The Standard is organising the 8th Story Writing Competition to encourage Hong Kong primary schools students to compose imaginative stories. While developing their creativity at a young age, students will also increase their confidence in expressing themselves and also improve their English writing skills at the same time.

Students can enter either the junior (P1-P3 / G1-G3) group or the senior (P4 – P6 / G4-G6) group to win an award. Junior students are required to draw a picture of the climax of the story with a descriptive paragraph to express their creative idea based on one of the four categories (see below). Senior students have to write a story based on one of the Seven Plots of Fiction.

Awards will be given to individuals who write the best stories in terms of writing quality and completeness, and who draw the best pictures in terms of creativity. Well-written stories and creative drawings may also be published in Goodies and Junior Standard.

Eligibility

All local primary schools students* (Grade 6 or lower for students of international schools)
* Students can enter either the junior (P1-P3 / G1-G3) group or the senior (P4 – P6 / G4-G6) group to win an award; students can submit more than one entry throughout the Competition.

Individual and School awards

There are four fiction awards for the junior group and seven fiction awards for the senior group.

Students entering the junior group are required to submit a drawing with a descriptive paragraph (within 150 words) based on one of the four plots of fiction:

Categories for Junior Group
Defeating Evil A Journey and Return Poor to Rich Friendship

Categories for Senior Group
Students from the senior group have to write a story based on one of the Seven Plots of Fiction:

Defeating Evil Poor to Rich Mystery Journey and Return
Taking a stand Friendship Survival
The winners of each group in each category will be shortlisted to be chosen as the overall Champion, First Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up. A further five merit awards will also be presented.

The school with the highest number of entries submitted using the ‘School Submission Form*’ will also be awarded.

The Seven Plots of Fiction

Students submit entries based on the Seven Plots of Fiction. The best story of each plot will be presented the corresponding fiction award.
1. Defeating evil The hero has to defeat a ‘monster’, which can be anything evil. The hero saves his family or his world from evil, eg, Dracula, Little Red Riding Hood, The Hunger Games.
2. Poor to rich A poor and sad person goes through many tough challenges but wins in the end and lives happily ever after, eg, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Oliver Twist, Aladdin.
3. Mystery The character travels or ends up in an unfamiliar place where many strange things happen, eg, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Secret Garden.
4. Journey and return The main character, who has a boring life, goes to a strange and magical world and has an adventure. The hero returns home as a better person, eg, Jack and the Beanstalk, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
5. Taking a stand The character learns to stand up for what they believe in and what is right, eg, The Lorax, Horton Hears a Who!
6. Friendship A story about the true meaning of being friends. The characters can go through good and bad times together which tests their friendship, eg, The Wizard of Oz, Stand by Me.
7. Survival A story about discovering the limits of one's own power. The story can be about being lost in the wilderness or surviving in a strange place, eg, Treasure Island, Cast Away.
Competition schedule
Submission period: Now – 30 June 2024
Result announcement period: September 2024 - October 2024 (winners will be noticed through school or individually*)
Award and Prize details – Junior Group
Category awards Defeating evil
Journey and return
Poor to rich
Friendship 		Scoring criteria: creativity; originality; composition; color matching; written quality (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, etc.) A certificate
Little Explorer awards Champion
First Runner-Up
Second Runner-Up 		These awards will be selected among the three winners of the category awards. A trophy
+
A certificate
Merit awards Merits x 5 A certificate
Award and Prize details – Senior Group
Category awards Defeating evil
Poor to rich
Mystery
Journey and return
Taking a stand
Friendship
Survival 		Scoring criteria: creativity; originality; ability to arouse readers’ interest; fluency; written quality (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, etc.) A certificate
Writer awards Champion
First Runner-Up
Second Runner-Up 		These awards will be selected among the seven winners of the category awards. A trophy
+
A certificate
Merit awards Merits x 5 A certificate
Other prizes
Most Participating School award The highest number of entries submitted using the ‘School Submission Form*’ overall A certificate
Competition Rules
Eligibility All local primary schools students* (Grade 6 or lower students of international schools)
* Students can enter either the junior (P1-P3 / G1-G3) group or the senior (P4 – P6 / G4-G6) group to win an award
Language English only
Format Entries can only be submitted either online or in paper format* by post. Entries sent using email or fax will not be accepted.
Writing Limit Junior Group – A descriptive paragraph within 150 words;
Senior Group – Must not exceed 500 words
*Entries exceeded the word limit will also be considered, only the judges reserve the right of mark penalty.
Judging criteria Creativity; originality; ability to arouse readers’ interest; fluency; written quality (grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, etc.)
Judges A panel of judges comprising teachers, authors and news editors
Submission period Now – 30 June 2024
* For the Most Participating School award, all entries must be submitted by a representative of the school in paper format by post. A valid ‘School Submission Form’ must be completed and stamped with the school chop.







For queries please email us at marketing@thestandard.com.hk .