ESSARP Creative Writing Competition

Regulations:
1) All candidates (two per category) should gather before 2 p.m. on the date of the
Competition at their school or be ready from home.
2) The Competition will take place from 2 pm to 4 pm. Candidates will be given 2
hours to write their essays.
3) Each school is responsible for giving each of their candidates the username and
Password provided (1 or 2 days before the competition) by St Brendan’s College.
4) Candidates must not provide their names or their School’s name.
5) All scripts must be submitted on Tuesday 17th May, 2022 before the competition ends at 4
pm.
6) English/English and Spanish/English Dictionaries are allowed. Online dictionaries
are allowed.
7) Categories
Beginner - 10 - 11 years old up to the date of the competition
Junior - 12 - 13 years old up to the date of the competition
Intermediate 14 - 15 years old up to the date of the competition.
Senior - 16 - 17 years old up to the date of the competition
8) Tasks
There will be 5 questions for each category.
 Write a story that includes: ……..
 Title for description or narrative.
 Title for description or narrative.
 Use of a visual aid (comic, photograph, painting) as the basis of a piece
of writing.
 Use the film clip shown as the basis of a piece of writing. The movie
clip is the same for all categories.

9) Length of pieces per category

Beginner approximately 150 words.
Junior approximately 250 words.
Intermediate approximately 350 words.
Senior approximately 500 words.

NOTE: The number of words is not a limit. It is only a suggestion.

10) Rubrics
Adjudicators apply the criteria outlined in the rubric below to all categories, while
taking into account the skills reasonably expected for each age group.
The successful entries are generally those that capture and retain the reader’s
attention. Cohesion and coherence are very important both in terms of narrative
flow and organization.
Candidates should take care to follow the subject they have chosen.

Below
Outstanding Very Good Effective
Expectations
The writing is
The piece contains
The writing is mostly The writing is
exceptionally
occasionally unimaginative consistently
imaginative
Creativity writing throughout
imaginative in but contains at unimaginative in
form and/or least one fresh both form and
in both form and
content. idea in form content.
content.
and/or content.
Vocabulary is both Vocabulary is
There are word
consistently occasionally
Vocabulary is choice errors
imaginative and imaginative and
Word Choice well suited to the mostly suited to
basically effective throughout,
but uninspired. complicating
needs of the the needs of the
comprehension.
piece. piece.
There are
There are
occasional
The piece has several/serious There are serious
lapses in
strong narrative lapses in lapses in narrative
Narrative narrative flow,
flow and is narrative flow, flow throughout,
Flow but the writing
consistently but they do not complicating
maintains
engrossing. affect comprehension.
interest
comprehension.
throughout.
While the
The piece is There are serious
The piece is well structure is
exceptionally well structural
structured basically
structured, both imbalances
Organisation as a whole and in
overall, with effective, there
throughout,
occasional are
individual complicating
imbalances. several/serious
segments. comprehension.
imbalances.
There are There are
There are serious
Spelling and few/minor several/serious
spelling and/or
grammar are spelling and/or spelling and/or
grammar errors
Use of English correct and grammar errors grammar errors,
throughout,
appropriate that do not but they do not
complicating
throughout. detract from affect
comprehension.
overall quality. comprehension.

11) Final recommendations:

a. Work in a word processor and cut/paste at the end in case of
internet failure.
b. Keep a copy of you work to send it by mail if necessary.
c. Schools: keep the mail of the person who sent the entry form open
during competition for any urgent communication.