Any writer may enter our contests, regardless of residence. All entries will receive comments from the judges. Authors retain all rights.   The entry fee for all contests is $25, or $20 for Workshop members.
The entry fee is payable online through PayPal, check, or money order.
Scroll down for submission guidelines.
​
Awards for all contests:
1st Place:  Your choice of a 2 night stay at our Mountain Muse B&B; or 3 free workshops (in person or online);
or 50 pages (or 10 poems) line-edited and revised by our editorial staff.
2nd Place: Your choice of a 1 night stay at our B&B; 2 free workshops (in person or online);
or 35 pages (or 8 poems) line-edited.
3rd Place: Your choice of 1 free workshop (in person or online); or 25 pages (or 5 poems) line-edited.

​Up to 10 Honorable Mentions will be awarded.

Annual Hard Times Essay Contest
Deadline (postmarked or emailed): June 30, 2019

     Write about a difficult experience in your life, how you overcame this obstacle, and how you were changed by it. Winning stories will be chosen for originality and creative writing style.
Stories should not exceed 5,000 words (double-spaced, 12 point font).
Your name, address, email and title of work should appear on the first page. The entry fee per submission is $25 ($20 for Workshop members). Multiple entries are accepted.
Enclose self-sealing SASE for critique and list of winners. Make check or money order payable to The Writers’ Workshop, and mail to:  Hard Times Contest, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC  28805. If entering by mail, please include your email address to receive judge's comments.
Emailed submission may be sent to writersw@gmail.com in Word Doc, with " 2019 Hard Times Contest" in the subject. The entry fee is payable online.

Literary Fiction Contest
Deadline (postmarked or emailed): Sep 30, 2019


​Submit a short story or chapter of a novel of 5,000 words or less.

Pages should be paper clipped, with your name, address, phone number, and title of work on the first page. Double-space, and use 12 point font.

The entry fee is $25 per story, or $20 for Workshop members. Multiple entries are accepted. See below for submission instructions.

22nd Annual Memoirs Competition
Deadline (postmarked or emailed): Dec. 31, 2019

​Submit a memoir of 5,000 words or less.

Pages should be paper clipped, with your name, address, email, phone and title of work on the first page. Double-space, and use 12 point font.

The entry fee is $25 per memoir, or $20 for Workshop members. Multiple entries are accepted.   See below for submission instructions.

 How to submit an entry:  

Online:
  • Email a Microsoft Word document of your entry to writersw@gmail.com with "[Name of contest] Entry" in the subject line.
  • Pay entry fee online at our Registration Page, or send check to The Writers' Workshop, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC 28805.     The judges' comments will be emailed to you.
 
​By mail:
  • Enclose your submission, and a SASE (self-sealing self-addressed stamped envelope) for judges' critique and list of winners. No need to use Fedex, certified mail, etc.
  • Make check or money order payable to The Writers’ Workshop, and mail to:  [Name of contest], c/o The Writers' Workshop, 387 Beaucatcher Road, Asheville, NC  28805.
  • If you are submitting an entry by mail, you can still pay the entry fee online at our Registration Page.

Click here to pay the contest entry fee online

Congratulations to our recent winners!