4 Free Writing Contests. Over $15,000 In Prizes

 Here is a list of 4 writing competitions with a combined prize pool of over fifteen thousand dollars.

Two of the contests are for poetry, but if you look at the past winners, the poems read like short fiction stories, not the usual short, rhyming poems that you would expect (or at least that I expected).

The other two are short fiction story contests.

All contests have no fee to enter.

Good luck.

Boston Review Short Fiction Competition

This competition is free to enter, unless you live in the US, Canada or Western Europe, in which case it's a $20 entry fee.

The theme is Speculation.

Interpretation of the theme can be broad.

Word count: 5,000 max

1st prize: $1,000 plus publication

Deadline 31st May 2022

https://bostonreview.net/contests

Boston Review Poetry Competition

This competition is also free to enter unless you live in the US, Canada or Western Europe, in which case it's a $20 entry fee.

The theme is Speculation.

Interpretation of the theme can be broad.

Word count: 5 poems or 10 pages, whichever comes first.

1st prize: $1,000 plus publication

Deadline 31st May 2022

https://bostonreview.net/contests

Imagine 2200, Climate Fiction For Future Ancestors

Short stories set between today and the year 2200.

Show a path to a clean, green, and just future.

Word count: 3,000 to 5,000 words.

1st prize: $3,000

2nd prize: $2,000

3rd prize: $1,000

Plus 9 more finalists  will receive $300 each.

Deadline: 5th May 2022

https://grist.submittable.com/submit 

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Seeking best humor poems. Can be previously published.

Word count: 250 lines max.

1st prize: $2,000 + 2 year gift certificates for membership to Duotrope.

2nd prize: $500

10 honourable mentions: $100 each

Deadline: 1st April 2022

https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

List of Writing Markets and Free Writing Competitions

Today I have for you a list of lists of writing markets and a list of lists of no-fee, free-to-enter writing competitions.

While you may think there is less chance of winning a competition than having your work accepted by a writing market, it's not necessarily so. 

Also, I always find that entering a writing competition and not winning is still great writing practice and it gives me a whole archive of short pieces of writing that can be submitted for another competition or a writing market.

In my writing world, no piece of writing is ever wasted.

Browse through the following list of lists and enjoy your writing.

WRITING MARKETS:

4 Paying Fiction Podcast Markets for Writers

https://writersweekly.com/marketing-secrets/4-paying-fiction-podcast-markets-for-writers-by-chris-saunders

Write Jobs

List of writing markets and free writing competitions

http://www.writejobs.info

The Market List

A huge list of writing markets with a category list in the sidebar

https://marketlist.com/writers_markets

101 Calls for Submissions in September 2021 - Paying markets

https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2021/08/83-calls-for-submissions-in-september.html

WRITING COMPETITIONS:

50+ Writing Contests in 2021 with Awesome Cash Prizes

https://smartblogger.com/writing-contests/

40 Free Writing Contests: Legitimate Competitions With Cash Prizes

https://thewritelife.com/writing-contests/

2021 Free International Writing Entry Contests

https://owlcation.com/humanities/Free-International-Fiction-and-Non-Fiction-Entry-Contests

A List of Writing Competitions in 2021 and Beyond

The free-to-enter competitions are highlighted.

https://dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/

Writing Markets and Free Writing Competitions

I hope this new month, August, is a whole new month of writing and earning for you.

I've been busy working on my second book in my new Monthly Writing Challenge Series, which is all about setting up a niche website in a month AND earning money from it.

I've also compiled this list for you of current writing markets and a couple of free-to-enter writing competitions to get your creative juices flowing.

Have fun.

20 Literary Agents Actively Seeking Writers and Their Writing

https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/20-literary-agents-actively-seeking-writers-and-their-writing

Part Time Editor

Graduate school admissions consulting company seeking a part-time copyeditor to edit and proofread graduate school application documents.

Pay: $25/hr

Hours/week: 15-30

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?cmp=Ivy-League-Consulting&t=Editor&jk=92bf23d0383a25a8

Call for submissions for Issue 24 (short stories): Lackington's

Pay: $25+ CAD per piece

Deadline: 31 August 2021

https://lackingtons.com/about/

Micro Madness Flash Fiction Content

$100 top prize

Deadline: 7 August 2021

Submissions will be ongoing and open the first week of every month for that month’s contest. 

