The Writer's Workout
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WRITER'S GAMES: Tips & Events
Use the menu below to jump to the selected section. It is recommended that you read the tips and hints to reap the most benefit from the competition. The list of possible Events is a good place to take notes.
The Writer's Games Events List was last updated:
APRIL 2021
Tips & Hints for Gamers
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There are no bonus points awarded for "first received". Each Event lasts 72 hours, so take your time and make sure your entry says what you want it to, the way you want it to. Put your best work forward in the time allowed.
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All submissions should be publication ready so be sure to edit and proofread before you submit.
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Pay close attention to your Title Information. Missing, misplaced, or incorrect Title Information will result in entry disqualification. If you read the FAQ and the Rules but still don't have an answer to your question, ask! The judges are available in the Forum to help you succeed.
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Try every Event. The more Events you enter, the more feedback you receive AND the higher your Overall Score. The highest Overall Score wins!
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Unreasonable demands will be met with the Wrath of Righting.
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Be respectful of your fellow participants. Remember, there are all ages and cultures here.
Writer's Games Events List
The following Events may or may not appear during the Games. The judges determine which Events will take place in advance; this is a list of potential Events and general definitions. The Event announcement takes precedence; the definitions here are a guide for further explanation. Keep in mind, we're constantly updating this list. Find out when it was last updated at the top of this page.
ACT III
Life stays interesting as long as you keep learning. For this Event, your character, aged 60+, finds a new hobby.
Core Concepts: dialogue, pacing
BEASTLY
New Event!
Whether they’re being attacked, completely peaceful, or somewhere in between, sometimes characters fail despite their best efforts. For this Event, your character(s) encounter a creature that will not die.
Core Concepts: cohesion, tropes
BEING HUMAN
There are so many morphing creatures out there that sometimes our characters forget about the perils of being human. For this Event, the ability to shapeshift does not exist and all your characters are human.
Core Concepts: pacing, perspective
BIZARRE BAZAAR
Festivals are full of new sights, sounds, and experiences that can bring out both the best and worst in human nature. For this Event, your characters explore a festival of some kind.
Core Concepts: description, tropes
BRAND NEW
An unfamiliar place can feel like adventure as the experience overwhelms your senses and twists your understanding of language. For this Event, your character explores a location they've never been.
Core Concepts: dialogue, description
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
New Event!
Though obstacles come in many shapes and sizes, life can be easier when we work together. For this Event, a group of characters works together to survive a difficult situation.
Core Concepts: character development, dialogue
CHANCE ENCOUNTER
New Event!
Nothing happens by chance. For this Event, a chance meeting changes everything.
Core Concepts: pacing; show, don’t tell
CHILDREN’S STORY
A child's imagination is a powerful tool. For this Event, access your inner child and write a story for children that targets the specified age group.
Core Concepts: description, tropes
CREATION
Everything comes from somewhere. For this Event, your character’s or world’s origin story is the primary focus.
Core Concepts: backstory, cohesion
DIALOGUE ONLY
Dialogue does more than express conversation: it helps show the characters' personalities without telling the reader who they are. For this Event, tell an entire story using only dialogue.
Core Concepts: dialogue, pacing
DON’T LOOK
Sometimes all it takes is a change in perspective to reveal the horrors of ordinary life. For this Event, your character is scared of an object everyone else finds ordinary.
Core Concepts: pacing, perspective
DOORS
Life is all about options. For this Event, your character goes through at least one real door that will change their life.
Core Concepts: character development; show, don't tell
FACE OFF
New Event!
Even though we weigh the effects of each decision we make, we can never be certain it’s the right one. For this Event, your character comes face to face with their alternate universe self who chose the other path.
Core Concepts: backstory, dialogue
FAKE HOLIDAY
Decorations, special attire, and grand feasts are the hallmarks of many well-celebrated holidays. For this Event, your character(s) creates a fake holiday and convinces others to celebrate as if it’s real.
Core Concepts: cohesion, description
FAKE TRUTH
Memoirs tell the true story of someone's life through narrative. For this Event, your character lied in their memoir.
Core Concepts: backstory, character development
FATAL FLAW
New Event!
We love to see the good in characters so we can root for their success but flaws are just as important and interesting. For this Event, choose a character flaw from the list and help your character ruin their life.
Core Concepts: character development, foreshadowing
FEAR ITSELF
Every character is afraid of something, but if they always run away they will never grow. For this Event, write a story in which your character's true personality is revealed as they face what scares them the most.
Core Concepts: backstory, character development
FLAVOR
Taste brings back memories and reminds us of our past. For this Event, the sense of taste impacts your character in remarkable ways.
Core Concepts: cohesion, perspective
GAME SHOW OF DEATH
Game shows reward people for feats of strength, ingenuity, or knowledge with monetary gain and notoriety. For this Event, your characters must compete and the reward for stupidity is death.
Core Concepts: cohesion, dialogue
HIDDEN TREASURE
One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. For this Event, an unassuming object is worth its weight in gold.
