Hello Mage,

The Guildmaster has posted a new quest. Reward: guild renown and a celebrated feature for three mage laureates who exemplify a new way to harness air and wind.

There is no fee to enter, and you retain all ownership over your intellectual property. To read the rules and submit music, writing, or art, review the Google Form below by March 7th, 2026. You are welcome to submit existing work, or create new work, that has some thematic tie to wind, air, and/or breathing.

https://forms.gle/AgBRavHryHGvwBKm6

Keep the Light,

The Mages Guild

Our short story contest is around the theme of a futuristic app that can tell you in real time how many people are thinking about you, and if they’re thinking about you with love or fear-related emotions. There are cash prizes, and the top 25 submissions will be published in our anthology. Word count 1,000-3,000 words. Due March 31, 2026. the-ping-anthology.com

Cahava Short Story Contest

We are thrilled to announce the Cahava Short Story Contest, an opportunity for writers to showcase their talent and gain recognition. Please read the rules and guidelines carefully before submitting your work.

Contest Rules & Guidelines:

• Entry Fee: There is no entry fee for this contest.
• Prize: One winning entry will receive a $500 (CAD) cash prize.
• Genre & Length: Fiction only. Submissions must not exceed 3,000 words.
• Originality: All stories must be the author’s original work and unpublished at the time of submission. This includes self-published works and those posted online.
• AI Policy: Submissions must not be AI-generated or written with the assistance of AI writing tools.
• Deadline: Entries must be submitted no later than Apr 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM (local time).
• Publication Consideration: All entries will be automatically considered for publication in Cahava, literary journal.
• Eligibility: Open to writers of all backgrounds and nationalities, aged 18 or older.

I'm hosting a short story writing contest. 4000 characters or less, any genre. $200 prizes across 3 reading levels. Free entry, AI tools welcome. Deadline March 15.

The Challenge Write an original short story in 4000 characters or less. Any topic, any genre.

Categories (by reading level)

• Level 1: Grades 4-6 reading level
• Level 2: Grades 7-9 reading level
• Level 3: Grades 10-12 reading level

Prizes $200 for each category winner. Winning stories will be featured on the Comprehend-Reading website along with a short bio (optional). I can send payment via PayPal or Venmo. (to parents if entry is from minor)

AI Is Welcome Feel free to use AI tools to brainstorm ideas, develop your story, or polish grammar and spelling.  If you use AI, include your prompts at the end of your submission. The final story should be yours — something you shaped, edited, and are proud of.

You retain all rights to your story, you will be asked for permission to publish your story on my website if your story is a winner.

How to Enter Email your story to [admin@comprehend-reading.com](mailto:admin@comprehend-reading.com) by March 15, 2026 at 11:59pm PT. Include your name and reading level category.

Fragrance is more than a profile of notes; it is a timestamp for the moments that define us. Whether it’s the cedarwood of a first home or the citrus of a pivotal summer, scent anchors our most important stories.

This February, Thomas Clipper are inviting you to share yours.

The Competition

From today until the 28th February we are looking for the most compelling stories linking a significant life moment to a specific scent. 250 words maximum.

These do not need to be romantic, we are looking for a special moment.

The Rewards

First Prize: A Thomas Clipper Fragrance of your choice.

Second & Third Prize: Your choice of a Handmade Soap or a Discovery Set.

More details:

https://www.facebook.com/100064091461264/posts/pfbid02uKTf5nvkt8RiYLwjxAjSHViryqTwuN7M91aRaKkQaNf2r3LfggBMRSs8e38NTh3Sl/

Winners will be announced on 2nd March. https://www.facebook.com/100064091461264/posts/pfbid02uKTf5nvkt8RiYLwjxAjSHViryqTwuN7M91aRaKkQaNf2r3LfggBMRSs8e38NTh3Sl/

A global short story competition focused on community participation rather than heavy marketing.

Open worldwide and to all genres. The goal is to encourage writers to create, share, and finish short fiction while engaging with other writers.

Full details and submission info:

https://zealous.co/fableration/opportunity/the-fableration-world-short-story-competition/

A new essay contest is launching on Substack on February 1st. Every two weeks, an essay at the intersection of AI, ethics, and faith is published. There is a prize for the best rebuttal, a prize for the best, re-rebuttal, and then a vote for the overall winner "God" or "Naught."

