This February, we are spreading the love in your direction… Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and there’s no denying that it’s the season of love!
For many of you, this may be your very first Valentine’s with Write Romance Fiction, but instead of giving out flowers and chocolates to all our amazing students, we’ve got something a little more creative and special in mind…
Exciting News!
Write Romance Fiction Writing Challenge!
What better way to celebrate the most romantic time of the year than with a flash fiction writing competition! Perfect for putting your writing skills to the test and making your heart skip a beat.
The winner will receive an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi e-Reader
(or equivalent prize in gift vouchers) and the runner ups will be featured in a special honorary mention blog post.
What’s not to love?
Our competition opens Monday 12th February 2018 and closes Wednesday 28th February 2018. From this date, our judges will deliberate over the entries and announce the winner by 31st March 2018.
Competition Details
Your flash fiction competition entries must hold no more than 350 words, and should be based on the following prompt by Nora Roberts…
“Nothing worthwhile is ever without complications.”
― Nora Roberts
Your challenge is to take the quote and build your own new story around it…
• Your flash fiction can be any tone that you like. It could be a traditional love story, thriller, comedy…
• Your story but can be no longer than 350 words.
• We are looking for original, exciting thrills and edge of your seat drama and suspense.
• Try to break tradition – no mention of flowers or chocolates!
Your short story can be on any theme, tone or genre that you prefer, but must feature an intense relationship.
You can interpret the competition quote in any way that you like, but remember that you need to capture imaginations and hold them fast. You only have 350 words to spare, so use them wisely!
Try to avoid traditional hearts and flowers!
We want excitement, risk, adventure, danger, passion, raw emotion, something that makes our hearts race…
Instead, why not focus on what romance is all about?
Consider: Desire, betrayal, sabotage, heartache, lost love, interfering outsiders.
Will love over-come all obstacles or not?
We want to read stories that hook our interest and leave us wanting more.
The best part of any romance is the moment when eyes meet and everyone falls head over heels in love, right? Love at first sight may sound like a dream, but the road to happily-ever-after isn’t always so smooth… or as exciting to read.
Instead, think conflict, drama and bumps on the journey to love – then you’ll have the makings of an amazing romance story.
Because this form of fiction is so short, you can produce evocative and attention-grabbing fiction in a single scene. We want you to draw the reader in; leave their knickers in a twirl, get them salivating and keep them wanting more.
Tips and Ideas:
Keep your creativity flowing
“Nothing worthwhile is ever without complications.”
― Nora Roberts
Here are a few ideas to help spark your imagination…
Idea One
For many people, Valentine’s Day is all about spending time with that special someone.
But what if that special someone belonged to somebody else?
A best friend’s husband, your sisters partner, a new boss, or the one that got away…
What if your loved one secretly pines for another? Or you suddenly discover they have a secret family elsewhere?
Idea Two
One person’s crisis is another’s opportunity, but what’s life without a little added drama?
From bumps in the road to matters of life and death, consider what happens when the road to true love doesn’t run so smoothly…
Will a new friend offer to help guide the way, or is there a shadow lurking in the background waiting to feed the fire and sabotage the relationship?
Idea Three
A day of romance makes the whole world feel like falling in love, but not everyone is warm and open-hearted.
• What if the person you love isn’t who they say they are?
• What if an explosive secret is revealed?
• What if an ex-partner emerges from the woodwork?
Can a heart still be held together?
If you love Valentine’s, pour this romantic energy into your writing. And if you hate it with equal passion, why not write a snapshot of romance gone wrong?
You only have one real limitation – your imagination!
Tips and Tricks for Writing Flash Fiction
Flash fiction isn’t just about chopping out the first few paragraphs of a chapter and calling it a story. It’s a unique form of writing that uses its minute word count to cut right into the heart of a story, capturing a moment in time.
If you’ve never written this form of fiction before, here’s our top pointers for holding your readers’ imaginations:
1. Get right to the heart.
Did you notice how we said ‘show’, not ‘tell’? If you struggle with getting to the action of your story, step back and consider how you can show the reader what they need to know.
Too much telling distracts a reader rather than engaging them. Try and think of ways that information, description and setting can be interwoven, instead of overloading the reader.
2. It’s all in the detail.
You don’t have many words, but it all comes down to how you use them.
You might feel ruthless doing so, but always try to cut the words you don’t need, in order to save the ones you do.
The best short stories are the ones that are tight; they use a small word count to pack a giant punch.
3. Keep Up the Pace
The mark of an amazing short story is one that keeps the reader wanting more. It should sit in the imagination long after it’s been read.
Every single sentence should tell us something, drive your story forward, or do both.
You can leave your reader hanging on an unanswered question, an explosive cliffhanger, or a classic happily ever after – but always put as much care into your ending as your beginning.
Rules:
You can be as creative as you like, so feel free to submit multiple stories that you have written. However, please don’t submit the same story multiple times!
Remember to read through our submissions guidelines in full, and certainly don’t forget to submit your story!
Remember: Closing date is 28th February 2018. Entries must contain no more than 350 words.
Writing Romance fiction is all about tapping into our subconscious and bringing worlds that we could only have ever dreamed about to life. Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is all about the romance, so take a look at the world around you and unleash your creativity.
Share the love, and write with us this Valentine’s Day…
We can’t wait to see what new stories you come up with.
Good Luck Everyone!
Submission Guidelines
In order for your entry to be considered, it must adhere to the following guidelines:
1. The competition is open to registered students above the age of 18.
2. Students can a number of different stories, but they cannot submit the same story multiple times.
3. Entries must not exceed the specified word count.
4. All stories must be the original work of the entrant.
5. If it becomes apparent that a work has been plagiarised, the entrant and every entry they have made will be disqualified.
6. All stories must be titled and written in English.
7. Published students may enter, but their entry cannot be work that has already been published.
8. We can only accept entries made up to the deadline, but the deadline may be extended.
9. The copyright of each entry belongs to the entrant.
10. However, by entering the competition, the entrant grants Write Romance Fiction the right to publish their story on their website.