Is it that time of the year again?? The leaves have started turning, the wind is growing colder, the sun is setting sooner…The months have flown by like ghosts and the harvest moon is now behind us…
So, what time is it, do you ask? Why, time for the Wacky Pumpkin, of course, our Halloween writing contest! Grab your quills, parchment, and jack-o’-lanterns, and keep reading to learn how you can take part…
The Challenge: Write a short story (no longer than 500 words) based on one of the following Halloween-inspired prompts:
You’re asleep in a house and someone lets out a scream. You live alone.
Death visits you in a dream. You must bargain with him to take someone else’s soul.
You’ve been invited to a Halloween dinner. Human is on the menu.
Your date for Halloween gives you a goody bag. Inside is an actual body part.
You attend a seance and decide to summon your ex from a few years ago. You get more than you bargain for.
The Dates: You can start writing now, but official submissions will open on October 1st, and close on October 16th.
The Catch: This year, we are able to host entries on our very own writing website, wackywriters.com! If you don’t already have an account, you can sign up using your forum credentials. The best part about this is that we can now accept mature-rated contest entries! Just make sure you mark your story accordingly
The Rules
We accept English manuscripts of any genre (with the exceptions of erotica, poetry, plays, and screenplays) up to 500 words long. Titles are not included in the word count. Submissions must abide by our Code of Conduct and the WackyWriters Terms of Use.
Mature entries are accepted, as long as they are marked and tagged accordingly.
1 submission per person.
The submission must be an original work that follows one of the prompts given and that has not been published previously.
Your completed entry must be published on wackywriters.com and subsequently submitted to the contest between Friday, October 1st, and Saturday, October 16th. Submit your story HERE. Submissions cannot be altered after entry. Submissions after the deadline or submitted in other ways are not eligible.
The short stories will be judged on grammar/spelling, vocabulary, writing technique/style, plot & originality, and how well the chosen prompt was followed.
The winners will be announced on October 31st.
You must be a member of the Wacky Writers forum and website to join. Making an account is free.
Wacky Writers moderators are not eligible to enter the contest.
The Prizes
The first prize winner will receive:
Your entry featured as the winner on the Wacky Writers forum & social media.
An ad free forums experience for 30 days.
A free cover (for personal use only on free writing platforms) + character art for your winning entry.
Positive feedback on your submission.
A special badge on the forums.
A custom emoji on the forums.
The second prize winner will receive:
Your entry featured as a winner on the Wacky Writers forum & social media.
Positive feedback on your submission.
A special badge on the forums.
A custom emoji on the forums.
The third prize winner will receive:
Your entry featured as a winner on the Wacky Writers forum & social media.
What will be the entry method? A link to the book? Link to the chapter? Or paste directly into the form?
Also, I understand that I may enter only one story, but if I end up writing more than one, can they all be within the same book but in different chapters? I’d rather not create a separate book for a 500-word story.
Go for it. You never know what you’ll discover about yourself.
I participated in an awesome Halloween Wattpad contest back in 2019 and I’m beyond happy that I challenged myself. Ever day we got a new prompt. It was crazy to write a new story every day and not all of them were awesome, but some of them became my faves. That’s when I discovered that I’m pretty good at writing disturbing, dark-humor type of things.
I’m looking forward to adding more stories to my Halloween collection.
Yeah, probably a link to the book, and if you’re writing multiple, then a link to the chapter. And then probably also specifying the chapter title. I have yet to figure out the form But it’s a good point you brought up! You definitely wouldn’t have to write multiple books just for 500-word long stories.
Uhm so my english understanding skills might have fallen asleep but do you mean to say, you write a book featuring each of the prompts in every chapter of your book that you’ll have first posted on wackywriters.com then submitted to the contest🤔 sowi I’m juss confused
So, to take part in the contest, you have to choose one prompt and write a 500-word story. This story you must then post on wackywriters.com.
If you would like to write more than one story - using the same prompt, or a different one - you are free to do so. However, you can only submit one story to the contest.
In case you wish to publish all of your stories - and not just your contest submission - you can collect them in a single anthology book, instead of publishing one book for each story. Then you will have to submit the link to the chapter that contains your contest entry.
Grab your quills, parchment, and jack-o’-lanterns, and keep reading to learn how you can take part…
you can only submit one story, but you can definitely write multiple!
When are submissions due? End of October?
But it’s a good point you brought up! You definitely wouldn’t have to write multiple books just for 500-word long stories.
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