Write a story involving Fearsome Folklore, and a bone. $3000 grand prize

Hush now, draw closer. Don’t let them hear you! These aren’t just myths, but ancient warnings passed through generations. You must promise to tread lightly, speak softly, and keep these tales safe. Now, listen carefully…

The old world teems with secrets. Eyes in the fog, cries in the wind. Rumors spun from dread when forms are half-glimpsed, voices half-heard. Mermaids, mists, & moonlit lakes. What lurks on the edge of the wood or hides beneath your bed? Every tale is a mirror reflecting our darkest fears. Bogs and burial grounds. Beasts and banshees roam the outskirts of our land. From the steppes to the swamps, from city to sea—legends live. Crows, crones, and cobblestone paths. These are the stories handed down when the fire burns low, in the Appalachian, the Outback, the Amazon. Listen, but do not linger, for this lore doesn’t just speak—it stalks. Sinks into soil and soul, and once opened, some doors may never be closed. Will you heed the ancestral advice and pass the warning, or take your torch and discover the truth for yourself?

This contest invites you to explore Fearsome Folklore, whatever that means to you. Fantasy, contemporary, romance, crime. All genres are welcome.

Prizes:

• 1st place: $3,000 USD. Free enrollment in the New Novelist Accelerator.
• 2nd – 10th: 10c/word and publication.
• 11th – 35th: $20 USD and an honorable mention in the magazine.

Submissions close December 31st at 11:59 pm EST. Contest only open to new writers.

We are keen to encourage quality, so suggest writers to check their stories before submitting using Prowritingaid. They have free and paid versions and are the best writing software we know to help improve grammar, readability and check for repetition, ‘sticky’ sentences and suggest alternatives.