What were the best songs of 2024?
Which fashion trends at your school do you hope to see less of in 2025?
Where can you get the tastiest pizza in your town?
What books have you read that you think should — or shouldn’t — be in your school’s curriculum?
Who are the scariest horror movie villains of all time?
If you like giving your opinion on topics like these, our new contest is for you. To enter, just come up with your own list of recommendations for things we should — or shouldn’t — read, watch, experience, eat or listen to, and tell us why.
As you’ve probably already noticed, these types of lists are everywhere — in newspapers and magazines and all over social media. On nytimes.com, you can find them in stories across the site, such as 20 Unforgettable Looks at the Met Gala, Five Action Movies to Stream Now and 4 of the Best Veggie Burgers in Los Angeles.
As we explain in our contest announcement, The New York Times regularly asks its journalists and critics to create these kinds of guides, whether to introduce readers to what’s new, show them works of art or culture through a specific lens or focus on excellence.
Now we’re inviting you to try doing it, too.
If you’d like to participate, the list you make has to be based on at least one of the below categories of creative expression that The Times reviews:
— architecture
— art
— books
— comedy
— dance
— fashion
— movies
— music
— podcasts
— restaurants
— technology
— theater
— TV shows
— video games
How do you come up with a great idea for your list? The questions below can help you brainstorm. Answer whichever ones are helpful, then post some of your ideas to our comment section.
First, think broadly:
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Why do you think lists like these are so popular?
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Which of the categories that we listed above are you most interested in?
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Which do you know the most about?
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Which would your friends and family say you’re an expert at?
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Are there any categories you don’t have much experience with but would like to learn more about?
Now choose one category to focus on, and use the questions below to help you start your list:
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What aspects of this category do you already know or care about most? For instance, maybe you love fashion in general, but you’re obsessed with a particular brand, style or type of clothing. Maybe you’re an avid reader of fiction, but psychological thrillers are your favorite genre. Maybe you’re a foodie, but you’re on a quest to find the perfect dumpling or breakfast burrito or chocolate chip cookie in your town.
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What aspects of this category do you know less about but might want to explore a bit? For example, if you’re a gamer, maybe you’d like to focus on the newest role-playing games. If you love science podcasts, maybe you’d like to listen to more shows specifically about animal behavior.
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What list could you make that would direct readers to the best options in your chosen category?
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What list could you make that would explore something special, interesting or even quirky about your category? For instance, let’s say you chose music, and, because you’re a devoted fan, you’ve decided to make a list about Taylor Swift. What theme could you come up with that would focus on a unique aspect of her work that others may not know about or appreciate?
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Is there a negative list you’d like to make? Not every collection has to focus on “the best.” Instead, could you create a list of things in this category to avoid?
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Is there a theme or idea you’d like to explore through a variety of art and culture? For this contest you can mix categories, so you’re allowed to create a list like “4 Things to Read, Watch and Listen to Understand the Kendrick-Drake Feud” or “5 Books, Songs and Movies to Cope With a Breakup.”
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Is there a list you and a group of friends or classmates could make together about a shared passion or expertise? You’re allowed to work in partners or small groups, so we hope you’ll come up with themed lists that are fun to collaborate on.
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Finally, the most important question: Which of the lists that you’ve brainstormed would be the most fun for you to write? We have found over and over again, across all the contests we’ve offered, that students do the best work on topics they truly care about.
We invite you to use our comment section to try out your ideas, posting responses to any of the questions above. We also encourage you to respond to the answers of others! And if you have questions about whether your idea is within the parameters for our contest, please write to us at [email protected] — or post them on the contest announcement page and we’ll answer you back there.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.