Micro Heist

The Prompt

Dive into the world of high-stakes theft, cunning plans, and unexpected twists as you craft a microfiction story about a heist. Showcase your storytelling prowess within the tight confines of exactly 200 words — no more, no less.

Whether it's an audacious theft from a renowned museum, a clever bank robbery, or an elaborate scheme to steal priceless jewels, your task is to create a compelling narrative that unfolds within the strict word limit. Make every word count to captivate readers by building tension, developing characters, and surprising them within a few sentences.

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

• Exactly 200 words.
• Submitted to the Fiction community. Choosing a community is a final step in the submission process. Your story will be rejected for word count requirements if it is submitted to any other community.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $200
• 20 Runners-Up: $40

For your story to be eligible, it should be exactly 200 words, published in the Fiction Community, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on June 20th will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Micro Heist Challenge is open to all Vocal+ members.

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.