Return to Shallow Creek Short Story Competition – Early Bird Entry

We are delighted to announce The Return To Shallow Creek Short Story Competition will open for entries in early 2022.

As part of our STORGY SWAN SONG Kickstarter campaign, we are introducing a new and exclusive pledge option – EARLY BIRD ENTRY – for the Return To Shallow Creek Short Story Competition.

The Return To Shallow Creek Short Story Competition will open for entries on 3rd February 2022 and the submission period will run until 31st May 2022 – however –  EARLY BIRD ENTRY will open on 3rd January 2022.

Authors pledging their support for the STORGY SWANSONG KICKSTARTER will receive their competition packs on 3rd January 2022 – granting them an extra month to wander around Shallow Creek and write their short stories. EARLY BIRD entrants will also receive an eBook copy of the original Shallow Creek Anthology.

We are also excited to announce Shallow Creek’s new characters and locations – and a sinister new storyline – but all will be revealed in due course. Stay tuned to discover more about the Return To Shallow Creek Short Story Competition and remember to keep a watchful eye on our social media accounts and our STORGY SWANSONG Kickstarter campaign.

Upon entering the Return To Shallow Creek Short Story Competition, authors will receive an exclusive visitor pack, consisting of the following precious items:

– A Map of Shallow Creek –
– One Character Profile –
– One Specified Instruction –
– One incident of interest –

Map of Shallow Creek:

Previous Examples of Character Profiles:

The Residents of Shallow Creek:

The STORGY ‘RETURN TO SHALLOW CREEK’ Short Story Competition is open to all.

The Period for Submissions opens on 3rd February 2022 (or 3rd January 2022 for Early Bird Entrants).

1^st Prize – £1000

2^nd Prize – £100

3^rd Prize – £50

Finalists will be published in SHALLOW CREEK

£10 Entry Fee
(or £10 EARLY BIRD pledge via Kickstarter)

Entry Dates

• Submissions for the STORGY RETURN TO SHALLOW CREEK Short Story Competition will be accepted from 3rd February 2022 (or 3rd January 2022 for EARLY BIRD entries via Kickstarter).
• The deadline for receipt of entries is 11.00pm 31^st May 2022.

How to Enter

Applicants are encouraged to enter via the STORGY SWANGSONG – RETURN TO SHALLOW CREEK EARLY ENTRY – pledge bundle or submit online via Submittable (once open) as early as possible before the deadline.

Instructions for Entering

• Complete the submission form as follows:

NAME: Author Name
BIO & DETAILS:  Short biographical statement (including publication history), contact details (email), and links to author websites and/or social media accounts.

• Enter payment details and select SUBMIT.
• Wait for your RETURN TO SHALLOW CREEK COMPETITION pack to arrive in your inbox.
• Write your short story.
• Reply to the email containing your RETURN TO SHALLOW CREEK COMPETITION PACK and attach your short story in accordance with the entry criterion below.
• Celebrate.

Formatting

Type and format the short story as per the following instructions:

Save as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx) with the LOCATION and CHARACTER IDENTITY (LOCATION – CHARACTER) in the file name.

• One entry per author
• Written in English
• A maximum of 5,000 words
• Typed
• Font: Cambria, 12pt, black
• Double spaced
• Front page with title of the story, character name, location, and word count

Please Note

Entries not submitted in accordance with the Entry Instructions and Entry terms and Conditions will not be eligible for consideration.

Entry Terms and Conditions

The Awards

1) All entries will be read by at least two (2) STORGY editors and a shortlist of exceptional short stories will be chosen from which a winner and two runners up will be selected.

2) 1^st place award is worth £1000.

3) 2^nd place award is worth £100.

4) 3^rd place award is worth £50.

Eligibility

1) The Award is open to all.

2) The story must not contain more than 5,000 words.

3) The entry must be submitted by the author or his/her representative.

4) Only one entry per author permitted.

