Writers are always looking for opportunities to showcase their work. It’s quite difficult when we’re talking about all the self-published books available these days. It’s quite easy for your work to get lost in the masses.
That is why essay writing competitions can be such an excellent opportunity to get your work in front of eager eyes, crafting a name for yourself while training your skills to become a better writer.
There are numerous essay writing competitions all over Africa; you merely have to look for them. Today we’ll be talking about the type of essay writing competitions in Kenya to be more specific.
Why Enter Into an Essay Writing Competition?
Entering into an essay writing competition is a smart thing to do. Not only are you exposed to unique writing challenges, but you also have a voice when it comes to real socio-economic problems within your region.
These solutions often check with government officials and other non-profit organisations and could eventually turn into a real solution apply in the real world.
It is something that should get everyone excited. Your idea could get funded by organisations that believe in your proposal, but it’s of the utmost importance to adhere to the rules of the competition to be eligible for a prize.
Even if you’re the idea isn’t picked up by an NGO or a government agency, you can still walk away with the first price which in most cases are cash based. However, individual competitions also include scholarships and much more!
Furthermore, having a winning essay on your curriculum would also help you in advancing your career in your given field of study. It creates credibility and adds value to your name. And as we know, a good name is worth more than gold.
Understanding the Topics
Most essay writing competitions focus on a singular theme. It allows the judges to sift through the hundreds, if not thousands of entries, and see who has the best position on the subject matter.
Depending on the given topic, it would be essential to familiarise yourself with all the resource material surrounding the subject matter. Read books, watch interviews, tutorials, webinars, online articles and much more.
Essentially, saturate yourself within the content to make the information flow from your fingertips.
You’ll also want to set up your primary arguments before actually starting to write. Once you’ve developed this skeleton overview of your essay, find the supporting arguments before typing out a single word. It will speed up the process of writing, help solidify your message and hopefully get you closer to walking away with first prize in the essay writing contest.
Understanding the Format
Another significant thing that you must always look at is the required format. Is it single spaced or double spaced? Is there a limit on the number of words you can use? What citation format is required?
All of these elements might mean the difference between winning and being disqualified from the competition. Thus, before writing anything make sure you’re hitting all the notes within your essay to give yourself a higher chance of walking away with the prize.
Understanding the Requirements
You must also see whether you’re eligible for entry or not. Many of these competitions require specific elements to include. For some, it means you need at least a PhD or a master’s degree in a particular field of study.
There might also be elements such as age, geographical location, spoken language and much more that you should consider. Be sure to verify everything before writing as you don’t want to be wasting your time on a contest you are not eligible for it.
Another thing that many writers might ignore is the deadline. I’ve met so many writers working on their essays that missed the deadline. Be sure to have your paper completed at least a week before the deadline so you can make sure you have everything you need.
Why Essay Contests Make You a Better Writer
When you enter into a contest, you’re pitting against other talented essay writers. It means that you’ll have to bring your A-game every time. It also provides a point of reference about the talents of other writers.
It’s always good to push yourself to the next level. Thus, entering into essay writing competitions, irrespective of where you locate, is a brilliant idea.
Kenya has plenty of opportunities to participate in these kinds of competitions. You should be scouting locally as well as nationally to identify these types of games. By doing a simple Google Search, you’ll be able to track down plenty of essay writing competitions in Kenya, and we would recommend you enter in as many as you possibly can. Some of these writing competitions might be for money, others for scholarships and so on. Irrespective of the prize, the exposure to writing will only benefit you.
Practice makes perfect, and if you place yourself in the competitive environment frequently, you will not only increase your skills, you might even walk away with first prize.
Be sure to search for essay writing competitions in Kenya and see if you’re eligible to participate. Once this has established, enter into as many as you possibly can you can only benefit from these activities.
