Writers are invited to create and submit a short story consisting of 50 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st and 25th paragraphs, and the short story writer crafts the rest. First prize is $3000, 2nd prize is $2000, and 3rd prize is $1000 with the winning short stories published in a short story anthology, as well as an invitation to give a public reading. The twenty-four finalists will also have their short stories included in this anthology.
ABOUT THE CONTEST
Owl Canyon Press provides paragraph #1 and two alternative paragraph #25’s. The writer gets to choose which paragraph #25 to use and then writes the other 48 paragraphs (i.e., paragraphs 2-24 and 26-50) to complete the story.
CONTEST DETAILS
- There’s no cost to enter
- Anyone can submit, including outside the USA, but the stories must be in English
- 50 Paragraphs total – including the 1st and 25th provided in the submission form
- No maximum word count, but each paragraph needs to be at least 40 words – this isn’t flash fiction so feel free to use as many words as you need to tell the story
- Dialog is fine as long as it’s in a paragraph of at least 40 words
- Authors retain all rights to their short stories
- Winning authors agree to permit Owl Canyon Press to publish their stories in an Anthology
- Winners receive up to $3000 in cash awards, publication in a short story anthology, and an invitation to give a public reading at Inkberry Books in Niwot, CO
- Winners will be notified in February 2019
- Failure to comply with any contest guidelines may result in disqualification
DEADLINE
1st December, 2018
Click here to submit your entry
NOTE: Scroll to the end of the submission page and create an account. Afterwards, you’ll see the 1st and 25th paragraphs.
For more details and contest judges, click here
Good Day, please how do I get the 1 and 25th paragraphs from the organisers of the contest?
Scroll down on the submission page and create an account. Afterwards, you’ll see the paragraphs.
So how do we get d 1st and 25th paragraphs? I don’t see them in the post…
Scroll down on the submission page and create an account. Afterwards, you’ll see the paragraphs.
I didn’t find the 1st and 25th paragraph to work with.
Scroll down on the submission page and create an account. Afterwards, you’ll see the paragraphs.
I want to be a part of this.
Follow the steps then
I have signed up but I am yet to receive the two paragraphs
Can I add a few more sentences to the first paragraph? I won’t erase anything from it. I’ll only be adding to it and make the already existing paragraph plus my addition a single paragraph. It’ll still be the first paragraph and the sentences I’ll add will come after the last already existing sentence.