| When I was a child, I loved to draw, read, and write, | | | | prizes, and some offer college scholarship |
| but my parents never really encouraged me to pursue | | | | opportunities.The competition in the kids categories are |
| that passion. I was always told that writing is a hobby | | | | not quite as fierce as the adult market, and by helping |
| and not a career. Well, it took me over 15 years to get | | | | your child start at a young age breaking into the |
| to the point where I didn't hear those words in my | | | | industry, as a parent or a teacher, you will be providing |
| head and actually learned to take what I love to do | | | | the encouragement and support to a child that will last |
| and make a profession out of it. I can't help but | | | | a lifetime. Who knows, perhaps the child you help |
| wonder though how differently my life might have | | | | prepare for a contest in illustrating or writing might just |
| turned out if my parents had encouraged me to be a | | | | be the next James Patterson or Stephen King.Not only |
| writer from a very young age.My son loves to draw | | | | do children's writing and illustrating contests offer a child |
| pictures about my books and my daughter loves to | | | | the opportunity to explore their creative side, they just |
| read them, and she also likes to write short stories on | | | | might get to see their name and work in print! If your |
| my writer's forum. As a novelist and an author, you | | | | child has real talent and seeks to pursue a career in |
| can imagine that I love the fact that my children are | | | | the arts or literature, this is also a step in the right |
| interested in the arts and literature.Do you have a child | | | | direction for building a working portfolio for college |
| who likes to write? Are you a parent or a teacher of | | | | admissions and future career development.I know that |
| a child who seems to always have their nose stuck in | | | | when I was a child, I had no clue that contests and |
| a book? Maybe you know a kid who always has a | | | | things such as this existed. Had I known, I could have |
| pen or pencil and paper and who spends all day long | | | | started on my career as a writer much earlier than I |
| drawing. Why not help those kids who already have a | | | | did. Do a quick internet search and find some good |
| love of the arts and literature to expand that love into | | | | contests for your kids who love to draw and write, |
| more than just a hobby?On the internet today, you | | | | and then encourage and support their dreams. Good |
| can find a multitude of children's contests. While you | | | | luck to you and the child you encourage!Michelle L |
| should be careful to ensure that the contests are not | | | | Devon is an author and freelance editor for |
| scams, finding a contest that fits your child's desire to | | | | Accentuate Services and various publishers. She is an |
| write or draw is not a difficult thing to do. Some of the | | | | a published author with Koboca Publishing, who |
| best contests for kids come directly through small | | | | currently has children's illustration and writing contests, |
| publishing companies. Some of these contests offer | | | | ongoing. For more information you can visit Koboca's |
| royalty contracts to the winners, some offer cash | | | | site at or you can visit Ms. |