Member-Sponsored Horror in January Contest

Details

Deadline:Feb 28, 2021
Fee:Free

Ladies and Gentleman, it's time for the Horror in January contest!

The drabble form (100 words) is one of the hardest forms to employ in fiction because a story needs to be told in such a limited word count.

Every genre of fiction has rules, and horror is no different. Horror ends badly. No one can be trusted. The tension must be tightened. The atmosphere builds. The ending can't be a “cheap twist.”

The winning entries should have the following:

Complete story—each sentence must build upon the previous sentence. There must be a beginning, middle and an end. No abstractions; details must be vivid enough so that the reader can share in the experience. No excessive violence, sex or abuse to turn off the more sensitive readers. No more than three characters; anything over can cause them to be less than fully developed characters. The best stories do not have a “cheap twist.” However, the story could be open-ended.

Drabble—A drabble is a story that could be told in 100 words. Not 99 words. Not 101 words. Hyphenated words are counted as one word. Do not try to make up your own words. Also, don't try to hyphenate a bunch of words that don't normally get hyphenated in order to get to the “right word count.” Titles do not count as part of the word count.

Ready for submission—SPaG. Read your story aloud before submitting to the contest.

We are also including an award for most critiques to your story.

Have fun, and good luck!

Prize money for this contest is provided by the Scribophile Writing Contest Prize Fund.

Winning entries

Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.

Prizes

1st prize:$100 cash via PayPal, 20 karma points
2nd prize:$75 cash via Paypal, 15 karma points
3rd prize:$50 cash via PayPal, 10 karma points

Rules

  • Entries must be received by February 28, 2021, 11:59pm UTC.

  • Entries must be 100 words, per Scribophile’s count.

  • Multiple entries are not allowed.

  • Fiction only, please.

  • No poetry or novel chapters.

  • Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.

  • If you have placed in a contest in the past with a piece, you may not resubmit that piece to this contest.

Submission guidelines

  • To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says “Enter this work into the Member-Sponsored Horror in January Contest.”

  • Entry is free, but you’ll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of other member’s work.

  • Winners should be announced by March 14.