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Sweek Flash Fiction Competition: #MicroGame
Participate in the fourth round of the Sweek Flash Fiction contest: #MicroGame!
Make it your chance to show off your creativity and come up with an intriguing and gripping plot to surprise the judges and readers!
The rules are simple: write 250 words max. of fiction revolving around a game. To make sure your work is participating in the competition, tag it with #micrograme (check the step-by-step guidelines below to learn how to do so).
A quick reminder – to promote your microfiction pieces – use either ‘Promote your #MicroGame story!’ on Sweek or ‘Sweek Fan Group‘ on Facebook where you can exchange feedback and gain new readers.
Are you ready? The game is on! Join our challenge until 22/05 to win $50 and get published!
How to participate:
Step 1: Download the Sweek app or use our website:
Website: https://sweek.com/
Android app: http://bit.ly/SweekforAndroid
iOS app: http://bit.ly/SweekforiOS
Step 2: Create an account or log in.
Step 3: Upload your story by going to ‘My stories’ and ‘Start a new story’.
Step 4: Publish your story with the tag #microgame either in the title, description or tags section (which is a part of Story Details) and description.
That’s it! Don’t forget to share with your friends and family to get more readers!
Duration:
Submissions open: 1st of May – 22nd of May (23:59 CET)
Winners announcement: 31st of May
Prizes:
The Best Story: $50 cash prize + getting published in the Sweek book + a free copy of the bundle!
The Best Feedback: $15 cash prize.
The Most Popular Story: will be awarded a special badge.
All shortlisted authors will get published in the bundle and will be featured on Sweek.
#MICROGAMEFEEDBACK
How to join?
Step 1. Search for #microgame on Sweek and read a story.
Step 2. Provide feedback/critique in a comment on the story.
Step 3. Add #microgamefeedback at the end of your comment so that we can find it.
Step 4. You can participate as many times as you like until 22nd of May 2018. You can take part even if you didn’t write a story on the topic!
How does it work?
- Every round gives you a new word that you must include in your story (open topic) or a specific theme to write about (here: game).
- Only prose is accepted.
- You can join the contest at any time (even if you didn’t take part in the previous rounds). Also, the winners and shortlisted authors of the earlier editions are welcomed to participate in the following editions.
- At the same time the contest is running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
- You have 3 weeks to write, then the jury members along with the Sweek editorial team will be judging the entries.
- The winners will also be announced via our Social Media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), blog and e-mail on 31/05/2018.
- The jury prize will be based on the writing style, originality and plot development of the story. The most popular story will be determined by the total number of likes.
- Every round you must tag your story with a hashtag that includes the word #micro + the word of that round (here: #microgame).
- The author of the best story will receive $50 and will be published in the Sweek Microfiction book with all the shortlisted stories via Sweek self-publishing.
- There will be one winner in The Best Story category, one person will get The Best Feedback title and one story will be awarded as The Most Popular Story (read more about the prizes below).
- To win in The Best Feedback category you must tag your comments with #microgamefeedback.
- The shortlist will include 10-20 titles (all will be published in the bundle). If there are enough high-quality stories selected by the jury, the longlist will also be announced. However, the titles on the longlist will not get to the bundle.
- The new round will be announced on 01/06.
GENERAL COMPETITION GUIDELINES
- You need to be 13 years or older to participate. Younger participants need their parents’ permission.
- The contest is international and is open to every country. Nonetheless, your story must be written in English.
- The story cannot exceed 250 words.
- The story doesn’t have to be exclusive (for instance, it can be from your blog) but needs to be newly uploaded on Sweek.
- The story must have the #microgame (in the main title of the story / its description or within the tags section).
- The story must be created by you. You can also write with a friend if you want to, but in case you win, the prize will be shared. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and actions may be taken against those involved in plagiarism.
- The story must be submitted and finished before the deadline. Don’t edit your story afterwards – it will lead to your disqualification from the contest.
- You can participate with multiple entries.
- You can join any round of the contest at any time.
- The story can be in any genre, as long as it’s prose, not poetry. It can be a combination of e.g. young adult, romance, fantasy, science fiction and crime.
- Most popular story is determined by the number of likes. Falsification of likes and followers will lead to disqualification. The most popular story needs to meet quality requirements determined by the Sweek team. You can only win one popularity prize as a writer.
- Spam comments/messages with promotion of your story (except for a special story dedicated to promotion) will result in disqualification and possible account deletion if the behavior continues.
- If winners do not respond within a timeframe of two weeks, then the price will be given to the second place.
- By entering in this competition, you give Sweek the right to publish your story in a book. In case the author does not agree, he/she must state in the short description that Sweek cannot publish the story in print.
