
Unexpected Uncovering
Write a fiction story about someone who has just discovered something awful about their partner.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $1,000
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 03, 2023
Submissions closed
May 18, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
May 31, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $1,000
- Second Place:
- $250
- 10 Runners-Up:
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
May 03, 2023
Submissions closed
May 18, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
May 31, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Write a fiction story about someone who has just discovered something awful about their partner.
Write a gripping fiction story about a person who unexpectedly discovers an unsavory truth about their partner. What dark secret did they uncover, and how did they react? Will they take matters into their own hands by calling the police, seeking revenge, providing solace and aid, or simply leaving without a trace? Will they confront their partner, or will they keep the discovery to themselves? Will it be something as innocuous as liking pineapple on their pizza, or something far more sinister such as an affair, a secret double life, an ex-spouse missing under suspicious circumstances or plans for world domination?
This challenge was inspired by Aphotic’s contribution to Shape the Future of Vocal Challenges. Thank you, Aphotic!
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- Between 600-5,000 words.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $1,000
- Second Place: $250
- 10 Runners-Up: $25
How to enter
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 May 17th will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Unexpected Uncovering 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.
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Challenge resources
You Are Here Challenge Winners
For You Are Here , we asked writers to put readers somewhere they weren't supposed to be. What really stood out in the stories that placed was how often that line wasn't so clear. Sometimes you knew you were pushing your luck, sometimes you had every right to be there, and sometimes you didn't get much of a choice. Writing in second person made those situations feel a lot harder to watch from the sidelines.
By Vocal Curation Team2 days ago in Resources
Negative Space Challenge Winners
For Negative Space , we asked writers to explore how much can be said through what's left out. Our favorite entries found clever ways to make those silences, gaps, and unanswered questions feel just as important as the words themselves.
By Vocal Curation Team9 days ago in Resources
Out of Season Challenge Winners
We’re trying something new with our challenge awards structure. Starting with Out of Season , each challenge will recognize one grand prize , four winners , and ten honorable mentions . That’s 15 stories to celebrate, with a little extra love for the top pick. For this challenge, the strongest stories made the timing matter. Something showing up early or returning when it shouldn’t changed what people did, what they assumed, or how they saw each other. There was humor in trying to carry on as usual, and sadness in realizing why the usual schedule no longer worked. Sometimes the wrong time of year turned out to be just when someone needed it.
By Vocal Curation Team16 days ago in Resources




