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Sunday, 20 December 2015

January Short Fiction Contest

By Penny Dreadful Newspaper (Penny Dreadful Paper 1838) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
I'm going old school again with January's contest image with a classic cover from Penny Dreadful magazine. I'm looking forward to seeing what stories you all come up with for this image!

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 Febuary 1st 2016.

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 January 24th 2016.
  • By submitting the story you grant me a non-exclusive license to post the story on this blog. I do request 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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43 comments:

  1. Anonymous30 December 2015 at 20:29

    Submitted to the January contest after I saw the post on facebook. Sorry don't have a blog or website..... I'm a closet scribbler.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1 January 2016 at 18:54

    I've submitted after seeing the prompt on Horror Tree. Ill be intrigued to see what others come up with.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jeff Stevenson2 January 2016 at 20:17

    Hi Michael--

    I just submitted "The Devil Arrives in Heaven." Thanks for the terrific challenge!

    Best,
    Jeff

    ReplyDelete
  4. Unknown4 January 2016 at 18:50

    Just submitted. Thanks for the opportunity.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Unknown9 January 2016 at 09:32

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Unknown9 January 2016 at 09:34

    Submitted "Forever Up to No Good" a couple days ago. Thanks for all your hard work! Looking forward to the results.-Dan

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  7. Anonymous9 January 2016 at 23:12

    Just submitted my story "Predator", thanks for the great oppurtunity!
    - Hannah

    ReplyDelete
  8. Voinks10 January 2016 at 21:40

    Story submitted. Thanks Michael. Apart from being inspiration for a short story, the research involved is great for increasing my trivia knowledge.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Unknown11 January 2016 at 03:12

    Story submitted.... Having trouble commenting unless you approve comments before they go up. If that's the case sorry I blew it up. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown11 January 2016 at 03:14

      Oh btw, story has some internal dialogue which needs italics and fixing later. I hope that's not a problem. (The Devil's Bad Day is the story)

      Delete
    2. Michael Brookes11 January 2016 at 12:58

      No worries.

      Delete
  10. Unknown11 January 2016 at 08:51

    Hello, Just submitted my short story. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. K. C. Finn12 January 2016 at 11:23

    Found your contest at Kboards a few days ago Michael. Just submitted something for you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tom O'Mara16 January 2016 at 02:14

    really enjoyed the challenge

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  13. Paula H17 January 2016 at 14:31

    Have submitted my entry - The Stalker.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous19 January 2016 at 20:19

    Just submitted my entry 'Old Springheel'
    Love the contest image and can't wait to see what people come up with.
    -N

    ReplyDelete
  15. MS Swift20 January 2016 at 18:51

    Just submitted under pen name MS Swift, many thanks for running comp, I look forward to reading entries and checking out your blog! Mark

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous21 January 2016 at 14:10

    Hi Michael, Love the picture! I've just submitted my entry, JC

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous22 January 2016 at 21:40

    Submitted! Thank you for the opportunity. :)Shermie

    ReplyDelete
  18. mortisorlp24 January 2016 at 12:09

    Hi, interesting competition. Thanks. :D Submission submitted.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Tim Roberts24 January 2016 at 12:38

    Submitted my entry. A bit later than I anticipated because my original idea evolved to way more than the 500 word limit.

    Thank you for the wonderful prompt.

    Tim

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous24 January 2016 at 12:43

    Hello! Great prompt - I have submitted my short story 'My baby is a monster', thanks. Claire MC

    ReplyDelete
  21. G. E. Smith24 January 2016 at 21:13

    Sunday, January 24, 2016


    Mr. Brookes,

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

    Thanks again for reviewing my work.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Unknown3 February 2016 at 02:25

    Hey! When will winners be announced??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael Brookes3 February 2016 at 13:09

      THere's been a bit of a delay - I will post the winners this weekend.

      Delete