Bow & Chariot Fantasy Writing Challenge

This is Bow & Chariot’s third official challenge. Now we step through the mystic portal.

Can you weave the veil between us and the unseen?

Can you write a short story in 3,000 words or under that immerses us in myth and magic? Whether your story starts in a kingdom of the dead, a forest filled with enchantments, with a horror demon twisting the minds of our heroes, or mana flowing through the cracks of an Earth colony spaceship—if it’s fantasy, we want to read it.

Oh, and it has to include our special theme/phrase and word.

Pre-registration opens on April 13th, 2026 and runs until May 10th at 11:59 PM CST.

The challenge officially begins on May 11th at 10:00 AM CST, when all pre-registered participants will be emailed the official rules and prompts (our special theme/phrase and word).

From that moment, writers will have two full weeks—until May 25th at 11:59 PM CST to submit their completed story.

Winners will be announced on June 25th.

Prizes

  • 1st Place: $500 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • 2nd Place: $300 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • 3rd Place: $100 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • All other entrants will be considered for publication.

    All prize amounts are in USD

    Prizes will be paid via PayPal only. Entrants are responsible for ensuring they can legally receive PayPal payments in their country. Due to U.S. law, we cannot send prize payments to residents of countries or regions under U.S. sanctions.

Guidelines

  • Word Count: 1000–3,000 words.

  • Genre: Stories must fall under the Fantasy umbrella. This includes (but is not limited to) High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Mythological Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Magical Realism, Epic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Sci-fi Fantasy or Horror Fantasy. Don’t be afraid to push the limits as long as there is intention and purpose behind it.

  • All work must be unpublished, including self-published pieces on blogs, newsletters, or social media. Reprints will be disqualified.

  • Submissions must be written in English, though code-switching/meshing is welcome.

  • AI-generated work will be automatically disqualified without refund.

  • Formatting:

    • Double-spaced

    • 12-point Times New Roman or Courier New

    • Submit as a Word doc (.doc or .docx) or PDF

    • Do not include your name anywhere inside the manuscript itself.

    • Please include the subgenre of Fantasy at the top of your document. This is just to give us context before reading your submission.

    • Please add word count at the top of the document as well

  • Content Warnings: Please include a content warning (CW/TW) at the top of your document if your story contains potentially triggering material.

  • File Naming: Please title your file as Lastname_Title.docx or .pdf .

  • Deadline: Submissions must be received by May 25th at 11:59 PM CST. Late entries will not be considered. All deadlines are based on Central Standard Time (CST).

    All deadlines are based on Central Standard Time (CST).

How It Works

  1. Pre-register between April 13th – May 10th at 11:59 PM CST.

    • All pre-registrants will be added to the contest list.

  2. Challenge launch (May 11th at 10:00 AM CST).

    • You’ll receive the official prompts by email: Theme/Phrase and word

    • Your story must use the official prompts.

    • Remember to check your spam and promotions folder if you do not see it in your main inbox.

  3. Write your Fantasy Story.

    • You’ll have until May 25th at 11:59 PM CST to finish and submit via our contest submission form.

  4. Judging.

    • All stories are first read by Bow & Chariot editors. Shortlisted entries will be considered anonymously for final decisions.

  5. Winners announced June 25th.

Fees

  • Entry fee: $5 per story

  • Optional Feedback Add-On: $15 per story

    Includes

    • A paragraph of feedback. 

    • 2 strengths and 1-2 suggestions.

  • You may submit more than once, but each entry requires a separate fee.

Rights

  • Authors retain full copyright to their work.

  • By entering, you grant Bow & Chariot a non-exclusive license to publish winning stories and promote them across our channels (including short excerpts, social media graphics, or video teasers).

  • All other rights revert to you after publication.

Important Notes

  • Submissions are final. Please double-check your file before submitting. Typos won’t disqualify you.

  • Entry fees are non-refundable, even if you withdraw or your story is not selected.

  • We will be using JOTFORM to handle the submissions.

  • The contest is open internationally to writers age 18 or older, provided PayPal is available in their country and due to U.S. law, we cannot send prize payments to residents of countries or regions under U.S. sanctions.

  • Bow & Chariot reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not follow the rules or submission guidelines.

Now, do you have enough mana potions for this journey?

REGISTER