Introducing: Inkwell’s first Writers’ Competition!
The theme for this competition is:
The Agony and Ecstasy of the Artist.
Locals will have the opportunity to submit their pieces. First, second, and third place will be published on Inkwell’s Substack and awarded cash prizes.
1st place: $1,000
2nd place: $500
3rd place: $250
Please read below for details, submission links, and a few tools to help you with your piece.
1. Writers’ Competition
All artists live in the desert between agony and ecstasy. Here are a few questions to help your brain storm.
What are some of the biggest pains and sorrows you experience in your craft?
What are some ways you have found hope, healing, and even euphoria?
What is your deepest or most vulnerable experience when contending with your art?
How have you experienced the transcendent or ecstatic through artistic work?
Tell us a story.
Submission Details
Length: 1200-1500 words maximum.
Submission Deadline: March 31.
Winners will be announced on April 30th.
Judging Criteria + Writing Guidelines
Here at Inkwell, we publish pieces that are gripping, ones that our audience can’t help but read until the end. Whether blending both styles or rooted in one, Inkwell essays tend to fall into two main categories: those that explore a thesis through visceral storytelling and those that adopt a journalistic voice to make bold and beautiful claims. Whichever direction you take, both types should weave all three of these dimensions together.
Three Dimensions of an Inkwell Essay
First Dimension: Personal Narrative and Embodied Storytelling
Second Dimension: Unique and Compelling Thesis
Third Dimension: Artistic & Literary Influence
What We’re Not Looking For
-Purely devotional reflections with only an inspirational focus
-Scholarly or academic essays that lack narrative engagement or a creative voice
-Sermon-style or expository works with a didactic tone
-Pure memoir without a compelling cultural or theological framework
Eligibility
This writing competition is for Inkwell Paid Subscribers only.