Monthly Micro
From 2018-2024, the Monthly Micro competition ran through Retreat West and the stories were published on the website. In March 2024, we moved the competition here so that all the stories we’re publishing are in one place. They look swisher here too! But other than the stories being published here, the competition is still the same.
Our monthly micro fiction writing competition has great prompts and prizes.
All reading and voting is done anonymously so no putting your name on your story or telling people which is yours if you’re shortlisted.
How does it work?
On the first Monday of each month (apart from August and December when we have time off) we post the prompt and word count and you get a week to write and submit a story based on it.
Four days after submissions close we announce the longlist and on the third Monday of the month we publish a shortlist of 10 stories.
Winners of the cash prize are decided by our panel of judges and the shortlist of 10 goes to public vote to win the People’s Prize. Voting remains open for one week and then the writer with the most votes wins the mystery prize, which will change each month and be announced at the same time as the results.
The prompts are posted here each month. We’re hoping to see some different takes on the prompts so don’t always go for the first thing it brings to mind…
We also run a workshop on the Sunday before each competition where the prompt is revealed in advance. Info here.
Entry fee: £5 or £17 with detailed feedback on the story you submit (if you book feedback and your story then wins a prize you can send a different micro story (max 175 words) in for our editor to look at.
1st Prize: 30% of the entry fees received for the competition (after Submittable fees are deducted).
2nd Prize: 20% of the entry fees received for the competition (after Submittable fees are deducted).
People’s Prize: It’s a secret! This will change each month and be revealed with the results.
Shortlisted (but don’t win one of the 3 main prizes): Free entry to the next Monthly Micro Fiction Competition.
All winning and shortlisted stories are also published individually.
We’ll confirm how many entries we received and what the cash prize will be when we announce the longlist.
Please read all the competition rules at the bottom of the page before you submit. We get messaged with a lot of questions about this competition and the answers to all of them are already detailed in the rules section below.
May 2024 Competition
Opens: 06th May
Deadline: 23.59 UK time 12th May 2024
Longlist published: 16th May 2024
Shortlist published and voting begins: 20th May 2024
Voting closes: 27th May 2024
Winners announced: 28th May 2024
Word count: Exactly 100
Prompt:
Remember the prompt is just a jumping-off point for your imagination. The story is entirely up to you, just be sure to read the rules below. Where will this prompt take you?
Looking forward to reading this month’s submissions. Go write!
Competition Rules
The competition is open to writers worldwide but stories must be written in English.
Submit stories through Submittable using the button above (only shows when submissions are open) by 23.59 GMT on the deadline date. You will have to create a free Submittable account to enter. No email entries will be accepted.
Do not include your name on the story or submission title but provide a short bio in the body of the message in Submittable as we can’t see this until shortlists are chosen. All stories are read anonymously so any showing the author’s name will be automatically disqualified and fees will not be refunded.
Stories must be your own original work and not have been published online or in print, or have won any other competitions (longlisted and shortlisted places in other competitions is fine).
Please do not include any copyrighted material in your entry (e.g. song lyrics)
Simultaneous submissions are fine but if your story is accepted elsewhere you must withdraw it from this competition and your entry fee will be forfeited.
By entering the competition you agree to your story being published on the website.
Stories can be in any genre apart from children’s fiction. Please no racism, sexism, or any kind of hate.
You can enter as many times as you like but all entries must be made separately and the entry fee paid each time.
The judge’s decision is final.
If you book feedback and then win a prize you can send an alternative story (up to 350 words) for feedback.
Cash prize payments will be made through PayPal or BACS (UK OR IRELAND ONLY FOR BACS). Submittable payments are received a month in arrears so winner’s payments will be paid once we receive the funds from Submittable.
In the case of a draw for first or second place, the writers will share the prize.
In the case of a draw for the People’s Prize, both writers will receive the prize.
There is no alternative to the cash prizes or the People’s Prize.