Posts Tagged Flash fiction
First Five Pages Competition
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Events, Short Story on September 25, 2025
The lovely people at Farnham Literary Festival have asked me to publicise their Farnham’s First Five Pages Competition. 
Entrants must submit the first 5 pages of their novel plus a 250-word synopsis. The novel does not already have to be finished. There is no set theme or style of writing, but entries should be unpublished and original.
The prizes are:
First place – THE PARIS PRIZE FOR FICTION (sponsored by best-selling author B.A. Paris) – £1000 and a critique
Second place – £300
Third place – £200
There is a £10 fee per submission and entrants must be unpublished (self-published is acceptable).
Closing date is Wednesday 31 December 2025 – so plenty of time to get writing!
As always, please check the full terms and conditions before entering.
Good luck and enjoy!
Farnham Literary Festival also a run Flash Fiction competition if something shorter is more your thing.
Flash Fiction Opportunities
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Markets, Short Story on September 10, 2024
Sometimes, in the midst of trying to churn out a novel, hook an agent or sell ourselves to a publisher, we forget about the fun side of writing. We overlook what drew us to pick up a pen in the first place.
Many years ago, short pieces of writing attracted me to this industry. I loved the satisfaction of sending a reader’s letter to a magazine, often swiftly followed by seeing it in print and receiving a small cheque in the post. Next came magazine articles and short stories. There were rejections aplenty but they helped build the thick skin and determination which are essential to all writers. And when the acceptances came, they were all the sweeter because of those previous failures.
Nowadays I rarely write short pieces and I miss the satisfaction of regularly finishing something, sending it out into the world and carrying within me the hope that it will find success. If a piece missed it’s target, I was disappointed but not distraught. The amount of time ‘wasted’ writing the story was not huge and by then I always had at least one other thing ‘out there’ and the hope that it would land on the right desk at the right time.
It’s different with novels. They take a LONG time to write, publishers and agents take a LONG time to respond and when the coveted acceptance finally arrives, it’s a LONG time before the book is actually published. I think that’s why flash and short fiction opportunities keep catching my eye. I’m tempted to take a break from the long game and have a bit of fun with something short!
Here’s a few of the things that have caught my eye:
Flash Frog
Flash Frog are looking for stories of up to 1,000 words. The website says: “We like our stories like we like our dart frogs: small, brightly colored, and deadly to the touch.” Flash Frog publishes a new story every week, accompanied by specially created artwork. Payment is $25 per story.
Seaside Gothic
Seaside Gothic is based in the UK and does what it says on the tin i.e. it publishes short pieces of seaside gothic literature. If, like me, you’ve never come across this genre, a full definition is on the Seaside Gothic website. The magazine’s next open reading period is 7th to 13th October 2024 and they pay £0.01/word. Full details are on their submission page.
New Writers Book Review Competition 2024
This one closes 30th September 2024 – so be quick! First prize is £50 and there is a limit of 1,000 words. Entry is free but you must subscribe to the New Writers e-newsletter. N.B. The novel or poetry collection you review must be published and available to purchase in the UK. And it must be the first novel or poetry collection published by that writer (but can have been published prior to 2024). See the competition website page for full details.
If you want to read some short fiction and play judge/editor by deciding whether or not that piece was successful in the big wide world, you might enjoy Hit or Miss? 33 Coffee Break Stories. 
Competitions and Opportunities
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions on September 22, 2023
A few writing competitions and opportunities have found their way into my inbox over the last week or so and they may be of interest to some of you:
First up, Readers’ Digest is once again running its 100 Word Story Competition. It’s free to enter and, as you might expect, stories must be exactly 100 words long. There is no specified theme. Closing date is January 5th 2024 and first prize is £1000.
The next one requires slightly more words. The Women’s Prize Trust, Audible, the Curtis Brown literary agency and Curtis Brown Creative are partners in the Discoveries writing development programme. It offers practical support and encouragement to aspiring female novelists and culminates with awarding the Discoveries Prize for an unpublished novel-in-progress. Submit the first 10,000 words of a novel with a synopsis of up to 1,000 words. Closing date is January 8th 2024.
Prototype Publishing is offering another development programme for writers who have not yet published a full length novel. There are eight places, with three reserved for writers from the north of England. To apply, you must submit a sample of work of up to 20 pages. This may be poetry, fiction, non-fiction or visual work. Details of your writing experience and interest in the programme are also requested. Closing date is 23rd October 2023.