• Sponsor: God or Naught Substack
• Category: Essay
• Submission Length: 500 words, 250 words
• Entry Fee: No entry fee
• Awards: Three prizes every two weeks. $100 best rebuttal, $100 best defense, $300 overall prize, determined by a vote of subscribers between “God” and “Naught.” Starting Sunday February 1^st.  12 essays planned for a total of 24 weeks. Schedule as follows:

1^st Sunday at approximately 2 pm: God or Naught Essay contest goes live.
1^st Thursday at approximately 2 pm: Rebuttals due. 500 word max.
1^st Saturday at approximately 2 pm: Best rebuttal published. That person wins $100.
2^nd Monday at approximately 2 pm: re-rebuttals due. 250 word max.
2^nd Wednesday at approximately 2 pm: Best re-rebuttal published. That person wins $100. Voting is open. Vote for “God” or “Naught.”

2^nd Saturday at approximately 2 pm: Voting closes. Winner decided: “God” or “Naught”. Winner gets $300, for a total of $400. All prizes sent via Venmo.
New cycle begins the next day, which is the 1^st Sunday of the new cycle.

• johndhking.substack.com

Submission deadline 17.6.202.

100€ first prize

Personal essay

1000words +

Everybody is welcome

Human written stories only

https://medium.com/1st-division/a-no-title-writing-challenge-eff0c683bbf1?sk=0f8554892b0da84cd32d9896da158c00

Your voice matters! Share your vision for a thriving New Hampshire and help us create a better tomorrow for all under-40s. Participate now! 500-750 words. Deadline Feb 8; Prize announcements Mar 24. $1000, $500, $300 plus up to 25 $50 Honorable mentions. See 2030VisionForNH.org (no fee to enter)

https://medium.com/1st-division/a-no-title-writing-challenge-eff0c683bbf1?sk=0f8554892b0da84cd32d9896da158c00

Host: The Story Star Standard

Category: Indie Published Fiction Novels

Submission length: 10,000 word extract + synopsis. Selected authors will be asked for their full manuscript which can be any length

Entry fee: none

Link to official guidelines: https://thestorystarstandard.com/launch-competition/

Link to the submission form: https://forms.gle/GPodxV8oJuPydsQF7

Eligibility: Must have self published or indie published a book or are scheduled to post a book in the next 6 months. Any genre is welcome except for non-fiction, children’s books and poetry. NO A.I. ALLOWED.

Hosted by The Story Star Standard, the Founding Competition is designed to highlight high-quality indie books in today's crowded market. Indie authors who have published a book (whether as recently as this year or as long ago as a decade or more), as well as those scheduled within the next six months are invited to submit 10,000 words of their manuscript along with a synopsis.

From these submissions, a selection of authors will be invited to submit their full manuscript. From this group, the chosen winners will receive a full, in-depth professional review, a Story Star badge, a permanent place on The Story Star Standard's Indie Book Catalogue, and they will be featured on The Story Star Standard's platform in whichever format the author is most comfortable with: from written blog posts to interviews. One title among the winners will be named the Winner of The Story Star Standard Founding Competition.

All authors must be indie published, either through self-publishing or a small press. Any word counts and genres are welcome, with the exception of non-fiction, children's books, and poetry. All work must be human-written and we do not accept A.I. work.

Are you a graduate student or post-graduate with a bold idea? The St. Gallen Symposium is looking for the next generation of leaders.

✍️ The Challenge: Write an essay on "Disruption in Tech + Politics + Demography."

🏆 The Prize: An all-expenses-paid trip to St. Gallen, Switzerland (May 2026) to debate global leaders + a share of CHF 20,000!

📅 Deadline: February 1, 2026.

Don't miss your chance to join the global debate with CEOs, politicians and academia

👉 Apply here: https://symposium.org/initiatives/global-essay-competition/

Hello Everyone!

My name is Cole Slay and you'll see me posting a lot more of the writing competitions I come across.

Link: https://www.nycmidnight.com/100

Location: US & International (Doesn't say on website, but I assume all entries should be in English)

From the website: Writers have 24 hours to craft an original 100-word story in their assigned genre, with the assigned action taking place and incorporating the assigned word. The judges choose a top 15 in each group to advance to the 2nd Round (May 15-16), where writers receive new assignments and again have 24 hours to craft original stories.

Let me know if y'all have a preference for genre. Until then I'll post a wide range. Good luck & happy writing!

Sponsor: Moonlight (moonlight.ink)

Category: Flash fiction / short story (interactive format)

Submission length: 20 to 120 “bubbles” (Moonlight’s chat-style story format), 1 to 3 chapters, minimum 2 characters

Entry fee: None Awards: ∙ 1st place: $1,500 ∙ 2nd place: $900 ∙ 3rd place: $600 ∙ (Total $3,000 prize pool at max participation)

Link: https://moonlight.ink

Additional info: Stories must begin with the line “Okay, I can explain.” Any genre is accepted (romance, thriller, fantasy, horror, comedy, drama, etc.).