THREE stories will be chosen per month to be published the month after they were submitted.

https://www.cosmichorrormonthly.com/micro-madness/

NewPages Classifieds

View the latest calls for submissions for writing, art, book-length and chapbook-length manuscripts, photography, and more from magazines, publishers, writing conferences and events, writing programs, etc.

https://www.newpages.com/classifieds/calls-for-submissions

Where to Submit Short Stories: 

30 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work

While we’ll give you a brief idea of the flavour of each magazine and site, you’ll definitely want to spend some time reading your target publications before submitting to become familiar with the sort of pieces they prefer. 

https://thewritelife.com/where-to-submit-short-stories/

12 Short Story Publishers that Pay $1,000 or More

A list of publishers that pay $1,000 for short stories. Included in this list is a variety of types of publications, including literary journals, magazines, and eBook publishers. Some of the publishers pay more than $1,000, some occasionally pay less, but all of them pay $1,000 for at least some of the stories they publish.

https://www.freedomwithwriting.com/freedom/uncategorized/8-short-story-publishers-that-pay-1000-or-more/

26 Literary Magazines That Pay $100 or More

Here are twenty-six literary magazines that pay $100 and up for fiction and personal essays. (Poetry rates vary.) None charge submission fees. Nearly all have reading periods, so check their guidelines carefully.

https://curiosityneverkilledthewriter.com/26-literary-magazines-that-pay-100-or-more-508ad2866038

Short Story Magazines

This page contains details of short story magazines that accept unsolicited submissions and regularly publish fiction.

https://www.christopherfielden.com/short-story-tips-and-writing-advice/short-story-magazines.php

EcoTheo Review Short Fiction Contest

$250 top prize

Deadline: 30 August 2021

We are thrilled to announce our first ever short fiction contest! The top two winners will receive $250 each, along with publication in the Winter 2021 issue of the magazine.

https://www.ecotheo.org

No-Fee (Free to Enter) Writing Competitions June 2021+

Australian Writers Centre

Furious Fiction

Presented by us, the Australian Writers’ Centre, this fun, fast – and best of all – FREE short story challenge blasts off on the first Friday of every month. Anyone in the world aged 17 years and older is able to take part. Not only do you get to try your hand at a new creative challenge each and every month, the winning story takes home $500 in cash!

Opens: 5pm (Sydney/Melbourne time) on the first Friday of the month

Closes: 55 hours later (midnight, Sunday)

Word limit: 500 words

Entry fee: FREE

Prize: The winner takes home AUD$500 each month, and the shortlisted favourites are published on our blog

https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/

Your Ultimate Guide to Free Writing Contests Through 2022

https://jerryjenkins.com/writing-contests/#p5

The Best Writing Contests of 2021

Writing competitions curated by Reedsy

https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-contests/

The Writing Quarter Competition

A free to enter short story writing competition.

This is an ongoing monthly competition.

Deadline: Last day of every month

Open theme

https://writingquarter.com.au/the-writing-quarter-competition/

Dystopian Stories

Writing Competitions, Prizes, and Awards for Writers in 2021

Has free competitions clearly marked

https://dystopianstories.com/writing-competitions-contests/

Smart Blogger Free  Writing Comps

50+ Writing Contests in 2021 with Awesome Cash Prizes

https://smartblogger.com/writing-contests/

PASTICHE MODE

Work, Play And Everything In Between

Free International Writing Contests You Can Enter In 2021

http://pastichemode.com/2021/01/16/free-international-writing-contests-you-can-enter-in-2021/

International Radio Playwriting Competition 2020

This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to write a radio play.

In the UK the BBC World Service and the British Council, in partnership with Commonwealth Writers have opened up entry to their International Radio Playwriting Competition 2020.

This competition is open to new and established writers who are NOT a resident of the UK and will be at least 18 years of age before 31st January 2020.

The competition is for radio playscripts of approximately 53 minutes (usually 1 page per minute) on any subject/genre with no more than 6 central adult characters, plus a synopsis of up to 400 words that outlines your play.

There are 2 categories, one for those whose first language is English and one for those who have English as a second language.

In each category, there is a prize of £2,500, and a trip to London including airfare and accommodation for one, to see your play being recorded and to attend a prize-giving event.

The closing date is 31 January 2020 at midnight GMT.

You can enter by post, email, or online

Find complete rules and how to enter at the BBC writers room website.

Good luck. 🤞


https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/international-radio-playwriting-competition

Your Book Into a Movie + $1,000 Prize Money + Intros to Hollywood Agents & Producers

Ever wanted to see your book made into a movie or a TV show?

Well, now is your chance.

This is a great competition open to writers worldwide to get your book made into a movie.

If your book or graphic novel has a cinematic possibility for film or TV, then you can enter it into this competition.

What will you receive if your book is chosen?

Win $1,000 + introductions to Hollywood agents and producers!

There is also a prize for 2nd place plus a special mention for 100 quarter-finalists.

The closing date is 30th November 2019.

Click the link below to see full terms and conditions and to enter your book now.

https://screencraft.org/book/

Unusual Writing Competition For a Short Story

Owl Canyon Press Short Story Hackathon #3

This is a free-to-enter short story competition with a difference.

All the publisher is looking for is a short story consisting of exactly 50 paragraphs. Each paragraph has to be a minimum of 40 words, but there is no maximum word count for the story overall.

Not only that, but you are already provided with the first and twentieth paragraphs and you have to write all the others yourself.

This writing competition is open to writers from all over the world, but entries must be in English. And you can write in any genre.