- The cash prize will be transferred via PayPal (Sweek bears the transfer costs). If the winner is based in Europe, the cash prize will be arranged via a bank transfer. In case there is no option to create a Paypal account, we can arrange the prize via a gift card or a bank transfer for which the costs are split. We’re not responsible for currency conversion rate at the time of transferring the cash prize.
- Participation in this contest means that the user is aware of and accepts the rules of this contest.
THE JURY
Julian Tunru
Julian Tunru is the author of the Dav Iven historical fiction series, creator of The Nearly Complete Guide to Writing Your Novel, and self-confessed semicolon enthusiast.
K. Banning Kellum
K. Banning Kellum is a life-long resident of New Orleans, LA. A documentary actor, article writer and horror author, Kellum is best known for his Hyraaq Tobit series of horror stories. A proud husband and father, Kellum credits his love of family and the haunted history of New Orleans as his source of inspiration.
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
FAQ
WHAT IS THE WORD LIMIT?
250 words max.
CAN I PARTICIPATE WITH MORE THAN ONE ENTRY?
Yes, you can.
IS THE CONTEST AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES THAN ENGLISH?
Yes, at the same time there will be flash fiction contest running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
HOW DO I ADD A TAG AND EDIT MY STORY?
You need to add it to your Story Details (don’t forget to press Enter on the website).
For each contest, you can edit your story as many times as you want before the deadline. To access your story: log in, go to ‘my stories’ and click on your story. To edit your story title/description, go to the 3dot menu in your Story Dashboard and click Story Basics; to edit your tags/other story details, go to the 3dot menu in your story dashboard and select Story Details.
HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER MY STORY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST OR NOT?
If you see the tag on your story page after you searched for it, it is participating. If you are not sure, contact us via Facebook and we can check it for you.
HOW DO I PROMOTE MY STORY?
Best way is to promote your story via your own Social Media and network. You can also promote it on the Sweek platform (for the official ‘Promote Your Story’ post, created for each round) or share it in the Sweek group on Facebook: Sweek Fan Group. You can find the link to share your story when you search for your story in the search bar and click on it. Here you’ll find the share button on the story info page!
DO I GET A CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATING IMMEDIATELY?
No, but if your story is tagged, you are surely participating. However, if you’d like to know for sure you are participating, please ask us.
HOW CAN I SEARCH FOR MY STORY?
The current search is based on the title, the description and the tag. So you can search for either of those.
WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND MY STORY ON SEARCH RIGHT AWAY?
No worries, sometimes it can take a few minutes after publishing to become visible on all the platforms. If you still can’t find your story the next day, please contact us.
WHERE WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
We will e-mail all the shortlisted authors within 3 days after the announcement, but you can find them first on our Facebook page!
WHEN CAN I EXPECT THE SWEEK MICROFICTION BOOK?
We will bundle the winners and finalists of each round and publish them via Sweek self-publishing (every 3-4 rounds, depending on the number of shortlisted stories). If you do not wish for Sweek to publish your story participating in this competition, please indicate this in the short description of your story.
Sweek Flash Fiction Competition: #MicroKey
The third round of Sweek Flash Fiction Challenge has the word #key which you have to include your 250 words microfiction.
Last time you had to write a story that revolves around a letter. In this round, you only have to mention the word “key” anywhere within the story. This means that the topic is open and you can write about anything you want.
Below you can read how to participate. Here you can find the general guidelines for the Sweek Flash Fiction Challenge.
Unlock your creativity with #MicroKey! 🗝
How to participate:
Step 1: Download the Sweek app or use our website:
Website: https://sweek.com/
Android app: http://bit.ly/SweekforAndroid
iOS app: http://bit.ly/SweekforiOS
Step 2: Create an account or log in.
Step 3: Upload your story by going to ‘My stories’ and ‘Start a new story’.
Step 4: Publish your story with the tag #microkey either in the title, description or tags section (which is a part of Story Details) and description.
That’s it! Don’t forget to share with your friends and family to get more readers!
Video tutorial on how to publish a story on Sweek!
Duration:
Submissions open: 1st of April – 22nd of April (23:59 CET)
Winners announcement: 30th of April
Prizes:
The Best Story: $50 cash prize + getting published in the Sweek book + a free copy of the bundle!
The Best Feedback: $15 cash prize.
The Most Popular Story: will be awarded a special badge.
All shortlisted authors will get published in the bundle and will be featured on Sweek.
How does it work?
- Every round gives you a new word (here the word is: “key”) that you must include in your story (open topic) or a specific theme to write about.
- Only prose is accepted.
- You can join the contest at any time (even if you didn’t take part in the previous rounds). Also, the winners and shortlisted authors of the earlier editions are welcomed to participate in the following editions.
- At the same time the contest is running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
- You have 3 weeks to write, then the jury members along with the Sweek editorial team will be judging the entries.
- The winners will also be announced via our Social Media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), blog and e-mail on 30/04/2018.
