An International Short Story Contest, Judged Blind
Quick answer: Compare the linked free-contest list and calendar if you need an entry with no fee. Each organiser sets its own age, country and language rules. Writory's paid entry includes blind judging, a score and certificate; written feedback is an optional paid extra. Payment and prize availability depend on your country and account.
Paid entry: US$8 internationally or ₹199 in India for 100–6,000 words. Ages 13+ worldwide; under-18s need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. Teens and adults compete in one pool. Closes 30 November; scores and certificates arrive 5 December 2026.
Compare free entry and paid scoring
The free-contest list and comparison calendar link to separate organisers, each with its own entry terms. Check whether your age and country qualify, whether the language and length of your story fit, and whether work already posted online is eligible. Confirm the current deadline on the official site before entering.
A cash prize and written feedback are different offers. Compare what every entrant receives, what only winners receive and any optional charges. Writory charges for standard Story entry and includes a score and certificate; the separate written feedback report is optional and paid.
International entry and payment availability
Writers worldwide aged 13 or older may enter under the contest rules. Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. Checkout uses Razorpay in INR for India and PayPal in USD internationally. Available payment methods depend on your country and payment account; the fee is shown before payment. Prize-payment availability is separate from entry-payment availability. If you are unsure whether you can pay or receive a prize in your country, contact contest@writoryofficial.com before entering. The fee is $8 internationally or ₹199 in India. Writers from 40 countries have already entered Writory's poetry contest.
The poetry winners list documents winners in India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia on dated pages. The first Story results are scheduled for 5 December 2026; Story winners have not yet been announced.
Blind judging is what makes international fair
Names and countries come off before a single line is read. A judge cannot favour a familiar surname or a home crowd, because the judge has neither; what remains is the story, scored against the published rubric: Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. Every entrant, everywhere, receives all five marks and a certificate.
Stories may be written in any language. Each entry is read in its own language and scored against the same rubric in one pool, so a story in Swahili, Slovene or Hindi competes on equal terms with one in English. Judges see prose, not passports.
One deadline, every timezone
The clock is India Standard Time because the contest is run from India: entries close on 30 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is evening in Nairobi and Ljubljana, early afternoon in New York, and mid-morning in Los Angeles. Results arrive on 5 December 2026 for everyone at once.
We keep country pages for the communities that enter most, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, the Philippines and India, but the round underneath is one round: one rubric, one scored list, one field.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 6,000 words by 30 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 5 December 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Can I enter from any country?
Writers worldwide aged 13 or older may enter under the contest rules. Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission to enter and receive a prize. Checkout uses Razorpay in INR for India and PayPal in USD internationally. Available payment methods depend on your country and payment account; the fee is shown before payment. Prize-payment availability is separate from entry-payment availability. If you are unsure whether you can pay or receive a prize in your country, contact contest@writoryofficial.com before entering. The fee is $8 a story internationally or ₹199 in India.
Do stories have to be in English?
No. Any language is welcome. Each story is read in the language it was written in and judged against the same published rubric as every other entry, in one pool, not a separate category. Judging is blind, so a story is measured on exactly what everyone's is: the prose on the page.
Is this a free international short story contest?
Writory's standard Story entry is paid: US$8 internationally or ₹199 in India. Free entry is limited to eligible winners and Seasoned Quill holders. The linked free-contest list covers separate organisers; check their age, country and language rules before submitting.
What is the deadline in US time?
Entries close on November 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM GMT+5:30 (India Standard Time). US times: Eastern: November 30, 2026 at 1:29 PM EST; Central: November 30, 2026 at 12:29 PM CST; Mountain: November 30, 2026 at 11:29 AM MST; Pacific: November 30, 2026 at 10:29 AM PST. Other US time zones may differ; convert this exact instant to your own time zone and submit before it. Results, scores and certificates are scheduled for 5 December 2026.
Has anyone outside India actually won?
Yes, in Writory's poetry contest: dated poetry results name winners from India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia. The first Story results are scheduled for 5 December 2026; Story winners have not yet been announced.
How does an international winner receive the prize?
The top story prize is $100 internationally. Winners are contacted to arrange payout. Prize-payment availability is separate from entry-payment availability. If you are unsure whether you can pay or receive a prize in your country, contact contest@writoryofficial.com before entering. Certificates and scorecards are delivered digitally on 5 December 2026.
Can a school or employer verify my certificate?
Yes. Results are published on dated pages on the site, so a placement can be checked against the public record, and every certificate carries the entrant's name and contest round. It documents a scored, blind-judged result, not mere participation.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 40 countries have entered, readers come from more than 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.