Jumpstart, kickstart, push start
Sometimes writing feels like a smooth machine, well-oiled gears turning and pistons churning to spill words onto the page. Sometimes it… doesn’t. And that’s when it’s time to haul out the jumper cables, stomp on the lever, or roll your story to the top of the hill and push, hoping to jump in and pop the clutch at exactly the right moment. The thing is? No matter how you get your writing engine in gear, sometimes you need a little help. Maybe you want a great prompt. Maybe you work better with an external deadline imposed on you. Maybe you just need a really big carrot dangled in front of you. Does this sound like the place a promotional post would segue into its actual pitch? Let’s segue.
We’ve got what you need. Solid prompts designed by writers for writers, a tight but not so-tight-you-can’t-eat-dinner-with-your-family deadline, feedback from industry-professional judges to help you get your story publication-ready even if it doesn’t win the round, and cash prizes! Whether you’re an experienced flash fiction writer or you’re just dipping your toes in for the first time, this is the competition for you. If you’re not already hooked, let me tell you the same thing again, but in more detail and with more exclamation points. If you already know you want in on this, scroll to the bottom and hit that button to get registered!
YeahWrite’s prompts are challenging and fun, and the hints/tips/helps the judges offer about how to address them are appreciated.
The 5 W’s: what, why, where, when, who? (Plus a bonus “how”)
Let us break the competition down for you!
What is it?
The Super Challenge is a prompted, 48-hour flash competition alternating between fiction and creative nonfiction (and the occasional microfiction contest). Prompts are released on a Friday night at 10pm US Eastern time, and at that point writers have 48 hours to craft their best response in 1,000 words or fewer. The judges read all entries blind (anonymously) and provide detailed feedback on each piece. The top 10 or so writers move on to a second round with new prompts.
Super Challenge #26 is for flash fiction, and we’d love to see you there!
Why should I enter?
There are literally hundreds of writing competitions on the internet (and beyond). Some are even free. So why should you choose ours? Here are a few of the biggest reasons.
- Unique, anthology-style prompts that are fun to write to and broad enough for your work to remain relevant after the competition is over.
- Personalized feedback on every entry from professional editors and writers.
- Cash prizes: $200 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd, and $100 for 3rd!
- A wonderful and supportive community of writers on Facebook and Discord, plus access to a special Discord channel on our server that’s guaranteed judge-free so you can compare prompts, ask questions, and find beta readers for your stories!
Bonus: you retain ownership of your work, meaning you can turn around, polish it up (based on that professional feedback!), and send it out for possible publication in your favorite markets—like many of our participants have gone on to do. Past Super Challenge entrants have published stories and essays in Luna Station Quarterly, Shoreline of Infinity, Sunlight Press, Tall Tale TV, Fiction on the Web, Pure in Heart Stories, Eucalyptus & Rose Literary Magazine, Gingerbread House Literary Magazine, and more!
Where does it happen?
The schedule (and all the details, like the rules) are online on the Super Challenge #26 webpage. But that’s not all – we also have a robust online community on Discord, where participants can ask the admin team questions, find beta readers, and panic in solidarity with other writers. Best of all, no judges are allowed, so you can feel free to speak your mind without worrying about compromising your entry’s anonymity.
When does it take place?
The first round of Super Challenge #26 runs from November 4-6, 2022. Shortlisted writers will move on to the final round, which runs December 2-4, 2022. Winners will be announced on December 23.
Who are we?
The YeahWrite team is made up of professional editors, writing instructors, and authors! The judges who read your stories have oodles of experience writing and reading for publications (yes, you’ve heard of some of them) and contests. We believe in paying our judges what their time and thoughtful consideration of your work are worth, which is why we charge a registration fee. This helps us ensure that you’ll always have professional, valuable feedback that helps you take your work to the next level even if you don’t win.
How do I enter?
Registration is open until 10pm US Eastern on November 2, 2022. Visit the Super Challenge #26 webpage to complete the registration form.
About the author:
Rowan submitted exactly one piece of microfiction to YeahWrite before being consumed by the editorial darkside. She spent some time working hard as our Submissions Editor before becoming YeahWrite’s Managing Editor in 2016. She was a BlogHer Voice of the Year in 2017 for her work on intersectional feminism, but she suggests you find and follow WOC instead. In real life she’s been at various times an attorney, aerialist, professional knitter, artist, graphic designer (yes, they’re different things), editor, secretary, tailor, and martial artist. It bothers her vaguely that the preceding list isn’t alphabetized, but the Oxford comma makes up for it. She lives in Portlandia with a menagerie which includes at least one other human. She tells lies at textwall and uncomfortable truths at CrossKnit.
