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The Magical Map |
Creative Writing Competition
| Ideal for 7-12


The Magical Map Video

Creative writing competition ideal to get 7-12 year-olds writing imaginative stories

Take your pupils on a story-telling adventure with The Magical Map.

Explore creativity in your classroom and inspire your pupils to write mini sagas (stories told in up to 100 words) with The Magical Map.

It can transport them anywhere in space and time using the power of imagination, so it's the perfect cross-curricular activity - link it to your history, geography, language, science or reading topics, or let creativity run wild!

Check out the video that introduces the activity to your pupils.

Benefits of Entering
✨ Pupils can put their literacy learning into practice for a real audience
✨ 100-word limit helps focus writing and improve vocabulary
✨ Fantastic writing stamina practise
✨ Open theme to let creativity shine
✨ Bookmark and sticker for every entrant
✨ Brilliant prizes including £1,000 for the winning school
✨ See pupils' writing confidence and pride flourish when they see their work published in a book.

There are free resources available to download including a ready-made lesson plan and accompanying PowerPoint, model stories and image prompts.

If you need more entry forms, request as many as you need from the Printed Resources tab and we'll post them out to you free of charge so you can get your whole school involved. 

It's time to chart a course for writing success with The Magical Map - we can't wait to see where it takes your pupils!


Extended Closing Date: Friday 10th Jan 2025

We've worked with over 20,000 schools. Here's what some of them have to say...

Great competitions and easy to use resources! Highly recommend to all literacy teachers

Mrs King, Steyning Grammar School
See more...

Printed Resources

Save money on printing, let us know how many you'd like of the resources below, and we'll pop them in the post for you!

Pupil A3 Worksheet
Teacher Information Card

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You'll get access to...

Pupil Worksheet A4
Example Stories
Picture Prompts
Lesson Plan
PowerPoint PDF
Pupil A3 Worksheet
Teacher Information Card
PowerPoint
Classroom Poster
Teacher Entry Form
Parent Information Guide
Word Doc Entry Form
Online Writing Portal Pupil Guide
Online Writing Portal Teacher Guide

Competition Rules

To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:

Extended Closing Date: Friday 10th Jan 2025
  • Only one entry per pupil. 
  • There is no limit to the number of entries per school. Teachers please submit your entries together where possible.
  • Ask your pupils to write their story, ensuring their name, age and school name are included.
  • Entries can be scribed by an adult or typed.
  • Work can be on the entry form or an A4 sheet of paper or typed (on a computer or in the Online Writing Portal).
  • 100-word limit (this does not include the title).
  • Pupils' stories must be their own work! 
  • Please note on the entry if there is anything we need to take into consideration when reading the work.
  • UK entrants only.
  • Free to enter.
  • Ideal for 7-12 year-olds but pupils outside this age range are welcome to enter.
  • Copyright remains with the author.

If you are unsure on any rules or have any queries, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.

For Schools

1st prize will win £1,000 & Young Writers’ Award of Excellence.

PLUS every participating school receives a free copy of the book their pupils feature in!

(Remember, you receive 1 free copy for every 30 entries you submit! E.g. 1-30 entries you receive 1 copy, 31-60 entries you receive 2 copies, etc.)

For Pupils

Our 10 favourite published writers will each win a fantastic creative writing goody bag!

PLUS

Every entrant receives a bookmark & sticker and we award a certificate of merit for all young writers chosen for publication.

(School & pupil winners will be chosen from entries received in the Autumn Term 2024. Goody bag image is an example, contents may differ.)

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It’s easy to take part!

  1. Download entry forms
  2. Your students write or type their entry (or an adult can scribe) ensuring their name (or initials) and age are included
  3. Submit your entries using one of the options below

Enter Online

  Email

Email your entries to [email protected] and please ensure your pupils' names and ages are on their work, and that you include your name, school name and school address in your email. Thank you!

  Upload

Upload your entries

  Entrants type their entries online

Why not combine literacy and ICT by using the online writing portal? Entrants can type their work and you can submit them at the click of a button!

Writing Portal

  File Sender Services

You can use different file sender services to enter digitally, such as: WeTransfer, Google Classroom, Dropbox, Send Anywhere, Egress, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Smash, Files.com, Apple iCloud Drive, FileCloud

Please ensure your name, email and school name and address are included with your entries if you send entries digitally via a non-Young Writers service.

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Send by Freepost

Send your entries, along with your teacher entry form, to:

FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY
Young Writers PS
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

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Get In Touch

Email
[email protected]

Tel
01733 890066

Post
FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY
Young Writers PS
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

Extended Closing Date: Friday 10th Jan 2025