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Welcome to the 2025 Writing Contest!The War of the Words story competition is open to writers across Canada, the US, and attendees of When Words Collide 2025. Whether you're an experienced writer or new to the craft, we invite writers of all ages to showcase their creativity and storytelling abilities.
Created in loving memory of Darlene Louka Darlene Louka was a member of AWCS and When Words Collide. She stretched her literary fingers in poetry and later transitioned to science fiction and fantasy. A writer, a teacher, a creator. We created this contest in memory of her and the organizations she loved so much. |
Contest Details
- Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025, by 11:59 PM MT
- Submission Fee: $5 CAD
- Eligibility: Open to residents of Canada and the US, as well as attendees of When Words Collide 2025. You do not need to attend the festival to participate.
- Guest Judge: Finnian Burnett
- Editor: Sarah Pratt
- The theme is Lovers, Liars, and Labyrinths.
- Prizes:
- 1st Prize: $300
- 2nd Prize: $200
- 3rd Prize: $100
- 7 Honourable Mentions: $50 each
Submission Guidelines
To participate in the 2025 War of the Words Writing Contest, please carefully follow these guidelines to ensure your submission is eligible:
- Submissions must be original, unpublished works.
- Only one entry per author.
- Co-authored stories are welcome; prize winnings are awarded per story, not per author.
- Stories must not be submitted elsewhere during the contest period.
- All forms of prose and genres are accepted—the theme for the contest is Lovers, Liars, and Labyrinths.
- Submit in .doc or .docx format only. PDF files will not be accepted.
- Pages must be numbered, and the title of the story should appear in the header. Do not include your name anywhere on the document.
- Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, using an 11 or 12 pt font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial).
- Stories must not exceed 2,500 words.
- Authors retain all rights to their stories.
- Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025, by 11:59 PM MT
Please note: The AWCS and When Words Collide proudly supports creative writers. We will not accept submissions created with the use of AI such as ChatGPT. If your story is found to be created by AI in any facet, either before, during or after the contest, your submission will be disqualified. We want to protect the intellectual property and copyrights of all writers and currently the use of AI in this form is unethical and an infringement on those rights.
For contest inquiries, please contact: [email protected]. Thank you!
