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Fiction Potluck Contest The Writer's Workout

The Basics

Fiction Potluck is free to enter and open to fiction writers of all ages around the world. One entry per person per challenge.

Each quarter, we host a guest judge—they pick the challenge. Our team reads all entries blind and selects ten finalists. We highlight these ten finalists by posting their name and bio (as well as social links) on the Fiction Potluck page of our website. The guest judge reads the finalist pieces and chooses three winners. Join us for Fiction Potluck Friday at the end of each quarter to read the winning pieces!


General Rules

  • All entries must be in English and original works of fiction.
  • The competition runs on UTC time, beginning and ending at midnight.
  • You must keep your entry private until after we post the top three winning stories.
  • The judges' decisions are final.
  • The judges will contact everyone who includes the Title Information listed below.
  • The judges cannot provide feedback for every piece submitted.
  • Winning entries are published as received.

The following are not accepted:

  • Simultaneous submissions
  • Previously published works
  • AI-assisted content
  • Fanfiction, erotica, religious, or political content
  • Pieces longer than the word count limit
  • Pieces submitted outside the competition month
  • Pieces without the correct Title Information (below) will be rejected unread.


Submissions must include this Title Information in this order at the top of the document body, aligned left:

Name or Pseudonym, email
Entry Title
Fiction Potluck
Word Count


Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt
Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email (submissions[at]writersworkout.net). Set your document permissions to "anyone with the link can [comment or edit]" so we can collect it. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.


Rights

Your submission grants The Writer's Workout (WW) exclusive electronic rights for up to 90 days. WW reserves non-exclusive rights to digitally publish winning entries indefinitely. Winning pieces will be published as received.

24-Q2 Kidlit

Temp Closed

Opens on Monday, April 1, 2024 12:00 AM UTC (in 2 days, 12 hours)

The April Fiction Potluck Challenge is: MG & YA Milestones

Send your best story in under 5,000 words.
This is a fiction-only challenge.


A tip from our guest judge, Amy Nielsen:
Focus on authentic emotions and experiences that capture the complexities of growth, identity, and self-discovery during the tween and teen years in relatable and compelling ways.

About Amy:
Amy Nielsen spent twenty years as a youth librarian sharing her love of books with young readers. Daily immersion in story took root and she penned her YA debut, WORTH IT, behind her circulation desk. Amy is the proud parent to four humans, one pup, and has more grandpups than she can count. When she’s not reading or writing, Amy, her family, and at least two canine co-captains in mermaid life vests can be found boating the waters of Tampa Bay.

This quarter's challenge is officially sponsored by Duotrope! The first place winner of this quarter's challenge receives Duotrope service for free for two years (valued at $100)!


Submissions
must include this Title Information in this order at the top of the document body, aligned left:

Name or Pseudonym, email
Entry Title
Fiction Potluck
Word Count


Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt
Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email (submissions[at]writersworkout.net). Set your document permissions to "anyone with the link can [comment or edit]" so we can collect it. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.


Please check the Potluck page or our listing here for rules and rights information.

Deadline: May 20

24-Q3 sci-fi western

Temp Closed

Opens on Monday, July 1, 2024 12:00 AM UTC (in 93 days)

The July Fiction Potluck Challenge is: Sci-fi Western

Send your best story in under 6,000 words.
This is a fiction-only challenge.


A tip from our guest judge, R.A. Clarke:
coming soon.

About R.A.:
coming soon


Submissions
must include this Title Information in this order at the top of the document body, aligned left:

Name or Pseudonym, email
Entry Title
Fiction Potluck
Word Count


Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .odt
Live, unlocked Google Docs or Microsoft Word links are accepted via email (submissions[at]writersworkout.net). Set your document permissions to "anyone with the link can [comment or edit]" so we can collect it. We will not request access and we are not responsible for locked docs.


Please check the Potluck page or our listing here for rules and rights information.

Deadline: August 20

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