Inkitt’s biggest-ever writing contest is calling for cinematic biographical fiction about the founders who changed our world. Here’s everything you need to know.
The architects of Silicon Valley, the college dropouts, the rebels, the obsessives who rewired how we live, work, and connect, are among the most fascinating people of our era. And yet the definitive, cinematic version of their stories? It doesn’t exist yet, and that’s the story Inkitt wants you to write.
We’ve launched The Visionaries Writing Contest 2026, and with it, the largest prize in Inkitt history: $10,000 and a feature film adaptation for the best biographical narrative inspired by a visionary of the modern tech era.
What We’re Looking For
We want a compelling, cinematic biography of a real or thinly fictionalized tech founder – their origin story, their obsessions, their failures, and what drove them to change everything. Biopic, founder drama, tech origin story, docudrama, and historical fiction are all welcome. Go beyond the myth. We want the human behind the legend – the doubt, the gamble, the moment before everything changed.
What You Can Win
- Grand Prize ($10,000): Your story adapted into a feature film by Inkitt’s screenwriters, a social media spotlight across Inkitt’s platforms, an Inkitt VIP Badge, a contest winner badge for your book cover, and a feature on @inkittbooks Instagram.
- 2nd & 3rd Place ($500 each): The possibility of a feature film adaptation, social media spotlight, Inkitt VIP Badge, and contest winner badge.
The Rules (The Important Ones)
- Minimum 10,000 words, completed by the July 31st deadline.
- Your story must be published on Inkitt and submitted via the contest page or your work settings.
- Stories must be original – no plagiarism.
- Multiple entries are allowed, but only one story per author can win.
- Explicit sex scenes are not eligible; closed-door or fade-to-black is welcome. Other mature themes are permitted with appropriate labeling.
And a few things we’re not looking for:
- No hagiography. If your protagonist has no flaws, no contradictions, and no cost – start over.
- No passive founders. The story must turn on a decision your character makes, not on circumstances happening around them.
- No slow starts. The central tension must be established in the first 5 pages.
A New Chapter for Inkitt
We built Inkitt on the belief that the best stories come from unexpected places. We’ve seen it happen again and again with romance and fantasy – writers who found their audience here, stories that became global hits. The Visionaries is our invitation to prove that same thing in a new genre. The biopic is one of the most powerful storytelling formats we have. And we believe that somewhere out there, there’s a writer who can do it justice.
That writer might be you.
Ready to Submit?
The contest is free to enter and open to writers worldwide.
Deadline: July 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST
Minimum: 10,000 words
Open: Worldwide
Grand Prize: $10,000 + feature film
Submit your story at inkitt.com/contests/the-visionaries
