⏳ Weekly Writing Contest | September 29: In the Cards

Submit your entry by Friday October 4, 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT

Artwork by Emma Winterschladen

Welcome to the Weekly Writers' Hour Contest!

This week’s challenge turns to tarot for inspiration.

Prompt: In the Cards

Use the imagery, meaning, or symbolism of the Two of Wands tarot card as the inspiration for a new piece of writing.

Artwork by Emma Winterschladen

This week's prompt invites you to explore the symbolism of the Two of Wands, a tarot card representing vision, exploration, and standing at a crossroads. Interpret the prompt as literally or loosely as you wish, letting the imagery of the card inspire your writing in any direction.

Unpublished pieces of 500 words or less in any genre are eligible for this contest.

Submissions are due by Friday, October 4th at 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT.

Keep reading below for more information on prizes and FAQs – plus a note from our guest judge.

Happy writing!
The Writers’ Hour Magazine Team

Meet Our Guest Judge: Chelsey Pippin Mizzi

Chelsey Pippin Mizzi

is an author, tarot reader, and certified Shadow Work practitioner based in Avignon, France. Her work combines tarot, art therapy techniques, and Jungian Shadow Work practices. She has over ten years of experience in the creative industries to provide inclusive, supportive, and playful resources for artists, writers, and creative entrepreneurs.

Her first book, The Tarot Spreads Yearbook, was published in 2023 and became a number 1 bestseller in Amazon's Hot New Release category. Her follow-up book, Tarot for Creativity, is out this week. She writes on Substack at

The Shuffle with Chelsey Pippin Mizzi

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A Note from Chelsey:

Using a tarot card to inspire your writing can be wildly generative and a lot of fun. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Don't google the "meaning" of the card right away. Instead, open yourself up to the story emerges for you when you take the time to really look at and explore what you're seeing in the card.

2. Take a good 2-5 minutes to simply take in the image on the card. Really take the time to investigate what you're looking at, because this is where you'll find all of the foundational elements of the piece you're going to write.

3. Now it's time to free write. Grab your notebook and jot down everything that stands out to you about the card. Ask yourself: 

• Who are the characters here? 

• What's the mood? 

• Where is the conflict?

• What interesting details do I notice?

• How does this card make me feel?

4. Once you've observed the basics, ask some deeper questions:

• What do I think is happening here?

• What from my own life experience does this card remind me of?

• What happened just before this moment?

• What might happen after?

• What is going on beyond the frame of this image? 

• What "happy" story does this card tell?

• What "tragic" story does this card tell?

• What "romantic" story does this card tell?

• Do I see this image as the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

5. Reflect back over your answers to all the questions above, and select a few of the most compelling things you noted down. Use these to form the basis of your piece, and do what you do best: write about it.

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 (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

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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, October 4 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, October 19th.

• 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.

Plus, on Monday September 30, we’re hosting a 🎯 FREE October Goal Setting workshop to help you get clear on your writing goals and make a plan for the month ahead. 👉 Register to reserve your spot.