The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is open internationally to writers over 18 who are working on an as-yet-unpublished novel (fiction only). The prize has been established to support and celebrate novelists and aims to find the best opening chapter of a novel-in-progress written in the English language.

On Monday, March 31, 2025, the three prize winners and honorable mentions will be announced here on the website and via social media, and all entrants will be contacted via email about the results. Prize winners and honorable mentions must agree to allow us to post their winning entries on this website.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.