StoryGodmother Newsletter #30 - What are we looking for in a winning entry?
Hello! I hope you are doing well. I cannot believe we are approaching the middle of March already. What are your goals for this month and what can you do to help achieve them? The year will likely pass faster than you expect so it pays to think ahead. Where would like to be by the end of June? Good luck with your planning and your writing.
RESOURCES
What are we looking for in a winning entry?
With the next Writing Magazine Children’s Book Prize less than six months away, I thought it might be helpful to talk a bit about the kind of thing we look for in entries. I can’t speak for other competitions, although I suspect it’s along fairly similar lines. But here are three top tips for entering.
Originality
One of the key factors is originality. When you’re running a competition, the entries come in at more or less the same time, unlike submissions for agents or publishers which will be a steady stream throughout the year. Having a lot of entries at the same time results in similar ideas being more noticeable – didn’t you read something like that half an hour ago? It doesn’t mean a familiar idea won’t progress well in the competition. But if you’re submitting something which is a little more familiar than original, you probably want to make sure your delivery of the idea is more unusual or has a particularly strong voice, or has something in some way which counterbalances the familiarity of the idea and makes it an outstanding entry.
Unusual character
Similarly, a character who stands out is always helpful. Why is this protagonist going to be different from the other stories we have just read? Perhaps it’s an unusual animal. Perhaps the character has a particularly strong and engaging voice. Perhaps the character is paired with a quality or mannerism which is unusual and builds intrigue in the reader.
On occasion, the main character can be relatively normal and it is the sidekick character who brings the party. In a picture book, this doesn’t pose a problem because the whole text is read. However, with the chapter book category, the first round of judging looks at the opening chapter alone. If your opening chapter is very normal and then the exciting stuff really kicks off in chapter two with an exciting and dynamic character coming to stay, we may miss it. So, when you’re choosing which story to work on and submit to the competition, bear in mind that the opening chapter has to work very hard. Think about your characterisation and choose someone who captures us from the beginning.
Voice
One thing which you cannot ignore as a gatekeeper reader is voice. A clear, confident and authentic voice grabs you and refuses to let go. Again, when you’ve been reading story after story during a dedicated ‘competition reading’ window, a clear and confident voice will stand out. Understand your genre and lean into it. Understand your reason for writing this story and get that reasoning into your voice on the page. Be as ‘you’ as you can be, and your voice will be louder. Don’t worry about impressing anyone: try to relax as you write, and your voice will be louder.
A good solid understanding of writing craft, and of this particular story will also help your voice to be louder. Probe your concept, your genre, your character, your scene. Know what you want to say, why you want to say it, and how best to say it... and your voice will become louder. Don’t be afraid to experiment and be bold. You can often find some unexpected and exciting things just outside the comfort zone. As long as you are still being yourself.
Practice now with voice by writing things that you have no intention of sharing with anyone – not even crit partners or writing buddies. Just for you. Set a timer and do some freewriting, write down your innermost thoughts, understand what makes you tick as a person. All of this will help.
Good luck!
CHARACTER CORNER
Families exist in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Stories are a good way to explore differences in family backgrounds and help children to feel seen and represented. It’s also a great way to help children understand more about the world, and the social variety which exists. Experimenting with family set-up can bring a fresh perspective to a familiar story as well as foster empathy.
Most stories I see feature at least a mum or a dad – more commonly both together. But don’t forget there are numerous options, not limited to but including:
• Grandparents as primary carers
• Other relatives like aunts or uncles as primary carers
• Older siblings as primary carers
• Family friends as primary carers
• Living in residential care
• Adopted/fostered main character
• Adopted/fostered sibling
• Same-sex parents
• Step-parents / blended families
• Half-siblings
• Co-parenting / co-caring (sometimes care responsibilities may be split between a parent and a non-parent carer)
• Only children
• Children with big families
• Other people living with the family
And so the list goes on. I personally know children and families in all of these situations, and there are probably many more. When you’re choosing the family set-up, think about what might enhance the storytelling. How does the family set-up affect character and their interactions with other characters? How might it enhance or affect with external or internal conflict? If you’re not confident about writing a family scenario which is beyond your own personal experience, then research. Talk to people. And remember that one person’s experience of family life will be very different from another’s.
WINTER WRITING CHEER
A very big thank you to everyone who attended the events or spread the word. I couldn’t do it without you! I’m so happy to say that we yet again smashed the £1000 target – this year raising £1150 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Every penny raised helps bring us a step closer to understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and beating dementia, so thank you for helping along the way. Winter Writing Cheer will be running again in January 2026 when we’ll try to raise another £1000 together. Thank you!
COMPETITIONS
WRITING MAGAZINE CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE
Just in case you missed the announcements, I’m delighted to share the winners of the Writing Magazine Children’s Book Prize. Congratulations to all the writers below! You can read about these winning authors and their stories in the next two issues of Writing Magazine. Thank you again to everyone who entered. The competition should be running again in the autumn – the submission window will open in just under six months’ time, from 1st September-31st October 2025!
Picture Book Category
1st - The Kiss You Might Miss by Fiona Bannatyne
2nd - Bobble and Pip by Helen Hooper
3rd - The Swing by Netta Soosh
Chapter Book Category
1st - Ryce’s Story by Gillian Leech
2nd - The Felix Files: The Earl’s Missing Pearls by Charlotte Dale
3rd - Summer at Robo Sphere by Gemma Callaghan
COACHING COMPETITION
A return to the usual following Winter Writing Cheer, I’m pleased to offer another 30-minute coaching competition. For those of you who are new to this, as a thank you for subscribing to the newsletter and to help coaching become accessible to all, I offer a FREE 30-minute coaching session (worth £30 – no strings attached) via a lucky draw every newsletter, for anyone who would like to take part.
If you would like to enter, please email comps@storygodmother.co.uk with COACHING 9.3.25 in the title and you will be entered into the draw. All entries must be received by Wednesday 12th March 23:59GMT. I will contact the lucky winner directly, so if you haven’t heard anything, please assume you’ve not won this time, but please do try again next time!
STORY GODMOTHER WRITING COMMUNITY
Do you use Facebook? Great – join the Story Godmother Writing Community on Facebook. It’s a free, private and friendly group, where writers can share encouragement, thoughts or interesting finds. I also share weekly writing tips, we have a monthly self-promotion slot for everyone’s books (past, present and future), and I’m there to answer any questions you have because I’m on Facebook way too much. Come and join us! Story Godmother Writing Community
It’s a private group and a friendly bunch – a safe space for you to grow as a writer. And it’s absolutely free.
If you request to join, please do make sure you answer the membership questions and agree to the group rules.
BOOKS NEWSLETTER
Just a reminder that I also have a ‘books’ newsletter featuring news, competitions, and sneaky-peeks into my books and writing. If you’d like to sign up, you can do so here: Amy Sparkes Readers
END NOTES
Thanks for reading! Wishing you a continued brilliant, creative and productive 2025!
If you’ve found this newsletter helpful, please do spread the word to other writers you know – the more, the merrier!
With writerly love,
Story Godmother x