May Fiction Contest Open

The Chattanooga Writers’ Guild seeks submissions of Fiction with the theme of Knots. Writers are invited to interpret the theme as loosely or closely as they wish. Deadline to submit up to 3 works is May 31, 2025, with a 1500 word limit per work.

This contest is available to members only. Once logged into your account, the submission form is under the “Members” tab on our homepage. If you need help logging in, please contact tech-support@chattanoogawritersguild.org.

Submission Guidelines

• Follow the genre and theme for each month. The Monthly Contests rotate through a pattern of Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Nonfiction throughout the year.
• Title each entry at the top of your submitted document as well as in the entry form below.
• Do not include any identifying information in the uploaded document or document’s file name as the contest entries are judged blindly.
• Word Limits: for Fiction and Creative Nonfiction, the word limit is 1,500. You may submit up to three stories.
• Line Limits: For Poetry, the line limit is 60. You may submit up to three poems
• Single document: Upload your work as one document with each entry beginning on a new page.
• Limitations: We request first place winners in any genre wait six months before entering in the same category again. For example, a first place Poetry winner in January may enter a contest in another genre, but is asked to skip entering Poetry again until July’s poetry contest.

Our Monthly Contests open on the 1st of each month and close on the last day, with one winner and one runner-up announced the following month. The first-place winner receives $50. The work of the winner and runner-up will be submitted for publication in The Pulse and considered for publication in our anthology. Writers included in the anthology will receive one free copy, available the following year. Monthly Contests are available to current members of the Chattanooga Writers’ Guild only and are free to enter. To become a member, click HERE