Member-Sponsored Happy Birth-and-Deathday, Shakespeare!
Details
| Deadline: | April 23 (51 days left) |
| Fee: | Free |
William Shakespeare died more than 400 years ago, yet he’s consistently the most produced playwright in the world. The themes of his plays are timeless, and whether you were forced to read Romeo & Juliet in high school, or you have Kenneth Branagh’s complete discography on Blu-Ray, everyone has experience with the Bard.
This contest is a celebration of Shakespeare. Your entry must have something to do with him or his works — for example: take one of his plays and subvert it, or contemporize it, or take a minor character and devise a story around them. Put Hamlet in space. Or A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Brooklyn. What if Titus Andronicus had a cooking show? What’s the Nurse’s story after Juliet’s death?
I’m (ironically) not looking for plays/scripts — prose only, please (though some well-placed interior iambic pentameter is allowed: for example, if one character only speaks in meter…).
My team of judges can’t wait to read your entries! Judging criteria include originality, creativity, and of course, a recognizable Shakespearean reference.
Prize money for this contest is provided by the Scribophile Writing Contest Prize Fund.
Prizes
| 1st prize: | $100 cash via PayPal |
| 2nd prize: | $75 cash via PayPal |
| 3rd prize: | $50 cash via PayPal |
| 4th prize: | 20 karma points |
| 5th prize: | 10 karma points |
| 6th prize: | 5 karma points |
Rules
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Entries must be 1,000 words maximum.
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No novel chapters or poetry, and (ironically) no plays. Short fiction only.
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Any genre is fair game, but no extreme sex or violence, please.
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Work submitted must not have previously won or placed in any other contest on or off Scribophile.
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No previously published works.
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Only one entry per member.
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Entries must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.
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You may post your work, receive critiques, and edit until the deadline.
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To receive a cash prize, you must have a PayPal account.
Submission guidelines
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Entry is free, but you’ll need 5 karma points to post your work to the contest. You can earn karma points, by writing critiques of work with other members.
To post your work for this contest, check the box that says “Enter this work into the Member-Sponsored Happy Birth-and-Deathday, Shakespeare! contest.” Your work will automatically be considered. The check box will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.