A story in exactly 50 words

Penned is back! This short-form writing competition seeks complete stories written in exactly 50 words. No more, no less.

Here are some key points to remember in making your Penned submission:

• Penned entries should be a story
• Entries must be 50 words exactly
  • Numerals are counted as one word e.g. 3 and 333 are both one word
  • Contractions are accepted
  • A hyphenated word is one word
• Refer to Macquarie Dictionary if in doubt!

One entry per person across three categories - Primary School, Secondary School, and Open Age. The best stories win prizes from our amazing sponsors.

Penned 2026 is open from Friday 1 May 2026 and closes at 11.59pm on Wednesday 22 July 2026.

Enter Penned 2026 now

Rules and conditions (the finer details):

• If you do not comply with these rules and conditions, your entry will not be considered
• One entry per person
• Open only to Australian residents
• Your Penned Micro-fiction piece does not have to have a title
  • If your entry has a title, it is not included in the 50-word limit
• Judges will not see your personal details, only your entry
• Shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 29 July 2026
• Winners will be notified and announced on QLF platforms on Wednesday 12 August 2026
• Entries may be used by QLF in social media, website, and/or print media promotion

Advice for Teachers:

• Your students can easily enter  Penned 2026 individually via the link above, or, 
• If you prefer to collate entries for your class or group you can do so via an email writingcomp@queenscliffeliteraryfestival.com.au
  • Please identify the individual entries and provide the following information to QLF
    • Your school’s name
    • Section that you are entering - Primary or Secondary school
    • Contact number and name the teacher 
    • Story identifier e.g. with a title or a number
    • Given name and postcode of student-author

 
See winning entries from Penned 2024