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WRITER'S GAMES 2025
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.
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Writer's Games 2025
Registration: CLOSED for '25
Mock Event Feedback: June 12
Practice Event: June 13/14
Overall Winners: July 26
Check this year's changes
Join us on Discord
Read the Rules​​​​​​​​​
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Contact Theresa with questions.
Registration is required for participation. 2025 is closed.
Find submissions and formatting information below.
Read the Writer's Games Origin Story on the blog
Mock Event entries will NOT be published.
Mock Event 1: Thunderstruck
First Place: Kate Schuyler
Second Place: Haley Hwang
Third Place: Jacquie Greiff
Mock Event 2: Recalculating
First Place: MM Schreier
Second Place: Katherine Varga
Third Place: Alexis Ames
Mock Event Overall Winners
First Place: MM Schreier
Second Place: Elena Stain
Third Place: Haley Hwang
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First Place overall wins Extended Critique this portion!
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Overall Winners, 2025
First Place: MM Schreier
Second Place: Alyssa Buchthal
Third Place: T.C. Leigh
Fourth Place: Jessica Wilcox
Fifth Place: KB Jackson
Sixth Place: Elizabeth Price
Seventh Place: Niina Tsuyuki Dubik
Eighth Place: JO
Ninth Place: R.A. Clarke
Tenth Place: Moira Richarson
Eleventh Place: Robert Dyer
Twelfth Place: Alice Black
Thirteenth Place: K.M. Shapiro
Fourteenth Place: Meranda Tuttle
Fifteenth Place: Moss Mars
Sixteenth Place: Allison Rott
Seventeenth Place: Lauren Voeltz
Eighteenth Place: Aalisha Green
Nineteenth Place: Angela Benham
Twentieth Place: Ej Sidle
Judges' Choice: Alyx Barter
Please take a moment to
2025 Events & Winners
The top five places in each Event will be featured in
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Honorable mention entries will not be published
but author names will be included in the anthology.
Practice Event: Useless
June 13
Practice Event entries will NOT be published but are eligible for Judges' Choice.
First Place: Moss Mars
Second Place: Zarith Zaireen
Third Place: Emily Brown
Fourth Place: Kim Holland
Fifth Place: Jesse D.
Honorable mentions: H.Y. Motte & Tonassil
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Opt IN for emailed Event announcements.
Opting in adds you to the Writer's Games updates mailing list only;
it does not secure registration.
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Event 1: Bone Apple Tea
June 20
First Place: Alyssa Buchthal
Second Place: T.C. Leigh
Third Place: Elizabeth Price
Fourth Place: Angela Benham
Fifth Place: j.l. hardt
Honorable mentions:
Jacquelyn Greiff, George Jacobs, Kirsty Nottage, Elena Stain
Event 2: Beneath the Surface
June 27
First Place: Ej Sidle
Second Place: John Selden
Third Place: Alyssa Buchthal
Fourth Place: Aalisha Green
Fifth Place: Jessica Wilcox
Honorable mentions: Angela Benham & Elizabeth Price
Event 3: Costume Change
July 4: The Intern Event
First Place: MM Schreier
Second Place: JO
Third Place: Trella Novic
Fourth Place: Jessica Wilcox
Fifth Place: KB Jackson
Honorable mentions: Niina Tsuyuki Dubik & T.C. Leigh
Event 4: Collector
July 11: The People's Choice
First Place: Bea Sage
Second Place: Karen Mitani
Third Place: Meranda Tuttle
Fourth Place: Tonassil
Fifth Place: Faith McCormick
Honorable mentions: KB Jackson & Ej Sidle
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Event 5: Life Finds a Way
July 18
First Place: John Selden
Second Place: Jessica Wilcox
Third Place: MM Schreier
Fourth Place: Ej Sidle
Fifth Place: Kirsty Nottage
Honorable mentions: Abrie Muller & Alyssa Buchthal
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What people say about Writer's Games:
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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.
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All Practice Event entries receive formatting notes to help you keep your points during scored Events.
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Arial or Times New Roman, size 10 or 12pt, black
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Single spaced
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1" empty margins on all four sides
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0.5" (12.7mm) or Tab indentations for all paragraphs
Please do not use the spacebar to indent
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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.
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Name or Pseudonym (add email for Mock Events)
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 but IS required for Mock Events.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Read about the first Games here.