Deadline: January 21st, 2024
Prizes: First place is 35 USD, for second place is 25 USD, and for third place is 15 USD, to be distributed via PayPal
Theme: Hope

Flash Fiction Contest: Hope

Since our magazine’s founding, we have noticed a trend in our submissions of works that harken to the darkening of the spirit, the decay of our planet, and our accumulating sense of hopelessness. Can we blame them? We have felt this malaise in our own spirits. As such, we have decided to hold a flash fiction contest in the name of hope.

Hope is not the lack of darkness but a defiance of it. It is the mote of light we fix our gazes on as we struggle through the twisting world of our reality and what’s within our psyches. We would like to see the kinds of stories that hook us in the gut but keep us on the reel—that keep us searching for that tiny spark of defiance.

The award for first place is 35 USD, for second place is 25 USD, and for third place is 15 USD, to be distributed via PayPal. All three will be published to our website. The first place winner will be given an opportunity to discuss their work in a special feature.

The deadline to submit for this special contest is January 21st, 2024. Below are the rules for qualification:

• Please send us your best interpretation of this theme, in the form of a work of fiction no longer than 1,000 words.
• Only one submission to this contest is allowed per author.
• All submissions should honor our magazine’s core theming. We prefer works in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, paranormalism, surrealism, and magical realism.
• Please include your preferred name for publication, your personal pronouns, and a short author bio in your submission.
• Our general submission rules still apply, where applicable.
• Email your submission as a Word DOC, DOCX, or PDF to [email protected] with the words Flash Fiction Contest included in the title of the email.

The best way to learn what we are looking for is to read us! All of our issues are available to read for free online. To check out our Winter 2023 issue, click here. You might just find something you like, too!

Via: The Fantastic Other.