WRITER'S GAMES 2026

Not your ordinary writing competition.

The Writer's Games is a free competition designed to help you improve your craft fast. Every accepted entry receives honest, unbiased feedback from several judges.

Use the dropdown menu above to access the Games Info (how it works), Games Rules, Games FAQ, and Archive pages.

Writer's Games 2026

Mock Events: April 17 & 24

Registration: CLOSED

Practice Event: June 12/13

Overall Winners: July 25

Vol 13 is available in digital and print

Check this year's changes

Join us on Discord

Read the Rules

Contact Theresa with questions.

Registration is required for participation. 2026 is CLOSED.

Find submissions and formatting information below.

Read the Writer's Games Origin Story on the blog

Pick up past anthologies here

Mock Event entries will NOT be published.

Look for winners announced in early June.

Mock Event 1: Desperate

First Place: Brian Lockwood

Second Place: Ruthie Stanley

Third Place: Robert Dyer

Mock Event 2: Here Comes the Sun

First Place: Michelle Dornish

Second Place: Moira Richardson

Third Place: Spade Stone

Mock Event Overall Winners

First Place: Ruthie Stanley

Second Place: Moira Richardson

Third Place: Brian Lockwood

First Place overall wins Extended Critique this portion!

PERSES

Core Concepts:

backstory, tropes

Things don’t always work out the way you expected.

For this Event, destroy it.

Registered participants may submit a single entry up to 6,000 words by email to submissions@writersworkout.net before 12 am on the cusp of Tuesday, UTC.

Event Deadline

Email

We reject religious, political, and erotic themes. Fanfiction and AI slop are not accepted.

Mock Events are open to everyone.

Writer's Games Events require registration.

Click here for how it works.

Please thank and follow our sponsors on X!

Premier Literary Services: @kuzitiz

2026 Events & Winners

The top five places in each Event will be featured in

72 Hours of Insanity, vol. 14

Honorable mention entries will not be published

but author names will be included in the anthology.

Practice Event: Tempest

June 12

Practice Event entries will NOT be published but are eligible for Judges' Choice.

First Place: Myzin K
Second Place: Moira Richardson

Third Place: Niina Dubik

Fourth Place: Ross Champion

Fifth Place: Aalisha Green

Honorable mentions:

Alex Bollinger & Jacklyn Oh

Check out what we offer.

We appreciate your support!

Event 1: All's Well

June 19

First Place: Logan Roscoe
Second Place: Brian Lockwood

Third Place: Jacklyn Oh

Fourth Place: Sarah Chamberlain

Fifth Place: H.Y. Motte

Honorable mentions:

Alyssa Beatty & Moira Richardson

Event 2: Feel the Power

June 26

First Place: Katie Ess
Second Place: Moira Richardson

Third Place: MM Schreier

Fourth Place: Logan Roscoe

Fifth Place: Aalisha Green

Honorable mentions: Cara Hurst & Jacklyn Oh

Event 3: Perses

July 3

First Place:
Second Place:

Third Place:

Fourth Place:

Fifth Place:

Honorable mentions:

Event 4: TBA

July 10: The People's Choice

First Place:
Second Place:

Third Place:

Fourth Place:

Fifth Place:

Honorable mentions:

Event 5: TBA

July 17

First Place:
Second Place:

Third Place:

Fourth Place:

Fifth Place:

Honorable mentions:

What people say about Writer's Games:

"The Writer’s Games is by far the best thing I’ve ever done to get back into writing. I was looking for an opportunity to write more often, and The Writer’s Games offered that and so much more."

Submissions & Formatting

All entries must follow these submissions guidelines. During Games, we deduct points for incorrect formatting because many publications reject incorrectly formatted submissions.

All Practice Event entries receive formatting notes to help you keep your points during scored Events.

Interior Formatting:

Arial or Times New Roman, size 10 or 12pt, black
Single spaced
1" empty margins on all four sides
0.5" or Tab indentations for all paragraphs

Please do not use the spacebar to indent

Empty line for scene breaks

NEW GUIDELINES FOR 2026:

NO IDENTIFYING INFO IN YOUR FILE.

File Setup and Submission:

Include your story's title on the first line of your file.

Include both your story's title and the Event name as the file name:

Ex: Pride and Prejudice - Act 3.doc

One piece per file

Include your story's title and the Event name in the subject of your email:

Ex: A Worn Path - Just This Once

Include your name/pseudonym in the body of your email for verification. You do not need to include a bio.

Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt

Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email (submissions [at] writersworkout.net). Set your document permissions to "anyone with the link can [comment or edit]" so we can collect it. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.

Email entries to submissions [at] writersworkout.net.

The Writer's Workout is a global charity working to improve literacy through creative writing. We hold competitions, workshops, open calls, and discussions; provide motivation, tips, prompts, and giveaways; and offer a community rich in culture and skill. Check our donations page to learn more about how The Writer's Workout strengthens the writing community.

Donate

Learn what it takes to produce one portion of The Writer's Games.

The Writer's Workout is a registered

501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

run by volunteers.

The idea for The Writer's Games (originally dubbed the NaNoGames) came from Heather Glomb. The first Games took place in May, 2014, with a goal to "just write". When the contest finished, writers wanted a stronger challenge and this organization was born.

Read about the first Games here.