Creative Writing Contest

Welcome to Everyday Ibaadah Academy’s First Annual Creative Writing Competition! Everyday Ibaadah Academy is excited to announce our First Annual Creative Writing Competition, open to current EDIA elementary, middle, and high school students. This year’s theme, “Growing Up Muslim,” invites young writers to share  their 

experiences, perspectives, and aspirations as they navigate life as a Muslim youth.


The theme is broad, allowing participants to interpret it in ways that resonate with their unique perspectives and voices.

Submissions Open: January 5, 2025
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2025
Winners Announced: June 2025 (exact date TBD)
Write your awesome label here.

Prizes and Anthology Publication

First Place & Runner-Up

1. Winners’ works will be prominently featured in EDIA’s first Anthology of Young Muslim Voices, giving them lasting recognition. 
2.Winners highlighted on the school’s website, social media, and newsletter
with a short biography and their winning entries.
3. Publish interviews with the winners about their creative process and inspirations
on the academy’s website and in the Future Scholar's Magazine.
4. Provide winners with a digital badge or credential they can display on their
proles or social media accounts.
5. Winners receive a special edition of the anthology with a personalized note or
message from the competition organizers.
6. Designated winners as "EDIA Writing Ambassadors" for the following year,

encouraging them to inspire others.

Top 5 Winners

1. Winners’ works will be prominently featured in EDIA’s first Anthology of Young Muslim Voices, giving them lasting recognition.
2. A physical memento engraved with their name, award, and year of recognition.
3. Include a dedication page for each winner in the published anthology.
4. Honorable mention on school website, newsletter and social media platforms.
5. Winning entries could be featured in a special section of the school’s virtual or physical library (Ustaadh Mustafa George’s Library in NJ), with a "Writer of the Year" designation.

Additional Awards

First place winners will additionally receive a gift card with a monetary amount for a retail store in their location. More details coming soon!

Submission Categories

Poetry-Elementary

  • Length: 10–20 lines, single-spaced
  • Style: simple rhyming poems, acrostics, or free verse.
  • Language: clear and straightforward vocabulary; encourage imagery and feelings. 
  • Format: must be typed and formatted with consistent line breaks and stanza spacing. 

Poetry-Middle School

  • Length: 15–30 lines, single spaced
  • Style: open to free verse or structured rhyming schemes.
  • Language: use descriptive language, metaphors, and imagery to evoke emotion.
  • Format: must be typed and formatted with consistent line breaks and stanza spacing. 

Poetry-High School

  • Length: 20–50 lines, single-spaced
  • Style: encouraged to experiment with forms like haikus and free verse.
  • Language: strong use of symbolism, alliteration, and layered meanings.
  • Format: typed with a title and proper stanza separation. 

Fiction-Elementary 

  • Word Count: 250–500 words. 
  • Style: short stories with simple plot lines and one to two characters. 
  • Language: simple sentences and vocabulary; focus on storytelling and clear ideas.
  • Format: typed with clear paragraphs and double-spacing.

Fiction-Middle School

  • Word Count: 500–1,000 words. 
  • Style: more complex stories with multiple characters and a clear beginning, middle, and end.
  • Language: encourage descriptive settings, dialogue, and emotional depth. 
  • Format: typed with clear paragraphs and double-spacing.

Fiction-HIgh School

  • Word Count: 1,000–2,000 words. 
  • Style: fictional stories with intricate plot lines, multi-dimensional characters, and meaningful resolutions. Language: strong focus on narrative voice, vivid imagery, and engaging dialogue. 
  • Format: typed, titled, double-spaced, and submitted in a Word or PDF document.

Nonfiction-Elementary

  • Word Count: 200–400 words.
  • Style: write a true story about a personal experience.
  • Language: simple, chronological storytelling with a clear message.

Nonfiction-Middle School

  • Word Count: 400–800 words.
  • Style: refective storytelling with a focus on personal growth.
  • Language: use descriptive language, personal insights, and emotional refection.
  • Format: typed, single or double-spaced, and proofread for clarity

Nonfiction-HIgh School

  • Word Count: 1,000–2,000 words.
  • Style: fictional stories with intricate plotlines, multi-dimensional characters, and meaningful resolutions. Language: strong focus on narrative voice, vivid imagery, and engaging dialogue.
  • Format: typed, titled, double-spaced, and submitted in a Word or PDF document.

