Writing a Winning Essay

You just heard about a contest where you can win a year's supply of soda or a spectacular home entertainment system, or a fabulous shopping spree worth thousands of dollars. And all you have to do is write a short essay of 100 words or less on a designated topic. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so you naturally want to give it your best shot. Follow these 8 simple tips to maximize your chances at making a dream come true.

1. Every contest has a set of rules. Read the official contest rules and read them again. Print the rules and using a highlighter marker, highlight the deadline, the word limit, the method of entry, and the exact topic. Also highlight the breakdown of how the essay will be judged, so you know what aspect is the most important - whether that is creativity or originality or something else. Highlight the prize structure and eligibility requirements.

2. Take a piece of paper and jot your ideas on what you are going to say. Don't rush to write your essay, let it brew in your mind, especially if you have days or weeks or months before the deadline. Your initial thoughts may completely transform into something else as you let time pass.

3. Each time you are about to work on your essay, read the official contest rules again. You would be surprised how something you glossed over the first time may seem much more significant on the second or third reading. No matter how brilliant and perfect your essay is, if you don't follow the rules exactly as specified, you could disqualify yourself and have wasted your time and chance at a wonderful opportunity.

4. Write your first draft without worrying about word count. Write away to your heart's content and let the essay evolve. When you are finished, count the words. Most word and text programs have a tool feature that will tell you exactly how many words and lines and characters you have typed. Make your draft essay longer than what is required, so you can extract the most powerful writing by getting rid of the fluff. You will squeeze, condense, cut, chop and make your words pack the most active punch possible. Verbs are stronger than pretty adjectives. Humor is better than sentimentality (unless it is a poignant emotional essay that is called for in the official essay contest rules). Imagine being one of the judges who has to read thousands of essays about why you love Brightandcleanandshiny Laundry Detergent and how essay after essay all sounds the same. Be UNpredictable. Instead of saying you love Brightandcleanandshiny Laundry Detergent because it makes your clothes bright and clean and shiny and smells fresh - - make a profound and startling pronouncement that will grab a judge's attention. Writing

"Brightandcleanandshiny Laundry Detergent has changed my life and since using it my days have been filled with luck and fortune" is far more interesting than the predictable. The judge will be intrigued to want to read more. And you will provide a concrete visual example that will stay in the judge's mind by providing a memorable example of something positive you can describe that conveys your sense the joy.

5. Utilize both a dictionary and a thesaurus to open the possibility of using a different word that may be more powerful or accurate than an original choice. After you are satisfied with your essay and have not exceeded the word count, and have followed all the rules, let the essay sit for at least 24 hours before you submit your final draft. This passing of time may allow you to find an error or a missing word or a misspelled word. Even the use of spell checking software can miss a misspelled word if you used the wrong word. For example, if you wrote "and their is a happy ending to this story", the word "their" is correctly spelled , but it is the wrong word. You meant to write "there".

6. Read the essay aloud a couple of times to hear how it sounds to the ear. Are there any awkward sentences, or does something sound like too much of a mouthful? Read the essay to a friend or family member and let them give their opinion. Ask them if there is anything they would change about it. They may have an idea you never thought or a suggestion that makes your essay contest entry even stronger. Be sure to explain to your audience the purpose of the essay writing contest, so they understand your goal.

7. If the official rules of the essay writing contest say you can enter more than once, consider writing a whole other essay, to increase your chances of winning.

8. Keep a copy of all essays you write for contests. If it doesn't win, it may be the seed of thought for a future essay writing contest. And if it does win, you may have forgotten what you wrote by the time the winners are announced.

Good luck and have fun! A contest is a game and you can't win it, unless you're in it!