Under a Spell

The Prompt

A coven typically refers to a gathering or group of witches who meet regularly to perform rituals, spells, and other magical workings. Traditionally, a coven consists of 13 members, though the actual number can vary. In popular culture, the term 'coven' often carries with it a sense of mystery and occasionally fear. They are tight-knit communities bound by shared beliefs, traditions, and sometimes blood ties. For this challenge, we ask that you lean into your spooky side to explore the dynamics of a coven.The story can be set in any era, locale, or genre, whether it be contemporary, historical, fantasy, horror, or anything in between. The challenge is to portray the lives, trials (pun intended), and magic of this coven, shedding light on the intricacies of their relationships and the power they wield.

In order for your submission to qualify, it must:

• Be between 600-5,000 words.
• Start with the words of a spell in the first line.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $600
• Second Place: $200
• 13 Runners-Up: $20

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 October 31, 2023 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Under a Spell 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.