Introducing Our Thirteenth Playground Challenge:
A Fiction Short Story Competition
July 16 - July 26, 2026
The Winning Stories are Listed Below!
We are currently in the process of sending out individual feedback…
Read the Winning Stories from our Twelfth Playground Challenge
The Winning Stories
1st Place: “Watch and Wait” - by J. Lynn
2nd Place: “Minna No Tame Ni” - by Eve Cran
3rd Place: “We Could Be Happy” - by Heather Ellis
4th Place: “The Sidecar” - by Jordan Beckett
5th Place: “The Four Lives of Amelia Ecker” - by Alex Otto
6th Place: “Orange Julius Tastes Like Satan’s Ass” - by Alyssa Beatty
7th Place: “The Waters of Xibalba” - by Tamsin Marischal
8th Place: “And I Learn” - by Pete Neilsen
9th Place: “The Fisherman, the Rugby Club, and the Rusted Bike” - by Steph Gray
10th Place: “Blind Cave Shrimp” - by Jane Stecyk
Honorable Mentions
“A. Lupin, a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” - by Christine Michaud
“Make It Two” - by Kevin Saito
“P.S.” - by Marnetta Singleton
“Abraham’s Trees” - by Alicia Maria Smith
“A Death on a Bavarian Lake” - by Hugo Glinn
“The Stars Don’t Judge” - by Charlie Rogers
“The Road Trip” - by Alyssa Harris
“A Wider Lens” - by Carol Caruso
“Head Over Heels” - by Michael Kugel
“Saved” - by Jade Lacy
These stories will be posted and available to read in the coming days…
Featured Story:
In a brutal and unforgiving north, arranged marriages like this one are key to the survival of the human race... “This Savage Life” won 3rd Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Chuck Schading is a talented writer who lives in Geneva, New York, in the heart of the beautiful Finger Lakes region, with his wife, two sons, three dogs and a bird named Tic Tac…. He is a 27-year veteran of the newspaper industry and currently an editor for Community Health magazines. Some of his recently published short fiction can be found in, The Literary Hatchet, San Antonio Review, Still Here Magazine and VIA: Voices in Italian Americana. Chuck is also working on a novel-length version of “This Savage Life,” which will follow these characters from where this story leaves off… You can read more of his work or get in touch with him at chuckschading.com or on Instagram @chuckschading… You can also listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
$4000 in Prizes
Choose Your Character
Choose Your Setting
You Have 10 Days to Write Your Story
10+ Winners
$34 Entry Fee
Every Entry Receives Feedback
“This was a great contest! I loved the time frame, it allowed for some real thought and work to be put into a new piece while also pushing me because deadlines just work. I loved the prompts, feedback and critiques. I’ll be signing up again!”
-Marissa Isch, Denver, CO, USA
“I was so happy to come in 4th in this fascinating competition. Great prompts and probably the most helpful and encouraging feedback I’ve ever had.”
Katja Sass, Wellington, Somerset, UK
“This was a ton of fun to do. Great setup with the prompt choices and quick time frame. Thanks for doing this and for the feedback as well. That’s a great motivator. Looking forward to the results and the next challenges!”
Dan Scamell, Salem, NY, USA
“I have participated in both of these rounds and have loved this challenge both times, along with the feedback. I am eager for the third round. This has been a great catalyst and spark to my dream of improving my writing. It is a major life goal to create stories that I would like to read!”
Molly Valentin, Forest Lake, MN, USA