Ditch the chill with these hot winter writing contests

Let's keep our writerly minds and fingers warmed up with this list of wintery writing contests! I love Texas contests but with so many online, we can write from anywhere in the world.

Now-January 31: WOW! -- that's Women on Writing -- offers two quarterly, repeating contests for short fiction and nonfiction essays. Closing for the current nonfiction contest is January 31, for the fiction contest February 28. See the site for fees, prizes and rules for both.

Now-February 2: The Masters Review is open to submissions of previously unpublished work for its Winter Short Story Award for New Writers, judged by best-selling author Bret Anthony Johnstone. The contest, for fiction and creative nonfiction up to 6,000 words, is open to any writer who has not published a novel or memoir with a major press. Cash prizes and online publication for all winning entries. All winners also receive review from several partnered literary agencies. Fee: $20.

Now-February 28: The Crime Writers Association has current contests open -- its Emerging Authors Dagger and its Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition .  

Both are open to anyone writing in English. The Emerging Author Dagger is for a crime novel opening (3,000 word maximum) and synopsis (1,500 word maximum) in any crime/mystery/thriller subgenre. Eligible writers must not have had a publishing contract for a full-length novel of any kind, and do not have a literary agent at the time the contest closes. Fee: £42, Cash prize. See the sites for additional details.

The Margery Allingham contest is for short stories up to 3,500 words. Among other criteria, they must meet Golden Age writer Allingham's definition of a mystery: "The Mystery remains box-shaped. . . Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it." Cash prize. Fee: £18. 

Now-March 20: Book Pipeline's Unpublished Contest offers winners cash prizes in multiple fiction and nonfiction genres and circulation to publishing executives. March 20 is the early deadline, with $35 entry fee. Fees increase to $60 by the late entry date of September 5. See the site for details.

Image by Jon Hoefer from Pixabay

March 24-July 11: You don't have to live in Texas to enter the Writer's League of Texas Manuscript 2025 Contest. Although details are skimpy at this point, the contest allows writer in a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres to submit the first (approximately) 10 pages plus a synopsis of their work. No finished manuscript necessary! 

Winners in each category will meet virtually with a top literary agent (and the final judge in their category) via Zoom. All entrants, winners or not, may opt for feedback on their submissions from experienced editors. Check the site for details as they become available. Warning: the site currently is a bit confusion, since it starts by mentioning that the 2024 contest is closed. Just keep scrolling!

A few years ago, WLT changed its Agents & Editors conference from annual to biannual. Due to that change, 2025 will not see an in-person conference. But check out the WLT's online Agents Symposium, as listed in my previous post.

Now-May 1: Thrillerfest's Best First Sentence Contest returns. This is a pay for play event, as contestants must either be ITW members or registered for this year's Thrillerfest XX, June 17-21. Entries may be from the contestant's published or unpublished work. Winners receive a critique from one of the contest judges, who are the festival's 2025 master class teachers. See the site for details.

Now-May 5: Writer's Digest's writing competitions have so many categories, deadlines, and rules, it's condensed them into a pdf "2025 Competition Season Planner." Note that the deadline provided here is only the "early bird" deadline for the organization's poetry and manuscript entries. See the pdf at the site for additional deadlines for categories such as self-published books, personal essays and self-published e-books.

More ongoing contests:

Indefatigable site Reedsy lists more than 300 of what it deems the best writing contests in 2025. Lots of genres and prizes. Submission requirements vary. See the site for details.

Writer of the Future contests repeat quarterly. Open to new and amateur science fiction and fantasy writers. Cash prizes each quarter. No entry fee. See the site for details.

Writer/blogger Erica Verrillo's Publishing and other forms of insanity features lists of free contests monthly. Check the site for details.

Join the stampede to 2024 writing contests

 Nothing enforces New Year's resolutions like competition. And time crunches. For some incentives to get those writing muscles back in shape -- or keep them strong -- check out this list of 2024 contests and their deadlines. 

Now - January 15: Modern Muse for Writers First Five Pages Contest seeks entries from all literary genres. Free. Submit your first five pages (up to 1,500 words). Winners receive developmental critiques and line edits of their first chapter, up to 15 pages. See the site for details.

Now - January 15: Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition seeks stories of not more than 1,500 words. This is an extended deadline -- for this contest only, ignore the deadline posted on the site. Winners receive cash prizes and publication. Fee: $30 for first entry, $25 for each additional entry. See the site for details.

Now - January 28: AutoCrit's "Start Strong Challenge" opens, using prompts from its community of writers. Finalist entries will be read live on YouTube, with the audience determining the winner. Word limit: 1,000. There's no fee for the contest, but you have to pay to play by joining the AutoCrit community. Luckily, it's offering discounted subscriptions! See the site for details and those all-important prompts.

Now - February 1: The First Line magazine's contest requires contestants to open their work with the provided first line, currently: "Mr. Morton needed a new pair of shoes," although non-fiction essay entries may deal instead with writers' favorite opening lines from literary works. Free. The contest repeats quarterly with new opening lines. Winners receive publication and cash awards. See site for details.

