2022 Writer's Contest
We hope you’ve had plenty of time to write, revise, and edit this year – or, feel free to dig deep in your files. We've been celebrating good writing in the region with this competition since 2007, and we're again ready for your best work! Find out how good you can be and submit your fiction or nonfiction work. The final submission date is April 1, 2022.
$1200 in cash prizes will be awarded to the three winners in each genre. The basic submission fee is $20, and a value-added option ( for a total of $40) gives you three written critiques of your entry.
As in the past few years, fees and entries will be received on-line and the competition is open to anyone living in central and eastern Washington and any WOTR member living elsewhere in the state. We welcome all lengths of material; the judges will evaluate the first 1,000 words with an eye toward general literary excellence.
See competition guidelines, format requirements, etc., below.
Competition Rules & Criteria
Open to all lengths of fiction and non-fiction, such as novels, memoirs, short stories, and flash fiction. Our judges will evaluate the first 1,000 words of your fiction or non-fiction submission, judging based on the quality of writing:
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Sentence fluency is smooth and easy to follow.
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Freshness of expression, e.g.:
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Word choices and figurative language (metaphor and simile) are creative and effective.
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Inherent interest of pages, e.g.:
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Reader is gripped (or at least interest is piqued) by the opening of the piece.
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If fiction, one or more characters has inherent interest.
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Setting evokes a sense of place.
Please read the following information carefully. Entries not adhering to these guidelines may be disqualified.
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Membership in WOTR is not a requirement for any submitting writer living in Eastern Washington, but it IS a requirement for any entrant living elsewhere in Washington. No out-of-state submissions will be considered.
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Entries must be in English, previously unpublished, and the original work of the submitting party.
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All entries must be double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman font, with standard, 1-inch margins. Please no excessive space above the first page title.
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Entries must not exceed the 1,000 word maximum and must begin at beginning of the piece.
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Each page must include the title, page number, and genre, identifying whether the submission is a “complete piece” or an excerpt from a novel, novella, short story, nonfiction book, memoir or other description. Your name MUST NOT appear anywhere on the entry or in the file name.
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You may submit multiple entries, each with a separate entry form completed and fee paid, but you can only win one prize per category.
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Directors of Write on the River, current competition judges, and the immediate families of these individuals are not eligible for prizes.
Submission
Our submission link is live! Entries must be submitted by 11:45 pm on April 1st.