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Written by Ascent Novel Prize founder and competition addict, Hayley King The first time I entered a writing competition, I obsessively checked the dates. When was the long list going to be announced? When would I know how good my story was? A few years in, and I’d receive an email saying I’d been long listed for a competition I’d forgotten I’d entered. So, conscious you could be anywhere on that spectrum, I’ve designed a self-assessment tool that will help you find the right

Apologies to my child for making her run up the hill to school. As Andy Gilbert says, 'Give yourself a deadline to stop planning and to start taking action.'   Forgive me. I arrive late for everything. Time slips away, and before I know it, I’m making my children run up the hill to school. One has asthma. It’s not a good look. However, when it comes to writing, there’s an enjoyable thrill to a deadline. I’m not a risk taker, nor would you ever find me on some outrageous rolle

Judges are looking for your genuine voice and a story that only you can tell.

Hayley King: Founder of Ascent Novel Prize and competition addict. There are a host of ways that we, as humans, express ourselves. I...