The 3 top entries will win the first prize of $3,000, second prize of $2,000 plus the third prize of $1,000.

And the top 24 entries will also be included in an anthology.

The closing date for entries is 30th September 2019.

Find out more and how to enter at the website, https://www.owlcanyonpress.com/hackathon.

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What If... Short Story Competition

This is another free-to-enter short story competition.

It's run by Cook Publishing who are looking for submissions of short stories from 3,000 to 10,000 words.

The theme of the story must be "What If...?" and it's open to your own interpretation.

The overall winner will receive $250 and finalists each receive $50. 

All winning entries will be published on the company's website.

https://www.cookpubs.com/what-if

Script Writing Competitions for 2019

I was doing a bit of freelancing writing research online recently and I came across a lot of screenplay writing competitions.

There are competitions running all year for stage plays, movies, TV shows and a whole lot more.

There are even opportunities to write episodes of existing TV shows or to create one of your own.

And it's easy to look up what screenwriting competitions are coming up months in advance.

Because it's already February, some of the deadlines for early competitions are closed.

But there are plenty more for this month, next month, and many months to come.

So if you're interested you can sit back with a fresh cup of coffee and browse all the screenwriting competitions available by clicking on the links below (each one has lists of many competitions) or if you're not up to writing a whole script, go to my website to read about writing and submitting ideas for movies, TV shows, and Reality TV shows at https://ruthiswriting.com/scriptwriting.html.

Enjoy.

https://www.scriptmag.com/screenwriting-contests-calendar-dates-prizes

https://www.coverfly.com/calendar/

https://screencraft.org/2019/01/03/screenwriting-contests-competitions-coming-2019/

https://scriptangel.com/screenwriting-contests/

Current Writing Competitions

Today I have a list of writing competitions for you. All of them are free to enter but some of the closing dates are soon.

Announcing the Halloween Sitcom Trials - scripts wanted
We want sitcom scripts that we can perform in the tried and tested Trials format (a 10 minute sitcom ending in a cliffhanger with a 3 minute payoff scene, to be performed by no more than 4 actors, you'll see details in the files). And this time, though you can write your sitcom on any subject, we're particularly looking for scripts with a Halloween or horror theme.
The deadline for script entries is midnight Saturday October 10th
http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2016 Short Story Competition
We're offering you the chance to win £500, plus a place on an Arvon writing course of your choice! All you have to do is enter a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words, on the theme of 'ageing'.
The closing date is midnight on Monday 15th February 2016.
https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/competitions

Gatehouse Press New Fiction Prize 2015
Gatehouse Press is excited to announce the opening of submissions for the 2015 New Fiction series. With a word limit of between 10,000 and 13,000 words, the open submission process seeks to encourage new writers to explore the possibilities of length within the short fiction genre. The winning stories will be published as part of Gatehouse Press’ ongoing New Fictions series in 2016.
UK submissions only.
Deadline: 10 October 2015
http://www.gatehousepress.com/2015/07/1553/

The 2016 Times / Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition
What Chicken House are looking for:
Original ideas, a fresh voice and a story that children will love! To enter, you must have written a completed full-length novel suitable for children/young adults aged somewhere between 7 and 18 years. By full-length we suggest a minimum of 30,000 words and ask that manuscripts entered do not exceed 80,000 words in length.
First prize is a worldwide publishing contract with Chicken House with a royalty advance of £10,000, plus representation from a top children’s literary agent.* All longlisted entrants will receive a reader’s report of their work.
The competition will close on Friday 18th December 2015.
http://www.doublecluck.com/submissions/

Short Story Writing Competition
Enter up to two short stories each month.
This month's theme is: Gothic
400-1500 Words
Fainting heroines, dark mysterious castles, and supernatural beings. Send us stories of spooky happenings and things that go bump in the night in time for Halloween.
We're looking for short stories from all genres, so it doesn't matter if you have a touch of comic flair or enjoy writing thrillers full of suspense, this is the competition for you.
Winners who have their story published in the Anthology will receive a monthly prize of an equal share of the sales profits!
The deadline for this month's entries is the 28th October 2015.
http://thewritersnotebookgroup.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html

Free to Enter Writing Competitions and Fiction Markets

I've discovered some current writing competitions that are free to enter.

Some are on-going every year and others are ending in the next few weeks.

I have also included a link to a list of magazines that accept submissions of short stories.

3 Free Short Story Competitions

This is just a quick post to let you know about 3 short story competitions that are free to enter. But one is closing soon ( next week) so you have to be quick with that one if you want to enter.

The prizes are $300 AUD, 100 Euros and 100 GBP.

All 3 links to the competitions open in a new window/tab so that you won't lose this page.

1 Free Contest, 1 New Writing Market & 2 Amazing Offers

Today I have 4 great offers for you. One is a free contest, one is a new writing market, and two are deeply discounted offers for writers which may never be repeated.

The free contest is a chance to win 3 premium WordPress themes for your blog.