Participating in competitions is undoubtedly a great way to gain experience and broaden your horizons. Joining writing competitions is no different. Last year, I entered the Canadian English Writing Competition, and it was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to experiment with new writing forms and styles, testing my true capability in writing English.

Writing in a live competition is no easy task, as you are required to think on your feet, rapidly generating ideas while also recalling suitable or even advanced vocabulary. If you're writing an essay, you may also need to incorporate relevant data and statistics. The crucial need for speed is what I enjoy most about the challenge of writing competitions.

Another important lesson I learned from the competition was overcoming perfectionism. Since there is limited time, I couldn’t perfect every single sentence down to the finest detail. Instead, I had to accept imperfections in my writing and focus on beating the clock. The time pressure also helped me overcome procrastination, as there was simply no time to daydream or delay.

Overall, participating in the Canadian English Writing Competition was a valuable experience that boosted my confidence in writing and helped me improve my skills. I highly recommend anyone interested in writing to join the contest and explore new avenues.

- Wong Yin Leong, Samuel