Love Letters Through Time

The Prompt

Love letters have preserved some of history’s most passionate, heartbreaking, and enduring romances. This challenge invites you to craft a fictional or historically inspired letter (or letter exchange) that feels authentic to its time.

Whether it’s a wartime goodbye, a secret affair, or a declaration of love that defies societal norms, your piece should capture the emotions, language, and constraints of its historical setting.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $200
• 15 Runners-Up: $15 each
• 10 Honorable Mentions: Badge

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 1,000 and 2,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until February 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Love Letters Through Time 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 reside 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 a Stripe account created and connected to receive prizes. Entrants located outside of these countries will not be eligible to win.