For Sale: Puppies – Slightly Used | The Rat In A Cage Award
There’s a fine line between captivity and cruelty.
Writing Contests
Hey We Heard You Like Big Engines! | The Custom Rims Award
The modern car won’t be modern for much longer. Rising fuel prices and new modes of energy production mean we’ll be driving (or being driven) around in electric cars in the space of a few decades. Let’s celebrate the beginning of […]
They Walk Among Us! | The ‘Others’ Award
Some say they just arrived, while others believe they’ve always been here.
A Writing Competition With a Dark Perspective | The Hunter Award
it’s time to get in touch with your inner demons.
Short Story Competitions 2016
An ever-growing list of Short Story Competitions across the web. Want to be listed? Drop us a line at Needleinthehaywritingcomp (@) gmail.com
A Big Technology Writing Contest | The Engineers Do It in Their Overalls Award
{Due 9 Aug 2015) Engineers and their achievements are often overlooked in modern fiction. It’s time to correct that. A writing contest with structural integrity.
Fantasy Fiction Contest | The Sun and Moon Award
A fantasy fiction contest that pits two estranged siblings into a chance first encounter. 700 Words. Due 2 August 2015.
Cyberpunk Flash Fiction Contest | The Gibson Bigend Award
Taking your cues from the master of cyberpunk, write a flash fiction story that uses the unequal distribution of technology as a main theme or plot point.
Fantasy Writing Award | Lantern’s Flame
FlashThis winter has been the longest in memory, and the town’s reserves are dwindling. You have been elected (on account of drawing the shortest straw) to venture out into the cold and dark and see how the neighbouring town fares. […]
The Misery Fiction Writing Competition
Horror, while you were sleeping…
OPEN SPACES | Science Fiction Short Story Contest 2015
Using one of of the prompts from Writing Prompts For Science Fiction Stories as a starting point, write your best science fiction story of no more than 700 words. Make sure you follow all the guidelines listed below, including how to […]
Movie Synopsis Contest| Dallas Lawyers Club Award
{Closed} In this contest we ask authors to write a film treatment / synopsis / brief about a film in which the characters have no sense of irony.
TRIGGER WARNING Short Story Contest
Short List & Winner Announcement Read the full short list and winner announcement here: TRIGGER WARNING SHORT STORY CONTEST GUIDELINES The Samurai and Western Genres both occupy the territory of the revenge narrative, often involving a lone hero or […]
Linkbait & Switch Science Fiction Short Story Contest
Catherine Miller took out first place for this award. Read the Winner Announcement: 1.Mr Right Is Definitely Out There by Ash Warren A tongue in cheek bit of Clickbait about love bots for sale that gives new meaning to […]
The Comfortably Anon Writing Contest
This award is now closed. Read the winner announcement 1. Blanket Rules – Sean C Sydney’s Dystopian Future laid bare on a slow train to nowhere (Read more). 2. Process of Elimination – Ash Warren A Sci Fi short about […]
The GROTESQUE PORTRAIT Award | A Free Short Story Contest
There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion. Edgar Allan Poe
The NORRISH GIFT Award
{Closed} Write an original work of fiction about an unexpected act of charity or kindness in a time of distress. Try and avoid sappiness and sentimentality. Focus on the repercussions, conflicts and tensions that exist for your characters. Less Deepak, more […]
The BECHAMEL TEST Award
Full short list and winner announcement here Write a story that uses food, it’s preparation and construction as an metaphor for human relationships. Include a framed picture or painting in the story Announced: 18 Nov 2014 Due Date: […]