WV Writers, Inc.
WV Writers, Inc.  Writing Contests. 
Site Contents


Online Store
Back to the Home Page

Annual Writing Competition

The WV Writers 2008 Spring Writing Competition is now closed for all submissions.  Please watch this space for the winners to be posted following our annual awards banquet at the WVW Summer Conference at Cedar Lakes.  (Or, see it live and in person by coming to the conference itself.  Details are on our Conference Page.)
2008 CATEGORIES
(Please see the entry form
for specific rules and regulations)

Regular Competition Category Descriptions
  • Stage Play— (All Lengths) Joe McCabe Memorial Playwriting Award, sponsored by Friends of the Martinsburg Public Library and WV Writers.
  • Nonfiction—(up to 5,000 words). Includes article, essay and memoir.
  • Children’s Picture Books and Full-Length Books for youths to age 16— Submit 3 chapters or up to 5,000 words and a l-page synopsis. Artwork will not be considered in the judging.
  • Humor— (up to 5,000 words). Prose or poetry.
  • Appalachian Writing— (up to 5,000 words). Prose or poetry.
  • Book Length Prose— Fiction or Non-Fiction.  Submit up to 7,500 words and a 1-page synopsis.    
  • Long Poetry— Poetry over 20 lines in length; any form.
  • Short Poetry— Poetry 20 lines or shorter in length; any form.
  • Short Story— Fiction (up to 5,000 words).
  • Genre Short Story— Romance ONLY (up to 5,000 words)
  • Emerging Writers— Poetry. Any poetry form, any length.
  • Emerging Writers— Prose (up to 5,000 words). Specify fiction or nonfiction.

High School Competition (Grades 9-12)
  • High School Writers Poetry— Any poetry form, any length.
  • High School  Prose— (up to 3,000 words). Specify fiction, essay, memoir or article.


FACTS ABOUT THE CONTEST
  • Established in 1982
  • The state's largest writing competition.
  • Open to West Virginia residents and members of WV Writers, Inc., adult or student.
  • Young Writers category (grades 7-12)
  • Over $105, 000.00 in prize money awarded since 1982.
  • In addition to the cash awards to the winners, we are adding a unique opportunity to this very special honor.  Each cash award winner in the 2007 competition is invited to submit work to be considered for a scholarship to the 2007 annual week-long WVW Creative Writing Workshops at Allegheny Echoes.  These workshops are sponsored by WV Writers and are held in conjunction with the highly regarded Allegheny Echoes music, dance and cultural heritage arts workshops in beautiful Pocahontas County.  
Competition Winners from Years Past.
  2001, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006,
2007