And thanks to these organizations for their prizes and promotional support:
1. What is the 3-Day Novel Contest, anyway?
2. Can I submit a novel I've already written?
3. Do I have to come to Vancouver and write in a holding pen with all the other entrants? And what's this about a TV version?
4. Is this contest only for Canadians?
5. Is there a minimum age to enter?
6. Are there style or genre restrictions?
7. How do you know that everyone wrote the novel in three days?
8. Am I allowed time after the contest to edit?
9. Does that mean that previous 3-Day winners were edited before publishing?
10. Do I retain the rights to my novel once I've entered it?
11. Can I include artwork with my entry?
12. Do you have a list of winning novels and their authors?
13. Why were there no winners declared in some years?
14. Why is there a $50 entry fee?
15. How do I get through this alive?
16. I'm playing to win. Any advice?
17. So, how do I register?
1. What is the 3-Day Novel Contest, anyway?
The 3-Day Novel Contest is a writing challenge that has happened every Labour Day Weekend since 1977. Entrants pre-register and then grit their teeth, lock their doors and try to produce a literary masterwork in 72 hours. A panel of experienced judges reads the results and the winning novel is published. The contest was originally administered by a series of small publishing houses, but today, thanks to a host of volunteers and friendly literary groups, the 3-Day Novel Contest is now an independent organization. Click here for the contest's history.
2. Can I submit a novel I've already written?
No! Submitted novels must be written only during the Labour Day weekend of the year you registered for the contest. (And follow all the rest of the rules, too.)
3. Do I have to come to Vancouver and write in a holding pen with all the other entrants?
No. You can write from your home, your local cafe, behind the counter at your workplace, wherever you feel comfortable. You don't have to do it on TV either--the televised 3-Day Novel Contest does involve 12 of our entrants, but it is run by a separate organization and does not affect the original contest in any way.
4. Is this contest only for Canadians?
No. The contest originated in Canada, but writers from all over the world enter every year. Winners have come from small towns, big cities and rural areas in both Canada and the US. Writers from Australia and the UK have made the shortlist, although we have yet to see a published winning novel from outside North America. Maybe yours will be the first!
5. Is there a minimum age to enter?
There is no official minimum age. If you feel you're ready to commit to the contest, that's good enough for us. But the young and unsure should consider that the contest runs every year and that there's plenty of time to enter. So if you're a young writer, and you want to build some creative and disciplinary muscle first (and the entry fee means two years of your allowance), you can always enter in a couple of years.
6. Are there style or genre restrictions?
3-Day Novels are a genre unto themselves. Most (but not all) past winners are eclectic, genre-busting books, influenced by mystery, horror, western, even sci-fi. The intensity of the contest seems to naturally shake things up. Write in any style you wish and then see what happens.
7. How do you know that everyone wrote the novel in three days?
The 3-Day Novel Contest is about challenging yourself and breaking through writer's block. The value of your experience will be equal to the sweat you put in to it. Because writers enter to give their writing skills a serious workout, the honour system has always worked well for the contest. (Also, the members of our reading panel have read these entries for many, many years—and many of them have entered themselves—so they know a cheater when they see one.)
8. Am I allowed time after the contest to edit?
No. If—and only if—you handwrote your novel, you are allowed until the following Friday to have your novel typed. You should not edit or re-write your novel, just send it in as soon as it is finished. We expect a few typos and clumsy sentences—you wrote the darn thing in three days, after all. If it wins, we'll work with you to bring it to a publishable level.
9. Does that mean that previous 3-Day winners were edited before publishing?
Yes. No writer of sound mind wants an unedited piece of work to go to print and haunt him or her for all time. But the editors work with a light hand and a strong will to retain the feel of the true 3-Day works that they are.
10. Do I retain the rights to my novel once I've entered it?
Yes! We will make an offer of publication to the winner, and will purchase the rights to that novel only. All other entrants, including shortlisted entrants, retain all rights to their novels and can do whatever they wish with them—submit them elsewhere, continue developing them, use fragments in other works, bury them in holes, anything they want. However, to avoid being disqualified, we strongly suggest that you wait for the formal announcement of a winner before doing anything with your manuscript. We will not be able to publish the a novel if it has been published in any form elsewhere, including self- or e-publishing.
11. Can I include artwork with my entry?
We're not going to stop you, but it won't help you win. Put your time and energy into your writing, because that's what's going to be judged.
12. Do you have a list of winning novels and their authors?
Yes. Visit Published Winners to see the complete list by year. To order these books, select past winners on your registration form when you enter, ask for them at your local bookstore, or click the Buy Now links to order them through Paypal.
13. Why were there no winners declared in some years?
In the contest's early days there were very few entrants. Three times in the early years, none of the entrants were deemed publishable. The 1991 winner declined publication for his own reasons and made other arrangements with the organizers. The 2003 winner was found to be in violation of contest rules after the publishing process had begun.
14. Why is there a $50 entry fee?
The entry fee is kept as low as possible while still being able to support the promotion and maintenance of the contest and the publishing, distribution and promotion of the winning novel. The contest does not turn a profit and labour is largely volunteer. As with any marathon, the fee is non-refundable (even if you do not complete or submit your novel).
15. How do I get through this alive?
Read the Survival Guide. Remember to eat once in a while. Beyond that, we can't help you.
16. I'm playing to win. Any advice?
Every year our entrants tell us that they did it for the experience, not the prize. But you can't fool us, we know in your secret heart you want to win. The best advice we can give you is to not worry about it. If you're thinking about the judges or the other writers, you're not thinking about your book. You don't have time to not think about your book. That said, get your hands on some of the past winners before the contest and get a feel for how they read. You'll find that most of them have lots of interaction between characters and story hooks that keep the reader moving forward, especially in those crucial first pages. When/if you draft an outline, remember to get your characters out of their heads and into the world. But, as of 12:01 on that first day of the contest, forget the past winners, forget the other entrants, forget what we say and write your own book.
17. So, how do I register?
Read the rules, print up and fill out a registration form from the Registration page and mail it to us with the $50 entry fee, postmarked (this means "be at your local post office") by the registration deadline.
2008 Entrant Chat Room
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Join the Discussion
Need a journal to plan your outline? A t-shirt to announce your achievement? A mug for the five hundred cups of coffee you'll need to make it though this? Never fear! 3-Day Novel merchandise is available at CafePress.com.
... Take three deep breaths. Guzzle coffee, black or with sugar. Don't punish yourself. Do that on Tuesday. Get back to work. Take phone off hook. Pull drapes. If you feel lonely — an outcast — you are. That manuscript is now your only friend, the only one who cares. Finish it. Let it have a life, even if you don't. Bravo.
