Write On The River contest deadline nears for regional authors

WENATCHEE. — Regional writers have less than two weeks remaining to submit entries for the 2025 Write On The River Writers Competition. The annual contest, now in its 16th year, offers $1,200 in prize money to be shared among six winners.

The competition, hosted in partnership with the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, welcomes both fiction and nonfiction entries up to 1,000 words. Submissions can be complete works or opening pages of longer pieces, including novels, short stories, flash fiction, essays, memoirs, or humor writing.

Eligibility is restricted to writers residing east of the Cascades, with an exception for Write On The River members who live elsewhere in Washington state. Out-of-state submissions will not be considered.

All entries must follow specific formatting requirements: double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins, submitted as PDF files. Manuscripts should not include the author's name but must display the title, page numbers, and genre designation ('F' for fiction or 'N' for nonfiction) on the first page.

The entry fee is $20 per submission. Writers can opt for three written critiques of their work for an additional $20. While multiple entries are permitted, participants can only win one prize per category.

Competition directors and judges are ineligible to win prizes in categories they are judging. The contest accepts prose entries only, with separate poetry competitions planned for later in 2025.

For complete guidelines and submission details, writers can visit wvmcc.org or writeontheriver.org.