Just to let you know where we are with the contest. We don’t like reading on a screen, so we send the entries off to a printer and get them back in big ring-bound booklets. Then we annotate, produce feedback for those who have requested it and work out who will be commended or long-listed. Good luck all!

Congratulations to all those who entered the prize. We had over 533 entries, which is significantly more than last year (which was our first). Judging & feedback will proceed in line with the schedule on our website.

Post the first line of your work in progress for feedback here!

What a lovely first few weeks we've had in the community! From festive Christmas polls to deep dives like "What is your writing superpower?" (loving those responses!) and fresh shares in "Call for First Lines!" and opening paragraphs – the feedback has been thoughtful, constructive, and genuinely helpful. New intros, planning chats, and even "Blow your own trumpet!" threads... this place is buzzing with inspiration! Massive congrats to our 30-day leaderboard legends keeping the energy high: 1. James Blair (+27) 2. Louis Urbanowski (+21) 3. Michael Edgerly (+18) 4. Nazmin Rahman (+18) 5. Christine Hastings (+13) The more you engage, the more points you get, and that allows you to unlock resources as well as get general community kudos. Meanwhile... what's one win from your writing this month – big or small? Share below, or drop a fresh first line/opening para for feedback. Let's end 2025 strong and carry that momentum into the new year!

One of the hardest tasks, I know. Leave a one sentence summary of one of your pieces here for constructive feedback. And contribute your own assessments of the work of others.