Submis s ion s op en: 2026-Sep-18Sub m ission s cl ose: 2026-Oct-15
You are a horror writer, and you’ve always wanted to see your story adapted to the big screen?This writing competition is for you
We are now in a unique moment for horror: authors writing in the genre can now be both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.proven by†The Buffalo Hunter•The Unworthy•When the Wolf Comes Home
WitD
Was designed for up-and-coming voices in literary horror to be recognized by the writing community and discovered by film producers.Prizes
Contest Rules
- Fo rm a tShort story
- G enreHorror
- Leng thUp to 20,000 characters
- Dea d l† ne2026-oct-15 00:00 CET
Submitting means publishing your story on Written, where readers can get it for free.
Judges
Andrew Wilson
a conjurer of dark myths blending folklore and modern dread seamlessly.
Christine Holler
a master of eerie tales weaving shadows and whispers into every line.
Mark Holder
a crafter of twisted plots where reality bends and nightmares come alive.
F.A.Q.
Everyone 18+ years old is welcome to participate.
Eligible submission includes an unpublished manuscript of a finished work or a newly created one in English language and in digital format; not less than 10,000 characters and not more than 20,000 characters (spaces included). Only one work per individual is allowed.
First place: $1,500 USD + a direct pitch for movie adaptation to Nightmare Studios, a Wonder Street company
Second place: $1,000 USD
Third place: $500 USD
Readers’ Choice Award: $1,000 USDThe Readers’ Choice Award is determined by the total number of votes each participating story receives.
Any registered user may vote for multiple stories, but only once per story. Authors may not vote for their own stories.
You can upload ePUB or PDF file.
In this contest, we are looking for human literary craft: voice, narrative, originality. This contest is designed for people, judged by people, and submissions are evaluated on the strength of the writing, unique storytelling and emotional power.
To keep the playing field fair and protect authors, every submission will go through screening to flag likely AI-generated text and plagiarism. If a piece is flagged, it will receive additional review as part of our process to ensure a fair competition.
Absolutely not. Written does not and never will train AI on any user data, story texts, or any private content.
Nightmare Street Studios is a Wonder Street company focused on developing and producing bold, commercially compelling genre entertainment, with a particular emphasis on horror and original intellectual property.
Wonder Street currently has By Any Means, starring Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, coming out wide in theaters from Paramount Pictures this Labor Day. The Housewife, starring Naomi Watts and Tye Sheridan, is premiering next month at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Wonder Street also has two major action films in post-production: Mister, starring Walton Goggins and Chloë Grace Moretz, directed by Wade Eastwood with Thunder Road; and Barracuda, starring Anthony Mackie and Dafne Keen, directed by Neil Burger, from ImageMovers and Highland Film Group.
Written is a direct-to-reader publishing platform that enables authors to easily publish and sell books to their audience, while keeping up to 90% on each sale. Designed to maximize earnings for writers and creators, Written features a fast, free self-publishing process, instant payouts, limited edition ebooks, and wide genre support, with print-on-demand coming soon. Learn more at authors.written.app.
