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Writer's Games Information

  Not your ordinary writing competition.

The Writer's Games is a two-month, challenge-based competition that can seem daunting until you dive in. It's not your ordinary writing competition for several reasons. First, all participants must register in advance to participate. Second, competition writing begins only after Events are announced. Third, Events are kept secret until the start of the Event. Fourth, every entry submitted on time receives honest, unbiased feedback from a team of future editors, professors, and literary agents, regardless of placement!

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Read "What happens to my entry" below.

 

Here's how it works:

 

Competition breakdown:

Each week is the same; you can set recurring alarms so you won't miss a post!

Friday: Event announcement (midnight, UTC)

Saturday-Monday: WRITE!

Monday: email entry before midnight, UTC

Repeat for six weeks and at the end, everyone receives feedback!

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Returning Gamer?

Click here for the 2022 changes.

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  • On the same day every week, we announce an Event on the Games page. We choose the Events in advance so the judges can prepare for unbiased judgement of that challenge. The announcement signals the beginning of the Event and the clock starts ticking on the 72-hour time limit.

    • Events begin at midnight, UTC, on the cusp of Saturday. For those in the Americas, that's Friday evening. Everywhere else, it's ​Saturday.

    • Find Event announcements on the Games page, Twitter, and Discord. You can also subscribe to our Writer's Games Only list receive announcements via email.

  • Write your heart out! Create a story that follows the Event announcement and utilizes the Core Concepts listed. Be sure you stay within the word count limit.

  • Before time runs out, edit and revise your short story. Be mindful of your formatting, the Event name appears in ALL CAPS in the announcement. Submit your story via Dropbox or by email to submissions@writersworkout.net. 

    • WW accepts .doc, .docx, and .odt ​

  • When your story is in the judges' hands, look over the list of potential Events and try to think positive thoughts. Participate in the group discussions to better understand the concept behind the week's Event and prepare for the next Event.​​

    • Read below what happens to your entry when you submit.

  • After the final Event closes, the judges spend time finalizing feedback and scores. We'll send you an email with feedback for every entry you submitted and we'll post the winners for all five scored Events on the Writer's Games page.

    • The top three Overall winners participate in an interview with The Writer's Workout and receive these prizes.

  • At the end of the competition, we publish the edited winning entries in an anthology. The proceeds from the sale of this anthology provide prizes and pay for this volunteer organization. You can read more on what goes into producing one portion of The Writer's Games on our Donations page.

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The Writer's Games (originally dubbed the NaNoGames) was the brainchild of 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 group was born.

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What happens to my entry?

Judgement of The Writer's Games is blind. Your registration for The Writer's Games grants you a numbered space on the score sheet. This number is assigned by an impartial third party and is known only to this third party. 

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The number system allows judges to focus on the story and prevents bias. When you submit your entry, the third party replaces author names with their assigned numbers and distributes entries to the judges. The judges never see a name attached to an entry.

 

Entries are never pitted against one another; they are judged solely on their relation to the active challenge. Your score is determined by how well you express an understanding of the Event's Core Concepts.

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At the end of the competition, we post the winners for each Event on the Writer's Games page. We also post a list of the top ten Overall Winners and email feedback to everyone who submitted throughout the competition. Writers receive editorial notes for their winning pieces and time to revise. These winning entries form the portion's anthology.

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Numerical scores are never released for any reason. Every entry receives unbiased feedback from multiple sources.

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What Happens

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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Find out what goes into the production of one portion of The Writer's Games.

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The Writer's Workout is a registered

501(c)(3)

nonprofit organization.

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