Just Write!
A Creative Writing Competition
The short story writing competition that rewards creativity over experience.
Just Write! is a monthly creative writing competition with a simple idea that imagination matters more than technical ability.
Every round, entrants receive a prompt and have one week to write their response.
There are no prerequisites, no experience requirements, and no advantage in having entered a hundred competitions before. Just Write! is for anyone who has a story in them and hasn't yet been given the right reason to tell it.
Standard entries cost £12. Entries with feedback cost £15.
Founded by creative facilitator and #SBS Winner, Liam Marshall
How It Works
Registration
Sign up for the next round before the closing date.
Entry is available at £12 (standard entry) or £15 (entry with feedback).
You can enter as many times as you like each round.
One Prompt
Every entrant receives the same prompt by email on the same day.
What you do with it is entirely up to you. There are no rules on interpretation, only imagination.
Seven Days
You have one week from prompt delivery to write and submit your entry.
You get a 10% leeway, because creativity doesn’t always fit perfectly into a box.
Deliberation
Two weeks after submissions close, the top three entries will announced.
All entrants will be contacted by email to let them know the outcome of the competition, regardless of placement.
Cash prizes
If you land in the top 3, you’ll win a cash prize!
First place gets £100, second place £50, and third place £25.
Prizes are paid by bank transfer within 28 days of results.
Next round begins: 17th August
Register by: 13th August
This Month’s Word Count: 1000 Words
Congratulations, you’re just one step away from entering Just Write!, the monthly short story competition that rewards creativity over experience.
Here’s how it works…
Register your entry. You can enter as many times as you like, but each entry requires a separate fee.
You’ll receive a receipt for your purchase immediately after checking out. I’ll be in touch via the email address you provide within 48 hours (Monday - Friday) to confirm your entry and let you know when to expect the prompt for your category.
Once the round is confirmed, you'll receive your prompt by email and will have one week to write and submit your story.
Cash prizes of £100, £50, and £25 are awarded in each category every round.
All entries are read anonymously and judged on imagination, not perfection.
Want to make Just Write! a regular thing? Use the subscribe option to automatically enter each month.
By purchasing an entry, you agree to the Just Write! Terms and Conditions.
Want to set up a recurring subscription?
Click Here
How is Just Write! judged?
Just Write! isn't looking for the most technically accomplished story. It's looking for the most imaginative one. Every entry is scored against four criteria, each marked out of five.
Here's what we are looking for:
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Every entrant receives the same prompt, but no two stories will be the same.
We're looking for evidence that you engaged with it thoughtfully and made a deliberate choice about how to use it - whatever that choice looks like!
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We're not looking for a story nobody has ever told. We're looking for the perspective and lens that only you could bring to it.
The same premise can be told a thousand ways; we want the one that feels fresh.
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This is the criterion that matters most to us. Did you back yourself?
Did you write the story you wanted to write rather than the one you thought you should?
We reward writers who commit to their vision, whatever that vision is.
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Did the story do what you set out to do?
This is assessed relative to the ability level you declare on submission, so it doesn't matter where you're starting from, only that your story landed.
All entries are read and scored anonymously to ensure they’re judged fairly.
Each entry will receive an overall score out of 20 for its final mark, and in the event of a tie, the final decision rests with the judge.
Why Just Write!
Most writing competitions reward the most experienced writers in the room. Just Write! was created with a different belief: that the most imaginative story should win, not the most polished one.
Every round, we give every entrant the same prompt and the same week to respond. No prior credits, no publishing history, no advantage in having done this a hundred times before. Just you, a blank page, and a starting point.
If you've ever talked yourself out of entering a writing competition because you didn't think you were ‘good enough’, this one was made for you.
“My first time entering the Just Write! competition and the prompt gave me an instantaneous idea. I’m new to writing stories and just starting my journey, and this was a joy to write.”
Jennifer Thompson
June Top Placement
Ready to write?
Register by 13th August to be included in the next round, starting 17th August.
This month’s word count is 1000 words.
Congratulations, you’re just one step away from entering Just Write!, the monthly short story competition that rewards creativity over experience.
Here’s how it works…
Register your entry. You can enter as many times as you like, but each entry requires a separate fee.
You’ll receive a receipt for your purchase immediately after checking out. I’ll be in touch via the email address you provide within 48 hours (Monday - Friday) to confirm your entry and let you know when to expect the prompt for your category.
Once the round is confirmed, you'll receive your prompt by email and will have one week to write and submit your story.
Cash prizes of £100, £50, and £25 are awarded in each category every round.
All entries are read anonymously and judged on imagination, not perfection.
Want to make Just Write! a regular thing? Use the subscribe option to automatically enter each month.
By purchasing an entry, you agree to the Just Write! Terms and Conditions.
Want to set up a recurring subscription?
Click Here
This competition requires a minimum of 20 entries per round to run.
In the event this threshold isn't met, all entry fees will be refunded in full.