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DIRECTORY

Best Flash Fiction Writing Contests in 2025

Showing 73 contests that match your search.

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest honors George Dila, a friend of the magazine and its original fiction editor. It invites submissions of previously unpublished flash fiction under 1,000 words.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Publication in Third Wednesday magazine

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, and Poetry

A creative writing contest inviting participants worldwide to submit entries in response to prompts. The competition consists of three rounds, each with its own theme and deadline.

Top Prize:

£100

Additional prizes:

2nd: £50 | 3rd: £25 Publication on EGG+FROG for all winners and runners-up.

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

The Farnham Flash Fiction International Competition invites writers to submit stories of 500 words or less. The competition has been running since 2018 and includes a special prize for stories featuring Farnham. It offers cash prizes and publication in an anthology.

Top Prize:

£100

Additional prizes:

£25 for the runner-up; £25 for the best fiction featuring Farnham.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: February 09, 2025 (Expired)

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Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The competition invites submissions of flash fiction with a maximum word count of 999. Entries can be on any topic, allowing writers to showcase their creativity.

Top Prize:

£50 book voucher

Additional prizes:

Publication, promotion, and a podcast interview | Potential publication and £15 vouchers for notable mentions.

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller

The Winter Flash Fiction Battle is an engaging contest where writers compete by creating stories based on given prompts. Participants write a story of up to 1000 words within three days. The contest emphasizes community feedback and professional judging.

Top Prize:

Genre Winner (x4): $$3,400

Additional prizes:

Genre Runner-up (x4): $800 | Genre Semi-Finalist (x8): $400

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Novella, and Script Writing

We are not concerned with genre distinctions. Send us the best you have; we want only for it to be thoughtful, intelligent, and beautiful. We want art that grows in complexity upon each visitation; we enjoy ornate, cerebral, and voluptuous phrases executed with thematic intent.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Publication in "AZURE: A Journal of Literary Thought"

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: September 24, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Short Story

The competition invites elementary and middle school students to submit short stories (maximum 350 words) based on a monthly theme. Winners receive recognition and prizes, including Amazon gift cards and publication in the Hall of Fame.

Top Prize:

$25

Additional prizes:

1st place: $25 Amazon gift card 2nd place: $15 Amazon gift card 3rd place: $5 Amazon gift card All winners are published in the Hall of Fame.

📅 Deadline: January 28, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

The New Writers Flash Fiction Competition 2025 invites submissions from writers worldwide. The competition features a total prize fund of £1,600, with the top prize being £1,100. The deadline for entries is 31st January 2025, with £1 from each entry donated to the charity First Story. Full details and rules can be found on the contest's website.

Top Prize:

£1,100

Additional prizes:

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

The contest awarded prizes for both prose and poetry categories, with multiple winners for each.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Second place: $150 Third place: $75 Winner also gets publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast.

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)

Heart Fiction Battle

Writing Battle

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

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Top Prize:

$1,500

Additional prizes:

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 Feedback by industry professionals

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The competition is open globally, with a deadline of April 30, 2024. The top prize is £1,000, with additional prizes for second (£300) and third (£200) places. Entry fees are £10 for one entry, £19 for two, and £27 for three, with £1 from each entry donated to the charity First Story. Winning entries will be published online and in an anthology.

Top Prize:

£1,000

Additional prizes:

2nd: £300 | 3rd: £200

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 30, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Poetry

The Hayden's Ferry Review Fiction & Poetry Contest accepts submissions of poetry and fiction. Winners receive cash prizes and publication. The judges for 2025 are Gwen Kirby for fiction and Hieu Minh Nguyen for poetry.

Top Prize:

$1,000

Additional prizes:

Winner also receives publication in Hayden's Ferry Review. Runner-up receives $250 and publication.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

FFF Competition Twenty-Seven

Free Flash Fiction

Genres: Flash Fiction

Submit a flash fiction piece of 100 to 300 words on any theme. The competition is open to everyone, and entries will be anonymized during the judging process. The judge for this round is Chris Cottom.

Top Prize:

£150 and publication of winning story.

