Introducing Our Twelfth Playground Challenge:
A Fiction Short Story Competition
January 8 - January 18, 2026
The Winning Stories will be Announced on April 30th…
Featured Story:
An eighteen-year-old girl, two young boys, and a reclusive elderly neighbor work together to survive the aftermath of a destructive hurricane during the summer of 1969... "Despite the Wind" won 1st Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Holly Grover Brandon is a talented writer from Petal, Mississippi. She is a preschool teacher and mother of four who squeezes bits of writing into the cracks of a chaotic life. She has published a few short stories here and there, and hopes to add a full-length novel to that list one day. You can follow Holly on social media - on Twitter @hollygb - on Instagram @holly_b_writer - or on Bluesky @hollygb.bsky.social… You can also listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
$3500 in Prizes
Choose Your Character
Choose Your Setting
You Have 10 Days to Write Your Story
10+ Winners
$28 Entry Fee
Every Entry Receives Feedback
“This was a great contest! I loved the time frame, it allowed for some real thought and work to be put into a new piece while also pushing me because deadlines just work. I loved the prompts, feedback and critiques. I’ll be signing up again!”
-Marissa Isch, Denver, CO, USA
“I was so happy to come in 4th in this fascinating competition. Great prompts and probably the most helpful and encouraging feedback I’ve ever had.”
Katja Sass, Wellington, Somerset, UK
“This was a ton of fun to do. Great setup with the prompt choices and quick time frame. Thanks for doing this and for the feedback as well. That’s a great motivator. Looking forward to the results and the next challenges!”
Dan Scamell, Salem, NY, USA
“I have participated in both of these rounds and have loved this challenge both times, along with the feedback. I am eager for the third round. This has been a great catalyst and spark to my dream of improving my writing. It is a major life goal to create stories that I would like to read!”
Molly Valentin, Forest Lake, MN, USA