YeahWrite Super Challenge
In April of 2011, our founder opened YeahWrite’s very first weekly challenge grid. Since then, we’ve run free online competitions every single week, dedicated not just to picking a winner but to improving the quality of every entrant’s writing. Our editors are writing professionals drawn from a variety of backgrounds and genres, from law to science to professorships. Over the years, a community has sprung up around our grids: writers who don’t just want to link up or get clicks, but who want to develop their craft in nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and even microstories. These writers come from all over the world.
In 2016, we took those competitions to the next level by adding our Super Challenge, a pay-to-play quarterly writing competition. Each Super Challenge takes place over the course of about six weeks, with writers competing for cash prizes in prompted fiction or nonfiction. We alternate between the two, so if the current competition isn’t your cup of tea, make sure you’re signed up for our mailer.
All good things must come to an end
The 2024 Super Challenge will be our last. When we first started the contest, we had two goals: to provide interesting and exciting prompts that would give writers some solid pieces to submit for publication, and to provide professional, practical feedback on every single submission that would help writers polish those pieces. The cash prizes were a bonus – at least in our eyes.
It’s been a wonderful ride, and we’ve read so many amazing Super Challenge stories and personal essays over the years. We hope that you’ll join us for one last hurrah!
Super Challenge #29 – Flash Fiction
- Registration opens: January 8, 2024
- Registration closes: April 3, 2024
- Round 1: April 5-7, 2024
- Round 2: April 26-28, 2024
- Winners announced: May 17, 2024
The top 10 writers (approximately) from Round 1 will move on to write in Round 2. The top three writers from Round 2 will win cash prizes: $200 for first place, $150 for second, and $100 for third.
How it works:
The Super Challenge is typically run in two rounds. During each round, we’ll release the prompt on Friday at 10pm US Eastern time. That’s right – you don’t have to stay up all night to get your prompt! Writers then have 48 hours to write a story or essay responsive to that prompt.
Once the writing phase is complete, our judges go to work. Each piece is scored and given positive and critical feedback by each judge. Writers will receive their feedback 12-24 hours before we announce who will advance to the next round. For more information about this phase of the challenge, check out our FAQ.
Roughly ten writers from the first round of competition advance to the second round to compete for first, second and third place prizes.
What are the prizes?
The guaranteed minimum prizes are: $200 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place.
What kind of prompts do you use?
Prompt styles for each competition will be released when we open registration. Check out our past competitions for examples.
For fiction, we’ve used pictures, events, emotions, and even mixed genre prompts. Nonfiction prompts have included persuasive essays answering a question, personal essays with an assigned topic, and the use of words or phrases that challenge the writer’s vocabulary or style.
Where can I sign up?
Registration for each Super Challenge opens about two months before the first round kicks off, with last-minute entry pricing in effect starting about a week prior to the kickoff. Make sure you’re signed up for our mailer to get the announcement for our next challenge!
Can I read past submissions?
