story

"Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either." Meg Cabot

They publish books tht win the Booker, so if you are a contender.... https://www.galleybeggar.co.uk/short-story-prize-full-info

These are on my desktop now. Anyone got anymore? I missed some good deadlines I wanted to enter...:( New Writers Novel Prize 2026 Welcome to the first-ever New Writers Novel Prize, in association with The Novel Factory. We are seeking the first 500 words of your unpublished novel or novella...

“In the world of your story, your outline is like the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, your characters are all Atheists.” Jefferson Smith

“Every character has a back story. It’s what makes them fully formed and believable. But resist the urge to describe your character’s past with a data dump of everything they ever experienced since birth. The best way to reveal a character’s back story is through the character’s actions/dialogue...

“A well-thought-out story doesn’t need to resemble real life. Life itself tries with all its might to resemble a well-crafted story.” Isaac Babel

When I read a good story, I often start thinking, 'Should I live my life according to what this character chooses and values?' It makes me think. I feel like I grew up to be a more mature person while thinking about character development in these fictional situations. Jenova Chen

https://crankedanvil.co.uk/ourcompetitions/ You have til the last day of June midnight to submit a play Enter – Play Writing Congratulations on writing your 10 – 20 minute audio play (or plays!) Now all you need to do is enter them into the competition! Select the correct pay button below...

https://www.bluepencilagency.com/short-story-prize-2026 I'm thinking maybe short stories that are adjacent to novel ideas could be a trend.

The most powerful words in English are 'Tell me a story,' words that are intimately related to the complexity of history, the origins of language, the continuity of the species, the taproot of our humanity, our singularity, and art itself. Pat Conroy

“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, ‘and then everything burst into flames.’” Brian P. Cleary

“The greatest story commandment is: Make me care.” Andrew Stanton

https://scottishartstrust.submittable.com/submit https://www.scottishartstrust.org/flash?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=69f9c3d2940349517a5cf13a&ss_email_id=69f9f584f09a4b18efa44725&ss_campaign_name=Edinburgh+Flash+Fiction+Awards+Are+Now+Open&ss_campaign_sent_date=2026-05-05T13%3A50%3A26Z

I love this competition. Everybody knows Nighthawks, but what about the other paintings. https://fracturedlit.com/2026-ekphrastic-hopper-challenge-april-27-2026-to-may-10-2026/

“When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story's voice makes everything its own.” John Berger

I hate it when I run across a comp too late for me to enter. But I thought these winners needed a little fanfare and hopefully this will run again in 2026. https://fictionprize.worldhistory.org/2025-results

Most people on here concentrate on novels tho we do work on FF, short stories and poetry esp for competitions. So I thought a thread where people can bring competitions or what they use in writing short stories.