⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | January 19: Signs & Symbols
Submit your entry by Friday January 24, 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT
Welcome to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!
This week's challenge invites you to explore the language of symbols and reflect on how they shape our lives.
Prompt: Signs & Symbols
Consider a recurring or meaningful sign or symbol in your life. Use this as a jumping-off point to craft a new essay, poem, or short story.
This could be something tangible, like an object or image, or something more abstract, like a phrase, pattern, or feeling. Explore its meaning. What might it be trying to reveal?
Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible for this contest.
Submissions are due by Friday, January 24th at 5pm GMT / 12pm ET / 9am PT
Keep reading for more information on prizes and FAQs – plus an introduction to this week’s guest judges, founding editors
& .(PS: We’re running a 5-week program in February to engage with the symbols and images guiding your writing. More details at the bottom.)
Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team
Meet Our Guest Judges &
Lindsey Trout Hughes is a writer and editor of creative nonfiction. A former columnist at Catapult, her essays have appeared in The Rumpus, Bright Wall/Dark Room, The Audacity, and elsewhere. Lindsey is Head of Writer Experience at the London Writers’ Salon and Assistant Books Editor at Barrelhouse. She is at work on a memoir about the intersection of motherhood, madness, and art-making centered on her time spent playing Ophelia in Hamlet. Lindsey writes on Substack at Fox in the Dark.
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 Writers' Hour Magazine and writes SEEKING with Matt Trinetti.
A Note from Lindsey & Matt:
Dear Writers,
Signs and symbols are the language of the soul—quiet, persistent, and full of mystery. This week’s prompt invites you to reflect on a recurring or meaningful sign or symbol in your life. It might be something as tangible as an object or animal you keep noticing, an image that follows you, or as abstract as a recurring phrase or feeling.
Here are a few ways you might approach this prompt:
Look Closely: Begin with observation. What does this symbol look like? Feel like? Where does it appear? Describe it with as much sensory detail as you can, anchoring your piece in its presence.
Ask Its Meaning: What might this symbol represent? Is it tied to a memory, a wish, or a fear? What emotions or thoughts does it bring to the surface? Play with the idea that this sign is trying to tell you something or guide you somewhere.
Let It Lead the Way: Use the symbol as a doorway. Follow where it takes you—whether that’s into a memory, an imagined future, a fictional story, or a philosophical exploration. Be open to discovery and allow yourself to be surprised by what emerges on the page.
There’s no right or wrong way to engage with this prompt. Craft a new piece of writing in the genre of your choosing that resonates with you. We can’t wait to read what you write.
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 24 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 8th.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 - Dive Into Your Creative Symbols This Winter
Want to uncover the symbols and themes guiding your writing? Join us for🗝️ Writing The Signs, a five-week writing journey to uncover the symbols to guide your writing, starting February 3rd. Through reflection, prompts, and guided exercises, connect with inspiration and craft a creative roadmap for your writing year.
👉 Learn More & Join 🗝️ Writing The Signs
Paid Substack subscribers and LWS Members get £50-off.
LWS Members, get your coupon here.
Paid Substack subscribers, your code is below.👇
Let’s explore the images waiting to shape your stories. We’d love to have you with us!