The Best Flash Fiction Writing Contests of 2023
Writing competitions curated by Reedsy
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Showing 121 contests
Create The Future Climate Writing and Solarpunk Competition
Create the Future
Create The Future is running a free global writing competition to help us imagine a better earth for all. All winning entries will be published in a global anthology alongside experts and changemakers. We’d like you to answer the question “What does a sustainable future look like to you? What happens when we dare to dream?” Submissions are open for short fiction (up to 2,000 words) and poetry (up to 40 lines).
Top prize
£50
Additional prizes
Eco lifestyle bundles and publication in global anthology
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: February 13, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestWriter's Digest Short Short Story Competition
Writer's Digest
We’re looking for short fiction stories! Think you can write a winning story in 1,500 words or less? Enter the 22nd Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000 in cash, get published in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to our ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference! One 1st Place Winner will receive: $3,000 in cash, their short story title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September/October 2022 issue, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, including a coveted Pitch Slam slot The 2nd Place Winner will receive: $1,500 in cash, their short story title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September/October 2022 issue The 3rd Place Winner will receive: $500 in cash, their short story title published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September/October 2022 issue 4th - 10th Place Winners will receive: $100 in cash, their short story titles published in Writer’s Digest magazine’s September/October 2022 issue 11th - 25th Place Winners will receive: A $50 gift certificate for writersdigestshop.com
Top prize
$3,000
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $30
Deadline: January 17, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestSeason Themes
HAVOK Publishing
HAVOK is a constant flash fiction contest, with rolling deadlines. Each season is split into monthly competitions with thematically connected prompts in a range of genres.
Top prize
$100
Additional prizes
Publication in an anthology. Potential for larger gift card wins.
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Fantasy, Flash Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller
View contest#GWstorieseverywhere
Gotham Writers
Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter using #GWstorieseverywhere for a chance to win a free class. Your story must be no longer than 25 words, with a max of 280 characters, including spaces and the hashtag #GWstorieseverywhere.
Top prize
Gotham Writers Workshop
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $0
Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestJacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction
Prism
Winter means one thing around these parts: our annual Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction is now open for submissions! The prize is named for Jacob Zilber, who played a central role founding the University of British Columbia’s department of creative writing, (the very first of its kind in Canada) and PRISM international (us!).
Top prize
$1,500
Additional prizes
$600, $400
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $40
Deadline: January 16, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestFunny Festival Fables
C.A.A.B Publishin
Write us a short story about the festive period. We want tales about silly snowmen, naughty elves, and hilarious stories that would make Santa go HO! HO! HO! Entries should be around 1,000 words or less and must be sent as a Word Document with no pictures.
Top prize
$40
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: August 31, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Children's, Flash Fiction
View contestStone Soup Flash Fiction Contest
Stone Soup
Stone Soup holds a Flash Contest during the first week of every month. The month’s first Weekly Creativity prompt provides the contest challenge. Submissions are due by midnight on Sunday of the same week. Up to five winners are chosen for publication on our blog. The winners, along with up to five honorable mentions, are announced in the following Saturday Newsletter.
Top prize
Publication on Stone Soup's blog
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: FREE
Deadline: December 01, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Children's, Flash Fiction
View contestCranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition
Cranked Anvil Press
Our quarterly flash fiction competition is open for entries all year round. The competition is open to any theme or genre, and your story must be a maximum of 500 words (not including the title). You can enter up to two stories in each quarterly competition ($3 to enter one story, $5 for two).
Top prize
£100
Additional prizes
£25, publication online
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $3
Deadline: February 28, 2022 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestDo Wha(TS) Write
Do Wha(TS) Write
Contest entries should be flash fiction or short stories, with an absolute word limit of 1000 words. There is no required prompt or topic. Write whatever you'd like! We want to see you get creative!
Top prize
$200 (CAD)
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $2
Deadline: December 31, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contest1/2K Prize
Indiana Review
Send us up to 3 pieces of no more than 500 words each in any genre for a chance to win $1000 + publication. This year’s final judge is Taylor Johnson. Submit your work from July 1 through August 15!
Top prize
$1,000
Additional prizes
Publication
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: August 15, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestDillydoun International Fiction Prize
The Dillydoun Review
International fiction contest open to all genres, themes, and subjects. 8,000 word max / no minimum. Short story, flash fiction, self-contained excerpts from longer works welcome. Entries must be written in English.
Top prize
$2,000
Additional prizes
2nd $1,000, 3rd $500, Honorable Mention $50, Publication in Print Anthology
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $25
Deadline: October 31, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story
View contestDialogue Only
The Write Contest and Community
The Write Contest and Community is now accepting entries to our Dialogue Only Contest. The Dialogue Only Contest is an opportunity to create a clear and compelling story using nothing but dialogue. Your entry can be up to 250 words.
Top prize
$200
Additional prizes
Cash prizes for top three entries.
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: June 18, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story
View contestNowhere Emerging Travel Writers' Prize
Nowhere Magazine
We are looking for never-been-published travel writers from anywhere in the world to send us stories—fiction, nonfiction, essay or poetry—that possess a powerful sense of place, people and time.
Top prize
$500
Additional prizes
Publication in Nowhere Magazine
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $15
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Essay, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contestAn Axe to Grind - Flash Fiction Contest
The Darling Axe
Tell us a story in fewer than 1000 words for a chance to win from a growing prize pool, plus publication on the Chopping Blog.
Top prize
$700
Additional prizes
Publication on the Chopping Blog
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 31, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Short Story, Flash Fiction
View contestZizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest
Zizzle Literary
Every week during our submission period, we’ll post one-sentence dialogue writing prompts on our social media platforms. Choose a dialogue prompt that inspires you and write a story that includes the prompt.
Top prize
Additional prizes
1000
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $5
Deadline: March 15, 2021 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction
View contestWomen's National Book Association Writing Contest
Women's National Book Association
Do you want to show the world your writing? Then enter the 2020 WNBA Writing Contest! You can enter your work in four categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, flash prose, and poetry.
Top prize
$250
Additional prizes
Publishication in an anthology
Entry requirements
💰 Fee: $20
Deadline: December 01, 2020 (Expired)
Genres
Fiction, Flash Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story
View contest