- The jury prize will be based on the writing style, originality and plot development of the story. The most popular story will be determined by the total number of likes (deadline for the likes count: 29/04 at 23:59 CET).
- Every round you must tag your story with a hashtag that includes the word #micro + the word of that round (here: #microkey).
- The author of the best story will receive $50 and will be published in the Sweek Microfiction book with all the shortlisted stories via Sweek self-publishing.
- There will be one winner in The Best Story category, one person will get The Best Feedback title and one story will be awarded as The Most Popular Story (read more about the prizes below).
- To win in The Best Feedback category you must tag your comments with #microkeyfeedback.
- The shortlist will include 10-20 titles (all will be published in the bundle). If there are enough high-quality stories selected by the jury, the longlist will also be announced. However, the titles on the longlist will not get to the bundle.
- The new round will be announced on 01/05.
GENERAL COMPETITION GUIDELINES
- You need to be 13 years or older to participate. Younger participants need their parents’ permission.
- The contest is international and is open to every country. Nonetheless, your story must be written in English.
- The story cannot exceed 250 words.
- The story doesn’t have to be exclusive (for instance, it can be from your blog) but needs to be newly uploaded on Sweek.
- The story must have the #microkey (in the main title of the story / its description or within the tags section).
- The story must be created by you. You can also write with a friend if you want to, but in case you win, the prize will be shared. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and actions may be taken against those involved in plagiarism.
- The story must be submitted and finished before the deadline. Don’t edit your story afterwards – it will lead to your disqualification from the contest.
- You can participate with multiple entries.
- You can join any round of the contest at any time.
- The story can be in any genre, as long as it’s prose, not poetry. It can be a combination of e.g. young adult, romance, fantasy, science fiction and crime.
- Most popular story is determined by the number of likes. Falsification of likes and followers will lead to disqualification. The most popular story needs to meet quality requirements determined by the Sweek team. You can only win one popularity prize as a writer.
- Spam comments/messages with promotion of your story (except for a special story dedicated to promotion) will result in disqualification and possible account deletion if the behavior continues.
- If winners do not respond within a timeframe of two weeks, then the price will be given to the second place.
- By entering in this competition, you give Sweek the right to publish your story in a book. In case the author does not agree, he/she must state in the short description that Sweek cannot publish the story in print.
- The cash prize will be transferred via PayPal (Sweek bears the transfer costs). If the winner is based in Europe, the cash prize will be arranged via a bank transfer. In case there is no option to create a Paypal account, we can arrange the prize via a gift card or a bank transfer for which the costs are split. We’re not responsible for currency conversion rate at the time of transferring the cash prize.
- Participation in this contest means that the user is aware of and accepts the rules of this contest.
#MICROKEYFEEDBACK
How to join?
Step 1. Search for #microkey on Sweek and read a story.
Step 2. Provide feedback/critique in a comment on the story.
Step 3. Add #microkeyfeedback at the end of your comment so that we can find it.
Step 4. You can participate as many times as you like until 22nd of April 2018. You can take part even if you didn’t write a story on the topic!
THE JURY
Julian Tunru
Julian Tunru is the author of the Dav Iven historical fiction series, creator of The Nearly Complete Guide to Writing Your Novel, and self-confessed semicolon enthusiast.
K. Banning Kellum
K. Banning Kellum is a life-long resident of New Orleans, LA. A documentary actor, article writer and horror author, Kellum is best known for his Hyraaq Tobit series of horror stories. A proud husband and father, Kellum credits his love of family and the haunted history of New Orleans as his source of inspiration.
The Most Popular Story – Janki Hemani – “The Magic Key”
The Best Feedback – Toshiba Patel, @toshiba
SHORTLIST
Chellperry – “The Secrets We Keep #Microkey”
zparkles – “Illusion #Microkey”
Shahzoda Vareberg – “The Art of Listening”
I. E. Kneverday – “Codebreaker”
C.M. Ross – “I Failed Her”
Crina Stanciu – “Music – Microkey”
KMathison – “Finding the Key”
Aveek Dutta – “The Last Adieu”
C.M. Ross – “I Found You”
FAQ
WHAT IS THE WORD LIMIT?
250 words max.
CAN I PARTICIPATE WITH MORE THAN ONE ENTRY?
Yes, you can.
IS THE CONTEST AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES THAN ENGLISH?
Yes, at the same time there will be flash fiction contest running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
HOW DO I ADD A TAG AND EDIT MY STORY?
You need to add it to your Story Details (don’t forget to press Enter on the website).
For each contest, you can edit your story as many times as you want before the deadline. To access your story: log in, go to ‘my stories’ and click on your story. To edit your story title/description, go to the 3dot menu in your Story Dashboard and click Story Basics; to edit your tags/other story details, go to the 3dot menu in your story dashboard and select Story Details.
HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER MY STORY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST OR NOT?
If you see the tag on your story page after you searched for it, it is participating. If you are not sure, contact us via Facebook and we can check it for you.
HOW DO I PROMOTE MY STORY?
Best way is to promote your story via your own Social Media and network. You can also promote it on the Sweek platform (for the official ‘Promote Your Story’ post, created for each round) or share it in the Sweek group on Facebook: Sweek Fan Group. You can find the link to share your story when you search for your story in the search bar and click on it. Here you’ll find the share button on the story info page!
DO I GET A CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATING IMMEDIATELY?
No, but if your story is tagged, you are surely participating. However, if you’d like to know for sure you are participating, please ask us.
HOW CAN I SEARCH FOR MY STORY?
The current search is based on the title, the description and the tag. So you can search for either of those.
WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND MY STORY ON SEARCH RIGHT AWAY?
No worries, sometimes it can take a few minutes after publishing to become visible on all the platforms. If you still can’t find your story the next day, please contact us.
WHERE WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
We will e-mail all the shortlisted authors within 3 days after the announcement, but you can find them first on our Facebook page!
WHEN CAN I EXPECT THE SWEEK MICROFICTION BOOK?
We will bundle the winners and finalists of each round and publish them via Sweek self-publishing (every 3-4 rounds, depending on the number of shortlisted stories). If you do not wish for Sweek to publish your story participating in this competition, please indicate this in the short description of your story.
Sweek Flash Fiction Competition: #MicroLetter
Sweekers, if you participated in the previous rounds of Sweek microfiction contest, please keep in mind that this time the rules have changed. As we stated in the general guidelines: one month we give you a specific word to include in your story (last time it was: #microheart) and then in the following one – we give you the topic.
In this round you have to write your flash fiction about a letter.
A letter might bring you an exciting or heart-breaking news. It can also strengthen readers’ bond with the characters of your story (you probably remember the letters in the “The Sorrows of Young Werther” about his failed romance) or add some flavour to the plot itself.
Your story, your approach! Show us that you can say a lot in a little by writing your #Microletter story with 250 words of prose!
How to participate:
Step 1: Download the Sweek app or use our website:
Website: https://sweek.com/
Android app: http://bit.ly/SweekforAndroid
iOS app: http://bit.ly/SweekforiOS
Step 2: Create an account or log in.
Step 3: Upload your story by going to ‘My stories’ and ‘Start a new story’.
Step 4: Publish your story with the tag #microletter either in the title, description or tags section (which is a part of Story Details) and description.
That’s it! Don’t forget to share with your friends and family to get more readers!
Duration:
Submissions open: 1st of March – 22nd of March (23:59 CET)
Winners announcement: 30th of March
Prizes:
The Best Story: $50 cash prize + getting published in the Sweek book + a free copy of the bundle!
The Best Feedback: $15 cash prize.
The Most Popular Story: will be awarded a special badge.
All shortlisted authors will get published in the bundle and will be featured on Sweek.
How does it work?
- Every round gives you a new word that you must include in your story (open topic) or a specific theme to write about (here: letter).
- Only prose is accepted.
- You can join the contest at any time (even if you didn’t take part in the previous rounds). Also, the winners and shortlisted authors of the earlier editions are welcomed to participate in the following editions.
- At the same time the contest is running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
- You have 3 weeks to write, then the jury members along with the Sweek editorial team will be judging the entries.
- The winners will also be announced via our Social Media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), blog and e-mail on 30/03/2018.
- The jury prize will be based on the writing style, originality and plot development of the story. The most popular story will be determined by the total number of likes.
- Every round you must tag your story with a hashtag that includes the word #micro + the word of that round (here: #microletter).
- The author of the best story will receive $50 and will be published in the Sweek Microfiction book with all the shortlisted stories via Sweek self-publishing.
- There will be one winner in The Best Story category, one person will get The Best Feedback title and one story will be awarded as The Most Popular Story (read more about the prizes below).
- To win in The Best Feedback category you must tag your comments with #microletterfeedback.
- The shortlist will include 10-20 titles (all will be published in the bundle). If there are enough high-quality stories selected by the jury, the longlist will also be announced. However, the titles on the longlist will not get to the bundle.
- The new round will be announced on 01/04.
GENERAL COMPETITION GUIDELINES
- You need to be 13 years or older to participate. Younger participants need their parents’ permission.
- The contest is international and is open to every country. Nonetheless, your story must be written in English.
- The story cannot exceed 250 words.
- The story doesn’t have to be exclusive (for instance, it can be from your blog) but needs to be newly uploaded on Sweek.
- The story must have the #microletter (in the main title of the story / its description or within the tags section).
- The story must be created by you. You can also write with a friend if you want to, but in case you win, the prize will be shared. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and actions may be taken against those involved in plagiarism.
