Category: Flash 405

2026 has already been a year of many ups, downs, and pivots. Exposition Review is not immune, so it’s fitting that for the first time in our ten(!) years of running Flash 405, we’re changing up our deadline dates and taking inspiration from another iconic Los Angeles freeway—the 10! As such, our April contest will be opening April 10 and accepting entries in all genres through May 10. 

This round will be judged by Expo Associate Editor Ashley C. Lanuza, who will select up to five winning works that explore the theme “Saudade.” The first and second place winners will receive a cash prize and be published along with any honorable mentions.

Read on to learn more about this month’s contest theme:

Continue reading “Call for Entries: Flash 405, April 2026: “Saudade”” →

Oops, we’re doing it again—kicking off another year of Flash 405! February is the start of our short-form season, with contests running every other month through September. Each Flash 405 contest will feature a new theme, a new judge, and up to five winning works. Our first and second place winners will receive a cash prize and be published alongside honorable mentions.

This round will be judged by Expo’s own Heather Vaughan. Heather is Nonfiction Editor of our annual issue and we are thrilled to have her take the helm of our first Flash 405 contest of 2026! Submissions will open on February 4 through March 5, 2026.

Read on to learn more about contest rules and “Oops”, this month’s contest theme:

Continue reading “Call for Entries: Flash 405, February 2026: “Oops”” →

Mark your calendars–Flash 405 will re-open for submissions on August 4! Our Flash 405 writing contest is a celebration of extraordinary short-form narratives, accepting work in multiple genres, from prose to poetry to hybrid and experimental forms.

For our August round, though, we’re not looking for “extraordinary.” What we want is a bit more mundane: flash narratives inspired by the theme “Normal,” chosen by our contest judge, Expo Associate Poetry Editor Kiana Shaley. 

Submissions will close September 5, so don’t miss your chance to enter! This is our last contest of 2025.

Learn more about Kiana and this month’s contest theme:

Continue reading “Call for Entries: Flash 405, August 2025: “Normal”” →

Flash 405 is brighter than ever for June 2025! We are thrilled to introduce our incredible guest judge, Melissa Llanes Brownlee, and share her chosen theme for this round: “Illumination.”

Flash 405 is Exposition Review’s multi-genre short-form writing competition, awarding cash prizes and online publication to the winners. Whether you write prose, poetry, or experimental flash, we want to read your short-form supernovas.

Continue reading “Call for Entries: Flash 405, June 2025: “Illumination”” →

Spring is in full swing, and that means it’s almost time for April Flash 405!

Our 405-themed contest has historically opened the fourth day of each contest month, closing on the fifth of the following month. However, in the spirit of this round’s theme, we’re “quitting” our typical schedule and opening early! We will start accepting submissions on March 27, the same day as our our tenth-anniversary celebration at AWP Los Angeles!

The celebration will also feature readings by several previous Flash 405 winners.

Want to attend? If you’re in Los Angeles and/or attending AWP, our event at Truly LA is free!

Want to be featured in an Expo reading? Submit! Winners receive publication, a cash prize, and the opportunity to be featured in future Expo community events.

Keep reading to learn about how to submit, the contest theme, and the judge, Expo Associate Nonfiction Editor Francesca Spiegel.

Continue reading “Call for Entries: Flash 405, April 2025: “Quitting”” →

As our editors are hard at work putting together our “Spring” annual issue, we are also springing into 2025 with our first Flash 405 contest of the year!

From February 4 to March 5, we are accepting entries on the theme “Anchor,” chosen by judge and Expo Associate Editor Ashley Moon. Ashley is not new to Flash 405, having curated Composition: Reach, our second chapbook comprised of previous Flash 405 winners! We are thrilled to have her now take on the mantle of judge for our February contest.

Learn more about Ashley and this round of Flash 405:

Continue reading “Call for Entries: Flash 405, February 2025: “Anchor”” →