BBC 500 Words competition | How to get involved | Get inspired with Blue Peter

The competition is split into two age categories – 5-7 & 8-11 year-olds. The writers of the best stories will be invited to a grand final, where the bronze, silver and gold winners for each age group will be announced.

The idea is to write a fictional story, on whatever you want… dogs in space? Food coming alive? Humans that live underwater? 500 Words wants to hear it all.

If that’s not enough, the winners in each category will receive lots of prizes; you can take home a bundle of books, and if you are a winner in the gold category, you will also win 500 books for your school! Wait, there’s more! Each winning story will be read out by a celebrity at a star-packed event with Her Majesty The Queen, and will receive a framed illustration from one of the best children’s illustrators in the UK too. Each winner will also receive a professionally printed copy of their story.   

The only real rules are that the story has to be 500 words or less (which is about one-side of A4!) and it has to be your own idea, written in your own words by yourself (your friends can enter the competition themselves!). Remember, your story doesn’t have to be 500 words – it just can’t go over 500 words! 

Write a story you would love to read yourself and get really creative with the storyline. The team won’t be marking you on your spelling, punctuation or grammar. 

Your story will be marked on five things: