Rules:
Entries close at 11:59pm (UK time) October 15th. Any entries made after this date will not be considered and will be disqualified.
Theme:
Your story can be about anything you wish, but it must be original and your own work.
Word Count:
Maximum 300 words, excluding the title. Entries over the limit will be disqualified.
Original Work:
Your story must be previously unpublished and written by you. AI-generated or plagiarised work is not prohibited. It must also be written in English.
One Entry Per Person:
You may submit only one story for this competition, if you submit more than one, only your first entry will be acknowledged.
Format:
Copy and pasted into the available space below. OR saved as a Word document or PDF and uploaded.
Use standard readable font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial) in size 12-14 pt.
Include your story title on the document.
Age:
Open to writers aged 13+. Writers must also have not been published previously, and not have won another writing competition at the time of entry.
Entry Fee:
£3 entry fee. The name of your entry should also be the title of your story.
Judging:
Stories are judged anonymously. Please do not include your name in the document.
The judge’s decision is final.
Rights:
Copyright remains with the author. Winning and shortlisted stories may be published on our website and shared on our social channels (with your permission).
Payment:
The winner will be paid via bank transfer (for UK residents) or PayPal payment, to be arranged with the winners, within one week of the announcement of winners (subject to receiving the relevant information from the winning author).
What does the winner receive?
First Prize:
£20 cash prize.
Featured publication on our website.
Personal feedback from our beginner judging team.
2 Runners-up:
Publication on our website.
Winners Announced:
Winners will be notified by email and announced on our website and social media by October 31st.