Flashfic Writing Prompts

"Masque de l'Étrange" Halloween Contest *Closed*

Challenge

This Halloween you are invited to attend a masquerade. Once you arrive you pick up on an uncanny air at the party; strange, ethereal almost. But no matter how beautiful or bizarre the other guests' masks are, they all have one thing in common — they are hiding something underneath.

Write in 1,000 to 2,000 words a story taking place at this strange masquerade and what your character discovers beneath the masks.

Deadline

Stories must be published on Wattpad and the submission form filled before October 24th, 2017. The submission form will close that day.

Winners will be notified via PM and announced on the LGBTQ+ profile on Halloween: October 31st.

Submissions

• Tag your story on Wattpad with the following tags: #LGBTQ #WPContest #LGBTQHalloween

• Fill in the submission form <closed>.

• Optional: Share your entry in the comment section below so other people can check it out.

• Optional: Let the world know about your story. Share a link to your story on Twitter or Facebook using the hashtags: #Wattpad #LGBTQ and #LGBTQHalloween. Nominate a friend to read or write their own.

Rules

• Story must include a clear LGBTQ+ theme and/or character(s).

• Story must have a masquerade setting, preferably with reference to Halloween (see FAQ).

• Entries must be published on Wattpad and follow the submission guidelines outlined.

• Must be a new story (so written for this contest).

• Must be its own work (so not a part in an already existing short story collection).

• Must be original (sorry, we're not accepting fanfiction at this time).

• Must be a completed story and marked as such before the deadline.

• Please keep it between 1,000-2,000 words (author's notes excluded).

• One entry per writer.

• English language only.

• No mature content. (You can read the content guidelines here.)

Things to Note:

• When linking your story in the form, please be sure not to link us to your 'My Works' page by accident! We will be unable to read your story unless it is a direct link.

• Your story will be judged based on the following things:
- Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Interpretation of the prompt.
- Originality.
- Engagement. (Meaning: is it enjoyable to read?)

Prizes

• All winning stories will be added to the Love Wins contest anthology on the LGBTQ+ profile.

• Winning stories will be included in the Community Favorites reading list on our profile.

Have fun writing! You might just surprise yourself!

FAQ

• What is a masquerade?
A masquerade (or masquerade ball) is a traditional costume event, dance or party in which attending guests wear masks. Masks range from simple to elaborate, and vary per culture.

• I don't celebrate Halloween, can I still take part?
Yes. It's not a requirement that your story includes Halloween themes or traditions, but we're still looking for something a little spooky or mysterious.

• What are you looking for in the winners?
Compelling, engaging, original works that bring extra something to a spooky setting. We also highly appreciate proper spelling and grammar.

• How many chapters should I write?
You can write a short story in just 1 chapter, or decide to write multiple chapters if it is longer. Just be sure to keep the total story between 1,000 - 2,000 words and have it completed in time. Do note that for the Love Wins anthology we will be posting it as a single story part.

• I like to add author's notes to my story/chapters. Do they add to the total word count?
No, the total word count is the sum of all the actual story content. So author's notes are excluded from the total 1,000 - 2,000 words. If you add a glossary that too will not be included with the total word count.

• I finished my story but I forgot to mark it as complete, does my entry still count?
We're afraid that if you forget to mark your story as completed before the deadline, it will be disqualified. Marking a story as completed when it is not will also result in your story being disqualified.

• Are you accepting all story categories?
We unfortunately cannot accept fanfiction, poetry, random, or nonfiction at this time, as our Love Wins collection is for short, original pieces of fictional prose only. We are accepting all other categories of fiction, however.

• Is cussing allowed in the story?
We allow some cussing, just don't overdo it.

• Am I allowed to collaborate with friends to write a story?
Yes. Please only submit your story once and include the usernames of all participating users on the form.

• I don't identify as LGBTQ+, can I still enter?
Everyone is free to enter, no matter how they identify.

Any other questions, please PM us (as we might miss it if asked in the comments).