The Big Idea Competition

The Big Idea Competition is a children’s story idea competition held every two years, run by The Blair Partnership and Chicken House Publishing.

Entrants don’t necessarily have to have written out their story in full, but rather just need a strong idea that can be worked into story format in collaboration with an established author.

The winner will receive a cash prize, plus the promise that their idea will become the inspiration for a complete story written by a successful children’s author, and be published as a book worldwide.

What’s in a great story idea?

Who’s in it?
We love characters who are ordinary but become extraordinary in some way. We also enjoy great villains. Remember, your characters don’t have to be human and they’ll probably need help from others. What are they called? What do they look like? What do they do?

Who’s it for?
Yes, it’s for children, but which age group? A romance for teens or a fantasy for eight year olds? How do you want your audience to feel along the way?

What happens?
An idea only becomes a story when something happens. A call to adventure. A personal discovery. A quest or journey. Where does your plot start and end?

When and where?
The best stories take us to places we might never go. What does your story setting look like? And when does your story happen? It could be past, present or future, just down the road, or in a fantastical land.

Watch this space for more news about this year’s competition.