Not Quite There
Share a story that never fully came together, along with what’s holding it back.
Prizes
- 5 Winners:
- $200
- 15 Runners-up:
- $15
- 10 Honorable Mentions:
- $5
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Apr 29, 2026
Submissions closed
Jul 11, 2026 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jul 29, 2026
Prizes
- 5 Winners:
- $200
- 15 Runners-up:
- $15
- 10 Honorable Mentions:
- $5
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Apr 29, 2026
Submissions closed
Jul 11, 2026 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jul 29, 2026
About this challenge
The Prompt
Share a story that never fully came together, along with what’s holding it back.
Not every piece reaches a finished form. This challenge makes space for work that is still unresolved.
Share a story that never quite came together, along with what’s holding it back. The gap might come from structure, clarity, scope, or something harder to define.
Be specific about where it falters. What feels incomplete, and why has it stayed that way. The focus is as much on the friction as the draft itself.
Thank you for the suggestion Kay Husnick, if you have an idea for a challenge prompt drop it in the comment section here.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- 3000 words or less.
- Submitted to the Critique community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
- Submitted before July 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
- Your work must be original and unpublished.
The Prizes
- 5 Winners: $200 each
- 15 Runners-up: $15 each
- 10 Honorable Mentions: $5 each
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be 3000 words or less and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until July 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Not Quite There Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://vocal.media/vocal-plus.
To be eligible to win, 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.
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Challenge resources
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