Writer's Digest Competitions

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.

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"

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."

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."

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"

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."

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."

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.

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."

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."

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."

The winner of the 89th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition talks about the elements of groundbreaking environmental journalism.

Congratulations to Nancy Shea! Her poem, "Lullaby," is the winner of the 2019 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 WD Poetry Awards!

The winner of the 20th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition reveals his strategies for writing award-winning short fiction.

Congratulations to the winners of the 20th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition!

Congratulations to Gregory Jeffers! Read "Quitting Time," his winning entry to the 20th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition.

Read a Q&A with Rachel Menard, grand prize winner of the 7th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards.

Congratulations to the winners of the 7th Annual Self-Published E-Book Awards!

Congratulations to Alexandra Hill, grand prize winner of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Here's a look at her writing process.

Congratulations to Douglas Jern, first place winner in the Young Adult category of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards. Here's his winning short story, "Life After Dusk."

Congratulations to Leslie Wibberley, first place winner of the Romance category in the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Here's the winning short story, "Just a Little Push."

Congratulations to Benjamin Barbour, first place winner in the Horror category of the Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Here's his winning short story, "Tree Gifts."

Congratulations to Mary Lou Condike, first place winner in the Crime category of the Writer's Digest 15th Annual Popular Fiction Awards! Here's her winning story, "A Cowgirl Farewell."

Congratulations to Edgar Mahaffey, first place winner in the Thriller category of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Here's his winning short story, "Jin's Baby."

Congratulations to Christopher Wyer, first place winner in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Here's his winning story, "The Inhibitor Check."

Congratulations to Alexandra Hill, winner of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Here is her winning short story, "A Life Measured In Moons."

Congratulations to the winners of the 15th Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards! To get the best in genre fiction, be sure to read the grand prize winner and first place winners in each category.

The winner of the 27th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards talks about writing picture books that children will cherish.

The 88th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition Grand Prize winner shares his playwriting and plotting secrets.

In this online exclusive from the November/December 2019 issue of Writer's Digest, read the full script of the 88th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition grand prize winner: Lies by Jerry Slaff.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2018 Writer's Digest Poetry Awards! Read the full list of winners here.

Read "Hari Om Senior Center" by Reena Shah, the winning entry of the 19th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition.

Read an interview with Reena Shah, winner of the 19th Annual WD Short Short Story Competition.

Peter Besson’s e-book The Last Checkout is the Grand Prize winner of the 6th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published e-Book Awards. Read an interview with him here.

See the full list of winners of the Writer's Digest 6th Annual Self-Published E-Book Awards.

Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate our 26th annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards winners!

Breaking Vases author and Self-Published Book Awards Winner Dima Ghawi talks about finding the strength to tell her personal story and how she produced the book while building her new business.

Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate our 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition winners!

“The Last Remaining Sea Silk Seamestress,” by Eliot Stein, is the Grand Prize­–winning story for the 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, besting more than 5,300 entries across nine categories. For complete coverage of the 87th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, please check out the November/December 2018 issue of Writer’s Digest.

Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Story Competition. Each year, writers submit their very best short stories of 1,500 words or fewer.

Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Fiction Competition. Each year, writers submit their very best short stories of 1,500 words or fewer. This year, “Beneath the Cracks” by Nicole Disney bested more than 3,000 entries. Read a Q&A with her here.

Writer’s Digest would like to congratulate the winners of the 18th Annual Short Short Story Competition. Each year, writers submit their very best short stories of 1,500 words or fewer. This year, “Beneath the Cracks” by Nicole Disney bested more than 3,000 entries. Read the story here.