Valentines Day Contest Support Thread 2025

[Actingup]

I'm not going to obsessively graph the number of entries as I did with the 'winter' comp, but for interest, this is the total number of entries going back to 2007 (before then, things were a little funkier with multiple chapters etc). Last year was a bumper year. Good luck to all for some lovely engagement, fun reading and good feels!

View attachment 2463401

Out of interest, it's currently up to 54 stories. So still a little way to go...

 

[Trionyx]

I’ve got one loaded but it’s also a Pink Orchid story so I have to wait until February. I wonder how many others have the same issue.

 

[Shaeobrien]

Whew! Veronica's Valentine is pending and (I think?) will be my first ever special contest entry. I am impressed by so many of you who write so much and so often. I wish you all a *fill in the blank with your favorite adjective* Valentine's Day!

 

[YDB95]

I’ve got one loaded but it’s also a Pink Orchid story so I have to wait until February. I wonder how many others have the same issue.

Mine was, but I got impatient and removed the Pink Orchid from the Notes. I wasn't quite sure if it fit anyway, since although the female protagonist does forge her own way to happiness, that happens only after a supporting male character gives her a "the reason you suck' speech. Hey, it's where my muse led.

 

[Rustyoznail]

If you want your story in both, as long as it's tagged, Laurel should publish it for the comp, then add it to the PO list when that's out.

 

[LargoKitt]

The Christmas decorations are almost gone, and stores are being swathed in pink. Hearts, flowers, ribbons, and cherubs armed with bows and arrows (I never trusted those guys)

IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THE VALENTINES DAY CONTEST!

You can begin submitting on (or before): January 10
The last day to submit is: February 6 at 11:59pm EST
Winners will be announced on: February 13 how sweet

Here's the rules:

• All submissions must be stand-alone stories created for this contest theme.
• We will allow authors who have won in our monthly contests within the last 6 months to win in this special contest. However, if you have won a prize in one of the last two special contests, you are not eligible to win in this one. (I'm still going to enter, just because I'm that romantic)
• A story has only to accrue 25 votes to be eligible, rather than the 50 required for the monthly contest.

Author must copy and paste the phrase "VALENTINES DAY 2025" to the "Notes to Admin" field of the submission (quotes are not needed).

Again -- PLEASE do not forget to put the EXACT phrase "VALENTINES DAY 2025" IN THE "Notes to Admin" FIELD - NOT the description field or anywhere else.

Submissions must have a Valentine's Day theme: i.e. Cupid, soulmates lost and found, high quality chocolate gifting, etc. Be creative! Please don't just submit a normal story that just happens to contain red roses. That would not be in the spirit of the contest, and readers (aka voters) will likely punish you for your trickiness. (They really will) Give true romance a shot, believe me - it sells!


Bring your questions and comments here, we're all here to help each other!

I just checked the story contest winners page. They are for January 2023!! Are there two separate 'streams' for contests? The rules say people can only win/submit each six month period. Is that for 'best story in a given month' aside from holiday themes? And the stories pasted on the winners page are for 2023!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Submitted! Only one page, which should ensure it doesn't place in the contest, just in case the protagonist's attempts at a love letter don't. There's a very fine line between a good replication of a drunken stream of consciousness, and just being shit, and I'm sure a reader will delight in informing me I'm on the wrong side of it.

 

[FreyaGersemi]

I just checked the story contest winners page. They are for January 2023!! Are there two separate 'streams' for contests? The rules say people can only win/submit each six month period. Is that for 'best story in a given month' aside from holiday themes? And the stories pasted on the winners page are for 2023!

I've wondered the same thing. I think the monthly contests have been discontinued. But I could be wrong...

 

[LargoKitt]

I've wondered the same thing. I think the monthly contests have been discontinued. But I could be wrong...

Might Manu and Laurel not tell us? (And why are Aspasia and Fern 'ghosted?') Sometimes I kind of want to say, "hey, do you guys need a little help...?"

 

[Secretbottom86]

Here's your chance to use up those romantic Christmas story ideas that you didn't get to use - the weather is the same between Christmas and Valentine's day, and it's almost impossible to get a dinner reservation on those two days. On Valentines the restaurants are booked up in advance, and on Christmas they're closed.

Where is the link to the stories? The website has not been updated. It still shows the winter contest.

Thank you

 

[WCSGarland]

https://www.literotica.com/stories/contest.php/valentines-day-2025

 

[Rustyoznail]

Tell me about it. It's either crickets or constant prodding.

