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Whimsy is a monthly 300-word microfiction contest celebrating stories the lighter, more peculiar side of storytelling. Each month brings a new theme, five creative "whims" to choose between, and a unique personal Object, all arriving in your inbox on the 1st.

Whimsy is open to writers aged 18 and over, anywhere in the world.

Sign up before the 25th of the month for early bird entry. On the 1st you'll receive your prompts — the theme, five whims, and your personal Object. Write your story, select your whim on the submission form, and submit before the 7th at 11:59pm UTC.

A whim is a creative direction — a distinct angle into this month's theme. You choose one of five whims and let it guide your story. Each whim comes with four mood words to give you a sense of the creative territory, but these are suggestions rather than rules.

Every writer receives a unique personal Object — a single specific thing that must appear in or meaningfully inform their story. No two writers receive the same Object, which means no two stories will end up in quite the same place, even if they follow the same whim.

300 words or less. Exceeding the word limit will result in disqualification.

Yes. Submissions must be original work written for Whimsy and must not have been previously published anywhere, including personal blogs, social media, or other contests.

One entry per writer per month.

Please avoid sharing anywhere the story may be seen until judging is completed. Then share away!

Email your story to hello@whimsyfiction.com before the deadline and we'll sort it out.

Early bird: £9.00 — available until the 25th of the month. Standard: £12.00 — available from the 26th until sign-ups close. Entry fees fund the monthly prize pool and cover the costs of running the contest.

The Founding Writer Pass is a limited introductory offer for Whimsy's inaugural year. It covers six contests (July–December 2026) for £45 if you join ahead of July, or five contests (August–December 2026) for £36 if you join ahead of August. Available until 31st July.

Each monthly Whimsy contest is open for signup one month in advance. Otherwise, you can purchase a Founding Writer Pass ahead of July & August, which covers all 2026 contests.

Single month entry fees are non-refundable once the writing window opens on the 1st. Founding Writer Pass payments are non-refundable once the first writing window of your pass has opened. If you've paid but the window hasn't opened yet, please get in touch at hello@whimsyfiction.com.

Whimsy is judged blind. Entries must not contain any identifying information and are assessed purely on the writing. Judging is based on originality, voice, and how inventively the writer engages with the month’s theme, whim, and Object. Whimsy is a contest of skill, not chance; outcomes are determined solely by these writing criteria and not by random selection.

Entries are judged by the Whimsy founder, Timothy Hayes.

Five stories are selected each month and share the prize pool equally. One of those five is chosen as the monthly Spotlight and published on the Whimsy site and social channels. Five honourable mentions are also recognised each month, and one opening line from across all entries is permanently etched into the Wall of First Lines.

A portion of each entry fee goes directly to the prize pool. The more entries received, the bigger the pool.

Prize payments are made via PayPal or bank transfer. Selected writers will be contacted to arrange payment directly following results.

Yes. Writers retain full copyright of their work. By entering, you grant Whimsy a non-exclusive licence to publish the Spotlight story on the site, display selected first lines on the Wall of First Lines, and approach shortlisted writers about anthology inclusion. Nothing is included in the anthology without your explicit permission. Spotlight stories and lines from the Wall of First Lines may also be shared with our community on social media.

Each year, Whimsy curates an anthology of standout shortlisted stories. Selected writers are contacted for permission. Volume One is pencilled for December 2026.

Every month, one opening line from across all entries is permanently added to the Whimsy Wall of First Lines — a growing archive of the finest first lines in Whimsy history. It's a wall of fame for the sentence that started something wonderful.

Whimsy exists to celebrate the weird and wonderful of human creativity. Therefore, AI has no place here—not even curled up in a bedroll in the back garden—or as far as we’re concerned, anywhere near the arts.

No. Submissions must be entirely your own original work. We want to hear your voice and your whimsy. That means no AI-generated text, AI-assisted drafting or using language models to revise your work for you. High-horses aren’t really our thing (we prefer alpacas!) but we are passionate about human expression and the way it allows us to connect with and see the world from the perspective of others. Don’t cheat yourself or anyone else of that. Stories found to have used AI will be disqualified.

Never. Every single entry is read, enjoyed and reviewed by a human. Specifically, by Whimsy’s founder, Timothy Hayes. No AI tool or language model will ever be used in the judging process. Your story is read by a person who cares a great deal about it and what it represents.

No. Your submitted work will never be fed to any AI system for any reason. We understand how much trust you’re placing in us by choosing to share your stories with us. We take it as both a point of pride and seriousness.

Because our definition of whimsy does not exist without humans, and only exists exclusive to humans. It’s the coming together of not just your ideas, your craft, your voice, but the unique context you exist in, the unique way you see the world, and all the little intangibles that make you, as a writer, you.

All Whimsy artwork is created by the immensely talented, Stella Backman. Stella is a set and costume designer by profession, but obviously has an incredible eye for visual storytelling. We love her work, and love our Whimsy illustrations!