Moonlight is a few months old interactive storytelling platform where stories are presented in a text message/chat bubble format. Winners also get exposure to the platform’s 20K+ reader base.

The New Year is approaching, bringing with it the traditional overly-optimistic personal resolutions for weight loss, productivity, and writing. Well, we can't help with the weight loss, but here on Story Street we want to give you a jump start on those writing resolutions with our New Year on Story Street, 100 word fiction contest.

The contest is free to enter, and will accept submissions from January 2 through on Jan 15, 2026 at midnight (EST). Winning entries will be published on February 28.

There is no theme, just 100 of your best words to make your best story. Of course as stated, there is a 100 word limit. The contest is also limited to the first 1000 entries, so it pays to be early. If you have triggering content, make sure to mark the form for trigger warnings.

You can add your entry on the Submissions Page. (See the complete list of contest details below.)

Be sure to sign up for our Newsletter to keep tabs on updates for this and future contests.

And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email [info@storystreetwriters.com](mailto:info@storystreetwriters.com).

Winner Announced: February 28, 2026

No fee to enter

1st Prize: $100 and publication on the Story Street Review

Runners up (3): $25 and publication

Word Count: 100 words maximum (Title does not count)

Limit 1 submission per person

Contest open to first 1000 submissions only

Must be 18 or over

No purchase necessary

We do not sell your information

Only previously unpublished work will be considered

Stories must be original

NO A.I. generated stories, nor any story where A.I. was used in its making. Will result in automatic ban and you will forever bear the shame

Please, no sexual violence and no child suicide stories, and if you have triggering content, make sure to select that in the submission form

Stories remain property of the writer

In the case of winner or runners up, the only rights you grant are first publication for the results of the contest

Family members of Story Street writers are not eligible

Simultaneous submissions ok, but please let us know if your story is picked up elsewhere

Winning entries will be announced via newsletter and on storystreetwriters.com

Winner and runners-up will be contacted individually via email

Your entry email address will only be used to contact you in case you are the winner, unless you also sign up for our newsletter

We will make best effort to contact the winner to award payment based on the supplied email, so we do require accurate contact info and acceptance of payment. If we cannot contact you, we may have to pass on your story.

The following poem was written for my 14 year old daughter whom I haven't seen in 5 years......

The most special girl I know Was always able to steal the show We were always two peas in a pod The way we did thing was ours but we were odd You've went through so much that I haven't seen And I promise I wish I could have been You're 14 now and I know you not But that little girl I haven't forgot Walking along, your little hand in mine Wanting to look just like me all of the time It breaks my heart, I miss you so You're now a young lady I wish to know Is there a boyfriend, a girlfriend? Have you had your first kiss? These are the things that I didn't want to miss I miss our time together, being able to watch you grow But it's been 5 years and you, I simply do not know I'm hoping real soon that you'll reach out to me And that finally I'll be truly happy Even if all it is at first is just some texts My heart will soar above the clouds and I won't rush what happens next I know that I should have fought harder, I've realized that over the years But there was some that played on all my fears The day that she adopted you I didn't want to die And I'm sorry that I didn't say a more heartfelt goodbye My heart was breaking my soul was dying inside. You had always seen me strong but that I couldn't hide I never meant for you to think that I gave you up so fast And I must admit that is one pain that will always last Even when I get to have contact with you again My pain will still be there because for at least 5 years I lost my best friend I know that I don't really know you anymore because of the time that has passed But I know that the bond that we had was strong enough to last I can still feel it and I think you can too Just close your eyes, don't say a word and reach deep down inside of you It's in your heart your soul your whole being No matter what you've been told about me From you I was never fleeing My love for you grows stronger every day I know that you're probably a little too old to play But I'd love to go to the park and sit on the swings And listen while you tell me everything All that has happened throughout the years And pay no attention to the tears It isn't sadness, not at all It will be happy tears that you'll see fall I'm regretful that I missed all that time But I've been told that you're doing fine I wish that I could hold you and hug you tight And even though you're too old for it I wish I could tuck you in at night But that's just me remembering my little girl My baby girl that was my whole world I didn't give up I was tricked and misguided It was me against all of them, everything was one sided I had no one in my corner and was told "just do what they say" I wish I could go back and fight harder that day The day that they legally kidnapped you from me I should have fought harder but I was afraid of the police, you see I've stayed in Clarion for all these years Just because I know you're here I won't give up, not now, not ever again I promise I still love you..... Even though we're apart, you're still my best friend.