- The story must be submitted and finished before the deadline. Don’t edit your story afterwards – it will lead to your disqualification from the contest.
- You can participate with multiple entries.
- You can join any round of the contest at any time.
- The story can be in any genre, as long as it’s prose, not poetry. It can be a combination of e.g. young adult, romance, fantasy, science fiction and crime.
- Most popular story is determined by the number of likes. Falsification of likes and followers will lead to disqualification. The most popular story needs to meet quality requirements determined by the Sweek team. You can only win one popularity prize as a writer.
- Spam comments/messages with promotion of your story (except for a special story dedicated to promotion) will result in disqualification and possible account deletion if the behavior continues.
- If winners do not respond within a timeframe of two weeks, then the price will be given to the second place.
- By entering in this competition, you give Sweek the right to publish your story in a book. In case the author does not agree, he/she must state in the short description that Sweek cannot publish the story in print.
- The cash prize will be transferred via PayPal (Sweek bears the transfer costs). If the winner is based in Europe, the cash prize will be arranged via a bank transfer. In case there is no option to create a Paypal account, we can arrange the prize via a gift card or a bank transfer for which the costs are split. We’re not responsible for currency conversion rate at the time of transferring the cash prize.
- Participation in this contest means that the user is aware of and accepts the rules of this contest.
#MICROLETTERFEEDBACK
How to join?
Step 1. Search for #microletter on Sweek and read a story.
Step 2. Provide feedback/critique in a comment on the story.
Step 3. Add #microletterfeedback at the end of your comment so that we can find it.
Step 4. You can participate as many times as you like until 22nd of March 2018. You can take part even if you didn’t write a story on the topic!
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
WINNERS
The Best Story – Olinda Braganza – “Your Wish is My Command!”
The Best Feedback – Rinandharu
The Most Popular Story – Veronika Faith – “I invite.”
FULL SHORTLIST
“Mud” by Mark Groenen [English]
“Through the window” by Arya Ashok Dixit
“Your Wish is My Command!” by Olinda Braganza
“A Boy Named Love” by Christina Li
“The Letter #MicroLetter” by MelissaNeubert
“Number 57 #microletter” by Kathryn Evans
THE JURY
Julian Tunru
Julian Tunru is the author of the Dav Iven historical fiction series, creator of The Nearly Complete Guide to Writing Your Novel, and self-confessed semicolon enthusiast.
Louise Blackwick 
Louise Blackwick is a next-generation fiction writer, author of several experimental novels and short stories. Blackwick is particularly known as the writer of the Vivian Amberville book series, a bestselling philosophical fantasy saga about a girl whose thoughts can control and reshape reality.
FAQ
WHAT IS THE WORD LIMIT?
250 words max.
CAN I PARTICIPATE WITH MORE THAN ONE ENTRY?
Yes, you can.
IS THE CONTEST AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES THAN ENGLISH?
Yes, at the same time there will be flash fiction contest running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
HOW DO I ADD A TAG AND EDIT MY STORY?
You need to add it to your Story Details (don’t forget to press Enter on the website).
For each contest, you can edit your story as many times as you want before the deadline. To access your story: log in, go to ‘my stories’ and click on your story. To edit your story title/description, go to the 3dot menu in your Story Dashboard and click Story Basics; to edit your tags/other story details, go to the 3dot menu in your story dashboard and select Story Details.
HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER MY STORY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST OR NOT?
If you see the tag on your story page after you searched for it, it is participating. If you are not sure, contact us via Facebook and we can check it for you.
HOW DO I PROMOTE MY STORY?
Best way is to promote your story via your own Social Media and network. You can also promote it on the Sweek platform (for the official ‘Promote Your Story’ post, created for each round) or share it in the Sweek group on Facebook: Sweek Fan Group. You can find the link to share your story when you search for your story in the search bar and click on it. Here you’ll find the share button on the story info page!
DO I GET A CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATING IMMEDIATELY?
No, but if your story is tagged, you are surely participating. However, if you’d like to know for sure you are participating, please ask us.
HOW CAN I SEARCH FOR MY STORY?
The current search is based on the title, the description and the tag. So you can search for either of those.
WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND MY STORY ON SEARCH RIGHT AWAY?
No worries, sometimes it can take a few minutes after publishing to become visible on all the platforms. If you still can’t find your story the next day, please contact us.
WHERE WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
We will e-mail all the shortlisted authors within 3 days after the announcement, but you can find them first on our Facebook page!
WHEN CAN I EXPECT THE SWEEK MICROFICTION BOOK?
We will bundle the winners and finalists of each round and publish them via Sweek self-publishing (every 3-4 rounds, depending on the number of shortlisted stories). If you do not wish for Sweek to publish your story participating in this competition, please indicate this in the short description of your story.