Finally, Hannah Schofield of LBA Literary Agency is offering five romance writers from underrepresented backgrounds based in the UK, feedback on their novel extracts. Submissions close 17th October 2023 and all the details are here.
And remember, you’ve got to be in it to win it!
National Flash Fiction Competition 2022 from Nottingham Writers’ Club
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions on December 9, 2021
I’ve had an email from Mars Hill about a new competition being run by Nottingham Writers’ Cub. To reflect the growing popularity of flash fiction, the Club are offering prizes of £100, £75 and £50 for the best 100-word stories on the theme ‘Wish You Were Here’.
The competition details suggest, ‘You could tell a story in the traditional form of a postcard from a beautiful place, or maybe you’d like someone special to be with you at a certain time. It can be happy, sad, dramatic, frightening, scary or horrifying, the choice of genre is yours, and please make it clear who you wish to be where.’
The entry fee for each story is £5 (free for Club members) and everyone gets a few lines of feedback. Entries will be accepted from 1st to 28th February 2022 either by post or via the Club website.
However, this is not a competition for ‘professional’ writers and those who have earned more than £150 from short stories during 2020/21 should not enter. And, as always, don’t forget to read all the terms and conditions.
Over the last couple of years we’ve had less opportunity to send postcards but increased reason to ‘wish you were here’. It’s a theme that will resonate with most of us – so why not make the most of it and get writing?
Lancashire Authors’ Association Flash Fiction Competition, Guest Posts & Royalties
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Self-publishing on April 9, 2013
Firstly, the Lancashire Authors’ Association has been in touch to tell me that they are holding another Flash Fiction Competition.
The winning entry will receive £250. Stories must be exactly 100 words, excluding the title.
Entry fee is £2 (or £1 if you happen to be a member of the Lancashire Authors’ Association) and entries can be submitted by post or email up to the closing date of June 30th 2013.
Rules are available here along with last year’s winning 100 word story.
Secondly, I’ve been getting around a bit recently in conjunction with my current obsession with e-publishing. You may have noticed me:
- On Womag’s blog describing how e-publishing is easier than you might think
- On the Writers’ Bureau blog talking about e-book covers
- On Nick Daws blog where I looked at the options when an e-book isn’t selling. I won this appearance on Nick’s blog via his blogging competition which I told you about a few weeks ago and the other part of my prize was a copy of his e-course Blogging for Writers.
Thirdly, I’ve received my very first Amazon royalty payment – 31p! It covers the US site for the last few days of January after the launch of One Day for Me. I was a bit surprised because I thought nothing was paid out until the royalties amounted to $10. Consequently, I haven’t yet got my US tax exemption sorted out – so they’ve taken 13p in tax, otherwise I would’ve had 44p! Take note, e-publishing is not a get rich quick scheme!
The Bath Short Story Award & Erewash Flash Fiction Competition
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Short Story on December 29, 2012
Here are a couple of competitions for you to mull over whilst you finish the Quality Streets and prepare for whatever 2013 might bring.
Help! I’m drowning in Quality Street! (Photo credit: nataliej)
- The Bath Short Story Award is a new international competition. The prizes are good – £500, £100 and £50 plus an additional £50 for a local winner. Stories can be on any theme and the maximum word count is 2,200. Entry fee is £5 and the closing date March 30th 2013. Enter by post or online but note that online entries must be in PDF format. Full rules are here.
- Erewash Writers’ Group are running a FREE flash fiction competition on the theme ‘Start’ – which seems appropriate as we approach the beginning of a new year. First Prize is publication on the Erewash Writers’ website, a copy of Dan Purdue’s book
‘Somewhere To Start From’ and one free entry to the Erewash Open Competition 2013. Second prize is one free entry to the Erewash Open Competition 2013. Word limit is 500 and the closing date is March 21st 2013.
The judge is author, Dan Purdue and he offers some advice on flash fiction on his blog.
Full competition details are here.
National Flash Fiction Day May 16th 2012
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Events on April 9, 2012
The first National Flash Fiction Day will be taking place on May 16th 2012 and if you want to be part of it you need to get your 
thinking caps on now.
There is a list of specially organised competitions listed here. Some are specific to certain parts of the country (this narrows down the field of entrants, so if you are lucky enough to live in any of the chosen areas – get writing!). Many are FREE to enter and there’s a variety of closing dates (but they’re mostly in April so don’t delay).
