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24/7 Companion
Write about your favorite memory with your pet.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $2,500
- Second Place:
- $1,000
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $100
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 30, 2022
Submissions closed
Oct 01, 2022 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 15, 2022
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $2,500
- Second Place:
- $1,000
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $100
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 30, 2022
Submissions closed
Oct 01, 2022 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 15, 2022
About this challenge
Our pups are there for us, 24/7. Think of all the time you've spent with your pet—for some, it might even be more than the time you spend with friends or family! Our furry friends are always by our side, so we want to hear about the experiences you've lived with your most loyal companion.
The Prompt
Pick a fond memory you have with your pet and tell us all about it. What did you do and why is this something you'll cherish forever?
Whether that's a hike you took together, or the first time they successfully played fetch, or simply them lying by your side late at night when you were studying for finals—every memory is welcome!
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $2,500 & 1 large box of Sundays chicken or beef
- Second Place: $1,000
- 10 Runners-Up: $100
The Judges
We've partnered with Sundays for Dogs, a brand dedicated to making human-grade dog food easy, for this Challenge because you always want to give your best companion the best food. We can't wait to read all of your favorite memories with your four-legged friends
Caitlin Ultimo
Content Director
Caitlin Ultimo is the Director of Content at Sundays for Dogs. Caitlin considers herself lucky to be able to combine her passion for both words and dogs and hopes to create a content experience that supports the overall wellbeing of pets and their people. She loves working alongside her two senior Chiweenies, Dodger and Daisy, every day and enjoys spending her time off at the beach with her toddler and husband.
Hannah Roundry
Marketing Coordinator
Hannah Roundy is the Marketing Coordinator at Sundays for Dogs. Hannah works with the rest of the Sundays marketing team to develop dynamic campaigns that appeal to dog parents looking for a happier, healthier way to feed their pup. Most of her motivation to make pet parents’ lives easier comes from her two dogs: Bruce the Labrador and Buster the Aussie. When the work day is done, you can find Hannah snuggling with Bruce & Buster, crocheting, or going to the movies with her husband.
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it should be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until September 30, 2022, at 11:59 PM ET will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The 24/7 Companion Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.
To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.
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Challenge resources
Summer Solstice Challenge Winners
‘Safety Net’, by Meredith Harmon, begins in a confiding tone. ‘What town?’ the tale asks. ‘We're an enclave. We're farmers. We till the soil like our forefathers, and our children's children's children will till it, till the end of time.’ There is a folkloric sensibility here, suited to the prompt, but also something contemporary and practical. This winning story of a community trying to protect and preserve itself has echoes of Shirley Jackson’s famous tale ‘The Lottery’, Meredith is a strong Vocal Creator with 225 stories to her name; and this is her second first place win of a challenge; huge congratulations.
By Vocal Curation Team9 days ago in Resources
Let's Talk About AI and Vocal Challenges
We might as well cut to the chase. Yes, we run every challenge entry through our AI detector; if we find an entry has been generated, it’s disqualified. As Justin Maury, Founder/CEO of Vocal has written, we use these detection systems because we know our readers enjoy authentic content; we also ask you to disclose when you’ve posted on the platform using AI assistance. But a different issue comes into play when we’re thinking about Challenges, and we believe it’s an important one.
By Vocal Curation Team11 days ago in Resources
Dialogue Poetry Challenge Winners
Hannah Moore is a first-time grand prize winner with her dialogue poem, On Receipt of Bad News. This was a poem that genuinely engaged both with the exchange of our prompt, but also focussed on the way poetic rhythms of language could support the writer's conceit. It felt very truthful, too, the way one speaker wishes to ignore the news and focus on practicalities; there was a quiet heartbreak, here. Well done.
By Vocal Curation Team16 days ago in Resources