12 Recurring Writing Contests - No entry fees

Charles Dickens looking for some inspiration

Updated 10/13/25

Winning a writing contest is a huge boost to the ego. Nothing makes a writer feel more confident than having a group of judges (who are also writers) find your work to be worthy of a prize.

But contests can serve another purpose. They are one of the best ways to get us off our duffs and locked to a keyboard, especially flash fiction contests.

Unlike journalists, fiction writers compose in a vacuum. There we are, alone in a room, typing away for nobody but ourselves. Sometimes, it's hard to get up and running. My advice is to use contests as a writing prompt!

These contests are recurring, so you will have plenty of opportunity to fail before you succeed. (Each failure is a step toward success.) None of them charge entry fees. Good luck!

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Recurring Contests

Ongoing

Megacity Review. Genre: Poetry and prose—both fiction and nonfiction—exploring the urban condition in all its forms. Prize: Cash prizes of $20 and a Grand Prize of $1,000.

The John Byrne Award. Restrictions: Open to residents of Scotland. Genre: A piece of creative work on a chosen theme or value (written work must be no more than 15,000 words in length). Prize: £250. 

Monthly

Write the World Competitions. Restrictions: Young writers ages 13-18. Genre: Essay. Prize: Best Entry: $100; Runner up: $50.

Scottish Book Trust: Monthly Competition. Restrictions: Entry to the competition is open to all. However, they can only provide prizes to winners who are located within the UK, or have a UK based address. Genre: Short story of no more than 50 words based on prompts. (See site for prompt) Prize: Various items. 

Writing District. Genre: short stories up to 3,000 words. Open theme. Prize: $50.

53 Word Story Contest. Genre: Flash fiction of exactly 53 words based on monthly theme. Prize: Publication and a free book. Deadline for entry is the 21st day of each month. Stories sent after the 21st will not be considered.

Furious Fiction. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: $500AUD. "On the first Friday of every month, a new set of story prompts will be revealed. You will have 55 hours to submit your best 500-word (or fewer) story."

Prose. Genre: Stories of at least 15 words (length varies) responding to prompts. Prize: $100. Registration required.

Substack runs a monthly short story competition. Their mission is to "revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful." The prize is $100 for the chosen story plus 50% of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. Submit stories by the end of the month, winner to be announced on the 15th. There is one story that wins and receives the full payout. Length: 6000- 10,000 words. Reprints are ok so long as you still have the rights to distribute.

Rattle holds a monthly ekphrastic challenge. Winner gets $100 and online publication.

Weekly

Microcosms is a weekly, microfiction contest, the primary goals of which are to inspire creativity, get writers in the habit of writing, and entertain readers! Prize: They aren't sure yet!

Reedsy runs a weekly short story contest based on prompts. Prize: $50 and publication.