• Youth entrants must be between 12 and 18 years old, as of date of entry.

• Adult entrants must be 18 years old or over, as of date of entry.

• Judging criteria will include writing proficiency, creative interpretation of the theme, strength of the narrative and engagement of the characters.

• This competition is open to non-professional* fiction writers who are Queensland residents.

• Entries are free and limited to one per person.

• All entries should be in English and submitted as a Word or PDF document. Formatting must be in the style of Calibri or Arial font, double line spaced with page numbers. Entrants can choose their own title.

• Entries that exceed the word limit will be deemed ineligible.

• Entries are to be made through the submission form linked below.

• Personal information collected for this competition will be handled in accordance with Western Downs Regional Council’s Privacy Policy. For details, visit Information Privacy – Council Policy

• Read full terms and conditions here.

*a non-professional writer means a person who has never received a fee for their work, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. Prize money received for a story is not considered a fee.