⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | July 6: Conversation With a Place
Submit your entry by Friday, July 11 at 12pm ET/5pm BST
Welcome to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!
This week’s challenge invites you to step into dialogue with a place that has shaped you (real or imagined) and see what it has to say.
PROMPT
Conversation With a Place: Imagine having a conversation with a place that has deep meaning to you. This could be a city, a trail, a room, or even a fictional place. Write an exchange with this particular place as if it could talk back.
Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible.
Submissions are due by Friday, July 11th, at 5pm BST / 12pm ET.
Keep reading for more information on prizes and FAQs.
Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team
A Note from Our Editorial Team
As you approach this prompt, consider how place is more than just backdrop. A childhood bedroom, a mountain trail, a once beloved city, a room you only visit in dreams. Each one holds memory, mood, and meaning. What would happen if that place could speak? What would it remember about you? What questions might you ask it, and what truths might it reveal?
You might write in the form of a dialogue, a letter, a script, or even a poetic exchange. You can ground it in realism or allow it to drift into the surreal.
Ask yourself:
What have I never said to this place?
What does this place know about me that I’ve forgotten?
If this place had a body, a tone of voice, or a mood, what would it be?
Above all, be bold and curious. We can't wait to read what emerges.
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:
$65 USD (£50 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 Friday, July 11 at 5pm BST / 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 entries will be published in Writers’ Hour Magazine in September 2025.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.)Can I use AI tools (like ChatGPT) to help write my contest submission?
No. We do not accept any AI-assisted writing for contest entries. All submissions must be the author’s original work and human-generated. Use of AI will disqualify you from this and any future contests.
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.
Congratulations to the winners of First Read!
We are thrilled to share the contest results for the week of June 15. Writers were invited to revisit the magic of a first encounter with a beloved book. Special thanks once again to our guest judge, Tommy Heller, chapter lead for Reading Rhythms.
First Place: First Read by Martin Lake
Second Place: The Master of Horror by
Third Place: Father Ekphrasis by
Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who participated. It’s a pleasure to share these pieces with you, and we can’t wait to see what you create in the next contest!
PS - Write with us at Writers’ Hour
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.
🔒 Paid Subscriber Perk: Editorial Feedback Lottery
This week, three paid subscribers will be chosen at random to receive personalized feedback from our editorial team on their contest submission.
How to enter the feedback lottery: