Secure payment via Stripe Checkout. This is a real, live charge — confirmed entries are recorded once the webhook fires.
Flash Fiction Challenge: any story, any genre, 500 words or less.
By writers, for writers — because we know that it is you, the writer, who is the true hero of this story.
Half of every entry fee goes directly into the pool, up to the cycle's cap — no deductions, no asterisk. Every entrant is eligible for the full pool, no matter when they entered. The winner is chosen entirely on judges' evaluation of craft and originality.
Pay your entry fee and lock in your spot before entries close.
Write your best original piece of fiction in 500 words or fewer, on any theme you choose, and submit it before the deadline.
Every entry receives written feedback from our judging panel, then the winner is announced.
Pay your entry fee any time after this date to lock in your spot.
Your story must be submitted by this time. No extensions, no exceptions.
Every writer receives written feedback. The winner is announced publicly.
We haven't run a challenge cycle yet, so we're not going to invent quotes from writers who don't exist. Once real entrants have real things to say, their words will go here.
Each entry fee covers one story. If you'd like more than one shot at the prize pool, you're welcome to enter multiple times — each entry is judged independently. We just don't accept simultaneous submissions: a piece can't be entered here while it's also under consideration somewhere else.
Submissions close automatically at the listed time. There are no extensions or late entries, regardless of circumstances, so plan ahead.
A panel of judges evaluates every entry on creativity and craft, then provides written feedback.
Objective? A keen eye for story craft? Excited to help find the hero in one of these stories? We're always looking for new judges — email admin@flashpotfiction.com to ask about joining the panel.
Yes. Judges see only the title and text of your submission — never your name, email, city, or any other identifying detail. Every entry is judged purely on the writing itself.
Yes. Entries must be original work that has not been previously published or publicly posted anywhere, and must not have won or placed in another contest.
Yes. You retain full rights to your work. By entering, you also grant us the right to include your submission — in whole or in part — in our anthology or similar publication, as a standard condition of entry.
Absolutely — writers from anywhere in the world can enter.
No. This is a skill-based contest — the winner is determined entirely by judges' evaluation of craft and originality. The prize pool simply grows as more writers enter; it is not awarded by random draw or chance.
Exactly 50% of every entry fee goes directly into the pool, up to the cycle's cap — we absorb payment processing fees on our end, so the full 50 cents on the dollar reaches the pool. Every entrant is eligible for the entire pool regardless of when they entered. Once the pool reaches its cap for a cycle, entry fees collected for the rest of that cycle are retained by the organizer rather than added to the pool.
Entries close Aug 29. 500 words of original fiction, no prompt.
Secure payment via Stripe Checkout. This is a real, live charge — confirmed entries are recorded once the webhook fires.