5) Authors can only enter individually and not as part of a writing team.

6) The story entered must be unpublished.

7) The story submitted must be original, fictional, and entirely the author’s own work.

8) Entries are limited to stories written in English.

Copyright and Terms of Use

By submitting a story for the award the entrant hereby acknowledges and agrees that the winning or any other shortlisted story will be published free of any fees or royalty payments.

Judging

The STORGY Short Story Award will be looking for the best new writing and will consider all entries on the basis of quality and originality of prose and narrative voice. The Award aims to support excellence in the short story genre.

Judging of the Award will be as follows:

1) All entries will be judged by STORGY editors against the Award criterion.

2) Shortlisted and winning writers will be contacted personally by email.

3) The voting outcome is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Welcome to Shallow Creek…You’ll never want to leave.

Silverpine Forest

If you go down to the woods today, you’ll be in for a great surprise!

Mallum Colt, owner and proprietor of ‘Colt’s Curiosity Corner,’ came into possession of a scratched, portable dictation machine. It was found on a tree-stump in the middle of Silverpine Forest – and when he played the tape inside, he found this macabre recording…

In Silverpine forest, there’s much to see and do. There’s the Hanging Tree, a hangout for teens and junkies alike, there’s Arkady Asylum, and more importantly, rumours of beasts and bogeymen lurking among the pine trees during the witching hour.

You’ll never know what you’ll find in Silverpine forest…

Arkady Asylum

Psychologist Ruth Usiskin will see you now…but perhaps it’s best if you take a sedative…you’re looking awfully peaky…

Arkady Asylum was built in the late 1800’s, to provide shelter and care for the mentally unequipped. Rumours have it that Dr. Malcolm Arkady practiced arcane rituals in the basement of the establishment – and presently there’s whispers in town of unethical experiments and abuse of its patients.

Mallum Colt has used every trick in the book to get a glimpse of what goes on inside the asylum…

Krinkles the Klown

It’s the special ingredient that makes Krinkles the greatest cereal treat around! STORGY welcomes you to Shallow Creek, the town of a thousand hollow laughs… Back in the 60’s, The Mayor of Shallow Creek thought giving the town a brand would increase tourism revenue exponentially. Enter Krinkles The Klown – and his own brand of cereal, ‘Krinkles’. Krinkles was a popular attraction for some time and even had his own TV show, but then some of the local kids got sick – upon investigating it was discovered that Krinkles’ secret ingredient was a nutty Aflatoxin – a poisonous and cancer-causing chemical produced by certain molds which grew in the town’s soil – which decayed vegetation, hay, grains and Krinkle’s nuts. Krinkle’s TV show was pulled, and the actor playing the eponymous jester went into hiding. It’s rumoured that when the carnival comes into town once a year, a shabby, elderly man dressed in an old Krinkle’s costume lurks by the tents, ranting incoherently about his favourite cereal. More worryingly though is that he tries to lure kids to his gingerbread house in Old Shallow Creek…Police are on the lookout and if you spot someone matching Krinkle’s description, get in contact straightaway… Please note that STORGY does not hold the copyright for Krinkles cereal or the advert – this has been used as a demonstration for creative purposes.

Colt’s Curiosity Corner

Mallum Colt is the curator and owner of ‘Colt’s Curiosity Corner,’ a museum that presents an incoherent vision of the world displayed through wonder, enclosed in a small shop at the heart of Shallow Creek. Mallum will be the writer’s guide and will be updating the STORGY.com website each week regarding information of the town itself, to help inspire writers. Shallow Creek has encountered its fair share of trouble in the past. From religious zealots that tried to claim ownership of the town back in the late 70’s, to sightings of beasts, freaks and monsters, its own inhabitants are burdened with their own dark secrets. It’s the kind of place that Silent Hill and Innesmouth shudder away from. It’s the town that Rod Serling visited once and came away with an idea for a little known TV show called The Twilight Zone.

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