Since the previous three contests saw lackluster participation, I think the best way to get the contests restarted is through an easy contest that requires minimal effort to participate. I’m not saying this will be the greatest contest ever, but I’m hoping this will at least get the ball rolling again.
To encourage as many entries as possible, I’m making the contest rules very simple and the prompt’s fairly straightforward. Hopefully this inspires some new writers to throw their hats in the ring and enlists some veterans to dust off their contest keyboards.
Prompt:
Below are eight (8) photos with a short caption attached to the photo. The prompt is simple: choose one of those eight photos and write a story about the photo. The story can detail how the girl(s) got in the situation and/or what happens next. Or just anything related to or inspired by the photo! I provided a short caption with each photo to hopefully get ideas flowing, but you by no means have to base your story off of the caption— only the photo.
I tried to find ENF pictures that were at least a little Summer themed (Summer parties, beaches, camp) and that would make a good story. Hopefully one of them gives you some inspiration.
Rules:
Here are the rules to go along with the prompts:
1. All stories must be posted by September 1, 2023 to be eligible to win the Summer Story Contest 2023
2. Authors may make multiple entries into the contest, but each author may only make one entry per photo
3. Authors must use one of the eight designated photos below for the story
4. Authors must post the photo at the beginning of their story so that the reader knows which photo the author has selected. If you do not know how to post an image, please contact me
5. Each story must be a minimum of 1000 words and a maximum of 3500 words. This broad range should be fairly easy for most writers to hit— not too long and not too short
6. All stories must otherwise conform to the Board Guidelines
EDIT TO RULES: I had a question come up regarding age range. I made rule 6 to be refer to the Board Guidelines regarding age. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of anything much younger than 18 but I know some people on this forum are. It doesn’t really matter to me as long as it conforms to the Board Guidelines. I think prior contests have put the limit at 16, so I am ok with that unless there is a strong push for something different.
I’m hoping the pictures and prompts get people inspired to participate in contests once again. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the Board and I know I’m not alone in wishing for a strong return.
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