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Sunday, 26 July 2015

August Short Fiction Contest

"Watain 27 03 2014 08" by Vassil - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

I'm going a little old school with the image this month. Some of the first horror stories I read were Dennis Wheatley's satanism themed adventures. I'm still a fan of supernatural evil stories so it seemed like a good idea for a prompt. What do you think someone would pray for at such an altar?

As always the stories can be of any genre. They just have to be inspired by this month's image and no more than 500 words.

Entry to the contest remains free and there are prizes for the three winners. I will also feature any of the stories that don't win but I believe are worth showcasing on this blog.
  • First prize is a £50 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize
  • Second prize is a £20 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize
  • Third prize is a £10 Amazon gift card or PayPal prize
The money for the prizes come out of my own pocket, although I do make a little from advertising on this blog. So if you see something of interest then feel free to click on the links and purchase away! If you haven't tried my books yet then check them out at the top of the page, as well as buying a good read you'll be helping this contest.

Please make sure to check your story for typos before submitting. I don't mind a few errors, but my enjoyment of a story is diminished if I have to wade through too many.

I'll post the winning entries by September 1st 2015.

As with everything in life there are a few rules:
  • Only one entry per person.
  • The story must not be longer than 500 words.
  • Closing date for submissions is August 23rd 2015.
  • By submitting the story you grant me a non-exclusive license to post the story on this blog. I do ask that I post it here first.
  • You also grant me a one time non-exclusive license to include the story in an e-book release.
  • The judge's decision is final.
Use the form below to enter your submission. After you've submitted please leave a comment on this page stating that you have submitted. And please help spread the word. Great stories deserve great readers!

As well as comments section below you can chat about this competition in any of the threads I've listed below. If you don't know the sites then entering the competition is a good way to introduce yourself. Note that these sites are not affiliated with the competition in any way!




If you've started your own thread or discussion somewhere about this month's competition then let me know and I'll add the link to this page.
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22 comments:

  1. Roly Peck27 July 2015 at 10:22

    Your picture brought back some memories, hope you like the abbreviated version of them! I had forgotten just how tough writing 500 words could be. Will post the comp on my blog and on facebook - hope you get some great entries!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Abha Iyengar28 July 2015 at 07:55

    Hi,
    I have submitted a story.
    Will post the competition on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Michael Brookes28 July 2015 at 13:06

    Thanks Abha.

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  4. Keith Gillison30 July 2015 at 12:14

    Just submitted now. Interesting theme. I like photo theme comps, they make you think of something different than you would normally write. Keith

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  5. Val Portelli (Voinks)1 August 2015 at 23:29

    A challenge I couldn't resist. I hope you enjoy my submission.Thanks for keeping the creative juices flowing.

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  6. PattyannMcCarthy5 August 2015 at 18:37

    Submitted my story. Thanks, as always, Michael for hosting this great site and competition. Loved the photo prompt. Nice choice.

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  7. Allen Stroud5 August 2015 at 22:32

    Submitted. Good luck all.

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    Replies
    1. Allen Stroud15 August 2015 at 19:16

      Alternative submission made. 'Chalk' is my story of preference, forget the other one.

      Delete
  8. Tracy16 August 2015 at 18:38

    Thanks for running this competition Michael - great image and great fun. I've submitted 'The Other Curtain.' Have fun reading the entries!

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  9. G. E. Smith18 August 2015 at 07:00

    Mr. Brookes,

    I've submitted my story for this month's contest.

    Thank you for reviewing my work.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous19 August 2015 at 15:53

    Entered. Thanks again for running the competition. Great image - like an old school Hammer Horror film.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Stormcrow22 August 2015 at 06:57

    I wasn't sure if I could come up with something in time, but I just finished and submitted! Thanks, Michael!

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  12. Betty Rocksteady23 August 2015 at 03:27

    Entered :D

    ReplyDelete