

To Register for the conference click here
Showcase Awards (for a pdf. click here )
1. Grand Showcase Award - 3 Prizes ($200/$100/$50)
-
Short story or essay. Limit 2500 words.
-
Sponsor: Ozark Creative Writers Board of Directors.
2. Oxbow Award in Memory of Dusty & Pat Richards - 3 Prizes ($200/$100/$50)
-
Western short story.
-
Limit: 2500 words.
-
Sponsor: Ozark Creative Writers Board of Directors
3. Founding Member Award in Memory of Arkansas Poet Laureate Peggy Vining - 1 Prize ($100)
-
Poem about change, any style. Limit: 24 lines.
-
Sponsor: Ozark Creative Writers Board of Directors.
4. Mike Willis Inspiration Award - 1 Prize ($100)
-
An inspirational short story about sibling rivalry.
-
Limit: 2000 words.
-
Sponsor: Chrissy Willis in memory of her late husband, Mike Willis
5. Published Newspaper Column/Blog Award -1 Prize ($50)
-
Best opinion essay or column published in a newspaper, online news outlet, or blog for the 12 months preceding August 1, 2023. Columns or blogs may be on any subject or theme, including reviews or humor.
-
Limit: 2500 words.
-
Sponsor: Max McCoy
Grand Conference Awards- 3 Prizes ($50/$30/$20)
6. Search for Excellence Award
-
Nonfiction memoir or essay.
-
Limit: 2500 words.
-
Sponsor: Leon Combs
7. Native American Short Story Award
-
Short story with a Native American theme.
-
Limit: 2500 words.
-
Sponsor: Clouse Literary Arts and Theater
8. Flash Fiction
-
Must have a beginning, middle, and end.
-
Limit: 99 words.
-
Sponsor: David Kirkland
9. Haiku Award
-
Write a haiku
-
Limit: Traditional 5-7-5 syllables
-
Sponsor: David Kirkland
10. A Fish Out of Water Tale
-
A short story that includes someone or something in unusual surroundings. Examples: A 12-year-old enrolls at Harvard, a wolf finds himself appointed king of a lost colony of highly intelligent rabbits, a car mechanic travels back or forward in time, a New Yorker is stranded at the Midland/Odessa airport, etc. Make it zany or believable but write to entertain.
-
Limit: 1000 words.
-
Sponsor: Micki Fuhrman
11. Birthday Party Romance Contest
-
While at a painting party for a friend's birthday, the protagonist feels an immediate, undeniable connection with the artist in charge.
-
Limit: 1500-2000 words.
-
Sponsor: Ozark Romance Authors, Springfield, MO
12. "Steamy" Romance Contest
-
Write a steamy romance. Must use the words escape and delicious.
-
Limit: 1000-4000 words
-
Sponsor: Delicious Escape Publications
13. Sleuths' Ink Contest
-
A vigilante in Cancun. Must include a crime.
-
Limit: 500 words
-
Sponsor: Sleuths' Ink, Springfield, Mo
14. From Dusk To Dawn
-
Tell a spooky tale of a monster that prowls the night from dusk to dawn.
-
Limit: 2000 words
-
Sponsor: Homegrown Books
Conference Awards- 3 Prizes ($25/$15/$10)
15. Goddesses of Poetic License Challenge
-
Write a short story, any genre including all the following words: trajectory, pragmatic, fish, sunflower, and ice cream.
-
Limit: 1000 words.
-
Sponsor: The Goddesses of Poetic License (Linda Apple, Chrissy Willis & Ruth Weeks)
16. Senior Moments
-
Write a story, any genre, where the protagonist is over 50. Limit: 1500 words.
-
Sponsor: Betsy Gray
17. A Scream in the Night
-
A horror short story. Limit: 3000 words.
-
Sponsor: Tahlequah Writers
18. Tales from the Trip
-
Write about a memorable trip (fact or fiction). Examples: family vacation, honeymoon, car buying trip, stagecoach ride in the old west or a trip to the moon. Impress us with your writing and wow us with you story.
-
Limit: 500 words.
-
Sponsor: Coffee and Critique Writers of O’Fallon, MO
19. Middle-Grade Fiction for Boys Ages 9-12
-
Write a story that will appeal to boys. Limit: 1500-2500 words.
-
Sponsor: Renee LaViness
20. Historical Romance Contest
-
Historical Romance short story. Limit: 3000 words.
-
Sponsors: The Deadline Dames (Joy Keeney & Rhonda Harvey)
21. Hometown Nostalgia Column
-
Write a nostalgic article about the Ozarks that is suitable for a newspaper column. The article should have a headline (title) and give your column a name. Limit: 500-1000 words.
-
Sponsor: Lonnie Whitaker
22. Funeral Mystery
-
While attending a funeral you notices someone secreting a piece of paper into the coffin. What do you suppose it says and why? May be sad, funny, poignant...you decide. Edit carefully.
-
Limit: 500 words (short story) or Up to 24 lines (poem).
-
Sponsor: Marcia Gaye
23. Space Journey
-
Science fiction genre in the style of 50’s Sci-Fi movies. Limit: 2000 words.
-
Sponsor: Tahlequah Writers
24. Winston's Quotable Quote Blog
-
Choose a favorite quote and blog about it . Limit: 500 words.
-
Sponsor: Linda Apple
25. Travel Article
-
Write it as if you were sending it to a reputable magazine. No photos, please. Limit: 1500 words.
-
Sponsor: Johnny D. Boggs
26. Things That Go Bump In The Night!
-
Paranormal short story (No Horror). Limit: 3000 words.
-
Sponsor: Ruth Weeks
27. Give Us The Best of Friends
-
Humorous short story, any genre, about best friends on a cross-country trip. Must include the following words: dachshund, magic, mystery, and pinto beans.
-
Limit: 2500 words.
-
Sponsors: Joni Cogbill and Betsy Gray
28. My Favorite Day in Nature
-
Free Verse Poem
-
Sponsor: Linda Sartin in memory of her late husband, Gary
29. Best First Paragraph
-
Hook us with your best first paragraph from a novel or short story.
-
Sponsors: Margarite Stever and Bonnie Tesh
30. A Drop In The Bucket
-
A Short Story about checking off an item from your bucket list (can be fact or fiction). Make it exciting and entertaining.
-
Limit: 1500 words.
-
Sponsor: Little Red Writing Hood
31. CW Indie Press Children's Book Award
-
Children's Book suitable for ages 3-7.
-
Limit 750 words.
-
Sponsor: CW Indie Press
On-The-Spot Contest- One Prize $25
-
Open only to those attending the OCW Conference in October
-
Details to be announced at the conference
-
Entries are due by noon Saturday
-
Must be present at Awards Banquet Saturday Evening to win