Bow & Chariot Science Fiction Writing Challenge

This is Bow & Chariot’s second official challenge, and we’re now looking at the boundless worlds of science fiction!

Calling storytellers who imagine what lies beyond the now. 

Can you write a short story under 3,500 words that pushes the limits of what we know; exploring new worlds, aliens, dark matter and strange physics, alternate timelines, artificial intelligence, creation, destruction or evolution? Whether it’s set in the void of space on a derelict spaceship, the depths of an alien ocean, a cybernetic city in a frozen wasteland, a post-apocalyptic Earth run by another species, or simply our near future. If it challenges the imagination, we want to read it. 

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

Pre-registration opens on December 1st and runs until January 1st at 11:59 PM CST.

The challenge officially begins on January 2nd 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 January 16th at 11:59 PM CST—to submit their completed story.

Winners will be announced on February 16th.

Start the year by writing a story to set the tone for your creative New Year’s resolutions.

We’re excited to kick off 2026 with you.

Prizes

  • 1st Place: $200 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • 2nd Place: $100 and Publication on the Bow & Chariot website

  • 3rd Place: $50 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: 500–3,500 words.

  • Genre: Stories must fall under the Science Fiction umbrella. This includes (but is not limited to) Hard Sci-Fi, Space Opera, Cyberpunk, Biopunk, Climate Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Dystopian/Utopian, First Contact, Alien Ecology, Tech Noir, Social Sci-Fi, Artificial Intelligence, Galactic Exploration, Nanotech, Parallel Universes, Alternate Futures, Romance Sci-fi, Horror Sci-Fi. 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  • All work must be unpublished, including self-published pieces on blogs, newsletters, or social media.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. Your name will be collected through the submission form.

    • Please include the subgenre of science fiction 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 January 16th at 11:59 PM CST. Late entries will not be considered.

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

How It Works

  1. Pre-register between December 1st – January 1st at 11:59 PM CST.

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

  2. Contest launch (January 2nd 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 Science Fiction Story.

    • You’ll have until January 16th 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 February 16th.

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, are you ready to create the future only you can imagine?

PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

A promotional poster for a science fiction writing challenge featuring a large, partially visible planet with a glowing orange and purple atmosphere, and orbital trajectories in the background. The text advertises the challenge with submission dates.