SUBMISSION WINDOW OPENS TODAY!

First place winner will receive $15 SBD. Second place winner gets $10 SBD. Third place takes home $5 SBD. $30 SBD in all, courtesy of @originalworks.

On Wednesday, I made a "heads-up" post giving people some lead time on their entries since the submission window in this contest is so short--deadline is midnight, 10/15. Today we get down to business!

TO ENTER THIS CONTEST, PLEASE PLACE A LINK TO YOUR SUBMISSION IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS POST. I'LL DO MY BEST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM ALL.

CONTEST PROMPT
Write a 500-word story about a character whose flaws make them a less-than-ideal protagonist, yet they go on to achieve some form of greatness despite being “written off” by everyone who knows them. This is a complex theme, and word count is minimal, so this is quite a challenge. I will be looking for someone who can bring this theme across effectively and efficiently.

TIPS FROM THE JUDGE

I will be the only judge in this contest. And I’m tough. Be forewarned. If you lose me in the opening lines of your submission, I won’t keep reading. In this regard, I have much in common with J.A. Konrath. Read his article HERE about how not to start a story.

In fact, I encourage you to read many of the articles on writing posted at the Writers’ Block website. They can be found HERE. And do yourself a favor. Submit your story to the Fiction Workshop at The Writers’ Block. Let our editors improve your chances of winning. Learn how to find us HERE.

Correct grammar, spelling, and syntax matter to me. The mechanics of the writing matters to me. The execution matters to me. All of these things will factor in the judging, as well as how closely your story fits the prompt. It is also important that you submit an actual story, not an essay or an anecdote. A proper story has a clear beginning, middle, and end. There is a definable arc. Entertain me! Surprise me! If you do, you might just win this contest.