General Questions
Do you have writing resources available?
You can find Q&As, writing tips and much more on our blog!
What is Write the World Review?
Write the World Review is our online journal where exemplary pieces from the site are published alongside a bio of the author and a recording of them reading their work. Any piece published in response to one of our writing prompts will be considered for publication in Write the World Review, as well as any piece submitted to a writing competition.
What is Wednesday Words?
Every week we select a young writer’s piece for our ‘Wednesday Words’ feature and the piece is publicized on our site and social media channels. Any pieces created in response to our writing prompts (excluding “Freewriting") will be automatically considered for Wednesday Words, and there is no requirement for pieces to be published on a specific day or at a particular time to be eligible. Keep an eye out on our site and social media each Wednesday to read the featured piece for that week!
Can I earn badges?
We are excited to announce that badges have now launched on the site! Badges can be found on your profile and are used to show your development and achievements on Write the World. Each one has three levels to aspire to. Start reading, writing, and reviewing to unlock different badges and display your contributions to the community.
Please note: Badges from the old site will not be transferred, but any badges that you have already completed on the new site will be automatically added to your account!
How can I get updates about Write the World?
How can I reach out for support?
What languages can I write in on Write the World?
Write the World operates in English, but, as a global platform, we welcome writing in other languages too. If you choose to publish in a language other than English, please provide an English translation so that the wider community can read and respond to your work. You’re welcome to use AI tools or other resources to create this translation.
How is Write the World different from a social media network?
Write the World is a moderated, online community where the focus is on writing and improving writing skills. While many teens do find friendship and a sense of belonging, the platform does not function as a social network. Young writers connect through shared interests, structured feedback, and guided competitions, all within a safe environment.
Social media networks, in contrast, are defined as sites whose primary function is to facilitate online interaction between two or more users. These platforms are designed and optimized to keep users on the site as long as possible. Increasingly, research and reports show that excessive use of these sites can be detrimental, especially for adolescents (Gentzler, et all, Andrew Solomon, and American Psychological Association recommendations).
Using Write the World
Who can sign up?
Writers aged 13-19 can sign up to our free platform to publish their work and engage in monthly competitions, writing prompts, peer reviewing and more! Educators can also sign up to use Write the World's virtual class groups, lesson plans, assessment tools and other resources to supplement their curriculum.
How do I view Write the World content?
The new platform only allows logged-in users to access content on the platform. If you are not logged in, you will not be able to see content on the platform, so you will want to make sure you logged in to access content on the site.
How can I reply to comments?
An exciting new feature on Write the World is that you will now be able to respond to comments on your piece. At the moment, three replies are allowed per comment: two from the piece writer, and one from the commenter.
Is there a limit to the number of comments a piece can receive?
Yes, each piece can receive up to 100 original comments. Once a piece reaches this limit, no additional comments can be added, but all existing comments will remain visible. If you come across a piece with a comment limit, we encourage you to find other pieces to read and comment on!
How do I search for a user?
Where do I find writing prompts?
You can find our library of writing prompts under the ‘Start Writing’ button in the top left corner. This section contains multiple prompts in a variety of genres, and is updated every week. There is also a ‘Free Writing’ prompt, which encourages you to publish whatever you would like. Whether you want to do some quick writing practice, find inspiration for a piece, or try a new genre or style that is out of your comfort zone, there will be a prompt for you! To write a response to a prompt, simply select the one you are interested in, read it thoroughly, then click the 'Respond to Prompt' button at the bottom. Then you can write your piece, give it a title, and publish it for other writers on the site to read.
How do I write a peer review?
Head to the Dashboard, and choose any piece that has a purple 'Seeking Review' button which you would like to provide feedback on. You can also use the 'Filter' button to make the Dashboard only show pieces which are seeking peer review. Once you have chosen which piece to give feedback on, scroll down to the bottom of the piece and click the 'Write a Peer Review' button. Here you can respond to peer review questions, make annotation comments on the piece itself, and provide any additional comments to the writer.
For further advice on how to give encouraging and effective feedback, check out our Peer Review and Revision Resources.
How do I highlight text in a peer review?
