WORDSMITHS WRITING CONTEST

Wordsmith /’w rd,smiTH/: a craftsperson who works words into usable forms; a skilled user of words

Current Contest:


"Literal Idioms"

We hear silly sayings all the time: It’s raining cats and dogs; I have butterflies in my stomach; she spilled the beans. These are called idioms—phrases that don’t mean exactly what they say. But what if they did?

For this contest, choose a common idiom and write a scene, description, or moment in time that shows what it would be like if that phrase became completely literal. For example: What would happen if actual cats and dogs started falling from the sky? What if your friend actually spilled a can full of beans in the middle of a secret conversation? What if you had real butterflies in your stomach and they satrted fluttering around during your spelling test? This could be a sudden, one-time event or a scene from a world where the literal meaning of the idiom is completely normal.

Your entry does not need to be a “story” with a beginning, middle, and end, or have a problem and solution. Instead, focus on using descriptive writing to capture a single event or moment in time, but be sure to include enough detail and context so the reader understands what’s going on.

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Entries due: 11:59 PM on FRIDAY, September 12, 2025

Word Limit: 750 words

Idiom Suggestions:

You can choose any of the idioms listed below, or use one that’s not on the list. Please include your idiom as your title when you submit your entry.

  • raining cats and dogs
  • butterflies in my stomach
  • burning the candle from both ends
  • ants in your pants
  • cat got your tongue
  • spilled the beans
  • walking on eggshells
  • bite off more than you can chew
  • hold your horses
  • couch potato
  • jump out of your skin
  • hit the hay
  • cold feet
  • under the weather
  • zip your lip
  • in a pickle
  • let the cat out of the bag
  • frog in your throat
  • hit the books
  • throw in the towel
  • stick your neck out
  • bent out of shape
  • piece of cake
  • break the ice
  • hold your tongue
  • bouncing off the walls
  • when pigs fly
  • pulling your leg
  • have a cow
  • kick the bucket

PRIZES:

First, second, and third place winners in each age group will be printed in The Homeschooler Magazine. Other entries may be but are not guaranteed to be published.

Prizes are as follows:

Age Divisions 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
5-8 Years Old $50 $30 $20
9-12 Years Old $75 $45 $30
13-18 Years Old $100 $60 $40

RULES:

Submission of entry into this contest constitutes acceptance of all rules and conditions.

  • Entrants must be residents of Utah and must be must be between the ages of 5–17 as of Sept. 1, 2025 (Turning 18 during the school year is OK). Entrants must be participating in homeschool during the 2025-2026 school year.
  • Only one writing contest entry is allowed per student per contest. Students MAY submit student spotlights, book reviews, big wins, AND one entry in the writing contest.
  • No vulgarity, profanity, gratuitous violence, or “adult themes” are allowed. Entries must be “family friendly” and suitable for reading by children and adults of all ages.
  • AI is strictly prohibited and may NOT be used in any form at any stage of writing. You may NOT use ChatGPT, Grammarly, or any other AI to brainstorm essay ideas, generate an outline, write any text, or improve text you have written. All words should be the student’s own. Spell check is OK.
  • Entries must be the student’s own original work and must not copy from books, movies, or online content. Entries that contain plagiarism will be disqualified.
  • All entries must be in English.
  • All entries must be typed and submitted digitally. No hard-copy entries or pictures of hand-written entries will be accepted.
  • Copyright remains with the author, but The Utah Homeschooler has the right to publish it in the magazine, post it on their website, or use it for promotional materials.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

  • Student’s first and last name, age, and mailing address. (Only first name and last initial will be published.)
  • Student’s typed writing contest entry; can be included in the body of the email, attached as a word document or PDF, or shared as a Google Doc file. If formatting matters (i.e. for some poetry), attach it as a PDF to preserve the formatting.
  • The idiom the student chose, listed as the title to the entry
  • A photo of the student that shows their face
  • A signed Rules Agreement & Publication Release waiver (click here to get it). Please note that a new signed agreement is required for each contest.

Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, September 12, 2025. Send entries to:

JUDGING:

Entries will be divided into three age groups for judging: 5-8 year olds, 9-12 year olds, and 13-18 year olds. They will be judged on the following criteria, adjusted to age-appropriate expectations:

Ideas: Does the piece explore the idiom in a creative, literal way? Is the concept original, imaginative, and well thought out?

Organization: Are things described in an order that makes sense? Is there enough context for the reader to understand what’s happening, even if it’s just a single moment?

Word Choice: Are vivid, sensory, and specific words used to bring the literal version of the idiom to life? Can the reader picture what’s happening?

Voice: Does the writing have a clear and engaging tone? Is the voice consistent and appropriate for the scene being described?

Conventions: Is the writing polished with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Does it follow the word limit and contest rules?

GUIDELINES FOR PARENT INVOLVEMENT:

  • Parents may teach their student about descriptive writing. They may discuss the literal meaning of each idiom and help brainstorm what that might look like. Parents are encouraged to help their student write and edit practice essays for other idioms but may not help with the idiom that will be submitted for the writing contest.
  • Parents may not “give” their student any words for their entry, either by prompting with sentence starters, making specific suggestions, or writing any portion of the essay for their student. Parents should avoid providing specific details, but instead use questions to direct their students to consider the sensory implications of the literal idiom (ie “If XYZ, what would that feel like? Sound like? Smell like?” etc). All the words in a contest entry should be the student’s own words.
  • Parents may proofread their student’s story, meaning they may make corrections to spelling and punctuation. They may not edit their story, meaning they may not add, remove, or rearrange any words, or suggest that the student do so. Parents may edit practice ssays inspired by other idioms as part of their instruction, but they may not edit any story that is entered into the writing contest.
  • Parents MAY type or transcribe essays for children who cannot type, but MAY NOT edit or change their students’ words while doing so.