100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest
Contest Number Six
September 18, 2010—December 18, 2010
Fiction
NEWS:
- We are continuing with four opportunities to win. First prize winner will receive $500. Runner up prizes will be $150, $100, and $50.
- For Contest Six, story subjects are up to you, with attention to specifications on the "WHAT WE WANT..." (following) page. Do take a good look at "TIPS" on that page.
THE ONE HUNDRED WORD STORY—EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE DON'T WANT. (Aren't we the bossy ones!!!)
As always, we welcome whimsy, allegory, mystery, romance, fable, humor, love, fantasy, even horror. And it doesn’t matter whether the story is in past or present tense, in first person, third person, or even second person.
Not acceptable are non-fiction pieces, anecdotes, letters, poems, or any writing that is not a complete, fictional narrative. Any story that lacks proper English punctuation and grammar will be sent back to the author. Also unacceptable is a rewrite of any story entered into the current or past 100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest.
TIPS
The best 100 word story writers tend to do the following:
- Stick to one or two characters.
- Stick to one action.
- Write to a story's point. Do not write beyond that point, even if you have extra words. If you do continue, your story will likely be less strong.
- Avoid dog and cat stories. (A gorilla's or elephant's presence might work.)
- Write from imagination. This will give you more leeway for creativity than a personal story which is likely to appear as a personal anecdote.
- Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite for excessive adjectives, adverbs, and for clarity.
- The "Show not tell" approach allows the reader to participate--to bring details and meanings to a story. (See the Hemingway story below.)
- Read master stories!
Point of View--Hemingway
Some writers have sent in stories containing more than one point of view. In general, and particularly in a short, short story, this presents a complexity in a form which requires simplicity of characterizations and plot. We recommend first person narration (I) or third person narration (He, She, or It—Your dog can tell the story!). Here is a masterwork written from an invisible third person point of view. It is attributed to Ernest Hemingway. The six words are:
“For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never used”.
You may note that Hemingway’s story contains a hallmark of story tradition: a structured beginning, middle and end. The story is complete. Inferences are open but will depend on information given in the six words.
Fable--Aesop
It is popularly believed that Aesop was a slave who lived six centuries B.C. in Greece. The endurance of the following fable, along with others from that time, attests to the power of our short, short narrative. In fables, one or two animals always take prominent roles which demonstrate a human flaw and/or mental agility. (Aesop’s “The Goat and the Fox” offers the two characteristics.) There is always a moral that pulls the lesson of the story together. We Americans generally write about people in action and expect the reader to infer meanings. You may try a fable if you would like!
The Fox and the Grapes
One hot summer's day, a fox strolled through an orchard until he came to a bunch of ripe grapes on a vine trained over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," he cried. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a “One, Two, Three,” he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he sought the tempting morsels, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour."
Moral: It is easy to despise what you cannot get
What human characteristics do you see in this story????
Fiction
Official Guidelines
Please read the following guidelines carefully. It would be a shame to be disqualified on technical grounds.
1. What is the format for entries?
Enter your story inside the text of an email message. This contest requires 100 words or fewer.
Attachments will not be considered. Present your name, mailing address, repeated email address, and your story's word count at the top of your entry. We require good grammar and spelling. Use a plain 12 point font. We suggest Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman, or Courier.
2. What are the locations of entrants?
Entrants may be located anywhere on Earth.
3. Must the entries be original?
Your entry must be original, in English, unpublished and not accepted by any other publisher or producer at the time of submission. 100 words or Fewer Writing Contest retains one-time publication rights to the First and Second winning entries, to be published once on the 100 words or Fewer Writing Contest website.
No revisions of stories evaluated and critiqued on from any 100 Words Or Fewer Writing Contest will be accepted. Revisions from other contests you entered are certainly acceptable.
4. Is there a given topic?
The topic is open. However, anything lewd or libelous will be discarded immediately. The payment will not be returned.
5. Is the word count limitation firm?
Yes! Entries exceeding the word limit will not be considered. Type the exact word count (counting every single word, except the title and contact information) at the top of your entry.
6. What are the fees?
Please use Paypal for secure payment of entry fee ($15.00); entry plus checkmark evaluation ($21.00); entry, checkmark evaluation and critique ($49.00); and critique alone ($30.00). (An entrant may decide on a critique after sending in a story.) Under special circumstances, a check sent directly to us will be acceptable.
7. What is the deadline?
The deadline for Contest Six is December 18, 2010.
(Note this is a three month contest.) Any manuscript received after the deadline will not be considered. Entries may be sent immediately.
8. How will I know if I have won?
The four winners and ten honorary mention designates for Contest Six will be determined by our Final Judge by January 10th, 2011. Prizes will be issued by mail on January 15th, 2011. The four winners and winning stories will be posted on the website by January 17th, 2011, or earlier, along with information regarding the next contest.
9. May I send more than one entry?
Certainly. We welcome each entry. Fees are as stated in 6., above.
10. What is the basis for your decisions regarding each entry?
Judges will look for the following:
immediate pull of the story’s fictional world,
believable characters,
voice, which should contain a personal flavor and possibly humor,
intensity and drive of focus,
power of images,
cadence and flow of sentences,
overall structural integrity,
beauty of language,
suspense,
plot twist, or ending that concludes a coherent story,
power of ending, and
overall emotional impact.
Judges will first segregate stories into higher and lower groups. Stories with higher rankings will be read again and narrowed down for further segregation. This process will be repeated until our final judge determines first, second, and third places. At each point, judges’ decisions are final.