Flashback
Share a memory that makes you smile.
Prizes
- First place:
- $1,000
- Second place:
- $500
- Third place:
- $250
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 29, 2020
Submissions closed
Jun 05, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 09, 2020
Prizes
- First place:
- $1,000
- Second place:
- $500
- Third place:
- $250
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 29, 2020
Submissions closed
Jun 05, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 09, 2020
About this challenge
Let's take a moment to remember what we were doing just a couple of months back—even though it sure feels like an entire lifetime ago. As we scroll through our camera roll, all the way back to our last "normal" photo, pre-quarantine, we realize how different our lives are now compared to that snapshot. Whether that photo is a selfie you sent to a friend to show that you were "on your way!", or a photo of your last meal out, or even a photo of a party you attended, we want to see what your last moment of normalcy looked like. Tell us about this photo, and what you were doing, who you were with, and how it makes you feel now.
This week is all about that flashback moment that makes you smile. Enter this week's Challenge and join us in reliving the good times—a little reminder that this too shall pass.
Tips
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: when it comes to media, the more the merrier! Share that last normal photo but definitely don't hold back on adding any other images that remind you of that moment. You're also welcome to include a playlist that takes you back to the time when the photo was taken, or anything else that you think will give us a better understanding of what was going on.
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until June 4, 2020, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Flashback 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 third place 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 35 countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
You Are Here
Write a story entirely in second person that puts the reader somewhere they aren't supposed to be.
$1,000 Grand Prize2 days leftOctober
Write a poem that makes October feel like a place you can enter.
$1,000 Grand Prize9 days leftDead Air
Write a horror story about a broadcast, recording, phone call, or transmission that should not exist.
$1,000 Grand Prize16 days leftScroll No More
Imagine that every smartphone in the world suddenly stops working. Write about what happens next.
$1,000 Grand Prize23 days leftNo One Remembers It That Way
Write about a memory that you and someone else remember completely differently.
$1,000 Grand Prize30 days leftSteal 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 Prize37 days leftNot on the Menu
Write about something memorable you ate that you'd never find on a restaurant menu.
$1,000 Grand Prize44 days left
Challenge resources
Already Here Challenge Winners
Useful tools can change your life before you think to question them. That’s really what made these Already Here entries interesting. Writers looked past the initial “how is this possible?” and paid attention to how quickly something remarkable becomes part of the routine. The strongest pieces didn’t ask us to choose between being impressed and being uneasy. They understood why people welcome these changes, then noticed what else shifts once we get used to them.
By Vocal Curation Team14 days ago in Resources
Last Call Challenge Winners
There were plenty of ringing phones and closing bars in Last Call , but the prompt took us to some unexpected places too. A fading birdsong, a goodbye that doesn't quite get finished, and people who don't suddenly become better versions of themselves just because time is running out. Some held on, some let go, and some missed their chance entirely. That's what made these stories stick.
By Vocal Curation Team21 days ago in Resources
Twenty-Four Hours Challenge Winners
The best Twenty-Four Hours entries weren’t really about fitting as much as possible into a day. They were about showing us a version of a place that felt personal, shaped by favorite stops, old memories, local quirks, and the little things you only notice only after knowing somewhere for a long time.
By Vocal Curation Team27 days ago in Resources
