Writer's Games Tips & Events

Tips/Hints

Possible Events

PRIZES

Tips & Hints for Gamers

• 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.

• All submissions should be publication ready so be sure to edit and proofread before you submit.

• 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.

• Try every Event. The more Events you enter, the more feedback you receive AND the higher your Overall Score. The highest Overall Score wins!

• Unreasonable demands will be met with the Wrath of Righting.

• 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; but you should never use characters and situations from the announcement. 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. 

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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

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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

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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

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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

 

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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

 

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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

 

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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

 

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CREATION

Everything comes from somewhere. For this Event, your character’s or world’s origin story is the primary focus.

Core Concepts: backstory, cohesion

 

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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

 

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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

 

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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

 

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EVERY VILLAIN'S STORY

New Event!

Every villain is the hero of their own story. For this Event, your character must face their villainous deeds.

Core Concepts: backstory, dialogue

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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

 

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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

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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

 

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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

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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

 

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

 

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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

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STUCK

New Event!

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 that takes place in one physical space.

Core Concepts: description; show, don’t tell

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THE BEST AROUND

A goal is a target you haven't hit yet. For this Event, your character succeeds in a big way.

Core Concepts: backstory, description

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THUNDERSTRUCK

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

Core Concepts: character development, foreshadowing

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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

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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

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WE BUILT THIS CITY

New Event!

People have relied on landmarks for millennia but sometimes their stories are lost in time. For this Event, a landmark plays a pivotal role in the narrative. 

Core Concepts: cohesion, pacing

 

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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

 

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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

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