Join us for “13 Days of Dark & Weird” Stories…Again!
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Midnight Mosaic & The Mad River’s 2nd Annual Writing Challenge
It’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since our creepy little pub was born. In 2018, Midnight Mosaic Fiction (birthname: 13 Days) thrust its freaky pumpkin-head into the world and unleashed its first, adorable, blood-curdling scream — inviting all writers from the darkside (and their outcast stories) to join us for 13 Days of celebratory terror.
The Mad River Literary Journal — adorned in a “Best Big Sister in the Whole Wide Underworld” tee-shirt —held our hand and entertained our incessant demands for the weirdest, darkest bedtime stories.
Countless nightmares later, here we are in 2019 — a year older and none the wiser, for we can’t stop wondering if there might be a fright we’ve yet to feel, a fear we’ve yet to taste.
We hunger.
So light a lantern, dress for the occasion, and follow this stygian current through the forbidden forest, to find where the Midnight moon meets the Maddest of Rivers. There, we conjure hellbeasts with wings like the Fae, and dance with demons ’til the morning light. Also, there will be pizza.
The Challenge
Write, edit, and submit up to 13 dark and weird tales by end of day Midnight, October 22nd (timezone: IDLW).
13 optional prompts will be released by the editors between 9/14 and 10/16. (be sure to follow both publications so you don’t miss anything!)
Your stories may be classified as horror, scifi, fantasy, weird, new weird, romance, or mixed-genre, but should be dark or weird in some aspect.
Poetry, flash, short story, and experimental form — all welcome.
Max 2,500 words, unless you’ve written the best story in the history of stories and it’s 3,000 or less.
The Prizes
You mean aside from the glorious sense of pride and accomplishment you’ll receive from writing as many dark & weird tales as you can in a single month?
Well, while all the details aren’t yet nailed down, you can expect the following:
You’ll receive Newsletter Shout-Outs for ranking-up as we publish more of your poems/stories: 6, 9, 13!
We’ll select [a number] of winners based on participation, quality of submissions, and possibly even a reader’s vote. Winners will have their choice of the following:
- A dedicated piece of whimsy, weirdness, or wretched woe, written entirely for you from an Editor of your choice — (we may ask you for some direction or just make you the regretful main character. :) )
- The Editors will write to your thematic prompt
- Your story audio-recorded and shared on Medium
- We’ll let you write a prompt for the publication
- Write collaboratively with an Editor of your choice
- Free beta-reading with light editing and consultation from one of our Editors (up to 8,000 words)
We’ll also send 3 random participants a $13 Amazon giftcard!
A more complete list of prizes will be available at a later date.
Submitting your Stories
Selected* submissions will be published in either The Mad River Literary Journal or Midnight Mosaic Fiction during the 13 days leading up to Halloween. The editors will duke it out over your stories, add you as a writer to the chosen publication, and ask you to submit your story appropriately.
Use the following form for submissions**:
OCTOBER 13 DAYS SUBMISSION FORM
*Submission does not guarantee publication. To increase your odds of publication, please include a rights-free photo in your draft, edit your work to the best of your ability, and pay attention to notification for private notes or emails from the editorial team
**Please do not submit your draft directly to the Medium publication until asked to do so.
