Participation Prize

[This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Writer's Digest magazine.]

For 25 bucks, I jump-started my imagination. 
The rules were simple: Register for the writing contest, pay the entry fee, and at midnight, I’d receive three unique prompts—a genre, an object (mine was a sleeping bag), and an action. I had 24 hours to weave those into a 250-word story and submit it online. A couple of my friends were entering, and on a whim, I decided to take on the challenge too. 
I wrote something fantastical, far outside my nonfiction wheelhouse, about a model stuck in a sleeping bag, and then rushed off to a holiday bazaar.  
It will come as no surprise to learn that I didn’t win. I was eliminated before the second round. I don’t even remember what the prize was. But I gained something valuable: I had fun writing, something I hadn’t felt for a while.  
The prompts pushed me outside my usual subject matter, forcing me to experiment and let loose. With such a tight deadline, I didn’t have time to overthink—I just wrote. In the process, I remembered why I loved storytelling in the first place. 
Writing contests offer benefits beyond the possibility of winning. They help writers rediscover creativity, build confidence, and grow.

Even the most experienced and prolific writers have days when working through a messy draft feels as slow and sloppy as clearing a clogged pipe. Contests help keep the creative flow going, says Joel Shoemaker, Associate Director of Library Services for Methodist College, Peoria, Ill.  
Shoemaker, who has self-published several books and a picture book called Silas on Sundays (Wildling Press), enters several flash fiction or short fiction contests a year—his current favorite is Writing Battle (WritingBattle.com). He said he rarely thinks about winning, but he has fun and his contest pieces often become the seeds of his anthologies and other works.  
Finishing a story also builds motivation and creates a “small win” feeling of accomplishment and progress. Those small wins release dopamine—the neurotransmitter that makes us feel good—and that increases our energy and ability to persevere, according to research led by John D. Salamone and Mercè Correa. The rush that comes with completing a contest can boost motivation and help us keep writing.

Charlie Rogers was desperate to regain his writing chops when he entered a contest six years ago. The New York writer had always been prolific until he hit a long dry spell that left him “feeling like his muse had abandoned him.” 
After searching for something creative, Rogers entered NYC Midnight (NYCMidnight.com), and it “absolutely saved me. That was all I needed.” 
“I might have an interesting idea, but there’s nothing compelling me to bring it into reality and commit words to the page. Contests come with built-in deadlines, and that helps me motivate myself to just get going and do it,” Rogers says. 
Rogers enters about 20 contests a year. Many of them are short or flash fiction competitions. Some have multiple rounds requiring additional stories. While he admits to being competitive and occasionally disappointed when he doesn’t place—though he has placed multiple times—he likes the prompts, which lead to other stories and longer works. 
Rogers finished eighth in one contest with prompts that included a mechanical bull and a forest fire that he later expanded into a magazine story. Another entry became a self-published novella. 

Brittany Neeley is writing a novel from what started as a 100-word flash fiction contest entry. When she first receives her prompts, she spends some time thinking about how she’ll shape them into a story. Then, she sits down and writes in a flurry. For this full-time therapist and mother of two young children, writing for contests is a fun release, and the practice has made her a better writer. 
Contests push writers to make quick, thoughtful decisions about plot, pacing, and character, and Neeley says that’s helped her become more intentional in her work overall. “I think more critically, I’m more precise and creative with my word choices so I can tell a better story, a complete story in a limited space."

Many reputable competitions also accept longer works, including full manuscripts, self-published books, screenplays, essays, and other long-form pieces. No matter the length of your entry, legitimate contests usually provide feedback and notes from judges, which might include editors, agents, authors, and peers.  
Writers depend on these notes for encouragement and specific ideas about how to improve a piece. Sometimes, contest participants are required to judge work too, often in the early rounds. Occasionally, the feedback misses the point, but most writers provide valuable insights because they appreciate receiving it themselves, Shoemaker says. 
“Learning how to give useful feedback is just as valuable as learning how to take it,” he says. “It’s a skill that improves your own writing and strengthens the relationships you build within the writing community.” 
And those relationships can be strong. Rogers says some of his best friends are among those he met through online forums and chats administered by contest organizers. 
“Writing can feel so solitary,” he says. “But if you find a community, it helps you push through the highs and lows. Engaging in contests and their forums has been a great way to connect with others who care about the same things I do.”

Framing contests as a way to challenge yourself, invest in your writing, and connect with other creatives—rather than something that must be won to be worthwhile—can help you reap the most valuable rewards. 
Thousands of writers enter large contests like NYC Midnight, while others may have a few hundred entrants. Prizes range from digital certificates and medallions to cash awards or publication. But it’sconfidence-building to participate, Neeley says. 
“The act of showing up, finishing a piece, and putting it out into the world makes it easier to do the next time,” she says. And that’s a big deal for writers who want to publish. Contests normalize the process of writing, completing, and submitting a piece. While you may not get a trophy at the end, the process contributes to a writer’s growth. 
When praise comes from a judge who is a bestselling author or someone whose work you respect, that kind of validation is an added perk, says Bea Northwick. Northwick’s book The Cruel Dark won the Writer’s Digest 2023 Self-Published E-book Grand Prize Award. She didn’t expect to win but entered as a personal challenge to overcome self-doubt and her fear of rejection. 
“I know it sounds silly, but imposter syndrome keeps so many writers from pursuing fun and exciting new things. I learned how to say, ‘What if it goes well?’ And it did. It won’t always, but, as they say, you never know until you try,” Northwick says. “If your work makes it to the feedback rounds, then you get a fantastic critique that you can use to move forward.” 

*****

Writing competitions can spark creativity, provide validation, and build community. But before submitting, take these steps to avoid scams, protect your work, and enjoy the experience.

Before paying a fee or submitting your work, research the contest. Start with a simple Google search. Does the website look professional or rushed? How long has the contest been running? 
Anyone can start a writing competition, and many organizations use them to generate revenue. That’s not necessarily a red flag—provided the contest is legitimate and fair. Look for clear guidelines, named judges or transparent judging criteria, and well-defined fees and prizes.

Word-of-mouth recommendations are invaluable. Ask fellow writers about contests they’ve enjoyed, and use trusted sources like Writer’s Digest, Poets & Writers, The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and Reedsy to find competitions.

Avoid contests that require full rights to your work. Standard competitions may request permission to publish winning entries, but they shouldn’t demand exclusive or indefinite rights. 
If the prize includes a publishing contract, review the terms carefully before entering. As Jane Friedman writes in The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (University of Chicago Press), it’s important to evaluate what the contest has done for past winners. Has it helped them land book deals or agents? Know what to expect before you submit—and always read the fine print. 

Every competition has its own structure. Some have multiple rounds or peer reviews. Others focus on poetry, screenplays, flash fiction, or essays. Some are geared toward self-published or traditionally published books. 
Before entering, assess your eligibility, time commitment, and cost. Entry fees range from free to hundreds of dollars. If a contest strains your budget, reconsider—many don’t offer financial returns.  
Be cautious of competitions that charge high fees but lack transparency, have no track record of past winners, or show little engagement on social media where winners typically share their success. 

If rejection stifles your creativity, even the most encouraging contest may not be the best fit. Writing competitions are subjective and highly competitive, and they rarely lead to life-changing results. 
But if your goal is growth, challenge, and enjoyment, the experience itself is rewarding—win or lose.