Unsolicited Nudes
The Pioneer-plaque explanation: humanity sent a nude before saying hello, then wondered why nobody replied.
Read the storySeptember 2026 Emoti winners
20 Write Club members voted to select the winners.
ROFL
Funniest authored line or exchange
HAWT
Most romantically compelling character
An Almost Perfect Day
Johnny — affectionate husbandly playfulness that releases Melody’s tension.
Read the storyNOPE
Scariest or most viscerally unsettling sequence
Co-winner
Forgotten Things
The boy’s flayed body becomes a household object, with recognizable bodily traces still present.
Read the storyCo-winner
The Route to Tessa — Interlude II: Jonas
Jonas loses his daughter in the ash and crowd and fears recognizing her among the fallen.
Read the storyFLEX
Exceptional literary composition
Firefly on the Tongue
The swallowed light and the “roiling mass of rust-colored forest floor.”
Read the storyOOOF
Most emotional line or sequence
Winter Sun
Nook interrupts a suicidal crisis, becomes the reason for a promise, and receives a final goodbye.
Read the storyGASP
The reveal that changes what readers understand
WHOA
Coolest original idea
INK: Flash #2 — Chopsticks
Paired heart/hurt tattoos let a child participate in a transfer of illness while the healer bears a share of the cost.
Read the storyICON
Most compelling character
Unhuman Resources — Part 2 of 3
Astrid — the tiny, pink-sneakered ex whose arrival reorganizes the entire scene.
Read the storyGOAT
Outstanding Reader & Critic · Separately judged
Outstanding Reader & Critic
Practical prose and reader-experience diagnosis Carl repeatedly translates reader problems into practical craft decisions.
Visit the recipientHow the Emotis work
Write Club readers discuss stories and share reactions during each session. Those conversations inform the Emoti shortlist.
From August 2026, each author may receive one community story award per month. Confirmed votes determine the ranking: an author keeps their largest raw-vote victory margin, and other awards pass to the next eligible author. Equal margins are settled by runner-up eligibility, category participation, then the first-to-third vote gap; admins resolve any remaining choice of category for the same author. Eligible nominees tied within a category share the award. GOAT recognizes outstanding reader feedback and is separately judged. Earlier months retain their original judging process.
Explore reading archives and judging materialAward guide · nine categories
HAWT
Maximum Swoon
Romantic tension and chemistry that made the room swoon.
ROFL
Funniest Line(s)
Dialogue, narration, or comic timing that landed hardest.
FLEX
Literary Craft
Exceptional sentences, technique, or structure.
OOOF
Maximum Feels
An emotional turn that hit the room with unusual force.
NOPE
Things We Cannot Unsee
Horror, dread, or imagery that stayed with readers.
GASP
Best “Wait, What?!”
A reveal or turn that surprised the room.
WHOA
Mind-Blowing Concept / Idea
Ideas and worldbuilding that opened new possibilities.
ICON
Iconic Character
A character with an unforgettable voice or presence.
GOAT
Outstanding Reader & Critic
Community feedback that helped authors strengthen their work.