Now - February 29: The Crime Writers' Association offers two contests for newbie writers: The Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition and The CWA Debut Dagger. Entry fee is £18 for the Margery Allingham contest, £42 for the Debut Dagger. See the site for details. 

Now - March 1: Speak Your Truth contest (site). This one's just for Dallas, Texas, residents/students ages 15-20. Apply to become the Youth Poet Laureate of Dallas for 2024-2025. Winner receives a $1,000 scholarship. See the site for youth poet duties. Email libyouthservices@dallascityhall.com for more information.

Image by Brigitte Werner for Pixabay

Nowish - mid-March: ArmadilloCon, Texas' feisty sci-fi/fantasy/horror convention returns with a flash fiction contest. No fee but contests must be the convention's writing students from 2017-2024. (Hint: if you're thinking of joining for the full convention in August, now's the time!) This year, contests will be able to provide input for themes. This information just hit my inbox, with the 2024 website not yet online. Contact writersworkshop@armadillcon.org for information. I'll also update this site as soon as possible.

Now - May 1: ThrillerFest's Best First Sentence contest is looking for the to-die-for opening of your work of mystery or suspense. This is also pay to play -- entrants must be members of the ITW (International Thriller Writers) or registered for ThrillerFest XIX 2024. See the Best First Sentence site for details.

Now - June 30: One of my favorite goofy writing contests is the annual Bulwer Lytton Fiction Contest, commemorating the 19th century novelist infamous for the opening line: "It was a dark and stormy night. . ." Each entry must consist of a single, unpublished sentence of any length, although the authorities recommend (i.e. plead) for it not to exceed 50-60 words. The winner will receive a certificate and bragging rights. Free. See the site for details and hilarious previous winning entries.

Now - October 1: If every story must have a first line, it must also have a last one. Check out The Last Line magazine (sister journal to The First Line) for a contest with an ending prompt. For 2024, that prompt is, "I didn't want to admit it, but Lee was usually right." See site for details. Winners receive cash and publication.

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Want more contests? Of course, you do! See the likes of Poets & Writers, Reedsy, Erica Verrillo's month's lists, New Pages, The Submissions Grinder, and Writers of the Future for inspirations!

Wordcraft -- Summertime writing contests swarm like fish

For writers who thought they could take it easy during the summer, I have one word: BWAH-HAH-HAH! Because the contests are out there, jumpin' like catfish on a trotline and with lures yummier than fish fry hushpuppies. I'm listing a sample, in order of urgency, with sources for even more.

May 31: Grey Wolfe Publishing's 2016 Monthly Writing Contests. Write a 2,000-word story about each prompt from Writer's Digest magazine. Winners receive a $25 Visa gift card. No entry fee. May's prompt is "Crazed fan." Further prompts include "The mysterious call" (June 30), "Creation simulator" (July 31), "Childhood piece of clothing" (August 31) and more. Source: Duotrope Digest. This is a paid-subscription site, but a 30-day trial offer is free.

June 1: Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. I listed this North Texas conference last week. If you're a serious nonfiction writer looking for fame, money, or book publication, check the site for details or contact writing contest coordinator Jo Ann Livingston at maybornconferenceinfo@unt.edu.

June 1: Driftless Unsolicited Novella Contest. Seeking 20,000-40,000 word novellas, with strong preference for submissions from authors of color, LGBTQ+ writers, and women. Cash prizes, $25 entry fee. For more information, go to inquiries@brainmillpress.com. Source: The Writer Magazine.

June 15: ArmadilloCon writing workshop, Omni Southpart Hotel, 4140 Governor's Row, Austin, Texas. This science fiction/fantasy convention takes place July 29-31, but if you want to attend the writers' workshop taught and critiqued by a panel of writing professions, submit your short story/first chapter manuscript by June 15. Workshop cost is $85, which includes a three-day convention membership.

June 15: FenCon Young Author Contest. You're signing up the young people in your family for your local library's summer reading program, right? Get them to write as well, with this contest for writers from grades 3-12. No fee. Winners receive cash prizes and free entry to the 2017 FenCon convention, plus publication (at judges' discretion) on the FenCon website. See the site for details.

June 17: New Millennium Awards for Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction. Cash prizes plus publication. $17 reading fee. Source: The Writer Magazine.

June 30: The Aeon Award 2016. Albedo One Ireland's Magazine of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror's short fiction contest. Cash prizes for speculative unpublished fiction under 10,000 words. €7.50 fee. (PayPal is happy to translate your credit/debit card dollars into euros.) Judges include Todd McCaffrey, son of the late Anne McCaffrey. Additional quarterly contest deadlines September 30 and November 30. Source: Ralan, a free subscription site.

July 20: FenCon Short Story Contest. Science fiction/fantasy stories by adult writers. Contests may submit one story at no chard, additional stories for $10 per entry. Cash prizes and free FenCon 2017 membership for wrinners and first two runners-up, with publication in the FenCon program book for first place and (space permitting) runners-up. See the site for guidelines.

August 17: Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest. Poetry and short fiction. Cash prizes $5 fee per poem, $10 fee per short story (plus $2 transaction fee for online entries). This contest is probably unique in allowing hand-printed entries. Source: Ralan.

(Next Tuesday, imagine yourself as star of your own book channel!)