Blizzard announces 2011 Global Writing Contest
by Anne Stickney 
Aug 16th 2011 at 9:00AM
It's that time of year again -- the time when all hopeful writers put fingers to keys and come up with the kind of prose that could win them a trip to Blizzard's headquarters. The 2011 Global Writing Contest is looking for stories from 2,500 to 7,500 words, set in the Warcraft, Diablo or StarCraft universes. This year, the grand prize offers a trip to Blizzard headquarters to meet with the Blizzard writing staff, a host of signed books from Warcraft, Diablo and StarCraft, as well as a Doomhammer of your very own.
Interested in putting together an entry? Check out the official rules and FAQ at the official site. The deadline this year isSept. 28 October 15, so getting started sooner rather than later is advised. You can also take a look at last year's winners and runners-up on the official website. While you're at it, why not take a look at our interviews with last year's winners as well? Good luck to all who enter!
Correction: The entry deadline for the Global Writing Contest is October 15, as stated in the Official Rules.
Interested in putting together an entry? Check out the official rules and FAQ at the official site. The deadline this year is
Correction: The entry deadline for the Global Writing Contest is October 15, as stated in the Official Rules.
Filed under: News items, Contests, Lore
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
MattKrotzer Aug 16th 2011 9:06AM
I always wanted to enter Blizzard's writing contests, but the fine print gets me every time, since you basically yield all ownership of the writing to them for perpetuity and they can use, edit or even sell it as they see fit.
Debesun Aug 16th 2011 9:54AM
"you basically yield all ownership of the writing to them for perpetuity and they can use, edit or even sell it as they see fit."
Well, it is their universe / IP that you're going to be using. What could you otherwise gain if you were to write a short story about WoW, SC or Diablo and not submit it to the contest in comparison to the grand prize / runner up prizes?
At least this way, you can get your name out, some official recognition, and goodies if they believe your story is good enough. It would seem to be a more productive use of time if you submitted it than if you were to just stick the story on the forums or a personal website only to be recognised as another fan fiction and forgotten some time later.
MattKrotzer Aug 16th 2011 9:56AM
Mine's more of a creator's rights issue than a matter of who will see it or enjoy it.
Merus Aug 16th 2011 10:23AM
It seems like a fairly typical situation to me; considering that it's to specifications that no-one else can legally use, it doesn't seem like it's much different from a work-for-hire situation.
One of the tricks is that Blizzard must secure permission to be able to republish the contest winner, and to publicise the name of the winner. Often people get tripped up by the legal language that secures them that right. In this case, entering also asserts that Blizzard own the copyright of what you write - but then, it's fanfiction, so Blizzard own the copyright on the derivative works submitted anyway, and it's far simpler for them to just assert that than to make a derivative works argument after the fact.
Basically I don't think you need to feel like your creator's rights are taken away when you never really had them in the first place.
MattKrotzer Aug 16th 2011 10:33AM
I hear your point, but the stories I would write would be my own characters, interacting in a world that might be Azeroth, or might not. Were I to write a story for the contest, it'd be an original work, likely with little to no Azerothian reference, simply a fantasy story, told to the best of my ability.
Too often, I think submissions for these things ARE just fan-fiction, piling onto the setting as it is presented, and not necessarily creating something, if that makes sense.
Even if you don't win, they can still print and use your submitted works... and then you get nothing for it. They could theoretically publish an anthology book of the submissions, credit none of the authors, and pocket every cent, with no recourse for the creators, who all agreed to the terms.
Anyway, long circular discussion is long and circular. I'm not submitting anything because I dislike yielding the rights to my own work, with no promise of compensation.
karbax Aug 16th 2011 10:53AM
I'd be more concerned about the lack of payment from a publisher as opposed to a contest from Blizzard. Common sense dictates you look at what they've done with the past winners/submissions to see they've been respectful of the work.
The dollar amount of 1st prize and runner up has far more worth than what you might monetarily. For the word count they're looking for, you'd be lucky to get 75 bucks from a pro semi pro publication.
Anne Stickney Aug 16th 2011 4:20PM
@MattKrotzer Your point might be valid, but what they are looking for are stories that are definitively set in the Warcraft, Starcraft or Diablo universes. Stories that are ambiguous and may not actually be set in those universes aren't really what they're looking for.
The submissions for these things are "fan fiction" because that's precisely what they ARE looking for -- work that's set in their universe, their IP. That said, it's perfectly reasonable that they retain all rights to the work. It's a contest, it's not a paid contract -- what they do with contest entries after the contest is over isn't really a concern. They aren't tying down any and all future works you create, they aren't tying down any original work you create, it's just the one story.
If you're entering a contest hoping to get paid for it, well. That's just not going to happen. The prizes are clearly laid out, expecting anything on top of those prizes would be silly. If you aren't a fan of the rules, then don't enter -- nothing's forcing your hand!
MattKrotzer Aug 17th 2011 1:49AM
And that's all I was saying, Anne. I don't like the rules, so I'm not playing. ;)
Merus Aug 16th 2011 9:26AM
2011 Blizzard Writing Contest
Winners Announced 2012 Sometime
chaosdefined Aug 16th 2011 9:37AM
I'd be tempted to enter it, but I can't seem to find if it's open to people outside of the US.
stevengrays Aug 16th 2011 9:43AM
THIS CONTEST IS OPEN ONLY TO RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, MEXICO, CHILE, ARGENTINA, COLOMBIA, VENEZUELA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, FRANCE, BELGIUM, THE UNITED KINGDOM, LUXEMBOURG, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND, SWEDEN, FINLAND, DENMARK, NORWAY, SPAIN, IRELAND, RUSSIA, THE NETHERLANDS, AND SOUTH KOREA WHO ARE: (i) AT OR OVER THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH THAT THE ENTRANT SUBMITS AN ESSAY
Hope that helps :)
chaosdefined Aug 16th 2011 10:24AM
Thanks! Couldn't see the terms on the first page and wasn't sure where to hunt for them.
Vitos Aug 16th 2011 3:21PM
"If you reside in the state of North Dakota, Vermont, Connecticut, or Maryland in the United States, the province of Quebec in Canada, or the state of Queensland or Victoria or the Australian Capital Territory in Australia, you are not eligible to participate in this Contest."
Also, somewhere on the official site I thought I read that you couldn't be a resident of Massachusetts as well, but I can't find my source.
Nuit Aug 16th 2011 10:15AM
This time, I will probably remember the due date and submit my writings in time.
Shinae Aug 16th 2011 10:54AM
I thought that I've read in the rules previously that writers can't repost (even on personal blogs) their submitted stories, whether they win or not. Yet, as we've seen in WoW Insider's interviews with the winners/runners-up, they have reposted.
Did I misread their rules or have they changed? I can't access Blizz's site from work to check.
Sleutel Aug 16th 2011 7:06PM
"Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may not sell, sublicense, or distribute the Entry Materials or any derivative of the Entry Materials without the express written permission of Sponsor."
gromweld Aug 18th 2011 3:26PM
Blizzard has previously stated that they allow people to post their stories as long as the writer isn't trying to make money (directly) off of it.
renehillege Aug 16th 2011 10:58AM
I am going to have to dust off my pen now.
Sergel Aug 16th 2011 4:23PM
So we can write any short story based of the worlds in Blizzard?
Hob Aug 17th 2011 2:09AM
Like writing for WoW Insider, it sounds like you cannot use a pen name to enter this contest.