The Official Valentine’s Day Contest Support Thread 2026

[old_prof]

I'm fighting with mine still. The characters are flat and I have four endings, none of which I like. I may or may not get this done.

I rewrote big portions of this and added about 6K more. Maybe it will work. Feeling more hopeful tonight. Still not sure about the ending.

 

[YDB95]

Mine is submitted!

Like a lot of my stories, I feel a bit underwhelmed about it now that it's done. But let's see what my readers think...

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

I just happened to notice that a story by @CiaoSteve was posted on the 7th, though it is stated as a Val's Day contest story. I sent the author a PM, in case he isn't aware of this. I don't think the story can count as part of the contest if it was posted before the start date, but maybe the author can contact the site folks and get the situation rectified.

 

[CiaoSteve]

I just happened to notice that a story by @CiaoSteve was posted on the 7th, though it is stated as a Val's Day contest story. I sent the author a PM, in case he isn't aware of this. I don't think the story can count as part of the contest if it was posted before the start date, but maybe the author can contact the site folks and get the situation rectified.

Contest rules said post 10 January (or before) so I posted before, expecting the story to be held until 10th, which it wasn't. Let's see what happens.

 

[anthrodisiac]

I'm on my third re-start. Going well...

I'm such a non-rom-com person, it's hilarious. The sheer amount of head hitting desk for this one is up there with whole books I've written.

I like the idea a lot — Aspie tamandua girl's first human boyfriend, panicking over how to live up to the Valentine's Day hype because dating humans is weird and complicated. It's just, you know, executing it. Small thing like that.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Contest rules said post 10 January (or before) so I posted before, expecting the story to be held until 10th, which it wasn't. Let's see what happens.

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.

 

[EmilyMiller]

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.

 

[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