I'm Paying You For Your Stories...

...but only if you win the contest. :P

Hey guys, welcome back to the Penmaiden! Those of you who are newsletter subscribers already know that I'm hosting my second short story contest, and you know most of the details. Those of you who aren't subscribed have been kept in the dark in order to give newsletter subscribers a headstart. >:) (See, this is why you should subscribe. :P)

So! *claps hands* Today I'm going to give you all the nitty-gritty details of the contest - which also means that you can enter starting today. ;)

The Rules

Get comfy, folks. I have a lot of these. XD

• No more than 2000 words;

• Absolutely no cuss words, especially the use of God's name in vain. No sex scenes, and try to keep romance in general appropriate for kids. Failure to comply will result in immediate disqualification;

• As much as I would love to read your guys' fanfiction, I'm going to have to ban that genre. Sorry 'bout that... heh;

• Poetry is allowed! And if you have pictures for your story (that are yours, not taken off the internet somewhere... ;P) I might be more inclined to pick your story;

• Feel free to co-write! You'll have to figure out how to split the prize between yourselves, though;

• It must be a new story. This means that you can't take an old story you have hanging around somewhere and polish it up - in order for everyone to have a fair chance, everyone should have the same starting point;

• 10-12 pt. font, easy to read (no scripts or displays, please), normal margins. I could care less about the spacing XD;

• You're limited to one submission per person. If you're co-writing, you may only submit that story;

• No editing after you submit! All edits, beta-reads, proofreads, etc. must be completed by the deadline (which I'll get to in a second);

• HAVE. FUN. This is a must. ;P If you find yourself stressing out over it, no worries. There is no pressure whatsoever to enter;

• Don’t tell me if you plan on entering. I’m trying to be as unbiased as possible, and knowing people who enter could cloud my thinking. ;) If you do say so on accident, it's okay, I’ll handle it, but please refrain.

  
  

Other Necessary Information (besides Dos and Don'ts)

• The contest is free to enter. Maybe someday I'll do paid contests, but I feel like that kinda takes the fun out of it, y'know?

• There are several prompts at the end of this post to help inspire you. You aren't required to use them, but feel free if you want to. ;)

• The contest will run from 1 am CST on August 5th, 2023-12 pm CST on September 30th, 2023. (That means the deadline is 10 pm PST, 11 pm MST, and 1 am EST. ;)) Hopefully I'll get the form closed by then, but if I don't and your story was submitted more than a few minutes after the deadline, you'll probably be disqualified. ;)

• Winners will be announced on October 9th.

• Submit through this form.

  
  

PRIZES (because we all love a good prize)

I've decided to give out monetary prizes this go-round. You're welcome. ;)

1st Place:

1. $25 Amazon gift certificate

2. Help with brainstorming solutions for some of your WIP's tough spots

3. A mock book cover

4. Publication on my blog

5. Lasting fame, glory, and bragging rights

   
   

2nd Place:

1. $15 Amazon gift certificate

2. A mock book cover

3. Publication on my blog

4. Lasting fame, glory, and bragging rights

   
   

3rd Place:

1. $10 Amazon gift certificate

2. Publication on my blog

3. Lasting fame, glory, and bragging rights

Some Prompts For You

Feel free to mix and match these however you so desire. ;P

In Other News...

As a side note, I've decided to stop posting twice a week. It's too much for me to handle what with life picking up and everything. :) So, instead of having Story Days every week, I'll alternate between having a review and having a story every other month. Let me know how you feel about this! Danke. :)

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Once again, here's the link to the submission form. :)

Are you excited for the contest? Did I miss anything important (highly likely XD)? Have you ever made money off of a story before? Which prompt was your favorite? Should I keep Story Days?

Until next time,

Take courage, pursue God, and write while you can still think clearly. :P

-Joelle