Intrepid Voices Fund

Empowering emerging writers.

We believe every storyteller deserves access to community, visibility, and support — regardless of background or resources. The Intrepid Voices Fund exists to give to writers early in their creative journey — before the agent, before the book deal, before the big break — real recognition and real support. We built this fund for people who are still finding their voice, not people who've already arrived. A story doesn't need a platform behind it to be worth telling.

2026 Short Story: Spooky Speculative Fiction

Cash Prize: 1st place - $1,250 | 2nd place - $500

Science fiction, fantasy, and horror are all welcome. Contemporary and historical fiction are not eligible.

Timeline at a Glance

  • Applications Open: August 1, 2026

  • Applications Close*: September 6, 2026, 11:59 PM PST

  • Phase 1 of Judging Complete: September 20, 2026

  • Author Bio Due (Finalists only): October 1, 2026

  • Phase 2 of Judging Complete: October 10, 2026

  • Winners Announced By: October 14, 2026

  • Optional Workshop: November 21, 2026 at 9:00 AM PST

*Applications close on September 6, 2026, or once 90 eligible applications are received, whichever occurs first.

Selection Process

Phase 1 — Screening: Each judge receives a batch of submissions and reads the opening 250 words of every story in it — enough to see if it grabs them from the very first line — narrowing their batch down to a handful of finalists.

Phase 2 — Full Read & Scoring: Finalist stories are read in full by all judges and scored against a shared rubric to select our First and Second Place winners.

Optional Paid Feedback

For $20, get up to 250 words of written feedback on your story from a judge. It's optional, has no effect on scoring, and proceeds fund next year's Voices Fund.

Workshop - November 21st, 9am PST

A live session where three short stories are workshopped by our judges, offering real-time feedback in front of the group. Opt in when you apply — participation is separate from judging and has no effect on your story's chances.

Have questions?

We're so excited to read this year's short stories! Check out our FAQ below, or email us anytime at hi@intrepidimagination.com — we're happy to help.

Applications close September 6th!

*or once 90 eligible applications are received, whichever occurs first.

Please review all documents before submitting your application.

Official Rules
Privacy Statement
Judges Rubric
Submit Application Here!

The Judges

Lauren M. Leasure

Lauren M. Leasure is the author of The Benevolence & Blood Series and the forthcoming Cedar Bay Series. She published her first book, The Sin of Saints, in June of 2022 and has since published three more. With an Amazon bestselling title under her belt, she’s looking forward to expanding from romantic fantasy into contemporary romance as well.

Lauren’s passion in writing is analyzing the complexities of the human condition and how they contribute to the traits of her characters. She finds great joy in the “why” behind every action.

When she’s not writing, she’s at the park with her son, baking sourdough for her family, or binge watching The Great British Bake Off.

Sarah J. Hester

Sarah J. Hester grew up in a small town south of Pittsburgh, where no game of house was complete without a touch of historical drama, or a little magic. After earning her M.A. in History, she spent several years teaching middle school social studies before leaving the classroom to trade true stories for imagined ones.

She lives on her rescue pup’s schedule now and writes historically inspired fantasy about girls with swords and female rage. When she’s not writing, Sarah can be found with her nose in a book or her hands in the dirt.

Cassidy Clarke

Cassidy Clarke is a proud Michigander, barista, and Hallmark movie expert who loves all things fantasy, from Disney movies to Dungeons & Dragons.

Her debut series THE BLOOD AND WATER SAGA is a high fantasy love letter to the lost princess daydreams of her childhood and an attempt to put her experience growing up with three younger siblings (all of whom are cooler than her) to good use.

She spends her days writing like she’s running out of time, binging Critical Role campaigns, hoarding pretty dice like a dragon, and baking the world’s best chocolate chip cookies.

FAQs

Applying

  • 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, and previous First or Second Place winners of the Fund may not reapply.

  • No — it's completely free to apply. The only optional cost is the $20 Paid Feedback add-on, which you can choose at the time of submission if you'd like a judge's written notes on your story.

  • Just one thing: an original Speculative Fiction Short Story, up to 2,000 words, inspired by this year's theme. This cycle's theme is spooky speculative fiction — sci-fi, fantasy, and horror are all welcome; contemporary and historical fiction are not eligible. Submissions must be in .docx format. Stories may have been previously published online, in a magazine, or submitted to other contests — they just can't be part of an already-published novel or have been assigned an ISBN.

  • No. Past cycles required a personal statement alongside your story — this year, it's just the short story itself.

  • 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.

  • Applications open August 1, 2026 and close September 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST — or once 90 eligible applications are received, whichever comes first.

Judging & Prizes

  • Judging takes place in two phases:

    • Phase 1: Each judge receives a batch of submissions and reads the opening 250 words of every story in it, selecting their top picks to advance to the next round.

    • Phase 2: Finalists' full stories are scored using a published rubric. Judges then meet to select the First and Second Place winners.

  • Yes. Every applicant receives an email letting them know their status at each stage, whether or not they advance

  • You'll be asked to submit a short author bio and photo by October 1 — used for featuring finalists and winners publicly, and, in the rare case of a tie, as an internal tiebreaker between finalists' scores.

  • Two cash awards are given each year — $1,250 for First Place and $500 for Second Place. The awards are intended to support your creative work, but you may use them however you wish. Prizes are considered taxable income, and winners must submit a completed W-9 (or W-8BEN for non-U.S. residents, if applicable) before payment is issued.

  • Phase 2 judging concludes October 10, 2026. All finalists will be notified by email, and winners will be publicly announced by October 14, 2026.

  • You retain full copyright to your work. By entering, you grant us the right to publish your story (and, if you're a finalist, your bio and photo) on our website and social channels, and to use your name for winner announcements and promotional purposes.