If you fancy getting involved in person, take a look at this list of planned events organised geographically. Unfortunately there’s none near me in the West Midlands but Derby ‘s doing well with 2 workshops going on.
So if you like your writing short, sharp and to the point – what are you waiting for?
Flash Fiction Competitions
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Markets on March 12, 2012
If you’re struggling with a story, agonising over an article or gnashing your teeth about the novel, why not take a short break to recharge your batteries and have a go at some flash fiction instead? Spending a short time playing around with just a few hundred words (or less) will get the brain cells working again, send you back to the magnum opus refreshed and also give you that lovely satisfied feeling that comes from finishing a piece of work and submitting it.
Flash fiction seems to be growing in popularity and here are just a few of the competitions and markets for it:
Flash Fiction World runs quarterly FREE to enter competitions – plus the site contains details of other competitions and helpful advice for the writer.
Emerald Writing Workshops runs quarterly 500 word story competitions with cheap entry fees – I’ve extolled the virtues of Eddie Walsh and his competitions before, so I won’t go on and on again.
Real People Magazine pays £25 each week for a 60 word story – most of which tend to have a twist in the tail.
And don’t forget the ‘Win a Book’ competitions which appear each month in Writing Magazine. They usually ask for around 250 words on a particular theme. I find them great for kick starting the grey matter and for trying a genre I might not otherwise consider – I recently won the ‘Paranormal’ competition and have had a go at ‘Pitching a SitCom’. These competitions are a quick and easy way to step outside your comfort zone.
If you know of any other extremely short fiction markets then let me know – I’m always looking for reasons to deviate from my current project!
5 Word Challenge – The Answer
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions, Writing on January 18, 2012
The 5 word sentence, where each of the 5 words is identical is:
Image via Wikipedia
Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.
The meaning is:
Buffalo buffalo (i.e. buffalo that live in Buffalo) buffalo (i.e a verb meaning to intimidate or fight) Buffalo buffalo (i.e. buffalo that live in Buffalo).
This is also explained here and a longer more complicated version is here. One day this knowledge might make you the winner of a pub quiz!
Whilst we’re on the subject of short pieces of writing, here are a couple of flash fiction competitions:
- Early Works Press are offering £75 first prize plus two runners-up prizes of £10 for a 100-word story. Entry is £3.50 and the closing date is 31/8/2012. Full details here.
- Multi-Story want 600 words and offer prizes of £300, £100 and £50 for an entry fee of £5 (or £8 for 2 stories). It’s an open theme and the closing date is 29th February 2012. Full details are here.
Write Exposure & Words Magazine Competitions
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Competitions on November 14, 2011
Write Exposure has launched its first monthly competition. There are 3 categories – short fiction (up to 1200 words), flash fiction (up to 250 words) and poetry. Entry into each category is £4 or you can enter all 3 for £9.
The winner will be showcased on the website for a month along with 3 other ‘honourable mentions’.
Prize money depends on the number of entrants. I couldn’t find it on the website so I contacted Cheslyn Baker, who is running the competition, to find out the ‘formula’ that would be used to calculate the prize. She told me that it would be 25% of the total entry fee received in each category.
The theme for the competitions will change each month. For November it is “I know your face” and the closing date is 30th November.
Please read the full details here before you enter.
In most competitions we never know what percentage of the entry fees was paid out in prizes so this competition is being transparent in that respect. It is also being open about its judging. It will be using a panel of 3, one of whom is a ‘citizen’ judge and any of us can apply to sit in that third seat. See the website for details.
What does anybody think about prize money being 25% of the pot? Is it fair? Can we (the entrants) actually reach a fair conclusion on this question when so many other competitions only advertise a fixed prize rather than a percentage?
There is a lot of work in running a writing competition – including a large amount of administration as well as the actual reading and judging of entries. 100 entries would be required to win £100 – and I’m sure that a lot of competitions offering a prize of £100 receive more than 100 entries so maybe 25% is realistic.
By coincidence I came across another competition recently where the prize money is dependent on the number of entrants. Words Magazine is running a ‘winner takes all’ competition for short stories of up to 2000 words. Entry fee is £3 – so if 100 people enter the prize will be £300 (Closing date is December 31st).
Best of luck if you decide to enter either of these!
Sally Jenkins 