Arid
Write a story that ends in a desert setting. We'll give you the last sentence.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $700
- Second Place:
- $200
- 5 Runners-up:
- $20
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Oct 31, 2023
Submissions closed
Nov 27, 2023 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Dec 14, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $700
- Second Place:
- $200
- 5 Runners-up:
- $20
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Oct 31, 2023
Submissions closed
Nov 27, 2023 4:59 AM CUT
Results
Dec 14, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write a story that ends in a desert setting with this last sentence:
Engulfed in the desert's parched silence, I was nothing but another grain of sand in the wind.
In previous challenges, we have given you the first sentence to inspire your story. This time, we're flipping the script by giving you the last. Your imagination is the key to unlocking countless possibilities as you develop characters, settings, and plot twists that all coalesce into that final evocative line.
The genre of the story is entirely up to you, whether you wish to explore the mysteries of the dunes, weave a romantic tale around an oasis, embark on an adventure through the desert's harsh terrain, or take readers on a surreal science fiction journey across the barren landscape (just don't copy "Dune"!). Take note that your story does not have to start in the desert, but it must end there.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must:
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $700
- Second Place: $200
- 5 Runners-Up: $20
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 11:59 PM ET on November 26, 2023 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Arid 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
You Are Here Challenge Winners
For You Are Here , we asked writers to put readers somewhere they weren't supposed to be. What really stood out in the stories that placed was how often that line wasn't so clear. Sometimes you knew you were pushing your luck, sometimes you had every right to be there, and sometimes you didn't get much of a choice. Writing in second person made those situations feel a lot harder to watch from the sidelines.
By Vocal Curation Team5 days ago in Resources
Negative Space Challenge Winners
For Negative Space , we asked writers to explore how much can be said through what's left out. Our favorite entries found clever ways to make those silences, gaps, and unanswered questions feel just as important as the words themselves.
By Vocal Curation Team12 days ago in Resources
Out of Season Challenge Winners
We’re trying something new with our challenge awards structure. Starting with Out of Season , each challenge will recognize one grand prize , four winners , and ten honorable mentions . That’s 15 stories to celebrate, with a little extra love for the top pick. For this challenge, the strongest stories made the timing matter. Something showing up early or returning when it shouldn’t changed what people did, what they assumed, or how they saw each other. There was humor in trying to carry on as usual, and sadness in realizing why the usual schedule no longer worked. Sometimes the wrong time of year turned out to be just when someone needed it.
By Vocal Curation Team19 days ago in Resources
