a kid who always has a pen or pencil and paper and who spends all day long drawing. Why not help those kids who already have a love of the arts and literature to expand that love into more than just a hobby?

On the internet today, you can find a multitude of children's contests. While you should be careful to ensure that the contests are not scams, finding a contest that fits your child's desire to write or draw is not a difficult thing to do. Some of the best contests for kids come directly through small publishing companies. Some of these contests offer royalty contracts to the winners, some offer cash prizes, and some offer college scholarship opportunities.

The competition in the kids' categories are not quite as fierce as the adult market, and by helping your child start at a young age breaking into the industry, as a parent or a teacher, you will be providing the encouragement and support to a child that will last a lifetime. Who knows, perhaps the child you help prepare for a contest in illustrating or writing might just be the next James Patterson or Stephen King.

Not only do children's writing and illustrating contests offer a child the opportunity to explore their creative side, they just might get to see their name and work in print! If your child has real talent and seeks to pursue a career in the arts or literature, this is also a step in the right direction for building a working portfolio for college admissions and future career development.

I know that when I was a child, I had no clue that contests and things such as this existed. Had I known, I could have started on my career as a writer much earlier than I did. Do a quick internet search to find some good contests for your kids who love to draw and write, and then encourage and support their dreams. "Children's Writing Contests" and "Children's Illustration Contests" in a Google search should reveal several current contests.

Be sure to check for things like high entry fees though. It might not be unusual to have a small entry fee, but if the fees are high, this is sometimes a warning sign of a potential scam. Also, research the prizes and ensure they are legitimate as well. If you find a contest, Google the name of the contest and add the word "scam" to the end of it to see if anyone has reported that contest as a scam.

Lastly, be sure to check the rights the child will have to give up in order to win the contest. Questions to ask are: Will the child keep their copyright? Will the child's name appear on the work? Where will the work appear if the child wins?

Good luck to you and the child you encourage!

Michelle L. Devon (Michy) is an author, writer, poet... she's also a professional dreamer.

With four published books and more under contract, as well as managing her business, Accentuate Services, Ms. Devon stays busy living her purpose.

Michy currently lives and loves with her unique and amazing family, including a house full of furry critters, in the Permian Basin area of West Texas.

"Writing is more than a profession," she says. "It's a lifelong dream and a passion. Who could ask for more than to wake every day to do what you love the most and get paid for it too? I am a writer. It's not what I do; it's who I am."

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Sandra E. Graham
from Paragould, Ar USA 3 years 178 days ago.
248 fans.
Great article, Michelle---taken right out of the pages of my life. I, too, loved to read, write, and draw from a very young age. My teachers encouraged me to a certain extent, but not my parents. I had to go to work straight out of high school and now regret that I didn't pursue a writing career early on. My children aren't much for writing or reading (except my books) but I do have a granddaughter that is beginning to show signs of following my lead. My youngest son is a fantastic artist, but can't seem to stay focused so his talents are wasting away just as mine did.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
Sandra
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