Welcome back to my monthly writing contest post. I create these contest posts mostly for myself, choosing just a few contests and doing my best to enter at least one of them each month, but perhaps they help you too. I like to imagine that someone other than me is using this list as a resource in choosing which writing contests to enter in December 2024!
My challenge for you, especially if you are a beginning writer, is to enter one writing contest each month for a year. I did this when I began to take my writing more seriously, and I think the deadlines were helpful motivators. As is committing to blogging consistently. I write so much more than I used to, because I've committed to posting here weekly.
I create contest listings one month ahead, so in case you missed it, here is my November list.
Quick reminder: anything in quotation marks was taken from the respective contest's site. It's not me talking, it's them. ;)
2025 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers
Contest Deadline:"Â December 16, 2024 @ 11:59pm PT".
Entry Fee:Â FREE
Special Requirements:Â Must be a "Canadian citizen or permanent resident", must have been "Published in a literary magazine or anthology" and be "Unpublished in book form and without a book contract."
Theme: None.
Entry Length: Short Fiction & Creative Nonfiction, up to 10 pages with a maximum of 2,500 words; Poetry, up to 10 pages. No word count given.
Age Category:Â None found.
Rights Information: "By submitting to this award, candidates grant Writers’ Trust of Canada permission to publish their work in print and digital formats should they be shortlisted. All rights reserved by the author."
Prizes: "Winners $10,000" and "Finalists $2,500"! That's not something to sneeze at!
If you plan to submit, please, please, please visit this page and read ALL of the information provided. I cannot reasonably give all of the details and rules here. Go read them. It's important. There is a link to the full guidelines on the page I'm directing you to.
Morgen Bailey's 50-Word Competition
Contest Entry Period:Â December 1 to December 30, 2024
Entry Fee:Â FREE
Special Requirements:Â None found.
Theme: "can she do it?"
Entry Length: 50 words exactly (excluding title). EXACTLY 50 words. No more, no less!
Age Category: All ages.
Rights Information: Not listed. Winning stories will be published on Morgen's website.
Prizes: "1st prize, free prose critique up to 1,500 words; 2nd prize, free prose critique up to 1,000 words; 3rd prize, free prose critique up to 500 words."
"Each prize will be valid for six months from the closing date (i.e. the prizes for the top three stories for May are valid until end November) so you can combine your ‘winnings’."
Up to three story submissions per author, per month.
My Writing Journey Competition
Contest Deadline: December 31, 2024Â
Entry Fee:Â FREE
Special Requirements:Â n/a.
Theme: "The best writing tip I’ve ever received"
Entry Length: 600 words.
Age Category:Â n/a. "The competition is open to any writer living anywhere in the world"
Rights Information: This is the best I could find: "Writers retain full copyright over their work."
Prizes: "We’ll publish the best piece in our newsletter and on our blog – plus the winner receives $200 (R2 000 or £100)."
For more details, please visit this page. The list of rules is pretty succinct, but there are still things you need to know for the best chance at success. Plus, if you scroll far enough down the page, you can read six winning essays to get a feel for what The Writers College likes to see!