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!
Ebenezer Scrooge by Charles Dickens stories: SUBMISSIONS CLOSED. That’s a wrap for Season 12: Multiversal!
Season 13: Encore – Now open!
SEASON 13 THEMES PDFs: We highly recommend checking out these resources for ideas as you craft your story! Feel free to tag @havokauthornews on Instagram or email authorcentral@gohavok.com with any questions about our themes and guidelines. Sign up for our author newsletter (see sidebar on this page; scroll down on mobile) for tips from our editors and news about author contests.
Download Season 13: Encore! themes and deadlines
Get inspiration from all 12 original Season theme details
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!
Rebirth (Deadline: Friday, Oct 17)
~ Publishes in January 2026. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, our very first season celebrated life’s enduring spirit. And true to form, we’re doing it again! And you’ll get the chance to revisit our sub-themes of rebirth, recycle, relocate, reform, recover, and redo. For detailed ideas, see a description of the original Rebirth subthemes (PDF).
Stories That Sing (Deadline: Friday, Nov 21)
~ Publishes in February 2026. Music moves us. It shapes the world and immortalizes each generation, telling stories in a way that stays with us forever. In our second theme, we’re tapping into the power of song by requiring stories be inspired by a song from any time period (even though the original contest required specific eras of music). For detailed inspiration, see a description of the original Stories That Sing themes (PDF). Keep in mind that lyrics may be under copyright, so only very short quotes are acceptable. Song titles are not copyrightable, so they are free game. If you have any copyright questions, email us at authorcentral@gohavok.com. Special submission instructions for this theme: Please include the song title, the composer or performer, and (if possible) a link to your preferred YouTube version of the song IN YOUR STORY HEADER after the title.
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!
The themes below will open for submissions ~2 months before their deadlines.
Bingeworthy (DEADLINE: December 19, 2025)
There are some storylines and concepts that hook us every time. When done right, they transcend the label stereotype or the dreaded “cliché” and enter the realm of treasured trope and become the formula for a blockbuster hit. Think about the irresistible tropes that you watch, re-watch, and stay up all night to binge watch. Encapsulate the essence of that favorite trope into your story. Sub-themes include dynamic duos, answering the call, strange new worlds, the end of the world as we know it, superheroes, and the one thing (aka the MacGuffin). Publishes in March 2026.
For detailed inspiration, see the original Bingeworthy themes (PDF). Be sure to include the trope in your submission header, under the story title.
Sensational (DEADLINE: January 16, 2026)
Take us on a journey of the senses, immersing our readers in everything that’s possible for a human to experience—and beyond. Sub-themes include touch, taste, hearing, smell, sight, and the sixth sense. Publishes in April 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original Sensational themes (PDF).
Prismatic (DEADLINE: February 13, 2026)
There’s a reason television and movies went from black and white to Technicolor™. The world around us is painted in a kaleidoscope of hues. Pick one, and integrate it into your story in such a memorable way that the story wouldn’t be the same without it. The original six themes were yellow, red, green, blue, purple, and orange, but we will accept any color-centric story for Season 13. Bring on your white knights and black hat villains, your space western browncoats and pinkest petticoats. Publishes in May 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original Prismatic themes (PDF).
Casting Call (DEADLINE: March 13, 2026)
Classic character archetypes make for epic stories! Throughout history, certain types of people show up again and again in the stories we tell. And sometimes, especially in speculative genres, they aren’t technically… human, even though they fill an archetypal role. These archetypes include the ruler, rebel, hero, magician, creator, explorer, everyman, jester, caregiver, lover, innocent, and sage. Publishes in June 2026.
For detailed inspiration, see the original Casting Call themes (PDF). Be sure to include the archetype in your submission header, under the story title.
Animal Kingdom (DEADLINE: April 10, 2026)
The relationships humanity has with the living creatures of our world are as varied as the ones we have with each other. We have fought to keep from being eaten by the predatory, we have nurtured and raised domestics as companions and partners in labor, we have driven some to extinction, we have studied them to increase our understanding of life. We invite you to explore the wonders, rewards, and tragedies of the animal kingdom. Sub-themes include partners, predators, swimmers, flyers, discoveries, extinctions, beautiful, dangerous, symbiotes, parasites, micro (small), and macro (huge!). Yes, this means your submission must feature at least one animal, and ideally center around it/them. Alien or fantasy creatures 100% acceptable, but please try to think beyond mere dragons and unicorns! We’d love to see something fresh. Publishes in July 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original Animal Kingdom themes (PDF).
