24-Hour Short Story Contest from Writer’s Weekly. Sign up now to receive the writing prompt and word count before the contest starts on July 11; write and submit your story within 24 hours. Prizes: $300, $250, $200, and publication. Entry fee $5. https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/
Bellevue Literary Review Prizes for fiction and essays (up to 5,000 words) and poetry (up to three poems) on themes of health, healing, illness, and the mind and body. First prize in each category: $1,000 and publication; honorable mention, $250 and publication. Entry fee $20. Deadline July 15. https://blr.med.nyu.edu/submissions/BLRPrizes
Explore the theme of “goodness” in poetry, story, memoir, or creative nonfiction for Wising Up anthologies. Prose up to 5,000 words; up to five poems. “Goodness is hard to define, but we know it when we see it. In action or inaction, that pause that isn’t uncertain, that is more like a deep, steady breath, an existential embrace.” Deadline Aug. 15. goodness@universaltable.org
The University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop is seeking essays for Nickie’s Prize for Humor Writing—a competition for humor writers with funny stories (up to 1,000 words) to share about their sisters or close friends who are like sisters. Up to 20 winning writers will be awarded $300 cash prizes. “In the spirit of Erma Bombeck, the tone can be humorous, absurd, even offbeat,” said Teri Rizvi, director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. Entry fee $25. Deadline Aug. 1. http://humorwriters.org/nickies-prize/announcement-nickies-prize/
Poetry Unites Kentucky Contest. “An ongoing film project, called Poetry Unites America, has picked Kentucky for its next film in the series,” Kentucky Poet Laureate Jeff Worley said. “Any Kentucky resident can submit an essay, a personal story, focused on a poem that you love, a poem that has changed your life.” Answer these questions in your essay: What’s your favorite poem, who wrote it, and when did you read it for the first time? Why is it important to you? Provide some information about yourself: daily life, dreams, expectations. Submit essays up to 600 words to poetryunites@gmail.com. Four winners will be featured in the Poetry Unites Kentucky 30-minute documentary film. No entry fee. Deadline Sept. 5.
Information about contests, markets, and grants is provided as a service to writers, and is not an endorsement of any particular contest or sponsoring organization. Always check contest websites for complete rules.