Essay-Elementary

  • Word Count: 250–400 words.
  • Style: informative or persuasive essays.
  • Language: focus on clear opinions and basic supporting reasons.
  • Format: types, titled, and double-spaced.

Essay-Middle School

  • Word Count: 400–800 words.
  • Style: Analytical or persuasive essays with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
  • Language: Encourage structured arguments with examples and a logical flow.
  • Format: Typed, titled, and double-spaced.

Essay-High School

  • Word Count: 800–1,500 words.
  • Style: Persuasive, analytical, or argumentative essays with in-depth research and citations where applicable.
  • Language: High-level vocabulary, critical thinking, and well-organized arguments.
  • Format: Typed, titled, double-spaced, and MLA formatted with Works Cited page, if necessary.

Journalism-Elementary

  • Word Count: 200–400 words.
  • Style: Write a report on an event or interview a family member about an Islamic tradition. 
  • Language: Focus on clear, factual storytelling

Journalism-Middle School

  • Word Count: 400–800 words.
  • Style: Articles with interviews, quotes, and observations.
  • Language: Use objective and engaging language.  Format: Typed with clear sections and consistent formatting

Journalism-High School

  • Word Count: 800–1,200 words.
  • Style: Investigative or feature articles with multiple sources, quotes, and a compelling narrative.
  • Language: Clear, concise, and engaging with professional tone and structure.
  • Format: Typed, titled, and double-spaced in a Word or PDF document.

Submission Guidelines

Submission Guidelines



All submissions for the EDIA Creative Writing Competition must be written in a Google Doc created under the account of the participant’s parent or legal guardian. The email address annualcwc@everydayibaadahacademy.com must be added as an editor to the document to ensure compliance with submission requirements. This step is mandatory for submission validation. Failure to create and share the document as specied will result in the entry being deemed invalid and disqualied from the competition. Parents and guardians are advised to double-check that the document is
correctly shared before the submission deadline.

Format Requirements 


  • All entries must be written using English
  • Typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced (except for poetry).
  • Include a title for each piece.
  • Submissions must not include the participants name or any identifying details within the document.


File Submission Guidelines:

All file names should follow this format:

(GradeGroup_Genre_Title)
Example: Middle_Fiction_TheJourney

Instructions on How to Submit Your Google Doc as a PDF/.doc/.docx:

1. Open Your Google Doc - Ensure your document is complete and ready to save.
2. Click on ‘File’ - Located in the top-left corner of the screen.
3. Select ‘Download’ - From the dropdown menu, hover over the ‘Download’ over the ‘Download’option.
4. Choose the Desired Format
i. For PDF: Select ‘PDF Document (.pdf)’
ii. For Word Document: Select ‘Microsoft Word (.docx)’
5. Save the File - A dialog box will appear asking where to save the file from.
6. Choose your location and click ‘Save.’
7. If the file downloads automatically, check your computer’s default download folder.




Submissions must be individual eorts; no group projects or co-authored pieces are allowed.



How to Submit Entries:

  • Upload entries via the Submission Form.
  • Each participant may submit one entry per genre, for a maximum of two submissions (i.e. one student can do one submission in Poetry and one submission in Nonction).



Disqualifications:

1. Submitting work that is not the student’s original creation.
2. Using someone else’s work without proper citation in nonction or journalism
categories.
3. Entries that do not align with the competition’s theme, “Growing Up Muslim.”
4. Submissions from students outside the specied grade groups (Grades 3–5,
Grades 6–8, Grades 9–12).
5. Submitting work in more than two genres.
6. Submitting more than one piece per genre.
7. Not adhering to the word or line requirements specied for each grade and
genre.
8. Entries submitted aer the deadline of April 30, 2025 (no exceptions).
9. Failure to follow formatting guidelines, such as font size, spacing, or le type
requirements.
10. Submissions containing inappropriate language, themes, or imagery inconsistent
with EDIA’s values or the competition's guidelines.
11. Entries that disrespect Islam, other religions, cultures, or individuals.
12. Submitting the same piece to more than one genre.
13. Incomplete submissions that lack required details (e.g., student’s name, grade, is not a current student at EDIA, or parental consent, if applicable)