Intrepid Voices Fund

At Intrepid, we believe every storyteller deserves access to community, visibility, and support — regardless of background or resources. The Intrepid Voices Fund aims to uplift emerging writers through an annual financial award.

Note: The Intrepid Voices Fund is currently restricted to applicants 18 years or older and who reside in the U.S. In future award cycles, we hope to expand our applicant pool

Empowering emerging writers.

The Intrepid Voices Fund is an annual award that celebrates bold new storytelling and supports emerging writers with a one time $1,250 prize.

Each year, we invite U.S.-based writers to submit two pieces: a Personal Statement (introducing themselves, reflecting on their creative process, and how they incorporated this year’s theme) and an original short story inspired by a new theme designed to spark creativity and reflection.

Finalists are selected by a panel of judges, and the winning writer receives the award to use however they choose — whether to invest in their craft, support daily life, or fuel their next big idea.

2025 Short Story: Speculative Fiction

must include one of the following themes: winter, solstice, new beginnings, renewal, or scenes reminiscent of the winter season

Applications open October 12th!

Please review all documents before submitting your application.

Submit Application Here!
Official Rules
Privacy Statement
Judges Rubric

  • Cassidy Thomas

    JUDGE

    Cassidy Thomas is a hairstylist by day and a writer by night. She loves all things romance—in fact, when someone recommends something to her, you can almost guarantee the first question she asks is, “Is there any romance?” If she’s not in front of her computer writing writing swoony love stories of her own, she’s reading, hanging out with her cats, or practicing her violin (it’s her goal to learn how to play and yes it’s because of the music from Bridgerton). She lives in Houston, TX, but harbors a secret desire to move to the mountains of North Carolina.

  • Alla Zaykova

    JUDGE

    A second-generation science fiction geek, A. Zaykova (she/her) has been making up stories since before she could write. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in magazines and anthologies and her debut space opera novel, Galaxy Grifter, released earlier this year with Orbit.

    Zaykova holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and spent much of her career doing PR and media management for the New Zealand government. She is also active in the writing community, having volunteered for organizations such as the Speculative Fiction Society of NZ (SpecFicNZ) and running the press office for Worldcon in 2020.

    When not writing, she can be found engaging in all kinds of arts and crafts, herding her rescue cat, and being a mom.

  • Lina Amarego

    JUDGE

    Lina C. Amarego (Daughter of the Deep, This Eclipsed Crown) is a Fantasy Romance author whose work explores the human heart within richly imagined worlds. With a background in couples therapy, she seeks stories that sing with authentic characters, dynamic relationships, and emotional depth. Lina identifies as a member of the queer, neurodiverse, and chronically ill community, and champions marginalized authors of all backgrounds to tell their stories unapologetically.

FAQs

  • Applicants must be 18 years or older and current residents of the United States. Employees, owners, or immediate family members of the sponsor or judging panel are not eligible.

  • One finalist will receive a one time $1,250 cash award. The award is intended to support your creative work, but you may use it however you wish.

  • Applications include:

    • A Personal Statement (300–500 words) introducing yourself, your creative process, and how you incorporated this year’s theme.

    • An original Fiction Short Story (500–2,000 words) inspired by the year’s theme.

  • All submissions must be entirely human-written and reflect your own creative voice — the use of AI tools (like ChatGPT, Grammarly, or similar software) is not allowed.

    However, if you use assistive technology such as screen readers, dictation software, or other accessibility tools to support your writing process, that’s absolutely fine. We trust applicants to use these tools in good faith to ensure equal access, not to generate or edit creative content.

  • The Fund will accept a maximum of 90 eligible applications. Once this limit is reached, submissions will close — even if it’s before the official deadline.

  • Judging takes place in two rounds:

    • Round One: Judges review personal statements and select finalists.

    • Round Two: Finalists’ short stories are scored using a published rubric. Judges then meet to select the winner.

  • Final judging concludes on November 29, 2025. The winner will be notified on November 30, 2025 and announced publicly on December 1, 2025.

Empowering emerging writers.