On Saturday, July 26, the 2014 Sledgehammer Writing Contest kicks off its seventh year of writing hijinks. Intended to help writers break through their writer’s block and to celebrate the act of writing, the thirty-six hour writing contest features both team and solo competitions, four different writing prompts, to say nothing of the scavenger hunts—both online and through the streets of Portland. From the Sledgehammer press release:

This treasure adventure not only supplies writers with prompts to include in their stories, but it also puts writers in touch with contest sponsors. Working individually or in teams, the writers craft a short story using these found clues within 36 hours. Stories are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. Then they’re judged by a team of professionals, including this year’s celebrity judge, Ariel Gore, author of The End of Eve and All the Pretty People: Tales of Carob, Shame, and Barbie-Envy. […] Sledgehammer stories are judged in six categories—Team, Individual, Youth, Readers’ Choice, Judge’s Choice and Out-of-Towners—and winning writers amass prize packages collectively worth thousands, including a golden sledgehammer trophy.

The contest is the brainchild of Ali McCart, Ooligan alum and founder of Indigo Editing, an independent editing, design, and publication management firm based out of Portland, OR.

Ooligan Press has been a proud sponsor of the Sledgehammer Writing Contest for the past seven years. Good luck, Sledgehammer Writers!