Short Story Contests for Canadian Writers, Twelve a Year
Quick answer: Canadian writers can enter Writory's Short Story Contest every month from September 2026. Entry is $8 USD, around $11 Canadian, for a 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, and writers keep all rights, including first publication rights.
A monthly deadline instead of an annual one: 100 to 2,000 words in English by the 25th, blind judging against a published rubric, results by the 30th, and every entrant keeps all rights and takes away a scored certificate.
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 contest open across Canada?
Every province and territory. Entries are judged in English, judging is blind, and Writory's monthly rounds have drawn entrants from more than 50 countries, with winners already named in the United States, Ireland, Kenya, India and Slovenia.
How much is entry, and can it ever be free?
$8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, charged in US dollars; your card converts at the day's rate. Winning a month makes the next entry free, and entering three consecutive months earns the Seasoned Quill badge and a free entry.
Can two of us co-write and enter together?
Not as a single entry. Each story needs one named author, because the score and the certificate attach to one name. If you collaborate, enter under one author's account with your co-writer's agreement.
If I enter a story here, can I still send it to Canadian journals?
Nothing stops you. You keep all rights, including first publication rights, and entering is not publication. Only a winning story is showcased, and only with your permission, so if you win, check your target journal's rules before agreeing.
When do I hear back?
By the 30th of the entry month, with the certificate and all five rubric marks. The deadline is the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, early afternoon in Toronto and late morning in Vancouver, and non-winners receive the same detail on the same date 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.