
Chapters
Write a chapter from the middle of your memoir.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 10, 2023
Submissions closed
Sep 22, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 19, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $500
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 10, 2023
Submissions closed
Sep 22, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Oct 19, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write a chapter from the middle of your memoir.
Sink into the reservoirs of your memory in honor of the launch of the Chapters community. Instead of beginning at the start, focus on a core moment, turning point, or meaningful experience that would ideally sit at the center of your life's narrative. This chapter does not necessarily need to be the climax of your story (as it is continously unfolding!), but should capture the essence of your journey — resonating with emotion, insight, and authenticity.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- Between 600-5,000 words.
- Submitted to the Chapters community. Choosing a community is a final step in the submission process.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $500
- Second Place: $250
- 10 Runners-Up: $25
Reminder: There is a Bonus Boost for Vocal+ members, and entering this challenge can help you earn. If you publish in all four of our new communities—BookClub, Writers, Chapters, and Critique—before 11:59PM EST on 9/01/2023, you'll be eligible to receive a $10 Bonus.
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 September 21, 2023 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Chapters 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.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
Steal From Yourself
Return to something you wrote years ago and use one idea, image, character, or line from it to create something entirely new.
$1,000 Grand Prize2 days leftNot on the Menu
Write about something memorable you ate that you'd never find on a restaurant menu.
$1,000 Grand Prize9 days leftMy First Internet
Write a nonfiction story about a memorable experience from your early days online and what it meant to you.
$1,000 Grand Prize23 days leftIn Lieu of Gifts
Write a fiction story about someone who asks their family for one unusual favor instead of holiday gifts.
$1,000 Grand Prize30 days leftDark Before Dinner
Write a poem inspired by the early darkness of winter.
$1,000 Grand Prize37 days leftI Used to Hate This Song
Write a nonfiction story about a song you used to dislike and how it won you over.
$1,000 Grand Prize49 days leftBelow Freezing
Write a story where more than the weather turns cold.
$1,000 Grand Prize58 days leftEnough
Write a poem exploring what “enough” means to you.
$1,000 Grand Prize65 days left
Challenge resources
Scroll No More Challenge Winners
For Scroll No More , we switched off every smartphone in the world and left the aftermath to you. The results gave us plenty to laugh about, worry about, and occasionally even feel hopeful about along the way. Thanks again to Lightning Bolt ⚡ Bill for recommending this prompt!!
By Vocal Curation Teamabout 7 hours ago in Resources
Dead Air Challenge Winners
Dead Air brought out some incredibly creative and strange ideas, and we had a lot of fun seeing where everyone took the prompt. From creepy toys and mysterious phone calls to sinister supermarket intercoms and a full-blown musical nightmare, there was no shortage of unique ways to make us think twice about what we're hearing.
By Vocal Curation Team7 days ago in Resources
October Challenge Winners
October turned out to be a much stranger place than we expected, and we loved seeing where everyone took it. From familiar autumn scenes to some wonderfully unexpected settings, this challenge brought out a lot of creativity and imagination.
By Vocal Curation Team14 days ago in Resources







