Kindness Essay Contest

BioStories is having its first essay contest, and the topic is kindness. Nonfiction only, please, and 3000-word maximum.

From the website:

“We encourage writers to interpret the theme broadly and creatively. Whether focused on random acts of kindness committed by strangers or presenting intimate portraits of lives devoted to doing good deeds—large or small, isolated or habitual, purposeful or accidental–we seek essays that demonstrate the redemptive spirit of humans.”

Prizes:  First place, $250 plus publication.

Reading fee: $10.00

Deadline is January 15, 2014. For more information, please visit their website.


Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest information for the convenience of our readers. We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition. Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.

Flash Fiction Challenge: The Tracker

Photo by K.S. Brooks

The dogs picked up the scent on a bed of pine needles beneath a large tree. The area was so densely forested, the helicopters would be of no use.

I noticed some of the leaves beneath the tree were tinged with dried blood. Perhaps all the shots in the earlier exchange had not gone wild.

The dogs were following the trail toward the creek and I was worried he might have hit the water just to double back on his trail. As the hounds sniffed the water’s edge, baffled at the abrupt break of their quarry’s scent, I noticed a wet spot just downstream. As it happened, I noticed it just a second too late. I heard the unmistakable cocking of a pistol behind me.

In 250 words or less, tell us a story incorporating the elements in the picture. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.

Please keep language and subject matter to a PG-13 level.

Use the comment section below to submit your entry. Entries will be accepted until Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Continue reading “Flash Fiction Challenge: The Tracker”

Glamour Magazine Essay Contest

Glamour magazine’s annual “My Real Life Essay Contest” seeks—you guessed it—true-life essays. Maximum word length is 3500 words and Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley will be on the judging panel.

Prizes:  First place, $5000 plus will be considered for publication.

Reading fee: None!

Deadline is February 1, 2014. For more information, please visit their website.


Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest information for the convenience of our readers. We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition. Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.

Flash Fiction Challenge: The Nutty Detective

Photo by K.S. Brooks

I’m Buck Bushtail, squirrel detective. I’d been hired by gorgeous Foxy Redfluff to track down a prize acorn someone had nabbed.

I’d been running my paws ragged looking into every hole in every tree in the forest. I was afraid I’d lost the scent, when a little bird told me he’d seen something suspicious over at the dam.

Those are some busy little beavers over there. I thought I’d investigate. Little did I know there was an eagle who’d been watching me like a hawk. It seemed I’d picked up a tail. I mean an extra one…

In 250 words or less, tell us a story incorporating the elements in the picture. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.

Please keep language and subject matter to a PG-13 level.

Use the comment section below to submit your entry. Entries will be accepted until Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Continue reading “Flash Fiction Challenge: The Nutty Detective”