Games Events List

For each portion of Writer's Games, judges choose the six Events from this list. Events are selected in advance, before registration opens (except for People's Choice). We try to avoid running the same Event two years in a row.

 

Pay close attention to the Event announcement: it may include special requirements, instructions, or information that could help you develop your entry.

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Create your own characters, settings, and situations for your entry. Event announcements including characters, settings, and situations are provided as examples (unless otherwise stated) and are the administrators' original work.

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We update this list regularly. Events marked "New Event!" have never been used in a Writer's Games portion before. 

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A BARREL OF

New Event!

Some things simply cannot be contained. For this Event, it’s loose. 

Core Concepts: description, perspective

 

 

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; show, don't tell

 

 

ALL RIGHT FOR FIGHTING

New Event!

A competitive nature can dampen the mood whether you’re playing with family, friends, or strangers, but you can still have fun. For this Event, it’s game night.

Core Concepts: dialogue; show, don’t tell

 

 

ALL’S WELL

New Event!

Beginnings are fun and the middle is a journey but where does the fun stop? For this Event, satisfy the ending.

Core Concepts: cohesion, foreshadowing

 

 

BENEATH THE SURFACE

No matter how secret we think something is, what’s hidden can always be found. For this Event, something concealed is brought to the light.

Core Concepts: description, foreshadowing

 

 

BONE APPLE TEA

The truth can often be lost in the transfer from one person to another. For this Event, something misheard leads to catastrophe.

Core Concepts: dialogue, pacing

 

 

CHEKHOV'S GUN

New Event!

Each detail must always move the story forward. For this Event, a small detail early in the story plays a pivotal role in the conclusion. 

Core Concepts: description, pacing

 

 

CHOCOLATE

As in life, writing is full of choices. For this Event, when faced with a difficult decision, choose love.

Core Concepts: backstory, dialogue

 

 

COLLECTOR

It’s too easy to start collecting things, whether you intend to or not. For this Event, the collection is out of control. 

Core Concepts: description; show, don’t tell

 

 

COSTUME CHANGE 

Some people change slowly, others all at once. For this Event, a character becomes unrecognizable. 

Core Concepts: character development, foreshadowing

 

 

DEDICATION

New Event!

Success is far more satisfying when it’s earned. For this Event, a character tries as hard as they can. 

Core Concepts: perspective; show, don't tell

 

 

DESPERATE

New Event!

Some people gain energy from being around others and love the limelight. For this Event, someone or something wants to be the center of attention.

Core Concepts: character development, tropes

 

 

FEEL THE POWER

New Event!

Some worry about saying a name. For this Event, an object holds the power.

Core Concepts: description, pacing

 

 

FIRST PLACE LOSER

New Event!

Some train for years, others are born winners, and some take matters into their own hands. For this Event, your character cheats to win. 

Core Concepts: backstory, perspective

 

 

GO TEAM!

Whether you’re competing or a spectator, competition brings out the best—and worst—aspects of a personality. For this Event, the primary focus is a sporting event. 
Core Concepts: character development, dialogue

 

 

GRAND DESIGN

New Event!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For this Event, your character creates or created a masterpiece. 

Core Concepts: description, perspective

 

 

HERE COMES THE SUN

Some find comfort, some find horrors; the night means something different for everyone. For this Event, your story begins at sunset and ends with the sunrise.

Core Concepts: pacing; show, don’t tell

 

 

HERE’S YOUR SIGN

New Event!

We all have perfect vision when analyzing a situation from the outside but when you’re living through it, it’s hard to see the signs. For this Event, your character receives omens about the future. 

Core Concepts: foreshadowing, tropes

 

 

IN A NAME

New Event!

Your story’s title is just as influential as the characters, setting, and plot. For this Event, your title must include the provided phrase.

Core Concepts: cohesion, tropes

 

 

INTERFERENCE

Forced change for the sake of changing rarely achieves good results. For this Event, advancements in technology go too far. 

Core Concepts: description, foreshadowing

 

 

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

 

 

LEMONADE

Resilience is a powerful attribute. For this Event, make the most of a bad situation.

Core Concepts: backstory, character development

 

 

LIAR, LIAR

New Event!

People reveal their true selves in stages. For this Event, a character has a big secret.

Core Concepts: backstory, dialogue

 

 

LIFE FINDS A WAY

Even the best-laid plans need contingencies. For this Event, your character makes their great escape.  

Core Concepts: cohesion, foreshadowing

 

 

LITERARY BINGO

Writing is a combination of story elements, actions, descriptions, and characters. For this Event, you’ll be assigned a Bingo! card. Fully incorporate all five boxes in any column, row, or diagonal line on your card to create a unique story.

Core Concepts: cohesion, pacing

 

 

LUCKY

New Event!

Change can be extraordinary but it can also unearth a nightmare. For this Event, your character wins a prize that changes their life.

Core Concepts: backstory; show, don’t tell

 

 

NEW WORLDS

New Event!

Leaving behind everything you know can teach you who you are. For this Event, your character finds themselves in an unfamiliar environment from the provided list.

Core Concepts: character development, description

 

 

PATIENCE

New Event!

Patience is a virtue. For this Event, your character is waiting. 

Core Concepts: show, don’t tell; tropes

 

 

PERSES

New Event!

Things don’t always work out the way you expected. For this Event, destroy it. 

Core Concepts: backstory, tropes

 

 

PHONE A FRIEND

New Event!

Finding trouble is the easy part. For this Event, your character is in over their head.

Core Concepts: foreshadowing; show, don't tell

 

 

PICK A NUMBER

New Event!

As writers, many of us forget the importance of numbers and their influence on our lives. For this Event, choose a number from the provided list to feature prominently throughout your story.

Core Concepts: cohesion, tropes

 

 

PROMISE ME THIS

New Event! 

Some things simply cannot be broken. For this Event, a promise is kept. 

Core Concepts: character development, dialogue

 

 

RECALCULATING...

It’s easy to get lost if you’re not paying attention. For this Event, your character must follow important directions. 

Core Concepts: dialogue, pacing

 

 

RECOGNIZABLE

New Event!

Tropes can make your writing more accessible, especially early in your writing career. For this Event, a trope from the list is the star of your piece. 

Core Concepts: cohesion, tropes

 

 

REUNITED

New Event!

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and if you love something, you should set it free. For this Event, two things or people are reunited after a long time apart.

Core Concepts: backstory, pacing

 

 

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: pacing, perspective

 

 

STUCK

When a character stays in one place, the setting plays an even bigger role in the story and every detail matters. For this Event, your whole story takes place in one physical space.

Core Concepts: description; show, don’t tell

 

 

TEMPEST

New Event! 

Returning storms may bring destruction or new life. For this Event, a familiar storm comes back around. 

Core Concepts: character development, perspective

 

 

THUNDERSTRUCK

Lightning never strikes the same place twice. For this Event, your character gets an important second chance. 

Core Concepts: character development, cohesion

 

 

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

 

 

USELESS

Speed, strength, flight, invisibility… the list of awesome superpowers is endless. For this Event, your character thinks their superpower is useless.

Core Concepts: perspective, tropes

 

 

WHAT WAS THAT

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

 

 

XP

New Event!

Some of the best experiences come from a life well-lived. For this Event, your character looks back from the end of their natural life. 

Core Concepts: backstory, cohesion