A Short Story Competition Open to UK Writers, Every Month
Quick answer: Writory's short story competition is open to UK writers and runs monthly from September 2026. Entry is $8, roughly £6, for one story of 100 to 2,000 words in any genre. Judging is blind against a published rubric, every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 by the 30th of the month, and writers keep all rights.
A monthly contest open to UK writers on the same terms as everyone else: blind judging against a published rubric, results with a full scorecard by the 30th, and every right to your story staying yours.
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.
- Theme & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 2,000 words by the 25th of the month, 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive by the 30th: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Is the competition open to writers in the UK?
It is open to UK writers on the same terms as everyone else: worldwide entry, blind judging, no name or location visible to the panel. Writory's monthly rounds have drawn entrants from more than 50 countries, including a winner in Ireland.
Do judges penalise British spelling?
No. British, American and Indian conventions are all read as correct. Language & Craft is scored on precision and rhythm, not on which side of the Atlantic your spelling learned its manners.
Can I enter under a pen name?
You can. Judging is blind either way, so the panel never sees any name at all. The certificate is issued to the name on your account, so register the name you want on the record.
What does entry cost from the UK?
$8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, charged in dollars and converted by your card at the day's rate. Win a month and the next entry is free; entering three consecutive months earns the Seasoned Quill badge and a free entry.
How fast are results, honestly?
Entries close on the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, early evening in the UK, and every entrant's certificate and five-part score arrive by the 30th of the same month. Five days, not five months, and non-winners hear back with the same detail as winners.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme. 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.