One headline. Infinite possibilities.
Show us where your imagination can go.

Time left to submit your award -winning short story.

Days

Hours

Minutes

At Stranger Fiction Press, we believe truth is stranger than fiction—which is exactly why we turn real headlines into sparks for unforgettable storytelling. Every month, we hand-pick one unbelievable headline and invite writers across the world to twist it, reinvent it, and reimagine it into compelling short fiction.

December 2025 Headline of the Month

Los Angeles Times - Sept. 21, 2021

Submit Your Story

Full Name

Email Address

City / Country

Website or Social Handle

Pen Name (if different from real name)

Story Title

Genre

Upload Field (.pdf — max 1,500 words*)

Upload Field (.pdf — max 1,500 words*)

Prompt / Headline Reference

Short Author Note (Optional, 1–2 sentences) – e.g. “What inspired this piece?

Original Work Confirmation

I confirm that this submission is my original work and has not been previously published.

Permission to Publish

I grant Stranger Fiction Press the right to publish my story online and in future collections, with full author credit.

Acceptance of Terms / Guidelines

I have read and agree to the STFP submission guidelines

How did you hear about us?

Subscribe to newsletter?

Would you like your story considered for anthology publication?

How it Works

Each month, Stranger Fiction Press selects one real headline and throws it open to its community of writers, who have until the 17th to submit their original short stories in a variety of available genres.

Submissions are reviewed by the Stranger Fiction Press Editorial Team and online readers, with winners earning prizes — and a touch of literary fame.

What begins as headline absurdity becomes creative gold: reimagined, retold, and reshaped by writers who find the extraordinary in the everyday. Over time, STFP curates these stories into themed collections published online and in print — a living archive of how truth and imagination intersect.