40th Anniversary
Supporting writers in Ottawa since 1986
July & august
Summer Short Story Competition
Shenanigans of Summer
Deadline August 25
Ottawa Independent Writers invites members to submit original short stories for our summer contest on the theme:
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"Shenanigans of Summer"
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Writers are invited to interpret the theme broadly: from comic misadventures and summer mishaps to cozy mysteries, ghostly pranks, suspicious disappearances, or lighthearted whodunits. Keep it clever, surprising, and full of summer mischief.
Contest Details
Theme: Shenanigans of Summer
Word Count: 600 to 1,000 words
Deadline: August 25, 2026
Eligibility: OIW members only
Final Judge: Tim Wynne-Jones
Winners Announced: September 22, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., during the opening meeting of the season.
Prizes
First Prize: $100
Second Prize: $75
Third Prize: $50
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Submission Guidelines
Entries must be submitted anonymously. Please do not include your name anywhere in the story document, including headers, footers, or the body of the text.
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Stories must be:
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The author’s own original work
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Previously unpublished
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A complete story, not an excerpt from a longer work
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Clearly connected to the contest theme
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Between 600 and 1,000 words, not including the title
Stories must not include racial insults or slurs.
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Formatting Requirements
Please submit your story as a Word document (.doc, .docx, .pdf, or .pages) using:
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12-point font
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Times New Roman or Arial
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Double spacing
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No headers or footers
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No reference to the author’s name anywhere in the document
How to Submit
Click the submit button and upload your story as a Word document.
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Only submissions from current OIW members will be considered.
Not a member yet?
Visit our Membership Page to learn all about the benefits of being an OIW member, including the opportunity to get published!
OUR MEETINGS
MONTHLY MEETINGS
OIW holds nine monthly program meetings from September to June each year on a wide variety of writing related topics, normally with a speaker and plenty of opportunity for questions.
CURRENT MEETINGS
OIW gathers every third Tuesday of the month with presentations starting at 7 pm, lasting until 8:30 pm. The meetings currently take place on the Zoom virtual platform.
Visit our membership page to sign-up now!
OUR BOARD
Meet some of the OIW Board Directors!
Bob Barclay
Member-at-Large
During my professional career I published a great many technical works, but on my retirement some 15 years ago I decided to turn my hand to fiction. With a nascent novel in hand, a quick search of resources led me to Ottawa Independent Writers, which proved to be a turning point. With the wide expertise available among the OIW membership, I was able to complete my novel, see to the formatting and cover design, and get it into print all in good order. I soon became a board member of the organization, and it is from that vantage point I can now help others who were in my situation 15 years ago. Board membership allows me to give back to the community, and I feel that many OIW members who have followed my path would find great satisfaction in membership on the board, sharing their expertise, and watching all aspects of the creative writing process from the first words on the screen to the completed published work.
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Lena Samson
Director of Communications
As an OIW board member, I engage with prolific writers and literary professionals whom I would never meet otherwise. My writing and editing have benefited greatly from their experience and expertise. The Board is a friendly, sage and collaborative group from which I've learned enormously and to to which I'm grateful to contribute. Every volunteer on the Board brings a new perspective, unique background and helps OIW continue to thrive.
Interested in joining the Board and giving your writing career a boost? Let us know!
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Email us at: members@ottawaindependentwriters.com