Fall Horror Writing Competition 2025
Basic Criteria
The Fall Horror Writing Competition ’25 features three distinct thematic categories. Writers may submit one original story to one category of their choosing. Each category will have its own set of winners, with prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each track, plus a Grand Champion selected from all first-place winners.
All entries must be original, fictional pieces created by the submitting author. Collaboration is allowed but sufficient credit must be given to all involved. Only one submission is permitted per person, even in cases of collaboration.
All submissions will be judged anonymously.
- Eligibility: Open to all writers except competition judges
- Word Count: 500-4000 words
- Originality: All entries must be original, fictional works created by the submitting author
- Collaboration: Permitted with proper credit given to all contributors
- Submission Limit: One story per person (even in cases of collaboration)
- Genre: Must be horror or contain significant horror elements
- Entry Fee: FREE – just create a free account on The Olive Branch Review
Prizes
Grand Champion
$100
“BORDERS”
First Place
$50
“THE UNINVITED”
First Place
$50
“HUNGER”
First Place
$50
Total Competition
Second Place
Official OBR Swag of their choosing
Total Competition
Third Place
Official OBR Swag
Honorable Mention recipients will receive special accolades on the front page of The Olive Branch Review and on all of our socials.
Submission Guidelines
How to Submit
Simply post as you would any other post on the site but under the “FWC25-Borders”, “FWC25-The Uninvited”, or “FWC25-Hunger” categories. Posts that are not clearly denoted as submissions by the competition deadline will not be reviewed by our judges.
Submission Period
Submissions will open on September 15th and they will close on October 15th. The judges will not review submissions during the submission period, so submissions may be changed/edited during that window. Once the period has closed, submissions cannot be edited and will be reviewed as they are. The winners will be announced on October 31st.
Category-Specific Guidelines
“BORDERS”
Physical boundaries, liminal spaces, thresholds, edges of reality, lines that shouldn’t be crossed, or the things that exist in between. Where one thing ends and another begins.
What We’re Looking For:
- Stories that explore transition zones – doorways, coastlines, twilight, borders between sleeping and waking, life and death, sanity and madness
- Horror that emerges from crossing boundaries or existing in spaces that shouldn’t be
- Tales that question where one reality ends and another begins
- The terror of being caught between states, places, or existences
Judging Emphasis: Beyond general criteria, BORDERS entries will be especially evaluated on:
- Atmospheric Building: How well you establish the unsettling nature of in-between spaces
- Conceptual Creativity: Original interpretations of what constitutes a “border”
- Transition Horror: How effectively the crossing or existence at boundaries creates fear
“THE UNINVITED”
Intruders, unwelcome guests, invasive thoughts, forced entries, things that appear without being called, or presences that won’t leave. The horror of intrusion in any form.
What We’re Looking For:
- Stories featuring unwelcome presences – physical, psychological, or supernatural
- Horror stemming from violation of safe spaces, privacy, or personal boundaries
- Tales of things that arrive without invitation and refuse to leave
- The dread of intrusion, whether it’s into homes, minds, bodies, or lives
Judging Emphasis: Beyond general criteria, THE UNINVITED entries will be especially evaluated on:
- Tension Escalation: How the sense of intrusion builds throughout the narrative
- Violation Impact: How effectively you convey the horror of unwanted presence
- Creative Intrusion: Unique interpretations of what can be “uninvited”
“HUNGER”
Literal or figurative – for food, power, knowledge, revenge, connection. Consumption, craving, emptiness that demands to be filled, or appetites that can never be satisfied.
What We’re Looking For:
- Stories exploring insatiable appetites of any kind
- Horror arising from desperate need, obsessive craving, or consuming desires
- Tales of things that feed – and what they feed upon
- The terror of hunger that grows with feeding, or voids that cannot be filled
Judging Emphasis: Beyond general criteria, HUNGER entries will be especially evaluated on:
- Metaphorical Depth: Creative interpretations beyond literal consumption
- Escalation of Need: How the hunger intensifies and drives the horror
- Consequence Exploration: The price paid for feeding (or failing to feed) the hunger
Judging Criteria (all categories)
Our panel of judges will evaluate each submission based on several key factors. We’re looking for exceptional quality of writing that demonstrates a strong command of language and storytelling techniques. Originality is crucial – we want to see fresh, innovative approaches to your chosen theme that push the boundaries of the horror genre. The effectiveness of your horror elements is paramount; your story should genuinely evoke fear, dread, or unease in readers. Well-developed characters that readers can connect with (or fear) will strengthen your narrative and create emotional investment in the outcome. We’ll assess the strength of your plot structure and pacing, ensuring the story unfolds in a compelling and suspenseful manner that keeps readers engaged. Your thematic interpretation matters significantly – how creatively and effectively you’ve incorporated your chosen category theme (BORDERS, THE UNINVITED, or HUNGER) into your narrative will be a distinguishing factor. Finally, we’ll consider the lasting impact of your tale – how well does it linger in the reader’s mind, haunting them long after they’ve finished reading? These combined elements will help us determine the most outstanding entries in each category and ultimately crown our Grand Champion.
Interested in judging? Email us at communications@olivebranchreview.com