WRITER'S GAMES 2024

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.

Writer's Games returns in 2024!

Read the update email

Check this year's changes

Join us on Discord

Read the Rules

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR 2024

We reached out for parental consent May 27 and June 5

Mock Event feedback was released June 10

Practice Event feedback was released June 23/24

ALL FEEDBACK for 2024 was released July 28/29

Editing notes were released Aug 26

72 Hours, vol 12, anticipated release is Sept 21

2024 Survey

Contact Theresa with questions. Registration is required for participation.

Find submissions and formatting information below.

Read the Writer's Games Origin Story on the blog

Pick up past anthologies here

2024 Events & Winners

The top five places in each Event will be featured in

72 Hours of Insanity, vol. 12

Honorable mention entries will not be published

but author names will be included in the anthology.

Event 1: Chocolate

June 21

First Place: Angela Benham

Second Place: Alexis Ames & Elizabeth Price

Fourth Place: Cheryl King & Josephine Queen

Honorable mentions: Alyssa Beatty & Ej Sidle

Event 2: Go Team!

June 28

First Place: Jaime Gill

Second Place: Lindsey Odorizzi

Third Place: Laura Cody

Fourth Place: Ajay Sabhaney

Fifth Place: Kris Schnebelen & Molly Wadkins

Honorable mentions: David Bachman & Amber Felt

Overall Winners

First Place: Ej Sidle
Second Place: Jaime Gill
Third Place: Lisa Fox
Fourth Place: Laura Cody & Kim Holland
Sixth Place: Grace Quon
Seventh Place: Allison Rott
Eighth Place: R.A. Clarke
Ninth Place: Alyssa Beatty
Tenth Place: MM Schreier
Eleventh Place: Bea Sage
Twelfth Place: Sean Fallon
Thirteenth Place: Emily Brown
Fourteenth Place: K. Z. Richards
Fifteenth Place: Marie Price
Sixteenth Place: Katie Ess
Seventeenth Place: Haley Hwang
Eighteenth Place: Tom Sadira
Nineteenth Place: KM Shapiro
Twentieth Place: Lauren Sibley

Judges' Choice: Ashleigh Adams

"Don't Worry Baby"

These writers, as well as all Event winners and honorable mentions, have earned early registration in 2025.

Click here for this year's survey.

Check out what we offer.

We appreciate your support!

We reject religious, political, and erotic themes. Fanfiction and AI-copied content are not accepted.

All participants must be registered.

Click here for how it works.

Please thank and follow our sponsors on X!

Premier Literary Services: @kuzitiz

Reedsy: @ReedsyHQ

Opt IN for emailed Event announcements.

Opting in adds you to the Writer's Games mailing list only;

it does not secure registration.

Event 3: It's a Disaster

July 5

First Place: Allison Rott

Second Place: Morgana Clark

Third Place: Keith R. Burdon

Fourth Place: Lisa Fox

Fifth Place: Jaime Gill

Honorable mentions: EJ Howler & Ej Sidle

Event 4: Aftermath

July 12

First Place: Ej Sidle

Second Place: Josephine Queen

Third Place: Grace Quon

Fourth Place: Alyssa Beatty

Fifth Place: Sean Fallon

Honorable mentions: Alexis Ames, Laura Cody, & Lisa Fox

Event 5: Literary Bingo

July 19

First Place: Roxanne Kalinda

Second Place: Elizabeth Price

Third Place: Brandon Cox

Fourth Place: John Selden

Fifth Place: Kim Holland

Honorable mentions: David Klotzkin & Bea Sage

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."

Formatting

Submissions & Formatting

All entries must follow these submissions guidelines. During Games, we deduct points for incorrect formatting because many publications reject incorrectly formatted submissions without informing you.

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

Arial or Times New Roman, size 10 or 12pt, black
Single spaced
1" empty margins on all four sides
0.5" (12.7mm) or Tab indentations for all paragraphs

Please do not use the spacebar to indent

Empty line for scene breaks

Entries must include the proper Title Information at the start of the document, aligned left. Please do not add your Title Info to the header margin.

Name or Pseudonym

Title of Entry

Event Name

Word Count

Entries without these four lines in this order in your document will be disqualified from the Event but the writer is still eligible to compete and win. Learn more about what this means on the Games FAQ. Please note the email address is not required for Writer's Games entries.

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

OR use our DropBox.

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.