Additional prizes:

£60 for 2 Highly Commended, £50 for 3 shortlisted entries, all receive publication.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: April 23, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Essay, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Folly Short Story Prize 2025 invites submissions for stories that challenge conventional norms. It aims to recognize innovative writing that resonates with contemporary themes.

Top Prize:

$1000 NZD

Additional prizes:

Two tickets to the Folly After Party.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: June 01, 2025

New Deal Writing Competition

Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA)

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

The New Deal Writing Competition invites writers to create a short story inspired by a specific painting. The current painting is 'Playtime' by Fred Ross. This is the ninth annual contest, intended to celebrate creativity and connect art and writing.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

Publication in newsletter

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize aims to discover and support new writing talent on an annual basis. The prize includes financial support for the best pieces of writing submitted on an announced theme. The contest is open to all writers aged 18 and above, regardless of nationality.

Top Prize:

£3,000 cash grant

Additional prizes:

2nd: £1,000 travel expense | 3rd: £1,000 travel expense

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2025 (Expired)

Spring Flash Fiction Contest

The Berlin Literary Review

Genres: Flash Fiction

This contest is for flash fiction pieces of 1,500 words or less. Winning entries will be published in the magazine.

Top Prize:

€660

Additional prizes:

Second place: €100 Third place: €60 Winner has publication in the online magazine for winners and shortlisted participants.

💰 Entry fee: $6

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Wonder Fiction Battle

Writing Battle, Inc.

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, and Flash Fiction

The Wonder 2025 Flash fiction Battle is part of the Writing Battle series, where participants write stories based on prompts. Participants receive feedback from professionals.

Top Prize:

$3,400

Additional prizes:

$3400 prize for 4x Genre Winners; $500 prize for 4x Genre Runner-ups. Winners receive online publication, feedback from industry professionals

💰 Entry fee: $39

📅 Deadline: April 13, 2025 (Expired)

Writing MAGIC

Sadie Tells Stories

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Writing MAGIC contest invites authors to write a short story under 500 words about anything magical. Open to all age groups, stories can be fiction or non-fiction. The contest aims to celebrate creativity and share magical experiences.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Second place: $150

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open to all styles and genres of flash fiction.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

2nd: $300 | 3rd: $200 | 7 runner-ups: $25 Amazon Gift Cards | 10 honorable mentions: $20 Amazon Gift Card. All winners, runner-ups, and honorable mentions are published on WOW.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025

Gulf Coast Writers Association Writing Contest

Gulf Coast Writers Association

Genres: Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, and Poetry

The Gulf Coast Writers Association (GCWA) organizes an annual writing contest to celebrate and recognize talented writers across various genres. Participants can submit original works in Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Poetry. The contest promotes writers' creativity and provides valuable feedback from experienced judges.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

Second place: $75 Third place: $50 For each category

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2025

Genres: Flash Fiction

The F(r)iction Flash Fiction Contest invites writers to submit flash fiction pieces of up to 1,000 words. The winner will be published in F(r)iction. The contest embraces experimental and boundary-pushing literature, encouraging creativity.

Top Prize:

$300

Additional prizes:

Consideration for publication in F(r)iction and the potential for up to five finalists to be published.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: May 02, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Travel

The Fiction Factory Short Story Competition invites writers to submit stories of up to 3,000 words. The competition is open to all genres excluding Children's and Young Adult Fiction. Winning stories will be published on the website and potentially in an anthology.

Top Prize:

$500

Additional prizes:

Winning stories will be published and included in an anthology.

💰 Entry fee: $7

📅 Deadline: July 31, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction

The Flash Fiction Competition challenges participants to submit a story of no more than 100 words. This year's theme requires the inclusion of specific terms related to 'tip'.

Top Prize:

$60

Additional prizes:

2nd prize: £30 3rd prize: £20

💰 Entry fee: $3

📅 Deadline: September 08, 2024 (Expired)

Season Themes

HAVOK Publishing

Genres: Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Season Themes is a flash fiction contest that invites authors to create stories inspired by monthly themes and prompts. Each theme features a specific character prompt that authors must incorporate into their stories, allowing for creative interpretations across various genres.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.

