Deadline Extended for Writing for Life Contest to August 15th

A New Contest Elevates the Stories of LGBTQIA+ Youth and Girls.

The deadline for the Writing for Life contest hosted by Chasing Spirits and Girls Write Now has been extended from August 1st to August 15th to allow even more youth the chance to submit their personal essays. The first place winner in each age category will take home $1,500 and have the opportunity to be published on the Girls Write Now Media page. The contest is open to girls and LGBTQIA+ youth ages 13-19 in the United States.

This award honors the free, rebellious spirit of fourteen-year-old Maya Logan Eileraas, who used the pandemic to write their novel and fought for writing as a lifeline while in foster care and mental healthcare facilities. Together, we amplify the vitality of today’s most promising young writers who use the power of their creative voices to confront the world around them.

The prompt for the contest is: Describe an especially difficult time you have faced, or something you have struggled to navigate, as a teenager. How has writing helped you to survive and creatively transform your experience into new understandings of self, home, and well-being?