The Official Valentine’s Day Contest Support Thread 2026

[YmaOHyd]

I don't know for sure, but I can't say I've ever seen it before.

 

[WittyUserName]

Well, I finally have an idea for a story. I didn't want a pure romance story, so I'm going to end up in Sci-Fi/Fantasy again. Probably an odd one for a Valentine's story, but it's still a love story: two people brought together by a supernatural villain. Should work, right?

 

[yowser]

Poetry is occasionally (a few times that I'm aware) submitted to a contest but has neither ever been included on the contest list nor been awarded a place. Same I believe with audio.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Poetry is occasionally (a few times that I'm aware) submitted to a contest but has neither ever been included on the contest list nor been awarded a place. Same I believe with audio.

Thanks for clarifying - FYI @FrancesScott

 

[FrancesScott]

Thanks for clarifying - FYI @FrancesScott

Thanks and thanks to @yowser too.

 

[Actingup]

Poetry is occasionally (a few times that I'm aware) submitted to a contest but has neither ever been included on the contest list nor been awarded a place. Same I believe with audio.

Audio shows a handful of winners for other special contests and monthly contests, but not for Valentines Day

https://search.literotica.com/?query= &categories=39&sort=date&where=tags&winner=true&page=1

Similarly with poetry, although you would have thought that poetry is the language of Valentines Day!

https://search.literotica.com/?type=poem&query= &sort=date&winner=true&page=1

 

[Agent0069]

A website I used for grammar checking decided to keep up with time and now offers "Chat with AI" option as a default, instead of grammar check.

I had it pop up on me when I pasted the last chapter of my work, containing the culmination and some of the most grotesque scenes I've conjured, and it hits me with "Would you like to chat with AI about what you wrote here?" Lord, please, no! Just correcting my use of tenses is fine, I don't want to talk with anyone about what I write, let alone a soulless chat bot. Uh, I hate modern world...

Anyway, I broke my habit of last day submissions, this time my story is ready ahead of schedule!

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

Okay … it’s ready!!! Shades of Desire, my V-Day story is ready and in drafts… counting down until I hit Preview and Publish

 

[Voboy]

Mine's ready too. I'll submit in a couple days, if I remember!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Okay … it’s ready!!! Shades of Desire, my V-Day story is ready and in drafts… counting down until I hit Preview and Publish

Mine's ready too. I'll submit in a couple days, if I remember!

Yay to both of you

 

[APilgrimSquare]

After abandoning two concepts, I've found another. Gonna be a sprint!

 

[old_prof]

I finally got started on mine!

 

[redgarters]

I think mine is nearly finished. Just a last read through left to catch spelling, grammar and some final fixes. Original song uploaded to Spotify and the accompanying playlist is ready. Still not sure if anyone will listen to it, but it was fun to do.

Looking forward to posting, even though this story is probably way to teary for a contest entry to do well. But it's been bouncing around in my head and taking shape since last summer, so it feels really nice to finally have it finished.

 

[old_prof]

Looking forward to posting, even though this story is probably way to teary for a contest entry to do well.

My story that got a prize was called a true tear jerker in more than one comment. Emotions do well.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I think mine is nearly finished. Just a last read through left to catch spelling, grammar and some final fixes. Original song uploaded to Spotify and the accompanying playlist is ready. Still not sure if anyone will listen to it, but it was fun to do.

Looking forward to posting, even though this story is probably way to teary for a contest entry to do well. But it's been bouncing around in my head and taking shape since last summer, so it feels really nice to finally have it finished.

It’s an amazing story - as someone once said of one of my stories, “If it doesn’t win, no one else deserves to win.” Not that it helped me much of course .

 

[redgarters]

My story that got a prize was called a true tear jerker in more than one comment. Emotions do well.

Oh, that's great Maybe I have a sliver of a chance then after all

It’s an amazing story - as someone once said of one of my stories, “If it doesn’t win, no one else deserves to win.” Not that it helped me much of course .

Oh boy, no pressure! Thank you for all your help with it, it really made a big difference

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I think mine is nearly finished. Just a last read through left to catch spelling, grammar and some final fixes. Original song uploaded to Spotify and the accompanying playlist is ready. Still not sure if anyone will listen to it, but it was fun to do.

Looking forward to posting, even though this story is probably way to teary for a contest entry to do well. But it's been bouncing around in my head and taking shape since last summer, so it feels really nice to finally have it finished.

Tears play very well, especially heartfelt. I've found they work best as happy tears, but the readers here, from my experience, love it when we make them cry. Good luck.

 

[redgarters]

Tears play very well, especially heartfelt. I've found they work best as happy tears, but the readers here, from my experience, love it when we make them cry. Good luck.

Well, I've posted it, so I guess nothing to do now than wait and find out. There's a few happy tears in it, but most of them are very much not. If it manages to stay over 4.5 until Valentines Day I'll be happy.

 

[StrentWriter]

I’d like to submit a story for the contest. However I’m really focusing on writing a single, long piece of writing.

If I submit a section of story that is later incorporated into the full novel submission later, is that allowed?

 

[Trionyx]

What you submit should be a complete story, one that can stand on its own. Having said that, it is legit to use a contest story at a later date as the basis for a new story or to expand on the original one.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’d like to submit a story for the contest. However I’m really focusing on writing a single, long piece of writing.

If I submit a section of story that is later incorporated into the full novel submission later, is that allowed?

Pretty much what @Trionyx said. The story has to be stand-alone. But I’ve submitted a sequel to a series to a comp just fine. And I’ve submitted stories featuring established characters just fine. But Ch. 05 which just picks up directly from Ch. 04 with no context provided is not allowed. And an unfinished story is not allowed (though you could write a sequel later, so long as the first story has a start, middle, and end).

 

[StrentWriter]

Thanks for clarifying both. I’ll give it some thought.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Thanks for clarifying both. I’ll give it some thought.

So, The Fellowship of the Ring wouldn’t qualify as a comp story here, unless you simultaneously submitted The Two Towers and The Return of the King, which is also allowed. I.e. you can submit a three (or four or five) part series en masse. How that works with ratings

 

[spiderboi]

So, The Fellowship of the Ring wouldn’t qualify as a comp story here, unless you simultaneously submitted The Two Towers and The Return of the King, which is also allowed. I.e. you can submit a three (or four or five) part series en masse. How that works with ratings

Jumping in for my own clarity: I have a story planned that could stand alone just fine, but I know I'm planning on using it as the launchpad for a series, which I felt sort of violated the spirit of the rules. But are you saying that would be acceptable?

 

[EmilyMiller]

Jumping in for my own clarity: I have a story planned that could stand alone just fine, but I know I'm planning on using it as the launchpad for a series, which I felt sort of violated the spirit of the rules. But are you saying that would be acceptable?

If it has a start, middle, and end that’s fine. You can later write more stories in the same universe with the same characters. What you can’t do is have a middle chapter which starts in media res or a first chapter that has no ending. It has to be a whole story by itself.

Sounds like you might be OK.