A Short Story Contest Open to Filipino Writers
Quick answer: Filipino writers can enter Writory's short story contest every month from September 2026. Entries are in English, 100 to 2,000 words, any genre, and cost $8 a story. Every entrant receives a certificate and a judged score out of 100; the top story wins $50. Deadline is the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results by the 30th.
Enter from anywhere in the Philippines by the 25th of the month. Stories of 100 to 2,000 words, judged blind against a published rubric, with a certificate and a marked score out of 100 for everyone who enters, not only the winners.
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 this contest open to writers in the Philippines?
It is, from age 13, with no residency or nationality condition. Filipino students, teachers and working writers enter the same blind-judged round as everyone else.
Do students need a school or teacher to enter?
No sponsorship, school sign-up or endorsement is involved. Anyone 13 or older enters individually, and because judging is blind, nothing about being a student is visible to the panel anyway.
How would I actually receive the $50 prize?
It is paid internationally to the details you provide after results; winners in Kenya, Ireland and Slovenia have been paid the same way. You will be contacted directly, and the payout does not require a foreign bank account.
What exactly do the judges see?
The story text, plainly formatted, and nothing else: no name, no bio, no school, no photo. It is scored on the five published criteria, and the marks come back to you whether or not you place.
When are results announced?
By the 30th of the same month, five days after entries close on the 25th at 11:59 PM IST. Each month's results are posted to a dated winners page, and every entrant's certificate and marks go out alongside them.
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.