Whispering Woods

The Prompt

Enter the ethereal realm of the Whispering Woods where the trees are more than mere flora—they're sentient beings with wisdom as old as time. In this challenge, you'll craft a fantasy fiction story set within the mysterious depths of these enchanted woods.

Consider the forest's history and its mythology. Does a conflict arise as outside forces threaten its existence? Will your protagonist be a guardian sworn to protect the forest, a wanderer seeking refuge within its sanctuary, an outsider whose presence disturbs the delicate balance of nature, or one of the trees itself?

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

• Between 600-2,500 words.
• Be submitted to Fiction community. Choosing a community is a final step in the submission process.

The Prizes

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

For your piece to be eligible, it should adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on April 4, 2024 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Whispering Woods 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.