Searchlight Writing for Children Awards is a new rolling competition for aspiring authors writing for children or young adults. Best Novel Opening for Children or Young Adults is open to anyone over the age of 16. Our purpose is to shine a bright light on exceptional writing. We publish it, send it out into the world, champion it and act as a stepping stone for children’s authors to achieve their literary dreams. The top 10 stories will feature in an electronic pitch book and will also be published in an annual printed anthology. Word limit: the first 1,200 words of a longer novel.