You Were Never Really Here

This Challenge is part of the Vocal+ Summer Writing Series. Learn more

The Prompt

This challenge invites you to explore the kind of presence that lingers long after it’s gone. A ghost. A memory. A relationship that ended but never really left. Maybe the character never truly existed in the first place, or maybe they changed everything and then disappeared.

Your story can be eerie, emotional, surreal, nostalgic, or quietly reflective. It could be about loss, imagination, longing, or what it means to be haunted by something you cannot name.

Let absence become the driving force of your narrative. Let the missing piece shape the whole picture.

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

• A fiction story (any genre or tone)
• Between 600 and 3,000 words.
• Submitted to the Fiction community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
• Submitted before July 6, 2025 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• Your work must be original and unpublished.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

For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 3,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines.

Stories published on Vocal and entered into the Challenge up until July 6, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The You Were Never Really Here 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.