Core Concepts: perspective; show, don’t tell
IN ABSENTIA
Some of the best stories revolve around people you’ve never met. For this Event, your story revolves around a character who never actually appears.
Core Concepts: backstory; show, don’t tell
IT'S A DISASTER!
New Event!
Life gave us lemons and now citrus is taking over the world. For this Event, unlikely heroes step up to save humanity from something so ridiculously over the top, all you can do is laugh.
Core Concepts: backstory, tropes
IT'S ALIENS!
"First contact" with alien life is arguably one of the biggest and most widely anticipated events in academic society. For this Event, tell a fictional story of the first contact with aliens from another world.
Core Concepts: show, don't tell; tropes
JUST THIS ONCE
Just because everyone survives doesn't mean it's a happy story. For this Event, tell a tragic story where no one dies.
Core Concepts: foreshadowing, perspective
LIFE AND DEATH
New Event!
Following the life cycle of a character, place, or thing helps us see every aspect, good and bad. For this Event, something/one’s entire existence begins and ends during your story.
Core Concepts: perspective; show, don’t tell
MAJOR MOTTO
New Event!
It’s a beautiful thing when a community comes together. Sometimes outsiders don’t see just how strong a shared motto can make a small town. For this Event, a town has an unusual saying that everyone lives by.
Core Concepts: backstory, tropes
MEET CUTE
Who knew that bumping into a stranger at your favorite coffee shop could turn out like this? For this Event, your romantic characters meet in an adorable way.
Core Concepts: dialogue, foreshadowing
MEMORY BOX
New Event!
Some memories stay with us forever, especially the best ones. For this Event, your character revisits a treasured memory.
Core Concepts: backstory, cohesion
ON THIS DATE
History is distilled into distinct dates that can hold a great personal or societal meaning. Often when people live through something, they don’t realize its importance until after the fact. For this Event, select a decade and country from the list provided and write a historical fiction story.
Core Concepts: cohesion, foreshadowing
OOPS
New Event!
Every choice we make carries with it the weight of both good and bad effects. For this Event, your character makes a mistake with consequences that haunt them.
Core Concepts: character development, foreshadowing
SENSELESS
We navigate the world through our senses. For this Event, a character has lost one or more of their senses and must rely on the descriptions of others to navigate their new world.
Core Concepts: perspective; show, don’t tell
SILENCE
Sometimes the most powerful words are the ones not said. For this Event, write a complete story with no dialogue.
Core Concepts: description; show, don't tell
SPLIT UP, GANG
Mysteries plague life for everyone: who killed Jim, who ate the last cookie? For this Event, write a mystery that is solved by the end.
Core Concepts: foreshadowing, tropes
STRONGER
New Event!
Life often throws challenges at us that we’re not sure we can withstand. For this Event, all your character has to do is survive.
Core Concepts: foreshadowing, perspective
THE BEST AROUND
New Event!
A goal is a target you haven't hit yet. For this Event, your character succeeds in a big way.
Core Concepts: backstory, description
THUNDERSTRUCK
Lightning never strikes the same place twice. For this Event, your character gets an important second chance.
Core Concepts: character development, foreshadowing
TICK, TOCK
Making an important decision under pressure often reveals a person’s true character. For this Event, your character(s) must meet a pressing time constraint.
Core Concepts: character development, pacing
UNEVENTFUL
New Event!
Sometimes planning to do nothing creates chaos. For this Event, your character tries to take a break from their busy schedule but keeps getting interrupted.
Core Concepts: dialogue, pacing
UNLOCKED
New Event!
Mystical, magical, or completely unremarkable, unlocking a gateway can change your character’s reality forever. For this Event, your character finds a gateway to another world.
Core Concepts: description, tropes
WE BUILT THIS CITY
New Event!
Rome wasn’t built in a day. For this Event, your character experienced the historical founding of an important real location.
Core Concepts: cohesion, pacing
WHAT WAS THAT
New Event!
Rumors and theories of long lost civilizations and cryptids waiting to be photographed exist the world over. For this Event, your character comes face to face with the impossible.
Core Concepts: foreshadowing, tropes
WORLD BUILDING
Worlds are silent characters in the stories we tell; they inform, describe, and bring to life the environment your characters call home. For this Event, tell a story in which the setting is the main character.
Core Concepts: character development, description
Writer's Games Prizes
Prizes for the 2021 Writer's Games are donated by the co-founders of The Writer's Workout and the judges.
Overall: Each of the top five winners overall receive a physical copy of the anthology and an interview for our winners section.
Each of the top ten winners overall receive the Better Writer Subscription service free for six months.
Event: Each of the top five winning entries appear in the Portion's anthology volume of 72 Hours of Insanity.
Event winners receive 50% off any single service at our affiliate, Premier Literary Services.
Submissions: Each entry submitted by a registered participant before the deadline receives critique from multiple judges, regardless of qualifying or placement status.