Woohoo! It's time for the first Short Story Writing Challenge of 2026! (And a heads up about the second Challenge, too!)

Our first Challenge starts on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 6 am PT and ends Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 6 pm PT. The theme is Leprechauns and Limericks! So you can write a story, poem, essay, letter, article, diary entry or something else, as long as it relates to leprechauns or limericks in some way. But I'm also going to throw in a quick training on writing limericks, so you have the option to include a limerick, (or several) as well!

To learn more about this Challenge, please read the sections below. If you have any questions please email me at: michelle@mfranciktheauthor.com. 

Heads up: If leprechauns and limericks aren't your thing, maybe our second Challenge of 2026 will fit you better. The theme for that Challenge will be Mothers and Others: Stories of Those Who Teach Us Right from Wrong. This Challenge starts on Saturday, April 11. 2-26 at 6 am PT and ends Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 6 pm PT. I'll post more info about that Challenge once this one has ended.

If you're not ready to sign up for a Challenge now, but you'd like to hear about future Challenges, you can sign up HERE!

Welcome to our First Short Story Writing Challenge for 2026!

The theme is: Leprechauns and Limericks!

For this Challenge, you'll have two weeks to write a short story, essay, poem, letter, or other entry that fits with the theme. I will provide a short training on Limericks to everyone who registers for the Challenge, so don't worry if you're not sure about that. 

I am usually pretty lenient, but for the last Challenge there were several entries that didn't fit the theme at all, so please make sure your entry fits the Leprechauns and Limericks theme, in a way you can explain to me, before you submit it. I reserve the right to reject any submissions that don't fit the theme, don't meet my standards or for any other reason. (Please read the rules below before signing up.)

IMPORTANT! 

This Challenge starts on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 6 am PT and ends Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 6 pm PT. 

Please note: in order for your entry to be considered, it must be submitted before the deadline. No late entries will be accepted!

Please submit original works, written by you, that have not been published previously. (You retain the rights to your entries so you are free to publish them or submit them elsewhere in the future.) You can submit as many entries as you like. They can be fiction, non-fiction, essays, stories, poems, letters, etc. Most genres are accepted but please read the rules below for more information. 

No AI written entries accepted. Please submit stories that you have written yourself. The point of these Challenges is to get you writing, increase your confidence as a writer, and get your original works published. 

Entries must be submitted as a word doc, google doc or in the body of an email. Please submit your entries by emailing them to me at: michelle@mfranciktheauthor.com. 

Please proof-read and edit your entries before submitting them!

I'll acknowledge entries when I receive them and I'll let you know if your entry is accepted. If there's an issue, I'll discuss it with you and give you an chance to fix it before I fully reject it. I reserve the right to reject any entry that doesn't meet the rules and requirements, or for any other reason.

For this Challenge, I'll send a prompt every day. The prompts are meant to stimulate your imagination and generate new ideas, but you are not required to use them.

All entries accepted for the Challenge will be published in an anthology! I plan to publish the anthology for this Challenge in late March. As of now, it will be available for Kindle, KU, and paperback on Amazon. (There is another way to publishing/selling e-books that I'm looking into. If I decide to publish this on that forum, I won't be able to enroll this book in KU. It will still be available as a Kindle download and in paperback!)

For this Challenge there will be prizes! The prizes will be announced at a later date.

If this sounds good to you, please read the Challenge Rules, then sign up below!!

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION AND RULES BEFORE SIGNING UP! I would also suggest you copy and paste them and keep them to refer to later. You are responsible for knowing what you signed up for!!

1. What is a Short Story Challenge?
It’s a two-week event where your goal is to write a short story, poem, or any other type of writing that fits the theme of the Challenge.

2. What is the point of the Challenge?
It’s to get you writing! Once you’ve signed up, you’ll get a writing prompt every other day. You’re not required to use the prompts, but you’re encouraged to use them, especially if you’re feeling stuck or need some inspiration. It can be something as short as your reaction to the prompt, a memory it stirred up, a poem or a very short story. The Challenge is here to motivate you, provide support and—if you submit an entry and it’s accepted, your entry will be published as one of the stories in an anthology on Amazon! (An anthology is just a collection of stories.)

3. An anthology? What anthology?
After each Challenge I take the entries and create a book with them. It’s published on Amazon for Kindle, KU and in a paperback version. (We have some hardcover editions as well.) You can find past anthologies here:

Acrowbaticks: Halloween 2025 https://amzn.to/44ibTIH

Sandcastles and Secrets : https://amzn.to/44oxf6y

Grandma Gets Her Christmas Revenge: https://amzn.to/41u8t4X

Delightful Frights and Fanciful Flights: https://amzn.to/3Y3hRcy

Hayrides and Hobgoblins: https://amzn.to/3zMEEBn

The Meaning of Happiness: https://amzn.to/3WyhHsN

Halloween 2023: Ghosts and Hauntings: https://amzn.to/3Q49LfQ

Double Trouble: Bumps in the Night: https://amzn.to/3tz2HQN

Second Chances: https://amzn.to/41KO20Z

Grave Mistakes: Halloween 2022 https://amzn.to/3ItNmV6

Cobwebs: Halloween 2022 (scary stories for kids) https://amzn.to/3KIoziZ

Myth or Memory: https://amzn.to/3d4uJLx

Unconditional Love: Families Edition: https://amzn.to/3Bf7bLS

2021: Hope and Renewal: https://amzn.to/3lcJtJm

Halloween 2021: Candy, Carnivals and Carnage: https://amzn.to/2Y5Iana

Unconditional Love: Animals Edition: https://amzn.to/3vTx28A

Fantasy and Fairytales Anthology: https://amzn.to/3kFIgsM

Halloween 2020 Anthology: https://amzn.to/3bXwtDP

2020 Spring Fever Anthology: https://amzn.to/3dVaUBB

2020 Love Letters Anthology: https://amzn.to/2UJlzZG

2019 Christmas Spirit Anthology: https://amzn.to/2DyjZA6

2019 Halloween Anthology: https://amzn.to/3bd5rpg

4. Prizes? What prizes?
Everyone who's published in the Anthology will still get an advance author PDF version of the anthology for free! I'm planning to offer prizes for this Challenge but I haven't worked it out yet, so TBD.

5. Do I have to pay to enter?
No, there is no cost to enter. If your entry is published, you keep your rights to the story, and you give me permission to publish it in the anthology. I’m responsible for all costs associated with this Challenge.

6. Do I get free books? Do I get royalties?
No, you do not get any free books or royalties. Since all costs come out of my pocket, any income from the sale of the anthology goes to cover those costs and allow me to continue hosting Challenges.

7. Can I write anything I want?
As long as your entry relates to the theme, there are no restrictions on topics or type of story, but keep in mind the following rules:
-No politics
-No religion
-No racism
-No graphic violence
-No graphic sex
-No hate or divisiveness.
***I have the right to reject any entry on any basis at my discretion***
(If you have any question about whether or not your entry will violate one of these rules, please just ask me! I’m willing to discuss it and work with you.)

8. How do I reach you if I have a question?
You can email me at michelle@mfranciktheauthor.com.

You can find all of the Short Story Challenge Anthologies on Amazon!

The links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a few cents if you use my links to purchase anything on Amazon. This doesn't cost you anything and it allows me to keep running these Challenges. Thank you!