Sweek Flash Fiction Competition: #MicroHeart
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Sweek and write a piece of flash fiction including the word “heart” in your story!
Show emotions, write on romantic feelings, unconditional love, heartbreak – your story, your approach! Speak from your heart… and create your #microheart flash fiction! 💓 Let us feel the love in the air!
If you don’t really feel Valentine’s vibes, feel free to use satire 😉 or anything else (your story doesn’t have to be about anything specific as long as the word “heart” is included in it). The new rules (see the post with general info) allow you to write 250 words of prose.
How to participate:
Step 1: Download the Sweek app or use our website:
Website: https://sweek.com/
Android app: http://bit.ly/SweekforAndroid
iOS app: http://bit.ly/SweekforiOS
Step 2: Create an account or log in.
Step 3: Upload your story by going to ‘My stories’ and ‘Start a new story’.
Step 4: Publish your story with the tag #microheart either in the title, description or tags section (which is a part of Story Details) and description.
That’s it! Don’t forget to share with your friends and family to get more readers!
Duration:
Submissions open: 1st of February – 22nd of February (23:59 CET)
Winners announcement: 28th of February
Prizes:
The Best Story: $50 cash prize + getting published in the Sweek book + a free copy of the bundle!
The Best Feedback: $15 cash prize.
The Most Popular Story: will be featured on Sweek and will be awarded a special badge.
All shortlisted authors will get published in the bundle and will be featured on Sweek.
How does it work?
- Every round gives you a new word (here the word is: “heart”) that you must include in your story (open topic) or a specific theme to write about.
- Only prose is accepted.
- You can join the contest at any time (even if you didn’t take part in the previous rounds). Also, the winners and shortlisted authors of the earlier editions are welcomed to participate in the following editions.
- At the same time the contest is running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
- You have 3 weeks to write, then the jury members along with the Sweek editorial team will be judging the entries.
- The winners will also be announced via our Social Media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), blog and e-mail on 28/02/2018.
- The jury prize will be based on the writing style, originality and plot development of the story. The most popular story will be determined by the total number of likes.
- Every round you must tag your story with a hashtag that includes the word #micro + the word of that round (here: #microheart).
- The author of the best story will receive $50 and will be published in the Sweek Microfiction book with all the shortlisted stories via Sweek self-publishing.
- There will be one winner in The Best Story category, one person will get The Best Feedback title and one story will be awarded as The Most Popular Story (read more about the prizes below).
- To win in The Best Feedback category you must tag your comments with #microheartfeedback.
- The shortlist will include 10-20 titles (all will be published in the bundle). If there are enough high-quality stories selected by the jury, the longlist will also be announced. However, the titles on the longlist will not get to the bundle.
- The new round will be announced on 01/03.
GENERAL COMPETITION GUIDELINES
- You need to be 13 years or older to participate. Younger participants need their parents’ permission.
- The contest is international and is open to every country. Nonetheless, your story must be written in English.
- The story cannot exceed 250 words.
- The story doesn’t have to be exclusive (for instance, it can be from your blog) but needs to be newly uploaded on Sweek.
- The story must have the #microheart (in the main title of the story / its description or within the tags section).
- The story must be created by you. You can also write with a friend if you want to, but in case you win, the prize will be shared. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and actions may be taken against those involved in plagiarism.
- The story must be submitted and finished before the deadline. Don’t edit your story afterwards – it will lead to your disqualification from the contest.
- You can participate with multiple entries.
- You can join any round of the contest at any time.
- The story can be in any genre, as long as it’s prose, not poetry. It can be a combination of e.g. young adult, romance, fantasy, science fiction and crime.
- Most popular story is determined by the number of likes. Falsification of likes and followers will lead to disqualification. The most popular story needs to meet quality requirements determined by the Sweek team. You can only win one popularity prize as a writer.
- Spam comments/messages with promotion of your story (except for a special story dedicated to promotion) will result in disqualification and possible account deletion if the behavior continues.
- If winners do not respond within a timeframe of two weeks, then the price will be given to the second place.
- By entering in this competition, you give Sweek the right to publish your story in a book. In case the author does not agree, he/she must state in the short description that Sweek cannot publish the story in print.
- The cash prize will be transferred via PayPal (Sweek bears the transfer costs). If the winner is based in Europe, the cash prize will be arranged via a bank transfer. In case there is no option to create a Paypal account, we can arrange the prize via a gift card or a bank transfer for which the costs are split. We’re not responsible for currency conversion rate at the time of transferring the cash prize.
- Participation in this contest means that the user is aware of and accepts the rules of this contest.
#MICROHEARTFEEDBACK
How to join?
Step 1. Search for #microheart on Sweek and read a story.
Step 2. Provide feedback/critique in a comment on the story.
Step 3. Add #microheartfeedback at the end of your comment so that we can find it.
