‘Get it Writ’ is an exciting new writing competition linked to the 2013 Essex Book Festival, aimed at encouraging anyone aged 16 or over who lives, works or studies in Essex, to get writing.

Would-be writers are often advised “Don’t get it right, get it writ”. In other words, don’t let a fear of failure or wanting to achieve perfection get in the way of you telling the story you want to write.

After all, lots of us have good ideas – but writers actually write them down. Whether you are an aspiring writer, a new writer or have been writing for a while and would like to explore the short story form, this competition is for you. Entry is free.

Submissions open on 1st October 2012 and the deadline for submissions is 31st December 2012.

An independent panel of judges will read all stories submitted and will shortlist six writers whose stories will receive a public reading near the beginning of the 2013 Essex Book Festival.

The overall winner will be selected by competition judge Andrew Cowan, Director of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, the author of ‘The Art of Writing Fiction’ and a novelist whose latest book ‘Worthless Men’ will be published by Sceptre in February 2013.

The winning story will be read towards the end of the Essex Book Festival in March 2013.

The six shortlisted writers will also benefit from a day of mentoring and an individual script surgery with Andrew Cowan, plus a small financial commission to help them develop their story. Readings of the shortlisted stories will also be filmed and uploaded on the Essex Book Festival website at: www.essexbookfestival.org.uk.

The theme of the competition is ‘the legacy of summer 2012’ and you are encouraged to interpret this as freely and imaginatively as you wish using no more than 500 words.

For more information on how to apply click here.