Vice & Virtue (DEADLINE: May 8, 2026)
You’ve heard of the Seven Deadly Sins. You’ve seen the four Greek virtues. And there are myriad other lists throughout history that define humanity’s positive and negative character traits. But how often have you seen them applied to actual characters? We thought it would be a truly polarizing—and entertaining—experience to slap an entire theme’s worth of vices and virtues on those characters we love (and love to hate). So go ahead. Pull out the best and worst your creations have to offer and lay it on thick. But remember to keep things PG-13. After all, too much of a good thing is, well, a bad thing. This list of vices and virtues include cowardice, courage, laziness, diligence, pride, humility, rage, peace, gluttony, temperance, selfishness, and sacrifice. Don’t tell us which vice or virtue you’re writing about – show us in a way that leaves no doubt. Publishes in August 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original Vice & Virtue themes (PDF).
World Tour (DEADLINE: June 12, 2026)
We’re updating our passports and putting in our time off requests, because Havok is going back on tour! North to South, East to West, we’re celebrating every corner of this rock we all call home. From geography to history to culture, we want you to craft unforgettable stories that immerse us in the awesomeness of, well, everywhere on Earth. And don’t forget your sunscreen and your Chupacabra spray. You never know what’ll happen when you step out your front door! Anywhere on, under, or around the Earth is fair game. Real history, alt-history, far future, or mythology is all good; just be sure to immerse us in the place! Publishes in September 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original World Tour themes (PDF).
Legendary (DEADLINE: July 10, 2026)
In an age bursting with “award winners” and “bestsellers,” it’s easy to imagine all of our favorite stories being immortalized in leatherbound tomes for all future generations to enjoy. In reality, very few tales stand the test of time. But every so often, magic happens, and a certain combination of words conveys something so unforgettable that humanity has no choice but to preserve it. So, prepare to harness the most enduring elements throughout mankind’s literary tradition and create your own version of something truly epic, which includes legendary creatures, people, locations, things, and events. Publishes in October 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original Legendary themes (PDF).
Remember When (DEADLINE: August 14, 2026)
As writers, we spend most of our time in the background, watching and writing about everyone else’s experiences and exploits. But Havok wants to hear about you… again! Pick any of the four seasons of the year and narrate your tales of winter wonder, spring storms, summer staycations, and fall frights. And, strictly speaking, it doesn’t have to be an auto-biographical account, as long as you narrate the story with a strong personal voice. So, feel free to share your grandpa’s claims about the time aliens abducted him from Mardi Gras. No judgment here. Just make your story reflect something about a specific day or season of the year. January winter storms and resolutions, February Valentine’s day thrills (or disappointments), March sporting madness or springtime floods, April Easter celebrations or wildflower tours. You get the idea. Publishes in November 2026. For detailed inspiration, see the original Remember When themes (PDF).
Multiversal (DEADLINE: September 11, 2026)
If you’re like most writers, you can trace your love of creating stories back to a particular author. And at some point, you probably dreamed of collaborating with them or writing stories based on their worlds or characters. Historically, this was an impossible dream except in the limited scope of fan fiction… Until Season 12, when Havok acquired stories all year long based on original characters created exclusively for this contest by our hand-selected lineup of best-selling and award-winning authors! Our list of unforgettable characters includes Joe Enza, Kytt Windthorn, Spark Spaulding, Zaivar “Zai” Witz, Phezznibbet “Phezz” Maplebark, Ethel Grieves, Miriel Takkenridge, Harmony Star, Luke James (aka Therrus), Alice (of Wonderland fame), Dorian Gray, and the ever-lovable curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge. Your story must feature one of these twelve characters, although they do not have to be the “main” character of the story. See the entire list of character profiles at our website or you can download them as a printable PDF. Publishes in December 2026.
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