An individual creative-writing entry for teens aged 13 to 19 in which the entrant submits an article or essay of their own, rated by the panel.
Articles and Essays is a written-submission class in the Creative Writing category. The entrant presents one piece of prose: an essay that argues, reflects or explains, or an article that informs a reader about a subject, an event or an experience. The piece is read and rated by the panel; nothing is performed on a stage.
In eTalenter’s templates the item appears once, in an international teen talent competition run at state or regional level and then at national level. It sits beside News Writing, Poetry, Short Story and Plays and Skits (Writing), so those forms of writing have their own classes. Articles and Essays is the place for non-fiction, opinion and reflective prose that is not a news report, a poem, a story or a script.
The template sets no time limit, so the piece is normally written beforehand and handed in by the organiser’s deadline, with the entrant’s number on it rather than a name if the organiser wants blind marking. A strong entry has a clear title, a focused opening, a developed body that stays on the subject and a conclusion that leaves the reader with something to think about.
Organisers run the class because it gives teens who are more comfortable on paper than on a platform a place to compete. For coordinators using eTalenter it is entered like any other item: register the entrant, record the panel’s rating, and the ranking is calculated within the Teens group.
Where Articles and Essays is run
In eTalenter’s data this Articles and Essays item appears on one template: an international teen talent competition for the 13 to 19 age band. Essay and article classes are common in school and youth writing contests, but this page describes only the format that template defines.
- International teen talent competition (state, regional and national levels)
Key facts
- Individual entry: one teen writes and submits one piece.
- Single age group, Teens (13-19); boys and girls compete together; English.
- Rated by the panel and ranked within the Teens group; the assignment sets a maximum score of 5, while the score label reads “out of 10”.
- No time limit in the template, because the piece is prepared in advance and handed in.
- Prose only: news reports, poems, short stories and scripts belong in the sibling Creative Writing classes.
- Idea starters, not rules: an essay on a local issue, an article on a hobby or skill, a reflective piece on a lesson learned, a profile of a community craft.
On eTalenter, Articles and Essays is filed under Creative Writing and typically scored with Rating out of 10. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Articles and Essays is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 5.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Essay Writing, Story Writing, Poetry Writing, Article Writing, News Writing, Script Writing eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Articles and Essays
What a Articles and Essays panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Focus and argument: one clear central idea or question that the whole piece serves, not a string of loosely related paragraphs.
- Structure: an opening that draws the reader in, a body ordered into paragraphs with one point each, and a conclusion that closes the thought.
- Evidence and detail: facts, examples or personal observation that make the point believable rather than general statements.
- Language and accuracy: correct grammar, spelling and punctuation, and vocabulary that suits a teenage writer without padding.
- Voice and originality: a recognisable viewpoint in the entrant’s own words; copied or generic text loses marks.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Articles and Essays under Scoring Setup, or start from the full essay & story writing judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Articles and Essays
How entrants and their teachers usually get Articles and Essays right on the day:
- Choose a subject you know first-hand; a narrow topic written with detail beats a broad one written in generalities.
- Write a three-line plan first: the main point, the three supporting points and the closing thought.
- Draft, leave the piece for a day, then cut repeated ideas and weak sentences before the final copy.
- Read the piece aloud to catch clumsy sentences and missing words, then check spelling and punctuation line by line.
- Keep to the organiser’s length and format rules and give the piece a title that tells the reader what it is about.
- Ask a teacher or friend what they understood from the first paragraph; if it differs from your point, rewrite the opening.
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Articles and Essays judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is the difference between an article and an essay?
An essay develops the writer’s own argument or reflection on a subject, while an article usually informs readers about a topic, event or experience. The template groups them in one class, so check with your organiser which the topic suits.
Is there a word limit or a time limit?
The template prints neither. Ask the organiser for the word count, the topic if one is set and the submission deadline.
How is Articles and Essays different from News Writing?
News Writing is its own class in the same template, for reporting events. Articles and Essays covers opinion, reflection and explanatory prose.
How is it marked?
The panel gives a rating out of 5 in this template, and entrants are ranked within the Teens (13-19) group.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full essay & story writing judging criteria guide, or browse every creative writing competition item.
Try Articles and Essays in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Articles and Essays, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
