Whodunit

The Prompt

Unleash your inner detective to craft a crime fiction story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Explore the depths of mystery as you weave a tale of deception and intrigue. You can experiment with different sub-genres within crime fiction, from noir to cozy mysteries. Here are some elements to include to make your crime fiction come alive:

• Engaging Plot: Create a compelling mystery that challenges both the characters and readers to uncover the truth.
• Well-Developed Characters: Develop multi-dimensional characters with hidden motives and secrets.
• Atmosphere and Suspense: Build a palpable sense of tension and anticipation that immerses the reader in your crime.

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

• A crime fiction story.
• Between 600-3,500 words.
• Submitted to the Criminal community. Choosing a community is a final step in the submission process.

The Prizes

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $300
• 10 Runners-Up: $20

For your story 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 January 5, 2024 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Whodunit 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.