Step 4. You can participate as many times as you like until 22nd of February 2018. You can take part even if you didn’t write a story on the topic!
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
WINNERS
The Best Story – “Weep for Adonais” by Allyssa Kidd
The Best Feedback – Swatilekha Roy
The Most Popular Story – “Life bond” by Harshita Nagar
We received so many great stories, from romantic and touching to gripping and blood-curdling ones.
Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and the winners!
FULL SHORTLIST
– “Hold On For” by MeMistressNicola
– “Letter From the Land of Flamingoes” by Sreeparna
– “My Wayward Son” by Laura Van De Steene
– “I Wear My Heart On My Sleeve” by Rachel Wollaston
– “Listening To The Rain (#MicroHeart entry)” by NikiJads
– “Cupid’s Mistake” by miss_peerless
– “A haunting tale of love” by Pineapple
– “A World Away” by Christina Li
– “Weep for Adonais” – Allyssa Kidd
– “Science versus Romance” – T. S. Garrett
– “Small Mercies” by Christina Li
– “#MicroHeart The Refugee Camp” by Sharvari Narendra (Official)
THE JURY
Julian Tunru
Julian Tunru is the author of the Dav Iven historical fiction series, creator of The Nearly Complete Guide to Writing Your Novel, and self-confessed semicolon enthusiast.
K. Banning Kellum
K. Banning Kellum is a life-long resident of New Orleans, LA. A documentary actor, article writer and horror author, Kellum is best known for his Hyraaq Tobit series of horror stories. A proud husband and father, Kellum credits his love of family and the haunted history of New Orleans as his source of inspiration.
Louise Blackwick
Louise Blackwick is a next-generation fiction writer, author of several experimental novels and short stories. Blackwick is particularly known as the writer of the Vivian Amberville book series, a bestselling philosophical fantasy saga about a girl whose thoughts can control and reshape reality.
FAQ
WHAT IS THE WORD LIMIT?
250 words max.
CAN I PARTICIPATE WITH MORE THAN ONE ENTRY?
Yes, you can.
IS THE CONTEST AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES THAN ENGLISH?
Yes, at the same time there will be flash fiction contest running in the following languages: English, Dutch, German, Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
HOW DO I ADD A TAG AND EDIT MY STORY?
You need to add it to your Story Details (don’t forget to press Enter on the website).
For each contest, you can edit your story as many times as you want before the deadline. To access your story: log in, go to ‘my stories’ and click on your story. To edit your story title/description, go to the 3dot menu in your Story Dashboard and click Story Basics; to edit your tags/other story details, go to the 3dot menu in your story dashboard and select Story Details.
HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER MY STORY IS PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST OR NOT?
If you see the tag on your story page after you searched for it, it is participating. If you are not sure, contact us via Facebook and we can check it for you.
HOW DO I PROMOTE MY STORY?
Best way is to promote your story via your own Social Media and network. You can also promote it on the Sweek platform (for the official ‘Promote Your Story’ post, created for each round) or share it in the Sweek group on Facebook: Sweek Fan Group. You can find the link to share your story when you search for your story in the search bar and click on it. Here you’ll find the share button on the story info page!
DO I GET A CONFIRMATION OF PARTICIPATING IMMEDIATELY?
No, but if your story is tagged, you are surely participating. However, if you’d like to know for sure you are participating, please ask us.
HOW CAN I SEARCH FOR MY STORY?
The current search is based on the title, the description and the tag. So you can search for either of those.
WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND MY STORY ON SEARCH RIGHT AWAY?
No worries, sometimes it can take a few minutes after publishing to become visible on all the platforms. If you still can’t find your story the next day, please contact us.
WHERE WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
We will e-mail all the shortlisted authors within 3 days after the announcement, but you can find them first on our Facebook page!
WHEN CAN I EXPECT THE SWEEK MICROFICTION BOOK?
We will bundle the winners and finalists of each round and publish them via Sweek self-publishing (every 3-4 rounds, depending on the number of shortlisted stories). If you do not wish for Sweek to publish your story participating in this competition, please indicate this in the short description of your story.
Writing Contest: #My2018!
Write your 2018!
After a very successful ‘Write your 2017’ contest last year, Sweek is back with the second edition of this inspiring writing contest!
At the end of each year we take time to reflect upon our life and to make plans for the upcoming year. With a little bit of creativity you can transform your contemplations into an adventurous sci-fi story, a thrilling mystery or an epic love story. Look for inspiration around you! Already have plans for New Year’s Eve? Turn them into an exciting adventure story! Are you starting a new study soon? You might meet a handsome classmate on your first day and get tangled up in a passionate romance! Whatever your 2018 brings – let the words flow and create a story about it! Fiction or nonfiction, poetry and prose, as long as your entry is related to the upcoming year of 2018!
