Writer's Digest Competitions
In-Between: Writer's Digest 2nd Annual Personal Essay Awards Winner
Congratulations to Alyssa Rickert, Grand Prize winner of the 2nd Annual Writer's Digest Personal Essay Awards. Here's her winning essay, "In Between."
Your Story #118: Vote Now!
Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt below. (One sentence only.) You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Announcing the 9th Annual Self-Published E-book Awards Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 9th Annual Self-Published E-book Awards! Discover the titles that placed in the categories of contemporary fiction, fantasy, memoir, mystery, and more.
Your Story #117: Vote Now!
Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Announcing the Winners of the 2021 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards
Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 WD Poetry Awards!
Announcing the Second Annual Personal Essay Awards Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the second annual Writer's Digest Personal Essay Awards!
Your Story #116
Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt below. (One sentence only.) You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Announcing the Winners of the 29th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards
Congratulations to all the winners of the 29th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards! Read an interview with the Grand Prize-winning author Zenda Walker in the March/April 2022 issue.
Your Story #115
Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Print or Online Article First Place Winner: "Surfacing an Aquatic Diaspora"
Congratulations to Elaine Howley, first place winner in the Print or Online Article category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning article, "Surfacing an Aquatic Diaspora."
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Script (Stage Play or TV/Movie) First Place Winner: "Jaguar Woman"
Congratulations to Olga El, first place winner in the Script (Stage Play or TV/Movie) category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning stageplay script, "Jaguar Woman."
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Non-Rhyming Poetry First Place Winner: "won't you celebrate with me"
Congratulations to Nicole Adabunu, first place winner in the Non-Rhyming Poetry category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning poem, "won't you celebrate with me."
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Rhyming Poetry First Place Winner: "She Lives in Underbridge World"
Congratulations to MF Slattery, first place winner in the Rhyming Poetry category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's the winning poem, "She Lives in Underbridge World"
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Mainstream/Literary Short Story First Place Winner: "Tracks"
Congratulations to Elizabeth Rosen, first place winner in the Mainstream/Literary Short Story category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning story, "Tracks."
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Genre Short Story First Place Winner: "A Brief Cameo"
Congratulations to D. M. Ullrich, first place winner in the Genre Short Story category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's his winning story, "A Brief Cameo."
90th Annual Competition Children’s/Young Adult Fiction First Place Winner: "Upside Down Man"
Congratulations to Sara Karnoscak, first place winner in the Children’s/Young Adult Fiction category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning story, "Upside Down Man."
90th Annual Competition Inspirational/Spiritual Essay First Place Winner: "Pop"
Congratulations to Henry Hack, first place winner in the Inspirational/Spiritual Essay category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's his winning essay, "Pop."
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Memoir/Personal Essay First Place Winner: "Passion’s War"
Congratulations to LC Helms, first place winner in the Memoir/Personal Essay category of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's the winning essay, "Passion’s War."
Announcing the Winners of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition
Congratulations to the winners of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition!
Writer's Digest 90th Annual Competition Winning Non-Rhyming Poem: "Anticipatory Grief"
Congratulations to Melissa Joplin Higley, Grand Prize winner of the 90th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning non-rhyming poem, "Anticipatory Grief."
Your Story #114
Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt below. (One sentence only.) You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Announcing the Winners of the 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition
Congratulations to the winners of the 21st Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition!
The Night the Moon Cries: Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition Winner
Congratulations to JJ Lubinski, Grand Prize winner of the Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition. Here's her winning story, "The Night the Moon Cries."
6 Tips for Entering Fiction Contests From a Judge
Author and competition judge Audrey Wick shares 6 insider tips for perfecting your story entry.
Deborah Hall, 2020 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Winner
The winner of the 2020 Writer’s Digest Poetry Awards discusses the inspiration behind her first-place poem, “The Loneliest Whale."
The 2020 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 WD Poetry Awards!
Your Story #113
Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Announcing the First Annual Personal Essay Awards Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the first annual Writer's Digest Personal Essay Awards!
Your Story #112
Write the opening line to a story based on the photo prompt below. (One sentence only.) You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Suspended: Writer's Digest Personal Essay Awards Winner
Congratulations to J.E. Stamper, grand prize winner of the Writer's Digest Personal Essay Awards. Here's his winning essay, "Suspended."
Whitney Hill: Self-Published E-Book Awards Winner
Whitney Hill, winner of the 8th Annual WD Self-Published E-Book Awards, talks fan fiction, creating her own stories, and why she chose to self-publish.
Writer's Digest Columns: Your Story
Want to see your work published in WD? Here are editor tips on how to write a winning Your Story entry.
Your Story #111
Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Print or Online Article First Place Winner: "The Other Side"
Congratulations to Elaine Howley, first place winner in the Print or Online Article category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning article, "The Other Side"
Script (Stage Play or TV/Movie) First Place Winner: "Andromeda's Way"
Congratulations to Michael Keane, first place winner in the Script (Stage Play or TV/Movie) category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's his winning TV Pilot script, "Andromeda's Way."
Non-Rhyming Poetry First Place Winner: "Paying the Rent"
Congratulations to Alison Luterman, first place winner in the Non-Rhyming Poetry category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning poem, "Paying the Rent."
Rhyming Poetry First Place Winner: "Lessons of a Cruel Tide"
Congratulations to Barbara Jennes, first place winner in the Rhyming Poetry category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning poem, "Lessons of a Cruel Tide"
Mainstream/Literary Short Story First Place Winner: "Schism, 1995"
Congratulations to Sophia Veltfort, first place winner in the Mainstream/Literary Short Story category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning story, "Schism, 1995."
Genre Short Story First Place Winner: "Little Time Machines"
Congratulations to Ian Gonzales, first place winner in the Genre Short Story category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's his winning story, "Little Time Machines."
Your Story #109
Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.
Children’s/Young Adult Fiction First Place Winner: "Wombat Wings"
Congratulations to MJ Belko, first place winner in the Children’s/Young Adult Fiction category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning story, "Wombat Wings."
Inspirational/Spiritual Essay First Place Winner: "Crazy Hazel"
Congratulations to Barb Miller, first place winner in the Inspirational/Spiritual Essay category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's her winning essay, "Crazy Hazel."
Memoir/Personal Essay First Place Winner: "South of That"
Congratulations to Curt Klinghoffer, first place winner in the Memoir/Personal Essay category of the 89th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Here's his winning essay, "South of That."
Writer's Digest 89th Annual Competition Winner Profile: Cheryl Katz
The winner of the 89th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition talks about the elements of groundbreaking environmental journalism.
2019 Writer’s Digest Poetry Awards Winner: "Lullaby" by Nancy Shea
Congratulations to Nancy Shea! Her poem, "Lullaby," is the winner of the 2019 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards.
The 2019 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 WD Poetry Awards!
Meet the Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition Winner Gregory Jeffers
The winner of the 20th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition reveals his strategies for writing award-winning short fiction.
Announcing the Winners of the 20th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition
Congratulations to the winners of the 20th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition!
Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition Winner: Quitting Time by Gregory Jeffers
Congratulations to Gregory Jeffers! Read "Quitting Time," his winning entry to the 20th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition.