General rules:

A standard dictionary or thesaurus may be used during the contest.

Contestants are given a choice between two prompts which defines the audience, and provides the purpose for writing. Students should be encouraged to analyze the prompts for the purpose of writing, the format, the audience and the point of view. The format may be, for example, a letter, an article for the newspaper or an essay for the principal. Various writing strategies may be stated or implied in the prompt. Some of these include:

1. description to inform -- describe the happening or person/object from imagination or memory;

2. narration -- write a story;

3. persuasion -- describe and argue just one side of an issue; describe both sides of an issue then argue only one side; write an editorial; write a letter to persuade, etc.

There is no minimum or maximum number of words the contestants must write.