Why themes? Readers play favorites, you know. Everybody has their favorite genres and our contest’s season themes are here to assemble winning story collections that readers will love. These themes function as story prompts for our author base, suggesting fun mashups and settings for the most creative, hard-hitting fiction. We only accept stories that fit these themes, and we wish you much Havok as you craft your best work!
NOTE: Deadlines are always for 11:59pm Pacific time on the date indicated. Get those stories in by midnight, or they’ll turn into pumpkins!
Season 13: Encore! Multiversal: SUBMISSIONS CLOSED (August 14)
That’s a wrap for Season 13: Encore! Next up for the 2027 publication year: Two’s Company.
Season 14: Two’s Company
Nomadic adventurer Chris McCandless scrawled this revelation in the margin of Doctor Zhivago just before he died in the Alaskan wilderness, hungry and alone. For McCandless, those five words summed up the novel’s theme of finding meaning in the relationships all around us.
Let me say that last part again—in the relationships all around us. That’s because interactions with others are the glue that hold life together. Whether an extreme extrovert or a reluctant recluse, we all find purpose through interacting with others, so it’s no surprise that the same is true of great stories. From Frodo and Sam to Luke and Vader. Bonnie and Clyde to Laverne and Shirley. Zelda and Link. Katniss and Rue. Wall-E and Eve. Paul Muad’dib and Stilgar. Our dearest books, movies, and games all revolve around one thing: relationship.
That’s why Havok’s Season 14 is all about those ties that bind. We’re calling for the funniest friendships, biggest breakups, corniest encounters, rowdiest romances, angriest arch-enemies, bravest BFFs, and any other scenario featuring two or more humans that you can dream up, 1,000 words at a time. So, for the next twelve months, pull on our heart strings, tickle our funny bones, and steal our breath with the very best and worst relationships ever written.
Download ALL Season 14 Themes - Printable Reference PDF
Theme: BFFs
Deadline: Friday, September 11
We’re starting our year-long season off at the beginning of life’s relationships. With a shared toy in kindergarten. A whispered secret. A common tragedy. Even an imagined monster under the bed. Seldom realized at first, childhood BFFs (“best friends forever”) fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and afford an irreplaceable source of belonging, confidence, fun, and usually mischief, even if they seldom truly last “forever.” Whether your young characters are thrown together amidst a revolution on a lunar mining base, a missing persons case in suburban neighborhood, or a housing mix-up at a peculiar boarding school, give us all the feels that come with two young characters who know they’ll face the world together, no matter what. Your story doesn’t need to focus on when the childhood friends first met, but whatever is happening they should be central to the story. Oh, and one last note for discerning writers: for this month, our editors will be keeping a special eye out for middle-grade fiction (if you know, you know. If not, look it up. You are a writer, after all). So if that’s your genre, or even if you just want to try your hand at it, now’s your time to shine! Publishes in January 2027.
Now Go Write!
Using the season theme above for ideas, go write and then send us your best story that fits any of our Accepted Genres (mystery, thriller, humor, science fiction, and fantasy). Be sure to download and use our Manuscript Formatting template and follow the Submission Guidelines!
Each theme listed below will open after the previous theme is closed.
FIRST LOVE – DEADLINE: October 9, 2026
Ahh, February. Valentine’s Day. The most romantic day of the year, right? But wait! Before you roll your eyes and give a knowing sneer, we at Havok implore you to search your heart back to your younger days—back when rose-colored glasses were all the rage, hormones clouded every rational thought, and no one had yet dumped you over text message or ghosted you in a department store parking lot. And that’s because this month’s theme is all about that love at first sight moment. Those butterflies in the stomach, clumsy love letters, first kisses, hopeless crushes, and love-struck mistakes. As always, search every genre from steampunk comedy to scifi thriller, because YA romance comes in all forms… Oh, did I say YA? That’s because February is young adult month! While not strictly required, YA stories will receive a little extra attention this month because, as writers, we should always know our audience, and nothing says “young adult” like bumbling, love-struck, hopelessly naïve teenagers. Publishes in February 2027.
FORTUITOUS – DEADLINE: November 13, 2026
Chance encounters, business connections, single-serve friends—any unexpected run-in that carries with it a spark of inevitable change. If it feels too good to be true, you’re off to a good start. If a shining knight shows up at just the right time, a bold field mouse ignores his friends’ advice and shows the trapped lion a hidden escape route, a benevolent fourth-dimensional AI slides onto a doomed starship, or a bumbling detective just happens to be in the right place at the right time, you’re definitely on the right track. And if you tie it all together with strong writing and a satisfying conclusion (beware the unsatisfying deus ex machina!), your publication journey will need a lot less luck than your “fortuitous” characters to find a happy ending. Publishes in March 2027.
