The Official Valentine’s Day Contest Support Thread 2026

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

Okay it is pending and live seemingly ready to go tomorrow. Here is hoping that as I dare to be slightly different this year, I do not get lambasted.

 

[CiaoSteve]

I’ve heard about that happening to other people this year. But the two people both caught it before publication. Write to @Laurel (or the intern who is covering for her). Sorry that this happened to you, it really shouldn’t.

I have dropped Laurel a note to ask her to check . . . luckily I only published one of my two stories

 

[StrentWriter]

Okay, I need a clarification.

Can I post a stand alone story, that follows on from a previous work, that leads into my next big body of work?

So it’s written for the competition, it uses my own characters that already exist, but it's just the next part of their story.

Is that acceptable?

And…

Can I put a link to the previous work in this one?

I don’t want to fall foul!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Okay, I need a clarification.

Can I post a stand alone story, that follows on from a previous work, that leads into my next big body of work?

So it’s written for the competition, it uses my own characters that already exist, but it's just the next part of their story.

Is that acceptable?

And…

Can I put a link to the previous work in this one?

I don’t want to fall foul!

Does this help?

It’s a sequel, and I’ll probably come back to more Ella stories in the future. It was accepted in the Winter Holidays comp fine.



But it has a start, middle, and end. No cliffhangers. And, as you can see, I start it with a precis of what has gone before.

The operative phrase is ‘stand alone’ can the story be read as is and does it have a conclusion?

 

[StrentWriter]

Does this help?

It’s a sequel, and I’ll probably come back to more Ella stories in the future. It was accepted in the Winter Holidays comp fine.

View attachment 2589151

But it has a start, middle, and end. No cliffhangers. And, as you can see, I start it with a precis of what has gone before.

The operative phrase is ‘stand alone’ can the story be read as is and does it have a conclusion?

This helps enormously! Thank you.

I am specifically writing it to be a “bridging story” - so it can stand alone but it will link to the first novel and the second. (You can read the second one without having read the standalone one).

 

[EmilyMiller]

This helps enormously! Thank you.

I am specifically writing it to be a “bridging story” - so it can stand alone but it will link to the first novel and the second. (You can read the second one without having read the standalone one).

That sounds fine.

 

[Voboy]

Well, let’s all collectively cross our fingers that the first batch of Valentine’s stories publishes overnight and that everyone who has submitted one gets approved and makes it to the comp web page.

Any problems and I’ll try to help. Not that this is saying much.

It's saying a lot.

Thank you.

 

[EmilyMiller]

It's saying a lot.

Thank you.

That’s sweet of you to say

 

[StrentWriter]

Just to add my thanks Emily, mega nervous for this year’s contest and you’ve put my mind at ease this evening. Thanks.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Just to add my thanks Emily, mega nervous for this year’s contest and you’ve put my mind at ease this evening. Thanks.

Hey,

Nothing to be nervous about

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Just submitted, hoping to get approved for tomorrow. Really ran it down to the wire, but I like how it turned out.

My entry is called Pierced, and it's about two members of an unnamed corps of special agents working on behalf of Love, shooting arrows into unsuspecting people to spread love and lust around the globe. They would really like you to know that they're fully grown adults, not fat babies with wings. Our heroes are forced to work together, much to their dismay.

It also connects itself and my magic-themed Christmas Story, The Velvet Ribbon, to my decidedly non-magical connected universe of other stories, and despite being reluctant to bring magic into that world, I at least think I nailed that part, if nothing else. Hope you all like it when it drops! Can't wait to read the rest of your stories!

 

[caleb35]

I might have a story to submit for this contest before the deadline, a new entry in the Reluctance/NonConsent category. It reuses a couple of characters from another of my stories but it's a standalone tale and doesn't need any other reading beforehand. It's titled, "As You Desire."

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Doesn't look like I made it into day one. Cest la vie, fingers crossed for day two.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Doesn't look like I made it into day one. Cest la vie, fingers crossed for day two.

Good luck

 

[spiderboi]

I might have a story to submit for this contest before the deadline, a new entry in the Reluctance/NonConsent category. It reuses a couple of characters from another of my stories but it's a standalone tale and doesn't need any other reading beforehand. It's titled, "As You Desire."

I was working on R/NC as well for a second entry, but I'm jumping between it and my Pink Orchid story, so not sure if it'll make it

 

[dirk2024]

Doesn't look like I made it into day one. Cest la vie, fingers crossed for day two.

I'm hoping to beat Feb 6th.

 

[Actingup]

I'm hoping to beat Feb 6th.

That's my plan too. I have an idea for a story, but current world events might suddenly make it too political (the story remains the same, but reality keeps veering into fiction).

 

[EmilyMiller]

Seems like a slow start. One story posted so far:

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/valentines-day-2026

 

[EmilyMiller]

Seems like a slow start. One story posted so far:

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/valentines-day-2026

This is actually weird. I know other people are approved for publishing today. Why is there only one story?

 

[YmaOHyd]

Just finished writing an entry that is 100% not the entry I planned to write. Now I need to finish the entry I actually wanted to write. Also I guess I gotta edit that first story.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Well, wacky Literotica shit going on already, but WTF!

Welcome to the
2026 Valentine’s Competition ​

January 10th

So finally it’s January Ten
And Valentine’s is here again
Good luck with your tales
With lurid details
That have flowed from your keyboard or pen

 

[EmilyMiller]

This is actually weird. I know other people are approved for publishing today. Why is there only one story?

View attachment 2589329

Hey @CiaoSteve

Who did you sleep with to be the only author published so far? And did you write a story about it afterward?

 

[EmilyMiller]

11 stories up now…

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’ve had a few people PM me saying that they were due to publish today but haven’t yet. Maybe it’s being staggered for some reason

 

[mrs_mackenzie]

My entry got submitted yesterday. I'm looking forward to reading the stories this year: somehow Valentine's Day still feels a long way off...