🌎 24-Hour Writing Contest | November 22: Snapshots from Abroad
Submit your entry by Saturday, November 23, 7pm GMT / 2pm ET / 11am PT (+ Join our 24-Hour Writing Sprint!)
Welcome to the first 24-Hour Writing Contest at Writers’ Hour Magazine!
This 24-hour challenge invites you to transport us across the globe through a series of vivid snapshots.
Plus, you’re invited to write alongside us at our free ✍️🌏 24-Hour Writing Sprint, kicking off today, Friday November 22nd at 7pm GMT / 2pm ET / 11am PT. Join us for 1, 2, or all 24 hours. 👉 RSVP here.
Prompt: Snapshots from Abroad
Create a series of vignettes, scenes, or poems describing brief, vivid moments in different locations from your travels, real or imagined.
Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible for this contest.
Submissions are open for the next 24 hours only and are due by Saturday, November 23rd at 7pm GMT / 2pm ET / 11am PT.
Keep reading below for more information on prizes and FAQs – plus an introduction to our judge,
.Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team
Meet Our Guest Judge:
Matt Trinetti is the co-founder of the London Writers' Salon, co-creator of the webby-nominated Writers' Hour daily writing sessions, and co-host of the London Writers' Salon podcast.
In addition to London Writers’ Salon, Matt is a writer, publisher, TEDx speaker, and facilitator designing programs to help individuals pursue creative work, start businesses, and reinvent their careers. He is also a founding editor of and writes : Field notes on exploration, creativity and living deliberately.
A Note from our Editorial Team:
This prompt invites you to take readers on a journey. Whether you draw from real experiences, dream up imaginary travels, or blend the two, your task is to craft vivid moments that evoke the spirit of your travels. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
Sensory Details: Think about the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of a location. How do these details bring the place to life?
The Power of Small Moments: Focus on fleeting interactions or observations—a conversation in a café, the sound of a market, or the way light falls on a building at sunset.
Character-Driven Scenes: Introduce us to the people who inhabit these places. How do their stories intersect with the location?
Unexpected Perspectives: Write from the perspective of something other than yourself—perhaps a traveler from another time, an inanimate object, or even the place itself.
Play with Form: Explore different ways to structure your snapshots, whether through prose, poetry, or experimental formats like postcards, journal entries, or fragmented thoughts.
Each vignette is an opportunity to transport your reader and create a sense of wonder. We can’t wait to see where your words will take us!
How to Submit:
Submissions should be made through our online submission platform, Submittable, and formatted as a Word Doc.
For more details, please read the full Contest Guidelines.
The winning entries will receive:
First Prize:
$100 USD (£75 GBP)
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
3-months of London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership (£79 value)
Commemorative Writers’ Hour trophy mug
Second Prize:
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
1-month of London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership (£29 value)
Third Prize:
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
FAQs:
What genres can I write in?
All genres - fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc - are welcome.Is there a word limit?
Your piece must be 500 words or less. Pieces that exceed this will not be considered. There is no minimum word limit.Do I need to submit in a specific format?
Please follow the instructions outlined in the Contest Guidelines.When is the deadline to submit?
Submissions are due by Saturday, November 23 at 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT. Submissions received outside this window will not be considered.When will the winner be announced?
The winner will be contacted via Submittable, and the winning entry will be published in Writers’ Hour Magazine by Saturday, December 7th.Can I submit a piece I’ve already published?
Only previously unpublished pieces are eligible for this contest. (Published means anything that has already been made publicly available in print or online.)Is there a fee to submit?
No, there is no fee to submit. However you must be subscribed to Writers’ Hour Magazine in order for your submission to be considered.
PS - Write with us
Come work on your submission at Writers' Hour—our daily silent writing sprints—where writers from around the world come together to work on their projects. It’s the perfect environment to focus, share space with other writers, and make progress on your contest entry.
oh! Is the time over?