📅 Deadline: January 17, 2025 (Expired)

Military Anthology: Partnerships, the Untold Story

Armed Services Arts Partnership

Genres: Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Short Story

Partners are an integral aspect of military life, at home and afar, during deployment and after homecoming. Partnerships drive military action and extend beyond being a battle buddy, wingman, or crew member. Some are planned while others arise entirely unexpectedly. Spouses, family, old or new friends, community, faith leaders, and medical specialists all support the military community. Despite their importance, the stories of these partnerships often go untold. This anthology aims to correct that: We will highlight the nuances, surprises, joy, sorrow, heroism, tears, healing power, and ache of partnerships. We invite you to submit the story about partnerships from your journey, so we can help tell it.

Top Prize:

$500 Editors' Choice award

Additional prizes:

$250 for each genre category (prose, poetry, visual art)

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

Places Writing Competition

Minds Shine Bright

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

The Places Writing Competition invites stories and poems about places that inspire or challenge writers. It includes various categories like poetry, short stories, and flash fiction, and aims to highlight the significance of places in literature.

Top Prize:

The overall winner receives $1500 AUD and publication in the anthology.

Additional prizes:

Up to $200 for commended entries, $50 for young writers.

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2025

Genres: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, and Flash Fiction

The competition features an open theme and includes four categories: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Poetry. Each category has a defined maximum word count. Winners will be acknowledged at the festival and have the opportunity to read their entries.

Top Prize:

£75

Additional prizes:

£75 for first prize in each category, plus the opportunity to read the winning entry at the festival. £25 for commended entries in each category.

💰 Entry fee: $4

📅 Deadline: March 28, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, and Short Story

The contest encourages participants to submit one fictional story (max 350 words) for a chance to win a prize. The contest requires a minimum of 10 shortlisted submissions to award a prize, which is a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Top Prize:

$25 USD Amazon Gift Card

Additional prizes:

Publication

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fiction, Short Story, and Flash Fiction

The contest invites submissions of inspiring and uplifting stories, aiming to highlight the benefits of writing amidst global issues. Each story can be up to 5,000 characters (about 1,000 words). Winners are determined by writing quality and community votes.

Top Prize:

$300

Additional prizes:

Five runners-up will receive $100 each

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2025 (Expired)

39 Steps

Walk Listen Create

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The contest invites participants to write a micro-flash story of 39 words, inspired by John Buchan’s 'The Thirty-Nine Steps.' Submissions must fit the theme and will be featured in an anthology. Winners will also be showcased in a public online event.

Top Prize:

€100

Additional prizes:

Winner recieves artwork by Alban Low and a copy of the illustrated chapbook. The authors of the 39 selected stories will also receive an invitation to a private Writers’ Circle event.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction and Poetry

The contest invites submissions in visual art, poetry, and flash fiction. It aims to showcase innovative and authentic art while promoting diversity. Winners and runners-up will be featured on the website and in a Fall anthology.

Top Prize:

$100

Additional prizes:

Each category winner will receive $100 (USD). Winning submissions and two runners-up per category will be published in the Fall Anthology.

📅 Deadline: August 01, 2024 (Expired)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Short Story

The Parsec Short Story Contest aims to encourage non-professional writers to explore speculative fiction in genres like science fiction, fantasy, and horror. The theme for 2025 is 'ROOTS', and submissions should relate to this theme. The contest has no entry fee and supports young writers through a special Youth Story Prize.

Top Prize:

$200

Additional prizes:

2nd: $100 | 3rd: $50

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2025 (Expired)

Genres: Flash Fiction and Poetry

The Flash Fiction Contest invites entries of prose or prose poetry that tell a compelling story in 500 words or less. The contest emphasizes clarity, originality, and emotional impact.

Top Prize:

Varies based on the number of winners

Additional prizes:

Feedback on submissions for an additional fee

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: June 02, 2025

#GWstorieseverywhere

Gotham Writers

Genres: Fiction and Flash Fiction

The #GWstorieseverywhere contest invites participants to submit very short stories based on monthly themes. The stories can be fictional or true and must be original and unpublished. The winning entries are featured on Gotham's website.

Additional prizes:

Winner receives a free Gotham class of their choosing, excluding premium classes

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: February 28, 2025 (Expired)

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