⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | January 12: The Untold Story

Submit your entry by Friday January 17, 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT

Artwork by Emma Winterschladen

Happy new year, and welcome back to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!

This week's challenge invites you to uncover a narrative that’s been waiting in the wings of your memory or imagination.

Prompt: The Untold Story

Think of a story you've never shared before—real or fictional—something that's been tucked away in your mind or heart.

Consider the impact of this story has on your present life (or the life of your character).

Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible for this contest.

Submissions are due by Friday, January 17th 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,

Eleanor Anstruther

.

Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team

Meet Our Guest Judge:

Eleanor Anstruther

Eleanor Anstruther was born in London, educated at Westminster School and studied History of Art at Manchester University where she was distracted from finishing her degree by a trip to India. She was lost and found for the next twelve years, starting a commune and travelling the world before finally settling down to write.

Her acclaimed debut novel, A Perfect Explanation, (Salt Books) was long listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the 2019 Not The Booker Prize.

Since then Eleanor has grown a significant following on Substack, concentrating her new work there where she serialises her novels ahead of publication, as well as running a hugely successful interview project called 8 Questions.

If you’d like to connect directly with Eleanor, come on over to The Literary Obsessive on Substack, and get in touch.

A Note from Eleanor:

There are stories you want to tell, and there are stories that want to be told. When these worlds collide, it’s happy days. But often, the stories that want to be told come with risk—they can feel too exposing, challenging, or painful to face. So, we shut them down and choose something safer, something that pleases the audience or avoids discomfort.

But art that truly resonates—books, paintings, music—have one vital aspect in common: the artist stopped worrying about looking good or avoiding shame. They locked eyes with the story that wouldn’t leave them alone and said, Okay, let’s do it. These stories transcend individuality, speak universal truths, and remind us of our shared humanity.

Telling these stories is freeing. Amazingly, each time I do it, despite every nerve ending telling me differently, the sky does not fall in. Instead, my horizons widen and I realise more deeply my part in the human race.

All of this comes with the caveats, of course: cause no harm, incite no violence, and consider the impact of your words. But there are creative ways around even the stickiest of truths. This prompt invites you to find them.

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, January 17 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, February 1st.

• 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.