Genre: Fiction
Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition
Double-booked
Double-booking can be a hilarious premise for comedy, as in the wedding rom-com films Bride Wars and You’re Cordially Invited in which two weddings are booked for the same venue on the same day, or a terrifying setup for horror, as in the 2022 film Barbarian in which a woman arrives at a rental home already occupied by a mysterious guest. This week write a short story that revolves around a reservation error that results in characters being unexpectedly forced into sharing a space. Do the opposing parties know each other or are they complete strangers? You might consider playing with narrative perspective and incorporating portions from opposing characters’ points of view or experimenting with a fragmentary structure to evoke suspense and disorientation. Is your story a comedy or horror of errors?
Literary Awards
Spring Story Contest
First Fiction 2025

Lauren Grodstein, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Megan Kamalei Kakimoto, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, and Jonathan Escoffery introduce five debut fiction authors: Sarah Yahm, Jon Hickey, Carrie R. Moore, Aaron John Curtis, and Jemimah Wei.
Other Futures Award
New Millennium Writing Awards
Arteles Creative Center
The Arteles Creative Center’s Silence Awareness Existence Residency Program offers one-month residencies to poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and translators from January to March in the countryside region of Hämeenkyrö, Finland. Each resident is provided with a private bedroom and desk as well as access to shared kitchens, bathrooms, and studio spaces in two residency buildings. Residents also have access to a range of facilities, including a library, a meditation space, a sauna, and common areas. Two cars are available for transportation and exploration.
Arteles Creative Center, Hahmajärventie 26, 38490 Haukijärvi, Finland. Amber Harmon, Residency Coordinator.
Flash Fiction Contest
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