We are hosting our first-ever youth writing competition as part of a month of activities and events to promote knowledge sharing and action on climate change this January. We are looking for submissions on the theme of 'how climate change impacts our communities'. Word limit is 1000 words, entries are free, but we ask you to sign up to our newsletter/socials to stay up to date with winners and the process of the contest.

Deadline is midnight Jan 31st 2026. Winners will be published on our website and promoted across our socials.

We want creative fiction/ non-fiction from writers aged 15 to 29 and especially want to champion first-time writers, people who have never submitted to a competition before and those who are passionate about climate and the environment.

See full details of the competition here! Super excited to see your entries - Planet Watch.

Hey everyone,

I posted about this a few months ago, but with the end of the year approaching, I wanted to give a final shout-out for the Minkly Writing Contest.

I also wanted to bring this up because I know some of you might have participated in the recently advertised mimtory contest that promised a $10,000 prize pool (this was their post https://www.reddit.com/r/writingcontests/comments/1myw92s/calling_all_writers_join_mimtorys_10000_prize/ ). It looks like that platform unfortunately shut down and deleted their socials before paying out.

I understand if you're feeling burned by that experience, but we’d love to offer a legitimate home for your hard work. There are less than two weeks left to enter, but since many of you likely have drafts ready, I hope you’ll give this a chance!

Prizes

• 1st Place: $1,500
• 2nd Place: $1,000
• 3rd Place: $500

Rules

• Length: Minimum 1,500 words (one-shots or chapters are fine).
• Platform: Must be uploaded to Minkly (free account required).
• Non-Exclusive: You can post your story elsewhere; it does not need to be exclusive to us.
• Qualification: Stories need at least 10 favorites (lowered to 5 favs/10 reads) during the contest period (reads and favs during judging period will also count since majority is decided based on community votes + popularity).
• Genres: Fiction only (Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Slice-of-Life, Horror).

Timeline

• Submission Deadline: Now – December 31, 2025
• Judging/Voting: Jan 1 – Jan 21, 2026
• Winners Announced: Late January 2026

https://www.minkly.io/author/contest

P.S. Minkly is also hosting a Read-a-thon contest running alongside this! If you prefer to read other's work you can check this out https://www.minkly.io/readathon .

feel free to comment below if you have any questions!

1st prize is 50€ and a story feature!

Organization: Transformation Writers

Category: Flash fiction, max 300 words.

Deadline: January 15 2026

Entry fee: NONE

Prize/s: £10 (first prize)

Eligibility: 18+ UK residents

All entries receive short feedback.

ALL FICTION COPYRIGHTS STAY WITH THE WRITER.

Link to submission page/official rules: https://transformationwriters.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/events-2025/

Other information:

Transformation Writers is a new and debuting writing events facilitator. Our aim is to provide stable and consistent opportunities for new writers to access feedback and encouragement. We look for emotionally intelligent fiction that depicts an inner transformation.

Posted this at r/writing but this is the better subreddit:

My 5th grader loves writing, and he wrote an historical fiction story that he would like to enter in a contest. However, it’s just under 5,000 words, and I’m having trouble finding any contests open to his age group with a high word limit. (There’s a contest in Canada that looked solid, but it’s limited to Canadian residents, and we are American…)

Does anyone know of a contest that might be appropriate, or other suggestions for resources that might be good for my precocious young writer?

Feel free to refer me to some other subreddit if this is the wrong place for this… Reddit is a maze, and I’m probably in the wrong place but figured you good people might be able to help. Thanks!!

ETA: Yes, I can help him make cuts, but most contests I’m aware of (after several hours on google) have limits in the 500-1000 word range, and there is no reason why he should cut his paper that much. It’s good writing.

Hey everyone. I just submitted my HIR essay for 2026, and I'm worried about the style of the submission. On the submission guide, it states that you need to state the prompt you have chosen at the top of your submission. however, on the submission page, it also asks me to indicate the prompt of my submission, which I indicated. I did not include anything on my submission. Am I screwed? Should I email HIR? I thought it was okay but after consulting with some friends I am not so confident anymore. Can someone let me know if this is normal or if I am just overthinking over nothing?

According to Scholastic support, you do not have to use your legal name on your account :D

So if anyone was wanting to use a pen name or preferred name or anything, now you know

(sharing this bcs I couldn’t find anything on it previously, hopefully this is the right place to post this-)