To highlight text in a peer review, drag the curser over the word or phrase you want to emphasize. This will prompt two options to appear: "Copy" or "Comment." To maintain the text highlighted, select "Comment," which will enable you to write feedback that specifically addresses the highlighted word or phrase. (Note that if you don't see the "Comment" option, right click on the selected word or phrase.)
What happens when I turn 20?
You will graduate from the site when you turn 20. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and staying updated on your future writing projects through our alumni community! In the weeks before you turn 20, you will receive an email at the address associated with your Write the World account that gives you additional information.
What 3rd Party “plug-in” components are used on the writetheworld.org site?
Write the World uses third party tools to help provide services on the site. Except where noted, user Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is NOT provided to these third parties. The following plugins and 3rd party services are used for the following purposes:
-
Google Analytics (Google) - To understand site usage patterns.
-
OpenAI APIs (OpenAI) - For Clara and site moderation.
-
Perspective APIs (Google) - For site moderation.
-
TinyMCE (Tiny Technologies) - For editing of writing pieces, peer reviews, and other text.
-
Zippopotamus (Zippopotam.us) - Information for zip code verification, which is made available under the Open Database License (ODbL).
-
GeoNames (Unxos GmbH) - Used to create ISO-3166 compliant list of country names, which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
-
HubSpot - For marketing and user communications such as newsletters. PII of Educators and Young Writers is shared.
-
Windfall - Integrated via HubSot. PII of Educators and Young Writers is shared, via HubSpot.
-
Hotjar (Contentsquare) - To conduct user experience research and surveys.
How do writing competitions work?
Every month, Write the World holds a new competition developed around a particular idea or genre of writing, such as poetry, fantasy writing, op-ed, or flash fiction. Our competitions, which are always free to enter, are judged by renowned and respected writers from across the globe. Winners receive cash prizes and a feature on our blog and social media. The Competitions page contains information about current, upcoming, and past competitions.
How do I enter a writing competition?
- If you haven’t yet, sign up for a free account for Write the World as a young writer here.
- Hit the “Enter Competition” button on the left! You can find the current competition under “Featured Competitions” halfway through the page. Click “View Competition” to learn more.
- When you’re ready to write, click “Join Competition” and start writing! Your draft will automatically save. You can also click “Save as Draft” and name that version for later if you want to return to it.
- Click “Continue to Enter.” In the box that pops up, you can check off one or more of the following options:
- Would you like to request an Expert Review? The first 50 people to submit a draft can receive an in-depth review from one of our Expert Reviewers—authors, writing teachers, and educational professionals—that you can use to revise your final entry.
- Would you like to ask for Peer Reviews? This will allow other writers to review your work.
- Once you’ve made your selections, click “Enter.” At that point, you will automatically be entered into the competition. All entries will be published on Write the World’s website. You can return to the piece and edit it (we recommend that you continue to revise your draft based on feedback from your peers and Expert Review!) as many times as you want until the competition closes and judging begins. We will judge the most recently updated version of your entry.
What is an expert review?
An Expert Review is personalized feedback provided by a volunteer from our team of experts, which includes authors, writing teachers, and education professionals. Expert Reviews provide detailed feedback on your competition entry so that you can edit and develop your piece as much as you like before the competition deadline. Every month, we offer 50 free Expert Reviews—first come, first serve!
What is a peer review?
A Peer Review is a way for you to leave feedback for another writer. You can write in-line comments and respond to questions about what you liked about the piece, and leave suggestions you might have for it. Writing and receiving Peer Reviews are a way for you and your peers to improve each other’s work and grow as writers. Here at Write the World, we believe in the importance of drafting and redrafting, and that revision is so much easier (and more fun) when we have eager readers telling us what’s working well and where we might strengthen our craft.
Can I use chatbots like ChatGPT to help me write my competition entry?
The use of AI-generated content is NOT permitted in competition entries. In fact, we review entries with AI writing detectors and human readers; any entry that includes AI-generated text will be disqualified. You may use AI as a brainstorming tool, as explained by our Guest Judge Jennifer Lewy – but every word of your draft should be entirely your own.
We’ve taken this stance because our competitions are focused on recognizing and celebrating original work. At present, we do not have a rubric for evaluating AI-generated content (which is its own separate skillset from original writing). Note: In exceptional cases where writers want to include text in another language, we do allow the use of AI-powered translation tools (as long as the original English is also included).
