2 . Much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition

Our much-loved 100-Word-Story Competition is back! Enter for the chance to win prizes of up to £1,000.

Rules and prizes

Please ensure that submissions are original, not previously published and exactly 100 words long (not including title). Don’t forget to include your full name, address, email and phone number when filling in the form. We may use entries in all print and electronic media.

Terms and conditions:

There are three categories—one for adults and two categories for schools: one for children aged 12-18 and one for children under 12.

● In the adults category, the winner will receive £1,000 and one runner-up (第二名) will receive £250.

● In the 12-18s category, the winner will receive a £200 book voucher (代金券) or a Kindle Paperwhite and a £100 book voucher for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £100 book voucher.

● In the under-12 category, the winner will receive £100 of book vouchers or a Kindle Paperwhite and £100 of book vouchers for their school, and the runner-up will receive a £50 book voucher.

Please submit your stories by 5 p.m. on January 5, 2024 either online or by post addressed to: Reader’s Digest

The editorial team will pick a shortlist of entries, and the three best stories in each category will be posted online at readersdigest.co.uk on February 1, 2024.

You can vote for your favourite, and the one with the most votes will win the top prize. Voting will close on February 29, 2024 and the winning entries will be published in our May 2024 issue, and posted online on April 16, 2024.

Enter your story below—good luck!

6 . NPR’s Student Podcast (播客) Challenge is back—for a fifth year! This year’s competition will open for entries on September 6, 2023 and close on October 28.

As in past years, our judges will choose winners in two categories: grades five through eight and grades nine through twelve. Entries must be submitted by an educator or a student leader who’s 18 years old or older. Another important rule is that the maximum length of your podcast is within eight minutes, and longer entries will be disqualified.

Our judges will use the following criteria to narrow down and choose the winners:

Information and structure, 40 percent

Does the podcast tell a good story or teach us something new and important? Is it structured in a way that keeps listeners engaged? Can we easily follow the story you’re telling or the information you’re explaining? Have you spent time cutting out unnecessary information to make sure the main ideas come through clearly?

Personality and creativity, 40 percent

Does it have personality, or does it sound like you’re reading from a script (脚本)? Does it make us laugh or cry or leave us deep in thought?

Production, 20 percent

We’re not judging you on how fancy your equipment is and we don’t expect you to be an expert on recording and editing sound, but we hope you’ll try.

Some podcasts may use a narration format. Others may be more of an interview format. If you use sound apart from interviews and narration, make sure it is clear and smooth.

10 . Any time of the day you can commit to exercising is a good time for getting active. However, the best time for exercise is different for each person.    1    

Determine when you have the most energy. Do you struggle to get out of the bed in the morning or do you wake up energized and ready to go? Are you a night owl and never get to bed before midnight? Once you establish what your sleep tendencies are, you will have a better idea of when your body is most ready to exercise.     2    You are more likely to hit the snooze button instead of getting a workout in.

Consider your daily schedule. When are you the busiest?    3    Try to fit in exercise before or at least around these events. Some people would prefer to get it out of the way first thing, while others prefer to put it off until the end of the day when they are all caught up.

Determine your exercise goals. If you are trying to develop a routine, you may want to exercise in the morning. People who exercise in the morning are more consistent.    4    If you are trying to improve your performance, evening exercise may be best. You may experience less tiredness, quicker reaction times, and more strength and flexibility in the evening. If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to exercise in the morning before you have eaten when your body is more likely to use fat instead of carbohydrates for energy

    5    This way, you’ll see how you feel and find the time that works best with your schedule. Keep an exercise log to help you evaluate each time.