Écrivium Is Preparing a Writing Contest for November 2026

The contest is expected to begin on or around November 1, 2026. The proposed goal is to reach 40,000 words in 60 days, with the results due to be announced on January 1, 2027. The final schedule will need to be confirmed when the official contest page is published. Participation is expected to be limited to registered Écrivium.fr members, with one essential requirement: the entire text must be written on the website. The exact terms—including the themes, prizes and validation rules—are still being prepared. They will be published in the coming weeks in the section dedicated to the contest. Forty thousand words is a substantial project, but it is achievable with consistency. Over 60 days, it works out at an average of roughly 667 words per day. In other words, a few pages each day rather than a heroic duel with a blank page at three in the morning. Above all, the challenge will reward stamina, organisation and the ability to keep going even when inspiration decides to take a long weekend.

Even though the themes have not yet been announced, writers can still create the right conditions for making progress. The first step is to set aside a realistic writing period each day. A consistent 30 to 60 minutes may be more effective than one long, improvised session every Sunday evening. A daily target of between 650 and 700 words would keep participants close to the proposed pace while leaving a little room for flexibility. It can also be helpful to try different approaches to structuring a story. Some writers prefer a detailed outline, with characters, plot points and an ending established from the outset. Others move forward scene by scene or follow a succession of ideas. Either way, preparing a basic structure can prevent the alarming discovery, 22,000 words in, that the protagonist has no goal, no train and probably no author left either. Prospective participants can begin practising now with timed writing sessions, short stories or an idea notebook. The aim is not to start the contest entry early, but to gain a better understanding of their own writing pace. Since the work will have to be written entirely on Écrivium.fr, participants should follow the official conditions once they are published and avoid making assumptions about rules that have not yet been finalised.

The themes and prizes will be revealed soon on the dedicated contest page. Their announcement will mark the true beginning of the creative preparation process: choosing a subject, genre, tone, characters and working method. For now, no theme or prize should be treated as official. Before entering, every writer will need to read the forthcoming rules carefully. Important points will include the final dates, the exact word-count target, registration requirements, submission procedures and the judging criteria announced by the organisers. Reading the rules may feel less dramatic than a chase scene in a thunderstorm, but it can prevent many disappointments. Above all, the project offers an opportunity to turn the desire to write into a concrete commitment. A 60-day framework can help writers make steady progress, accept imperfect first drafts and maintain a disciplined routine. The contest will require more than a good idea: participants will need to give that idea shape, momentum and an ending. The next announcements will tell Écrivium members exactly where the starting line lies.