CONTEST SUMMARY
– Join until 06/02/2018
– All genres; poetry and prose; fiction and nonfiction
– The story can be maximum 5,000 words (can be less!)
– Grand prize $200; Best story per language: $50
– Global; participating languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Polish, Turkish, Russian
PRIZES
Impress our jury to win the following prizes:
Best story [international]: $200 cash
Best story per participating language: $50 cash
Best feedback per participating language: $20 (see below)
10 finalists per language: featured on Sweek for 3 weeks. All stories that have over 25 followers, will receive a special Fireworks badge on their cover! The deadline for the follower count is 6th of February (23:59 CET)
Participating languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Polish, Turkish, Russian
DURATION
Submissions close: 6th of February (23:59 CET)
Winners announced: 26th of February
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDELINES
Step 1: Download the Sweek app or use our website:
Website: https://sweek.com/
Android app: http://bit.ly/SweekforAndroid
iOS app: http://bit.ly/SweekforiOS
Step 2: Create an account or log in
Step 3: Upload your story by going to ‘My stories’ and ‘Start a new story’
Step 4: Publish your story with the tag #My2018 in the tags section in Story Details
RULES
Read these guidelines carefully before joining this writing competition!
- You need to be 13 years or older to participate. Younger participants need their parents’ permission
- The story must be tagged #My2018 in story details
- The story can’t have more than 5000 words
- No genre restrictions. Prose and poetry. Fiction and nonfiction
- The story needs to be newly uploaded on Sweek.
- The story doesn’t have to be exclusive, meaning it can be published somewhere else
- The story meets Sweek community guidelines
- The story must be created by you. You can also write with a friend if you want to, but in case you win, the prize will be shared.
- You can participate with multiple entries
- You can edit your entry until the submission deadline. After the deadline, you can no longer modify anything in your story
- You can win only one cash prize
- Spamming on Sweek or falsification of your followers will lead to disqualification of your story with a prior warning
- The cash prize will be transferred via Paypal (Sweek bears the transfer costs). If the winner is based in Europe, the cash prize will be arranged via a bank transfer. In case there is no option to create a Paypal account, we can arrange the prize via a gift card or a bank transfer for which the costs are split. We’re not responsible for currency conversion rate at the time of transferring the cash prize
#MY2018FEEDBACK
#My2018Feedback is open for all #My2018 stories! Help your fellow writers get even better! For each language, the Sweeker who leaves the best critique receives $20. How to join?
Step 1. Search for #My2018 on Sweek and read a story
Step 2. Provide feedback/critique in a comment on the story
Step 3. Add #My2018Feedback at the end of your comment so that we can find it
Step 4. You can participate as many times as you like until 6th of February 2018. You can participate even if you didn’t write a story on the topic!
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT
Congratulations to these authors who made it to the top! We chose them because of the writing style, originality of the story or its unexpected ending.
Thank you to almost 500 participants (in English only) we had. Good luck in the upcoming contests!
“The Best #My2018 Story” title goes to a Russian writer, Natalia Spososbina. Kyril, the main character of “Pcyol” is a perfectionist and a workaholic. He doesn’t prioritise time with his family and struggles with finding time for his beloved ones. To somehow break out the working routine, he starts reading a blog of a photographer and adventurer. He dreams about reaching out to him and getting to know him better. Time goes by and his dreams remain to be just dreams… until Christmas comes. This day changes Kyril’s life and brings him a new resolution for 2018. The famous blogger happened to be his own brother, that he never had time for in real life, however, he spent hours scrolling through his blog.
We found this story to be very accurate in today’s world and it shows that sometimes we know so little about our own family, yet – we have time to follow strangers on Social Media…
“The Muse” by Mark Groenen was chosen to be the best one written in English. Congratulations to this Dutch writer! We really love the idea behind the story and its surrealism.
Read it here: https://sweek.com/read/119305/1400000162
We also received many comments to compete in the “Best Feedback” category. @GinaFairchild left a couple of helpful comments but the one on “Heart Attack” caught our attention.
Here’s the link to the story: https://sweek.com/read/4/1800938358
SHORTLIST
“Beyond My Wildest Imagination” – Z
https://sweek.com/read/
“Who will miss me when I’m gone?” – PandaRi
https://sweek.com/read/
“Midnight’s Kiss” – sofiaggasque
https://sweek.com/read/4/
“A visit from the lady in a black abaya” – reiyhdah
https://sweek.com/read/
“My 2018” – earthtomorgan
https://sweek.com/read/
“Murder Become Her” – Tracey Domalik
https://sweek.com/read/
“To the Paradise” – Anshul Ghiloria
https://sweek.com/read/
“My world #My2018” – ItsAbhineetAgarwal
https://sweek.com/read/13/
Once more – thank you to all the participants and congratulations to all the winners and finalists! 