EXTENDED FAMILY – DEADLINE: December 11, 2026
As we stretch our creative legs further into the year, we’re turning our sights to extended families. We all have that weird aunt or uncle, that curiously rich second cousin, that great, great, great grandson who travels back in time to warn—okay, maybe not all extended family is universal, but there’s no denying the importance of these characters in any good story. And just as we highlighted those fortuitous friendships last month, April is all about those unexpected family members who show up at just the right time, or whose ramblings finally start making sense, or who always seem to draw the rest of the family into their harebrained ideas. Whatever the relationship, remember to tie it together with blood, because the weirdos we’re related to are the hardest to ignore. Publishes in April 2027.
GENERATIONAL – DEADLINE: January 8, 2027
There’s no stronger bond than that of a parent and child. Of course, that assumes the parent doesn’t make good on the “I brought you into this world; I can take you out!” threat. And it’s for that reason that we have grandparents—to offer a little perspective, a little grace, and a lot of levity. May’s “Generational” theme covers a lot of ground, so be sure to use it. We want authentic, immersive points of view from all three stages of life that cover the many generational conflicts and lessons that that we can all relate to. But we want them wrapped in unique settings and driven by unforgettable characters, so don’t hold back. Publishes in May 2027.
TIES THAT BIND – DEADLINE: February 12, 2027
Blood relatives bind us. Best friends find us. But there’s no relationship that requires a deeper level of voluntary commitment than matrimony. Wedding ceremonies look different in every culture and time period, and the duties and expectations of a husband and wife are defined by both public and personal beliefs, but “until death do us part” seems the perfect theme to celebrate and challenge those many differences across our realm, planet, galaxy… You get the picture. So, for June—traditionally the month for weddings—go ahead and paint your own picture of marriage. Show us the strengths, weaknesses, and most entertaining elements that come from a public proclamation of enduring love. Period pieces and unique cultural points of view are a great place to start, but beyond that, get creative… but not too creative. Certain marriage pairings get weird fast (and not in a good way). Even Havok has its limits. Publishes in June 2027.
SIBLINGS – DEADLINE: March 12, 2027
For better or worse, we don’t choose our siblings. From conjoined twins to estranged brothers, siblings share a bond that can never be truly broken. For this reason, brothers and sisters are often forced to work through their differences and team up against the world, as long as they don’t kill each other first. So give us those inexplicable bonds, those chaotic dinner tables, and those epic journeys with characters who truly “get” each other, whether they realize it or not. Publishes in July 2027.
FRENEMIES – DEADLINE: April 9, 2027
That time when sworn enemies are forced to work together to survive—and find they kinda like each other. The mean popular girl who helps you out when nobody is looking. The moment you realize that your best friend is also your greatest rival. These are the relationships that interesting stories are made of. Whether your characters are competing for top marks, on the battlefield, going after the same bounty, or vying for the throne, give us all the social, psychological, and emotional angles used by frenemies as they strive to come out on top. Publishes in August 2027.
CLOSE QUARTERS – DEADLINE: May 14, 2027
Sometimes, it’s not just our family that we can’t choose. Sometimes, we’re thrown together with a person or group in such an inescapable situation that we’re forced to get along or die trying. Think suspicious neighbors, supernatural cellmates, platoon comrades, or stranded crews trying to get back to their ship—or starship. Or just that annoying voice in the cubicle next to yours. Now’s the time to force together the most unlikely pairings and watch them either fight it out or team up to take on a larger threat. Publishes in September 2027.
ARCH-ENEMIES – DEADLINE: June 11, 2027
If you think Havok is looking for fuzzy, heartwarming stories during spooky season, you haven’t been paying attention. This month, forget true love, BFFs, and fond memories. We want conflict! Knock-down, drag-out fights. Good versus evil. Light versus dark. Rivals as old as time. Bad breakups, unavoidable showdowns, and unexpected results. Stick to the classics or give us new twists on old tropes. Whatever the situation, make it an epic contrast to the wholesome, foundational relationships we’ve sought out in other months. Publishes in October 2027.
SEASONED LOVE – DEADLINE: July 9, 2027
Okay, enough of the Halloween shenanigans. November is all about thankfulness and reflection. And there’s no better place to do that than from a couple of rocking chairs. Of course, a chatty elderly couple doesn’t always make for the most interesting story, so push those two off the front porch and into an adventure. Whether they’re recounting an old adventure or having one last hurrah, give us endearing inside jokes, grumpy bickering, sage perspective, and all the troubles and ailments that only old folks can truly understand. Publishes in November 2027.
FOUND FAMILY – DEADLINE: August 13, 2027
This holiday season, Havok welcomes with open arms those stories with arguably the most interesting relationships—found family. We want unexpected and unofficial adoptions, come-as-you-are Christmas feasts, space crews and war buddies who have each others’ backs, and quests for long-lost siblings. The how and why are up to you, but acceptance and charity are the reason for the season. So however you can create that yearned-for fam outside the bonds of blood, we want to see it. Publishes in December 2027.
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