Maude the muse has dropped a fully formed idea on me. It'll go into the 'T' side of I/T.

Now to finish it.

 

[StillStunned]

I might find myself writing a Valentine's Day story after all. I started on one last year and abandoned it. Now I've picked it up again, and overnight the plot developed in my head.

Sword & sorcery, about Sligh and Avilia from my series "The Rivals":

Last night he’d gone out late. “Don’t wait up,” he told her. “And don’t take Farflier out first thing in the morning, either. It’s Love Demon Day, remember.”

“So it is,” she replied. “That means you’re supposed to present me with a year’s supply of roses.”

“I prefer the other tradition.” He grinned that grin of his that made her want to rip his breeches off. “Whoever you fuck on Love Demon Day, you’ll fuck them for the rest of the year.”

Somehow he managed to keep his breeches on and escape.

He hadn’t returned by morning.

 

[TiberiusPrime]

I might find myself writing a Valentine's Day story after all. I started on one last year and abandoned it. Now I've picked it up again, and overnight the plot developed in my head.

Sword & sorcery, about Sligh and Avilia from my series "The Rivals":

I love when that happens. My entry was a story I started in 2020! The Valentine's Day contest had everything click for me.

 

[WittyUserName]

My story is taking on a life of its own and I'm worried it doesn't quite fit. I plan on having it take place over the course of over a year, covering 2 Valentine's Days. They will feature in, but won't be a main focus. Romance will be, though. Finding love, etc.. Is that okay?

 

[MillieDynamite]

To be clear, this doesn't have to happen on Valentine's Day, does it, yes or no?

 

[NaughteeDragon]

To be clear, this doesn't have to happen on Valentine's Day, does it, yes or no?

Valentine has to be a theme. Preparation for, fall out after…

 

[Rustyoznail]

Valentine has to be a theme. Preparation for, fall out after…

Romance, sensuality, high quality chocolate... Doesn't specifically have to be around VD, but it would help.

I think that's why my first story stalled. It was set in our winter -July, so my muse just went "Nup. Not going to happen."

 

[MillieDynamite]

Well, then, I need to yank my story. It's an unusual love story between a mid-twenties gigolo and 18-year-old girl.

Valentine has to be a theme. Preparation for, fall out after…

If you're right, then maybe I can leave it. I'm not certain about anything at this point.

 

[Duleigh]

I might find myself writing a Valentine's Day story after all. I started on one last year and abandoned it. Now I've picked it up again, and overnight the plot developed in my head.

Sword & sorcery, about Sligh and Avilia from my series "The Rivals":

Duleigh's Demandment #1 - Throw nothing away!
You may not use the entire story, but there's always a gem in there somewhere.

 

[nicksouth]

Well, then, I need to yank my story. It's an unusual love story between a mid-twenties gigolo and 18-year-old girl.

If you're right, then maybe I can leave it. I'm not certain about anything at this point.

Don't let not certain deter you. The vast majority of us are not getting paid for this, and what is the worst that can happen? Some bad reviews from some people you will likely never meet. Fuck them. Submit away I say

 

[WCSGarland]

Don't let not certain deter you. The vast majority of us are not getting paid for this, and what is the worst that can happen? Some bad reviews from some people you will likely never meet. Fuck them. Submit away I say

We should all take a leap at a heart shaped donut every now and then, eh?

 

[MillieDynamite]

Oh, it sold pretty good. I'm not certain that A. It won't get rejected for suspected AI, and I'll have to edit it on my own. I'm not about to ask my editor to do it again for free. B. That it falls within the exact parameters of the contest.

Don't let not certain deter you. The vast majority of us are not getting paid for this, and what is the worst that can happen? Some bad reviews from some people you will likely never meet. Fuck them. Submit away I say

 

[Rustyoznail]

Parameters here are vague. I picked up a third in an April Fools comp with a romance story that wasn't set in April.

Basically, it comes down to the readers.

 

[nicksouth]

Oh, it sold pretty good. I'm not certain that A. It won't get rejected for suspected AI, and I'll have to edit it on my own. I'm not about to ask my editor to do it again for free. B. That it falls within the exact parameters of the contest.

I use two AI editors (Quillbot and Pro Writing Aid) and zero issues so far. I accept its grammar changes but I find the sentence rewrites don't work well for erotica, so I use those as suggestions to make my own fix. Zero issues so far. (Used it to edit this response, shhhhhh.....)