⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | October 20: Nature Observed
Submit your entry by Friday October 25, 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT
Welcome to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!
This week’s challenge invites you to slow down, sit with nature, and let new discoveries emerge from deep and loving attention.
Prompt: Nature Observed
Choose an object from the natural world and study it closely. Write a piece that centers on what you’ve discovered through attentive observation.
You might choose to study a shell, a feather, a cloud formation, or a patch of moss. If these aren’t accessible, use whatever is available to you—a view from your window, an internet search, or even an object already in your home.
Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible for this contest.
Submissions are due by Friday, October 25th at 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT.
Keep reading below for more information on prizes and FAQs – plus an introduction to this week’s guest judge, Lindsey Trout Hughes.
Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team
Meet Our Guest Judge: Lindsey Trout Hughes
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 Programming & 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 essays about wonder and the natural world at Fox in the Dark.
A Note from Lindsey:
As an essayist and avid nature journaler, I’m curious about how deep attention can transform our writing.
If you’re not sure where to start with this week’s prompt, here’s a simple and powerful method of observation developed by John Muir Laws and shared through the Wild Wonder Foundation: I Notice, I Wonder, It Reminds Me Of. Though designed for nature journaling, this is an excellent tool for writers, as well!
This approach asks us to slow down, look closely, and let the world we think we know unfold in new ways.
Begin with noticing. Look at the object you’ve chosen. What do you notice about it? Jot it down. “I notice how the light falls on the leaf” or, “I notice how the bird tilts its head.” Write down everything you observe, no matter how small or seemingly unimportant.
Next, step into wonder and let your curiosity lead. “I wonder why there’s a hole in this shell” or, “I wonder how the bird knows where to look for food.” These questions don’t need immediate answers. They’re meant to open up possibilities for exploration and deepen the connection to what you’re observing.
Now, let memory in with “It reminds me of…” Here’s where connections begin to form. The object you’re observing might evoke an old summer, another pattern in the natural world, or the touch of a familiar hand. Whatever comes to mind, follow the thread.
Finally, try weaving your observations together in a new piece of writing. Take your time with this. To write with attention is to write with reverence and love. Notice. Wonder. Remember. Let your writing reflect not only what you’ve seen but what it has stirred within you.
To learn more about nature journaling, explore the work of John Muir Laws and the resources available through the Wild Wonder Foundation.
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 (about £75 GBP)
Publication in Writers’ Hour Magazine
3-month complimentary London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership
Commemorative Writers’ Hour trophy mug
Second Prize:
A special mention in Writers’ Hour Magazine
1-month complimentary London Writers’ Salon Silver Membership
Third Prize:
A special mention in Writers’ Hour Magazine
FAQs:
What if I don’t have access to nature?
Feel free to adapt the prompt to your surroundings. Even a houseplant, a view from your window, or an object in your home can become the focus of your observation. The key is to make space for deep attention and discover something new.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, October 25 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 entry will be published in Writers’ Hour Magazine by Saturday, November 9th.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 winners of Prompt In the Cards!
We are thrilled to share the results of the contest for the week of September 29. Writers were tasked with using the Two of Wands tarot card as the inspiration for a new piece of writing. Special thanks once again to our guest judge, Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, author of Tarot for Creativity.
First Place: Love Potion Number Ten by Athena Law
Second Place: The Path by Susan Arick
Third Place: Once a Wayward Traveler by Meg Alina Power
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
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.
Just submitted mine - thanks for the opportunity!
Submitted!