Everything you need to know about competitive essay writing

Essay competitions may be complicated when you have other things to do. However, these contests are an excellent way for students to improve their writing skills. Competitive essay writing is where people must create a well-organized and well-researched essay within a fixed time. It is commonly used in school competitions, professional settings, and scholarship applications.

These challenges help students think carefully, organize ideas, improve research skills, and develop a passion for writing. Some students prefer essay writing services to complete their projects, but participating in an essay contest is the best way to learn because it improves their writing style and builds confidence in their abilities. 

Benefits of competitive essay writing

Joining writing competitions can be very useful for students and professionals. It can help them enhance skills, improve creativity, build confidence, and connect with new opportunities. Here are some benefits of participating in a writing competition.

Skills development

Essay writing competitions allow people to handle different topics, practice creative stories, improve grammar, and learn new words. These skills are helpful for excellent essay writing and exams, university applications, job applications, and content creation.

In competition, everyone gets the same topic, but how they understand and write from a different perspective from another person makes it more unique. It allows them to choose unique writing styles, formats, and techniques, helping them become creative. 

Academic and personal growth

Many writing competitions give awards and prizes for good performance. For Example, cash prizes, scholarships, and a chance to get their work. These prizes can be significant achievements and help you to stand out. 

For Example, an essay writing competition on OxBright offers a $100,00 prize, an online course or scholarships, and a certificate for achievements. 

You try out different topics.

Essay competitions are a great way to explore different subjects. If you try an essay competition and find that you are not interested in it, it’s not a big deal because you gain experience and discover your interest topic through it.

The earlier you start participation, the more topics you explore. By that, you will have precise and clear ideas about your interests and discover the passion that shapes your career.

Writing is better than reading.

The reason for joining an essay competition is the feeling of achievement when you complete a well-written essay. It not only improves your skills but also helps you to think better.

When you read, you remember or understand ideas instead of storing them in your mind. So, writing teaches you how to express your ideas organizationally. The more you practice writing, the more fluent you are in expressing ideas.

Learn essential research skills.

Research is significant for modern studies, and essay writing improves your research skills. Reading advanced materials helps you explore a topic in more depth. Participation in essays proves that you are ready for higher education.

These competitions also help strengthen your university applications. Improving your research skills will show you can think critically and work professionally.

It looks great on your CV.

Another benefit of essay competition is that it makes your CV more catchy. Even if you don’t win a prize, it is still valuable. Your experience and achievements help to open new opportunities. Winning a competition is like a bonus; it shows that you are a good researcher and can write well. 

They don’t require any background knowledge.

Most essay competitions are easy to enter, and they don’t require any of your background information. You can write your essay by expressing your ideas and free online resources. 

So, many competitions are open to everyone, even if you don’t have any experience.

Tips for competitive essay writing

Do you want to make your essay interesting so that you can achieve something? Here are some tips to make a well-written essay.

Make a list of requirements.

It’s essential to follow all the guidelines carefully to be safe from disqualification. You should focus on the word count limit and give prompts like questions or images. Pay attention if some specific perspective or theme is suggested. Following all the requirements helps ensure that your work follows all the rules. It also saves you from rewriting later.

Make a plan for your writing.

Good planning helps you do things faster. If your essay writing deadline is far away, mark it on your calendar and do it at the right time. Fix a day for a task, like finishing a plan by a specific date. You should also save enough time for editing and proofreading before submitting.

Seek inspiration

You should complete the essay. If needed, you can look past ideas like character, story, or anything to adjust in an essay. You can read books, journals, and articles if you need ideas. Sometimes, inspiration comes unexpectedly from daily life activities. You need to stay open to new thoughts. 

Do your research

Research is the most valuable part of writing. Because it makes your work stronger and more engaging, during research, you can use books, articles, websites, or other academic sources to add depth to your essay. To make your essay impressive, support your ideas with evidence. You should always follow authentic sources for proper reference and information.

Brainstorm ideas before structuring.

Don’t focus on the structure from the very beginning of writing. Start your essay writing by gathering ideas, main points, and themes from your research. Don’t waste your time. Just write them down in a way that helps you. For Example, you can list ideas, mind maps, and notes. It will make it easier for you to organize everything into a clear structure.

Take some time to plan

Planning ensures that your work flows smoothly. So, take some time to plan before starting your essay. For Example, if you have written a few lines of a poem or paragraph for an essay and start thinking about whether it suits your essay, a clear plan makes your writing more organized and effective.

Play with form

Don’t be afraid to try writing styles or formats. The need of the hour is to make your essay creative and impressive. Some competitions have a fixed rule for writing first—or third-person narration, but you can use your unique touch in writing. The best thing is to show creativity by following guidelines. 

Experiment with imagery

To make your essay more engaging, try using strong imagery. Research literary techniques help to make a piece of content more vivid. So, use them in your work for a unique style and to explain a deeper meaning. 

Pay attention to tone.

Before writing, consider which writing tone you want to explore. Do you want to write a funny, entertaining, or informative essay? Choose a tone that fits the competition and your writing. If you change the tone at the end, ensure it feels natural. 

Proofread before submitting

After finishing your first draft, you need to proofread your essay. Check the grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and ways to improve your writing. Get feedback from others; a fresh person can catch mistakes and offer good suggestions. 

Conclusion

Competitive essay writing is a great way to improve your skills, express creativity, and connect with the community. These competitions help you gain achievements and new opportunities for success. Not only academic improvement but also a chance to win scholarships have a good impact on your CV.