What’s the most fun you can have with writing? It starts with brilliant inspiration for a story you love. Even better if you’re surrounded by other writers offering suggestions and cheering you on. Top it off with guaranteed publication just a few weeks after you pick up your pen, and you’re basically living the writer’s dream.

The best part? This isn’t just a dream. This is how we design every writing contest here at The Write Practice.

We want to pack the most fun possible into our writing contests, so you finish with a short story you love, a writing community that inspires you, a publication credit, and a reinvigorated passion for your writing.

And we’re about to do it all again this fall. That’s right: the Fall Writing Contest is now open!

Click here to join the Fall Writing Contest. Or, read on to get all the details.

The Top 3 Things We Love About the Fall Writing Contest

Let’s face it: there’s a lot to love about our writing contests. I could list out dozens of awesome parts—the camraderie, the theme, the six weeks in our workshopping community, the way you’ll grow as a writer. But I challenged myself to pick just three.

Here are three of the best things about the Fall Writing Contest:

1. The Judges

We’ve put together an incredible panel of judges for this contest, story experts who knoow what it takes to write, edit, teach, and judge. Take a look:

The Editor: Renee Decker got her storytelling start in thrilling her family with renditions of “The Three Little Pigs” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” Now, she’s a Story Grid certified editor who loves helping writers master storytelling techniques to write their best story yet. Looking for editing? Get in touch to work with Renee here.

The Author: Carole Wolfe started telling stories in the third grade and hasn’t stopped since. While she no longer illustrates her stories with crayon, Carole still uses her words to help readers escape the daily hiccups of life. Her debut novel, My Best Mistake – Tasha’s Story, follows a single mom as she stumbles through one mishap after another. Carole’s story “Should Have Waited” won an Honorable Mention in our Summer Writing Contest. Discover Carol’s writing and get your copy of My Best Mistake on her website.

Together, these judges form a writing contest dream team. They’ll read each story, select the eight prize winners, and write feedback for every premium entry.

Want personalized feedback on your story from Renee or Carole? Sign up for the contest, and be sure to select premium entry for judges’ feedback!

2. The Theme

Every great story starts with a great idea. Don’t have an idea? Don’t worry; we’ve got a theme to get you started.

This contest’s theme is exciting because the storytelling possibilities are unlimited—literally. Check it out:

The judges can’t wait to discover where you’ll take them when all the restraints are off.

3. The Prizes

No contest is complete without prizes, and the Fall Writing Contest is no exception. We’ve put together an exciting set of prizes for everyone who enters this contest.

We’re offering cash prizes to the top stories, as well as a year of membership in our community and even an opportunity to become a regular contributor to Short Fiction Break literary magazine.

But you don’t have to win the grand prize in order to take home amazing rewards from this contest. Every story entered in this contest will get published on Short Fiction Break, guaranteed! (Not interested in publication? No worries; it’s easy to opt out.)

If you’ve ever wanted to get published and share your writing with the world, this is your chance. What are you waiting for? Join the contest here!

The Best Part About This Contest

Okay, so I can’t stop at just three things. There’s so much more to love about this contest, but I want to share one more thing.

This contest is about so much more than picking winners and not-winners. We’ve designed it from the ground up to help you become a better writer.

You’ll start off with a prompt, the contest theme, and you’ll write a brand-new story.

You’ll workshop your story in The Write Practice Pro, our supportive writing community, getting feedback to help you make your story the best it can be. Every contest, writers tell us how much they love the encouragement, enthusiasm, and camraderie they find among their fellow writers and contest entrants in our community. This might just become your favorite part!

You’ll submit your story to the judges, and maybe even win a prize.

And then, if you sign up with a premium entry, you’ll get even more feedback, expert advice from the judges on how to make your story even better.

In just six weeks, you’ll have written a story you’re truly proud of, and it will be published where you can share it with all your readers, friends, and family.

By the end, you’ll definitely be a better writer.

This Is For You

This contest is for you if you have an idea for a story right now that you just can’t wait to write.

It’s for you if you’ve been stumped with writer’s block for weeks, or even months, and you’re wondering if you’ll ever pick up your pen again.

It’s for you if you think you write some pretty fun stuff, but you’ve never met any writers who could tell you what they think and give you helpful feedback.

It’s for you if you’re finishing up your MFA and know critique groups and writer’s workshops like the back of your hand.

It’s for you if you’ve written five books and you need a break before you tackle your sixth.

It’s for you if the idea of writing a book terrifies you and writing a paragraph feels like a major win.

This contest is for you. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope you’ll join us.

Have you entered a writing contest before? What was your experience like?