• A digital graphic promoting First Kiss, a program by Romance Writers of Australia. The design features a bold, stylised illustration of red lips in the centre, symbolising romance and passion. The Romance Writers of Australia logo is positioned in the top left corner, with elegant typography and a stylised pen flourish. Below the illustration, the title "First Kiss" is displayed in bold serif font, with a note underneath stating "RWAus Members Only!"
  • A digital timeline graphic outlining key dates for the First Kiss & Ripping Start competitions by Romance Writers of Australia. The timeline follows a curved path with colour-coded markers for each milestone: 3 February - 3 March 2025 (Orange) – Submissions open!! 10 March 2025 (Pink) – All entries are sent out to judges. 14 April 2025 (Purple) – Scoresheets due back from judges. 21 April 2025 (Blue) – Results sent to all entrants. 23 August 2025 (Green) – Winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner.
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Romance Writers Australia

First Kiss

First Kiss

$20.00 AUD
$20.00 AUD
Sale Sold out

Eligibility RWAus Aspiring members and Emerging (Advancing) members only.

The First Kiss Contest gives writers the opportunity to showcase their ability to write with romantic tension by depicting a scene that includes the lead characters first kiss.

Entry: A 1,500 word scene that shows the first kiss between the protagonists. Entries must also include a 300 word set up that provides the main details of the story up to the first kiss to provide judges with the context of the scene. Entries are to be uploaded via an online form once payment is received. The top 8 entries will proceed to a second round, judged by an industry professional who will determine final placings. Winners will be announced at the RWAus Gala Dinner at the annual conference in August 2025.

 Entry Fee: $20 per entry including GST. A maximum of two entries are permitted per entrant.

Each entry will be scored against a number of criteria including (but not limited to):
- spelling, grammar and punctuation 
- the effectiveness of the set-up
- the emotional impact of the first kiss 
- writing technique (pacing, dialogue, characterisation and description)
- reader enjoyability 

Terms and Conditions

Contest Formatting Sample

Entry

A 1,500 word scene that shows the first kiss between the protagonists. Entries must also include a 300 word set up that provides the main details of the story
up to the first kiss to provide judges with the context of the scene. Entries are to be uploaded via an online form once payment is received. The top 8 entries will proceed to a second round, judged by an industry professional who will determine final placings. Winners will be announced at the RWAus Gala Dinner at the annual conference in August 2025.

The Ruby Award Terms and Conditions 2024

Opens:

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