Notes on Nature: Student Writing Competition

The Cumberland River Compact and SLANT (Student Literary Artists of Nashville, TN) are excited to partner to bring you an opportunity to create and submit a piece of original nature writing! This unique partnership highlights the value the natural world and writing have to each other. 

We have put together four nature investigations and writing prompts that encourage you to get outside, explore, and get inspired. You can choose as many or as few of the prompts as you would like. When you are done, submit your work to us through this page. A group of expert writers and scientists will review your work and select pieces to publish online this fall! In addition to being published, winners will also get to participate in an exclusive nature writing workshop!

Download the Notes on Nature writing prompts!

Includes four prompts: The Hidden World of Trees, Rainy Days, Getting in Touch with Nature, and Images and Imagination.

Note: If conditions allow, the nature writing workshop for winners may be hosted in Nashville at an outdoor space in a socially distant manner. Entries are welcome from outside Middle Tennessee, but if selected for publication, you may not be able to attend the workshop in person. 

Hear from the Notes on Nature Creators:

From Catherine Price with Cumberland River Compact: “The natural beauty of our environment has long inspired artists, painters, and writers. The modern environmental movement can trace some of its inspiration to the Hudson River Valley where it was declared that protecting the river for its artistic value was just as important as its biological value. Everyone can find a reason to protect our natural world, whether it’s for biodiversity, drinking water, historical importance, or its artistic inspiration. I believe all of these reasons hold the same value as to why we should collectively protect our environment. I’m excited for you to explore these four simple nature investigations and see how you are inspired to write!”

From Joe Kane with SLANT: Good writers start by being good observers. In order to write about the world, first, we must be fascinated by it, and there is a long tradition of writers who draw inspiration from nature and science. It’s not hard to see why. Nature is a feast for our senses: the first bite into a ripe peach, the sound of waves crashing against rocks, the smell of an oncoming storm. Experiencing the richness of the natural world helps us add richness to our creative work. Also, spending time in nature is its own type of meditation. Engaging our senses helps us recall old memories and imagine fictional worlds. I hope you enjoy using these four nature investigations as starting points to look closely at the world around you.