Abbey Hill Literary Quick Lit Challenge
On or before the first day of each quarter, several sentences, phrases or scenarios for that quarter’s contest will be posted on this site. Your challenge is to use one of the posted phrases or scenarios to craft an original, previously unpublished short story of up to 1,500 words and submit it for judging no later than midnight on the last day of the second month of the quarter.
Winners throughout the year will be posted on Abbey Hill Literary by the first week of each new quarter. Winning authors will be notified via e-mail or snail mail (depending on how the entry was made) prior to the postings.
So amaze us. Dazzle us. Make us bust out laughing... or reach for the tissue box. Or make us sit back in amazement at the sheer originality of what you’ve written. And, speaking of originality, most writing competitions demand excellence, and overall, so do we. But we also have an additional award category, in the challenge contest, meant to encourage the less experienced writer. Perhaps the grammar or syntax in your short story isn’t quite perfected. Or perhaps there’s a little too much telling and not enough showing. And yet, your story is “that close” to excellent when viewed through the lens of creativity, and so we will reward your evolving talent with a modest prize.
The judges for our short fiction challenges will vary. Their experience may include creative writing from an academic perspective, or they may be editors, agents, or published authors in their own right. The Abbey Hill Literary staff will assist.
A number of authors have asked for a critique of their stories and suggestions on how they might improve their writing. We are pleased to offer critiques for Quick Lit contest entries. If an author wishes to receive a critique that includes judges' overall impressions, story strong points and weaknesses, style/grammar notes, and insights into what might have made the author's work a better story (or better entry), s/he may pay a twenty dollar ($20.00) fee that includes both the contest entry and the critique. Critiques are not line edits, but are approximately one page in length, and will be sent to the author within forty-five days after the close of each contest.