⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | December 8: Finite Time

Our final writing contest of 2024! Submit your entry by Friday, December 13, 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT

Artwork by Emma Winterschladen

Welcome to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!

This week's challenge invites you to explore how understanding life’s fleeting nature has shaped your actions and decisions.

** This is our final weekly writing contest of 2024, and possibly the final altogether. We’d love these to continue in 2025, and if you would too, we’d love to hear from you. See more below. **

Prompt: Finite Time

Reflect on a moment when you became aware of life’s brevity. Share how this knowledge impacts your decisions or actions, large or small.

Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible for this contest.

Submissions are due by Friday, December 13th at 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT

Keep reading for more information on prizes and FAQs – plus an introduction to this week’s guest judge,

Oliver Burkeman

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Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team

Meet Our Guest Judge

Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman worked for many years at The Guardian, where he wrote a popular weekly column on psychology, “This Column Will Change Your Life.” His books include the New York Times bestseller Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. His latest book is Meditations for Mortals.

A Note from the Editorial Team:

“The river of time flows inexorably on; amazingly, confoundingly, marvelously, we get the brief chance to go kayaking in it.” – Oliver Burkeman, Meditations for Mortals

As you approach this week’s prompt, consider the flow of time not just as a force that carries you forward but as a context that shapes and gives meaning to your experiences.

You might approach this prompt by recalling a specific moment—a celebration, a loss, a quiet realization. How has it shaped the decisions you’ve made since?

Alternatively, you might approach this prompt by letting metaphor guide your reflection, creating depth and resonance beyond the literal.

Join us for a live conversation this week with Oliver Burkeman on Tuesday, December 10th at 7pm UK / 2pm ET / 11am PT. Grab a ticket.

Silver & Gold members of London Writers’ Salon receive free access: RSVP Here.

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.

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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)

• *NEW* Scrivener Writing Software (£55 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

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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, December 13 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 28th.

• 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.

Congratulations to the winners of Prompt Small Pleasures!

We are thrilled to share the contest results for the week of November 17. Writers were asked to capture the essence of a fleeting moment of joy. Special thanks once again to our guest judge,

Rachel Khoo

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• First Place: Unexpected Guests (on a Monday Morning) by Gráinne Quinlan

• Second Place: One Sunday Afternoon by

  Deepika Khatri

• Third Place: Heirloom by Sara Barila

And congratulations to the winners of our 24-hour contest Snapshots From Abroad!

We’re so happy to announce the winners of our very first 24-hour writing contest. This challenge invited writers to transport us across the globe through a series of vivid snapshots. The contest was judged by Writers’ Hour Magazine founding editor and London Writers’ Salon co-founder

Matt Trinetti

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• First Place: Notes from the plane by Kathryn Attwood

• Second Place: Ten Reasons Why Santonio Should Come to Yunnan’s Lugu Lake to Visit Me by Mingzi Yan

• Third Place: Postcards from Abroad by

  Rebecca A. Clay

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 - Should we continue in 2025?

As we close out the final writing contest of 2024, we’d love to hear from you: Would you like to see these weekly contests continue in 2025?

We’ve opened up the ‘Pledge’ feature on Substack. If you’d like to help keep this magazine alive, pledging your support is a great way to show your love and vote ‘Yes.’

Thank you!

Stay tuned for a longer post from us next week, where we’ll share more about our hopes for the magazine in the coming year!