Writer's Games Archive
Not your ordinary writing competition
Each portion of The Writer's Games requires an average of 35 people and around 5,000 hours of volunteer labor.
You can donate here to help keep us running!
Writer's Games 2021
In 2021, we decided to focus on offering more publication opportunities to writers around the world. This left us little time to produce multiple portions of this intense competition. Instead, we opted for one big extravaganza... and we were not disappointed. Hundreds of writers around the world joined our community for the summer portion, resulting in millions of words and so many amazing new worlds, we were in awe.
To see what goes into the production of just one portion of The Writer's Games, check out this document or visit our Donations page. You can find the winning entries in vol. 10 of our Games Anthologies.
vol. 10, in Print.
This volume is also available in eBook.
2021 WINNERS:
3rd place: JB Hansen
2nd place: Teague LaBrosse
1st place: MM Schreier
Judges' Choice: Frances Turner
Writer's Games 2020
Our seventh year was bigger and better than ever. While the world around us socially distanced in quarantine, we pushed for inventive, new ways to inspire. Writers around the world submitted more than 2.5 million words in Games entries this year. We made new friends, judged wild new style combinations, and produced two amazing anthologies as a result. We also saw two winners land publishing contracts as a result.
WOW.
To see what goes into the production of just one portion of The Writer's Games, check out this document or visit our Donations page. Winning entries were available in vols. 8 and 9 of our Games Anthologies but are now out of print.
2020 Portion 1 WINNERS:
3rd place: Madeleine Pelletier
2nd place: Lisa Fox
1st place: Haley M. Hwang
2020 Portion 2 WINNERS:
3rd place: CE Snow
2nd place: Ej Sidle
1st place: R.A. Clarke
Writer's Games 2019
With lots of schedule changes at play, Portion 1 took place over March and April in 2019. We worried this deviation from our traditional portion schedule would limit the number of writers who could participate; we were pleasantly surprised to find more overwhelming support for this writing competition. Just like in 2018, more than four hundred writers competed and gathered to accept the challenge of six stories in six weeks.
Prizes for both portions were graciously supplied by Games sponsors Out of Print and Litographs.
To see what goes into the production of just one portion of The Writer's Games, check out this document or visit our Donations page. Winning entries were available in vols. 6 and 7 of our Games Anthologies but are now out of print.
2019 Portion 1 WINNERS:
3rd place: A.B. Kelly
2nd place: MM Schreier
1st place: Anne Limbergh
2019 Portion 2 WINNERS:
3rd place: Janna Miller
2nd place: RH Berry
1st place: MM Schreier
Writer's Games 2018
After much inter-team conflict and entitlement, 2018 saw the last Teams portion for the foreseeable future. The Writer's Workout community focused on more positive things: TWO Individual portions in 2018! For the months of April and August, more than four hundred writers competed in the Individual Writer's Games. The Writer's Workout was thrilled for the support of For Reading Addicts and OmmWriter, who also provided outstanding prizes for our winners. Stacked with exciting new challenges, 72-hour weekly deadlines, and the introduction of the Extended Critique option, this year's Writer's Games was the most challenging to date. To see what goes into the production of just one portion of The Writer's Games, check out this document or visit our Donations page. Winning entries were available in vols. 4 and 5 of our Games Anthologies but are now out of print.
Writer's Games 2017
2017 saw many positive changes to the Writer's Games: a separate Games Twitter account, site and Twitter Event announcements (in addition to the Facebook releases), definitions of Events, and core concepts to help writers understand what judges wanted to see. The writing community exploded with anticipation and excitement over our little contest. Within the first six days of open registration, 2017's total exceeded 2016. We blew past our stretch goal in the first two weeks and within three weeks of opening, we had to switch to a waiting list to ensure a consistent level of quality care for our participants. To accommodate as many writers as possible, we reopened our internship to new applicants—doubling our program and allowing us to accept the first one hundred of the 268 additional names on the waitlist. Three hundred writers competed in the Individual portion of Writer's Games 2017; our most successful event to date. With a second internship for the Teams portion, eight teams competed for victory. Writer's Games 2017 maintained the People's Choice Event, feedback for every entry, seven guest judges, and a break in the middle for Camp NaNoWriMo. The Writer's Games anthology published the top five weekly winners of the Individual portion and top three Teams portion weekly placements. Winning entries were available in vol. 3 of our Games Anthologies but are now out of print.
2018 Individual Portion 1 WINNERS:
3rd place: Cindy Morrison
2nd place: Jessica Morris-Reade
1st place: EJ Fowler
2018 Individual Portion 2 WINNERS:
3rd place: K.M. Shapiro
2nd place: Paul Webb
1st place: L.S. Fellows
2018 Teams Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: SUblime SUperScribes
2nd place: The Red Herrings
1st place: Lexical Literati
2017 Individual Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: C.H. Knyght
2nd place: Lauren Tetrick
1st place: EL Johnson
2017 Teams Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: The Red Herrings
2nd place: The Dark and Stormy Knights
1st place: Sneaky Little Scribes
Writer's Games 2016
When 2016 rolled around, The Writer's Workout was buzzing with anticipation of The Writer's Games. Writers encouraged their friends to join in the fun and the group doubled. Planning for the 2016 Writer's Games began in January with an internship for course credit open to college students. By the time registration opened, The Games were ready to go. The Individual portion saw 126 writers, seven guest judges, and a People's Choice Event.
The Writer's Workout took a break in July for Camp NaNoWriMo. The Games returned in August, where five teams tackled difficult Events focused on setting, point of view, and another People's Choice. Publication of the second Games Anthology set a tradition for future Games. Winning entries were available in vol. 2 of our Games Anthologies but are now out of print.
2016 Individual Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: EL Johnson
2nd place: Jennifer Worrell
1st place: Shannon Schuren
2016 Teams Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: Wolves
2nd place: Salty Seahorses
1st place: The Red Herrings
Writer's Games 2015
By the 2015 Games, The Writer's Workout was in full swing and judges had more than a minute to plan for what became the foundation of the Writer's Games today. The Individual portion came first in 2015, with 96 writers using every last second of their 72-hour time limit. Tensions were high as the Individual portion progressed, and amid the competitive nature of the writers involved, lasting friendships blossomed.
The Writer's Workout planned for a month-long break for Camp NaNoWriMo in July, and seven Teams of writers worked to produce incredible and varied short stories in just 72 hours. The 2015 Games also saw the first publication of winning entries in volume 1 of our Games Anthologies, now out of print.
2015 Individual Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: EL Johnson
2nd place: Andrew Barber
1st place: Melanie Brooke
2015 Teams Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: Samurai's Word
2nd place: The Longest Night Watch
1st place: The Red Herrings
Writer's Games 2014
The first annual Writer's Games (originally dubbed the NaNoGames) were a 2014 experiment. 4 teams battled in what can only be referred to as an all-out war. With 48 hours to write, and 46 hours to judge, the Teams portion was a whirlwind of confusion. Both the judges and participants had only a moment to relax before 44 writers competed for the Individual portion and bragging rights. While the writing period was still just 48 short hours this first year, the judges wised up and set a schedule that would provide some consistency to the chaos.
2014 Individual Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: Melanie Brooke
2nd place: Alley Saltz
1st place: Seamus Harper
2014 Teams Portion WINNERS:
3rd place: Timelords
2nd place: Wolves
1st place: CAPSlock