What Are The Best Fantasy Writing Competitions For Beginners?

One competition I wish I’d known about sooner is 'The Mythopoeic Society’s Fantasy Award for Adult Literature'—they have a category for unpublished writers, and the judging criteria lean heavily on world-building, which is perfect for fantasy nerds like me. 'The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award' is also worth mentioning; it’s sci-fi/fantasy hybrid, but the exposure you get from winning is insane (imagine having your story read by actual NASA engineers!). For a cozier vibe, 'The Subcutanean Magazine’s Flash Fiction Contest' focuses on weird, tiny stories, which taught me how to pack a punch in fewer words. Pro tip: Follow these contests on Twitter; they often post free feedback rounds that are gold for beginners.

I stumbled into writing competitions totally by accident last year, and it turned out to be one of the best things for my fantasy writing journey. The 'Writers of the Future' contest is legendary—it’s free to enter, open to beginners, and has this aura of prestige because so many now-famous authors got their start there. They even publish an annual anthology with the winners, which is wild to think about. Another gem is 'L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future', which has a similar vibe but with a bit more focus on speculative fiction in general.

For something more niche, 'The Fantasy Inn’s Short Story Contest' is super welcoming to newbies, and their community is incredibly supportive. I love how they give detailed feedback even if you don’t win. 'Reedsy’s Weekly Writing Prompts' aren’t exactly competitions, but they’re fantastic for practice, and sometimes they feature guest judges from the publishing world. Honestly, just diving into these smaller contests helped me build confidence before tackling bigger ones like 'The Bath Novel Award', which has a fantasy category that’s surprisingly beginner-friendly.

If you’re just dipping your toes into fantasy writing, start with 'The NYC Midnight Challenge'. It’s not exclusively fantasy, but their timed short story competitions force you to think creatively under pressure—great for breaking out of perfectionism. I once got assigned 'ghost pirates in a space opera' as a prompt, and it was hilariously fun to write. 'The Scribophile Winter Anthology Contest' is another low-pressure option; their forums are full of writers swapping tips, so even if you don’t win, you learn a ton. Avoid the super high-stakes ones at first; the stress can kill the joy of storytelling.

'The Sirens Scholarship' is a hidden gem—it’s not a traditional competition, but they fund attendance for emerging fantasy writers at their conference, and the networking there is priceless. I also adore 'The Worldbuilders Challenge' hosted by Pat Rothfuss’ charity; it’s more about crafting lore than finished stories, but winning gets your work featured in their annual book. Smaller contests like 'The Grindstone Literary’s Fantasy Micro-Fiction' are less intimidating and weirdly addictive—I once wrote a 100-word story about a sentient quill that judges still mention to me years later.