Sunday, 23 August 2015

September Short Fiction Contest

Painting by Luciana Nedelea - https://www.facebook.com/LucianaNedeleaArt

For this month's image I was going to do something a bit more light-hearted after last month's satanic altar. However I spotted this image and when I saw it was available I had to buy it! Regular readers of my blog might recognise the style. It is by the talented Luciana Nedelea who also painted the picture for The Space Inbetween - http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/the-space-inbetween-preview.html - one of my upcoming books and also the tattoo in progress on my back. You can check out her amazing artwork here:

https://www.facebook.com/LucianaNedeleaArt

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 October 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 September 20th 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.
Posted by at

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous26 August 2015 at 04:23

    just submitted my story! thank you for the opportunity :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chris T26 August 2015 at 12:25

    Hi Michael,

    My story contains italicised words which aren't compatible with the Google form. Any way round this?

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Words of Bek28 August 2015 at 06:05

    Just submitted. It was a pleasure to write something to match this picture! Thank you for the opportunity and good luck to all entries.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stormcrow29 August 2015 at 14:05

    Michael, I absolutely love the image for this month's contest. Love it. Unfortunately, I have no story ideas for it, but I still have a few weeks to come up with something. Even if I don't come up with anything, I look forward to reading the winning stories, which will be just in time to mark the beginning of October!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rie Sheridan Rose1 September 2015 at 22:35

    Absolutely loved the picture this month, Michael. Story submitted. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael Brookes2 September 2015 at 09:03

      Agreed - you should see her other work! Thanks for entering :-)

      Delete
  6. Peter Fisher2 September 2015 at 14:09

    Submitted, Michael. All the best.

    ReplyDelete
  7. John Moralee10 September 2015 at 11:04

    I enjoyed working on a story for this month's picture. I liked the haunting picture. Just sent my submission.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Unknown10 September 2015 at 16:42

    Ah this one came to me after looking at it several times. Then it just fell completely in place in my head and I wrote it just now in like twenty minutes. Hope this one wins. I could use the grocery money.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anita Dickason15 September 2015 at 21:29

    Michael
    Just submitted my story. It has been sometime since I entered your contest. I could not, however, pass on this unique picture.
    Anita Dickason

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous19 September 2015 at 02:08

    Submitted! Any artwork by Luciana Nedelea provides all the inspiration anyone needs. Thank you for the opportunity. -Steven R.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ZZleeZZ20 September 2015 at 17:46

    Submitted!
    Was going to leave it this month due to time constraints, but this picture kept calling me back.
    Hope you like the story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael Brookes20 September 2015 at 19:02

      Thanks!

      Delete
    2. ZZleeZZ20 September 2015 at 23:37

      I shall be at EGX Saturday and Sunday, if you are still there expect me to shuffle over to your stand with a bacon sandwich by way of a sly bribe ;)

      Delete
  12. Unknown20 September 2015 at 22:06

    Sorry for being so last minute
    Thanks for the opportunity
    Andrew

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jillian20 September 2015 at 23:28

    Submitted, just in time :) Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. G. E. Smith21 September 2015 at 06:14

    Mr. Brookes,

    I've submitted my story for this month.

    Thanks for reviewing my work.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ZZleeZZ21 September 2015 at 08:59

    Have a nasty feeling I didn't include the title of my entry. Just in case it's called.
    "Mine"
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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