Also, competition winners sometimes have the opportunity to publish their winning piece in external publications that do not allow AI use.That said, our rules around using AI for competitions is different than Write the World’s approach to AI for other writing on the site! AI can be a helpful tool as you craft a piece. Check out our statement on AI here.
Can I use Clara in competitions?
While we invite young writers to experiment with Clara to support their brainstorming, receive feedback on drafts, simulate intended audiences, or scaffold their research when writing on the global platform, we do not currently allow students to use Clara during monthly writing competitions.
This policy ensures a level playing field for all participants, including those who opt not to use Clara.
We also want to prioritize peer feedback during competitions, which aligns with our commitment to building a collaborative, human-centered writing community.
Should this policy change in the future, we will clearly communicate new guidelines with community members. In the meantime, you may read more about Clara here.
Can I edit my competition submission?
Once you have entered, you can return to the piece and edit it as many times as you want until the competition deadline. We recommend that you continue to revise your draft based on feedback from your peers and Expert Review!
What time do the competitions officially close?
Final submissions are always due at 11:59 PM in the writer's timezone, wherever they are in the world, on the day that the competition closes.
How strict is the word count?
The word count should be taken as a strong recommendation. We will usually consider pieces within 100 words on either side of the word count, but not if they’re much shorter or longer than that. In general, you should keep in mind that the competition is asking for pieces of a certain length, so fulfilling that expectation means you’re meeting the competition ask – and thus more likely to win!
Is previously published work eligible?
Our monthly competitions are designed to get you writing across a range of genres throughout the year, so we encourage you to write a new work for each competition, but we will also accept work that has been previously shared with a small, local audience (e.g. a piece that was published in a school journal). If the work has been published on another online writing platform, we ask that you remove it from that site before entering it here.
Once I’ve published a piece in a Write the World competition, can I submit it to another site or competition?
Students who publish their work on Write the World are allowed to republish that work elsewhere, because they retain all ownership rights to their pieces. We do request that the young writers mention in a footnote that it was originally published on Write the World, but we understand that this is not always possible, which is acceptable by our terms. (You can read those terms in full here.)
That being said, you should check to see if the other site or contest has any rules about a piece being published elsewhere first. If you would like a non-competition piece deleted from Write the World so it can be entered elsewhere, you can remove it by locating it in My Writing and deleting the piece by selecting the ellipses menu. If you have any other questions, you can contact us through this form.
Am I allowed to collaborate with a friend to write my competition submission?
All competition entries should be written primarily by the person who is submitting the piece. That being said, we understand that writing and editing can be collaborative processes. Some competitions are more suited for collaboration than others – for instance, you might collaborate with a friend in our Songwriting Competition to write a melody or play an instrument in your performance. Our rule of thumb: You should always have done the majority of the work.
Do you have any writing guidelines I should be aware of?
The power of our writing goes hand in hand with responsibility. Make sure that you’re supporting other people through your writing rather than pulling them down. The types of content that will be removed from the site include, but are not limited to:
- Anything that may be deemed hurtful, defamatory or discriminatory in nature.
- Anything deemed explicit or gratuitously violent.
- Anything referencing self-harm.
- Any commercial posts and/or spam.
- Plagiarism (see more at our Writing Guidelines page).
- Personal contact information—including usernames on social media or other platforms. This is to protect the privacy of our members.
- Links to any external websites, with the exception of links to citations as part of an essay, or including links to illustrations or audio as part of a Write the World competition or prompt.
- Writing in a non-English language that is not accompanied by an English translation. Write the World welcomes writers from around the world, but we require translations in order to ensure site safety and readability. This helps keep our platform accessible to all.
If a writer posts content that violates our terms or goes against our guidelines, we will remove the post and contact the writer when necessary. Please refer to our Writing Guidelines and site’s terms for further information.
Where can I find competition winners?
The winners of our monthly writing competitions are announced on our blog and social media channels! You can also view the Winner, Runner-Up, Best Peer Review, and Finalists of recent competitions by clicking on the competition image of your choice here and scrolling down to the "Competition Entries" section.
When I’m citing my sources, do the citations count towards the word count?
Nope! As long as your actual piece meets the word count, you’re good to go. We prefer that you put your citations in the footnotes, but if necessary, you can include them in the main textbox.
