Introducing Our Twelfth Playground Challenge:
A Fiction Short Story Competition
January 8 - January 18, 2026
Submissions are under review…
Featured Story:
Hank Whitaker, a journalist, stumbles upon Don Mateo Corvalán, an ailing Argentinian widower who claims to hear the voices of the dead from a dry well..."Somewhere Between" won 7th Place, out of 716 entries, in our Tenth Playground Challenge… Russell Mickler is a talented writer from Vancouver, WA who enjoys writing fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, and horror… He is an avid participant in writing contests and also a judge for NYC Midnight… make sure to check out Russell’s website, black-anvil-books.com and there you can find a variety of his work, including successes that he has had in writing competitions, short stories that are available on kindle or audiobook, and he also has published a novel called The Ballad of Skyer Dannon: A Vampire Story, which is available on Amazon… as well as a whole series of cozy fantasy stories called the Aevalorn Tales. 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