Villanelle of Regret
Write a villanelle about regret, obsession, or longing that won’t fade.
Prizes
- 5 Winners:
- $200
- 15 Runners-up:
- $15
- 10 Honorable Mentions:
- $5
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Sep 12, 2025
Submissions closed
Dec 06, 2025 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Dec 12, 2025
Prizes
- 5 Winners:
- $200
- 15 Runners-up:
- $15
- 10 Honorable Mentions:
- $5
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Sep 12, 2025
Submissions closed
Dec 06, 2025 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Dec 12, 2025
About this challenge
This Challenge is part of the Vocal+ Fall Poetry Series. Learn more
The Prompt
Write a villanelle about regret, obsession, or longing that won’t fade.
A villanelle is a poem of repetition, nineteen lines, refrains that circle back, and emotions that gather strength with each return. The form is well-suited to themes of regret, obsession, or longing that will not fade.
Let the refrains do the work. Each repetition can press deeper, sharpen the ache, or turn memory into something haunting.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- A villanelle poem that adheres to the traditional rhyme scheme: ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA.
- Submitted to the Poets community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
- Submitted before December 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
- Your work must be original and unpublished.
The Prizes
- 5 Winners: $200 each
- 15 Runners-up: $15 each
- 10 Honorable Mentions: $5 each
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be a villanelle poem and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until December 5, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Villanelle of Regret Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://shopping-feedback.today/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win, you must be over the age of 13 and reside in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
Small Heat
Write a haiku about a small source of warmth during winter.
$200 Grand Prize40 hours leftInstructions Included
Tell a story in the form of instructions, guidelines, or a how-to manual for something fictional or mundane.
$200 Grand Prize8 days leftNothing But Voices
Write a complete short story using only dialogue. No descriptions, no dialogue tags, and no internal thoughts. Just voices on the page.
$200 Grand Prize15 days leftPublic Announcement
Write a poem that takes the form of a public announcement, notice, or warning.
$200 Grand Prize20 days leftMismatch
Write a story that blends two contrasting genres, such as horror and romance, science fiction and western, or fantasy and noir.
$200 Grand Prize22 days leftCraft Over Catharsis
Write a story that prioritizes structure, technique, or form over emotional release.
$200 Grand Prize29 days leftInstructions for a Feeling
Write a poem that gives instructions for how to experience, create, or avoid a feeling.
$200 Grand Prize34 days leftRituals of Affection
Write a story about a recurring ritual tied to love, romance, or connection. Something about it is unusual, unsettling, or unexplained.
$200 Grand Prize36 days left
Challenge resources
FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Teamabout 16 hours ago in Resources
FPS: Villanelle of Regret Challenge Winners
Some feelings don’t fade. They repeat. The Villanelle of Regret challenged poets to write into that return. To let regret, longing, and obsession build with each pass, rather than resolve. The strongest entries trusted repetition to carry the weight.
By Vocal Curation Team27 days ago in Resources
The Forgotten Room Challenge Winners
Some doors stay shut because crossing the threshold changes something. In The Forgotten Room, writers stepped into spaces thick with dust, memory, and silence. What they found there wasn’t always safe or clear, but it was honest, layered, and unforgettable. Here, setting isn’t background noise; it’s the heart of the story, carrying the weight of what’s been hidden or avoided.
By Vocal Curation Team29 days ago in Resources
