Unwritten
Write a story in which something must remain unwritten. The narrator cannot or will not describe it.
Have your story revolve around a central moment, sentence or event that is never shown, spoken or summarized. The story may circle it, imply it, distort it, or attempt to speak it and fail. It must be present only in its absence.
The rest of the story should respond to that silence. Characters, structure, and tone should bend around what cannot be said. The reader should feel the weight of what's missing without ever seeing it.
The goal is to show how something unwritten can still control the shape and meaning of a story. The absence must not be explained. Let its impact speak. Word count: 1000-3,000 words. All formats accepted.
The contest winner will win half of the prize pool which is based on the number of entries. The second and third place winners will each share the remaining prize pool. The prize pool is currently 20.00 member dollars. There are 13 spots still open. If all open spots are used the prize pool will be 72.00 member dollars. In this contest at least 2 submissions must be made for the vote to begin.
Deadline: Contest is closed. Deadline was Saturday, June 21, 2025.
Full Contest Listing
Have your story revolve around a central moment, sentence or event that is never shown, spoken or summarized. The story may circle it, imply it, distort it, or attempt to speak it and fail. It must be present only in its absence.
The rest of the story should respond to that silence. Characters, structure, and tone should bend around what cannot be said. The reader should feel the weight of what's missing without ever seeing it.
The goal is to show how something unwritten can still control the shape and meaning of a story. The absence must not be explained. Let its impact speak. Word count: 1000-3,000 words. All formats accepted.
The contest winner will win half of the prize pool which is based on the number of entries. The second and third place winners will each share the remaining prize pool. The prize pool is currently 20.00 member dollars. There are 13 spots still open. If all open spots are used the prize pool will be 72.00 member dollars. In this contest at least 2 submissions must be made for the vote to begin.
Deadline: Contest is closed. Deadline was Saturday, June 21, 2025.
