Critique Group Live
Writing Contest
Critique Group Live's Winter Writing Contest
A note from CGL Creators:
Hello fearless writers!
We're so excited for Critique Group Live WRITING CONTEST!!
If you're new here, welcome to our monthly critique group. The CGL Writing Contest awarded $260 in prizes in 2022 and CGL awarded an additional $225 in cash prizes through our weekly flash fiction contests on our FB Group & Instagram. Barrett Laurie donated an additional $1000 to the community through book giveaways of books written by AuthorTubers in 2022!
Join us as we celebrate the community and the next CGL Writing Contest!
We help one another level up our writing. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a newbie, we hope you will enjoy the skills discussion that builds the foundation of a strong writing community. We help one another by offering honest critique of a writer's WIP. We are writers helping writers, working to build a sense of community on AuthorTube.
Check out how we critique a piece of fiction in a positive way. With feedback on writing with the goal of helping the writer improve.
Come hang with us, there's always a seat for you at our table.
Barrett & Stephanie
Category & Entry Limitations
There are (2) two categories for this CGL Writing contest: (1) Short Story & (2) Flash Fiction.
Each entrant is limited to one entry per category.
There is also a limitation of one cash prize per author, with priority going to Short Story.
That is, if you submit to BOTH categories and your Short Story places in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd (with cash prize), the Flash Fiction entry becomes ineligible for a place or prize.
Stories that score well but are ineligible will have an honorable mention & potentially be shared during the Winners' Announcement Stream in 2023 in addition to the Official Winning Entries.
Short Stories word limit: 2,500 (no minimum)
There is no prompt or genre requirement for Short Story submissions. Please include content warnings on all submissions if relevant & refrain from graphic sex or violence.
Flash Fiction word limit: 1,000 (no minimum)
There are (3) three prompts to choose from for Flash Fiction submissions. Entries not relative to the prompt are disqualified. The exact phrasing of the prompt is not required to appear in the submission. Only (1) submission per entrant, so choose your prompt wisely. Please include content warnings on all submissions if relevant & refrain from graphic sex or violence.
See past winners here:
Prizes
Short Story Category
First Place: $250
Second Place: $100
Third Place: $50
Flash Fiction Category
First Place: $100
Second Place: $50
Third Place: $25
Contest Submission Guidelines
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Writers may submit (1) one piece per category, but may only win in one category. Should a writer submit for both flash fiction and short story and win both, the short story (as it has the largest cash prize) will take priority and scores for short stories will be tallied first.
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To submit, choose the correct category button below and follow the steps on the submission form. There is no entry fee.
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You must be the original author and retain rights to the original fiction submitted.
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All submissions are anonymous until after scoring. Bookend Lane serves as the in-between to ensure this anonymity.
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Please include your real name (for prize payouts, if applicable), but pen names are valid for byline during the CGL Live Stream video announcing the winners.
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You grant CGL permission to share your submission in a Live Stream video on Youtube by submitting to the contest. You retain all rights to your submission.
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Word count requirements must be adhered to - Short stories have a 2500 word limit and Flash fiction pieces have a 1000 word limit. There are no minimum word count requirements.
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Short Stories can be any genre or topic, with content warnings as necessary.
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Flash Fiction pieces must follow one of the (3) three optional prompts included on the form, with content warnings as necessary.
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Entry deadline is March 2023.
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Corrected Entries can be submitted by submitting the Flash Fiction or Short Story again, with a note with the Title saying it is a corrected entry (example: Title - Corrected) within 48 hours of the original submission & within the submission window for the contest.
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Prizes will be awarded via KoFi, PayPal, Venmo, or some other option as is convenient for CGL's creators, Barrett and Stephanie. Cash will not be mailed through any postal service.
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Bookend Lane, LLC is not responsible or involved in the judging or prize payout for this contest.
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All results are final as presented in the Winner's Announcement Live Stream in April 2023.
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Taxes remain the responsibility of CGL and the contest winners.
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Void where prohibited.