What is Clara?
Clara is a Socratic AI writing companion designed for teens. Clara poses open-ended questions that empower young writers to think more deeply about their learning and writing.
How is Clara different from chatbots like ChatGPT?
Unlike other AI chatbots, Clara is designed to meet writers’ unique needs by encouraging reflection, critical thinking, and creativity without compromising originality. Clara does not generate text but instead helps to brainstorm, draft, research, and refine through dialogue. Thoughtful questions and personalized feedback empower teens to be their best writing self.
What does “Socratic” mean?
Socratic discussion is driven by open-ended questions designed to push one’s thinking. Clara doesn’t write for you; instead, she poses questions designed to help you reflect on your work, goals, and writing identity to further hone your piece.
How do I use Clara?
When you are drafting, click “Invite Clara” to use the tool. Please note that Clara will always review the latest draft of your piece, but will not be able to compare it to earlier drafts unless you let Clara know—directly in your chat— what you changed.
You can click the back arrow on the top left side of your chatbox to start a new conversation with Clara; you will have the option to name your conversations by clicking the pencil button. You can click the arrow on the top right corner to hide the Clara dialogue while you are working on your piece. For ideas and prompt suggestions, check out our resources and AI tools here.
To practice skills that will enhance your work with Clara—like open-ended questioning, self-reflection, and more—check out the “Start Writing” page for Clara-related prompts designed to support your engagement with the tool.
How can I give feedback about Clara or share what I’ve learned?
Thank you for your interest in helping to improve Clara and help others use Clara effectively! You can submit your feedback, ideas, and prompt examples here. If you are having technical issues with Clara, please contact support.
How do I become a Teen AI Liaison?
We’re delighted to hear you’re interested in youth leadership opportunities at Write the World! We put out calls for applications to our Teen AI Liaison on an as-needed basis. We will announce application opportunities on our blog, in our site announcements, and on our social media channels, so be sure to stay tuned into our community for news about upcoming terms!
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, we are a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record with the EIN number 88-2997005.
What payment forms do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards, banks, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Paypal, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), and checks.
Please use the donate form to donate online.
How do I give by check?
Please send any donations by check to:
Write the World
20 University Road, Suite 500
Cambridge, MA 02138
How do I give through Donor Advised Funds (DAF)?
Giving through your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) is a simple, tax-effective way to support Write the World. You can recommend a grant to us at any time by following these steps:
1. Log into your DAF provider’s portal (such as Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, or your local Community Foundation).
2. Search for our organization using our official legal information:
Legal Name: Write the World, Inc
EIN (Tax ID): 88-2997005
Mailing Address: 20 University Road, Suite 500, Cambridge,
MA 021383.
3. Specify the grant details: Enter the dollar amount and select whether your gift should support general operations or a specific program.
4. Choose your contact preferences: DAF providers often default to anonymous giving. Please consider checking the box to share your name and address with us so we can acknowledge your gift and keep you updated on your impact.
5. Submit your grant recommendation. Your provider will process the request and issue the grant directly to us.
Note on Tax Deductions: Because you received your tax deduction when you initially contributed funds into your DAF, Write the World will send you a gift acknowledgment, but your DAF sponsor will issue your official tax documentation.
Can I dedicate my donation?
If you are donating online, you can dedicate your donation. Donors can make a gift donation ‘In Honor of’ or ‘In Memory of’ someone and optionally send an email notification about the dedication.
How are Write the World gifts used?
Donations to Write the World support our annual operating budget, providing support and access to our various programs, including our free global writing community, free monthly writing competitions, writing workshops, afterschool program, and college essay program. From platform maintenance to program pilots/improvements and scholarships for underserved teens, financial support for Write the World helps develop teenagers’ writing and critical thinking skills, empowering young writers to become global citizens and succeed in school, career, and life.
Are your financial statements independently audited?
I have a technical issue with my donation
Write the World uses Give Lively to collect donations. Please see the Give Lively FAQ for technical questions about your donation.
I have a different question about my donation
If you have any other donation related questions not answered here, please email hello@writetheworld.org. If you have a question related to a recent donation, please include your first and last name and the email address used when making the donation.
Who can I talk to about becoming a collaborator or sponsor?
Thank you for your interest! Please fill out this form and our team will be in touch.