Introducing Our Twelfth Playground Challenge:

A Fiction Short Story Competition

January 8 - January 18, 2026

Read the Winning Stories Now!

The individual feedback has been sent out! If you submitted a story, and have not received feedback, email us right away at admin@writersplaygroundllc.com and we will sort that out…

The Thirteenth Playground Challenge Coming Soon…

Featured Story:

Between a fouled swimming pool, a school bus fight, and a half-packed runaway bag, a girl comes face-to-face with anger, loyalty, and the quiet ways love shows up... “Have You Seen Me?” won 2nd Place, out of 639 entries, in our Twelfth Playground Challenge... Sarah Newman is a talented writer who lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she splits her time working for the local children's museum, battling neighborhood groundhogs who won't stop terrorizing her vegetable garden, and playing beer-fueled fast-pitch baseball with a bunch of lovable punks. She lives in a home overfilled with books with her fellow bookworm husband who is very, very handsome (she was paid by him to add that) and her ball-obsessed Pitbull. A lover of stories and writing bad poetry in the notes app on her phone, Sarah looks forward to continuing to try and find the right words to describe this weird, wild, ephemeral existence. That is, until the groundhogs get her... 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

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. -Wayne Gretzky”

-Michael Scott