Weird Tales writing contest!
You’ve seen the latest wave of spam — you know, the faux outrageous news headlines: “Osama trains goats for tactical bombing.” “Laika the Russian space dog returns to Earth.” “Children admit to being little shits: Video.” Isn’t it a shame the headline is all we get? So here at Weird Tales we’re inviting YOU to turn this spam into… um… spam-ade!
Write a flash-fiction story — under 500 words — based on a spam you’ve received. Send your story, along with the headline that inspired it, to contest@weirdtales.net before 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 4. The Weird Tales editorial team will judge them, and three winners will be announced at the Weird Tales reception on Friday, Aug. 8 at the World Science Fiction Convention in Denver!
The first-, second-, and third-place winners will all be published online at WeirdTalesMagazine.com the week of August 11. The first- and second-place winners will also receive three free issues of Weird Tales; and the first-place winner will also receive an autographed copy of Ekaterina Sedia’s incredible new novel The Alchemy of Stone.
(UPDATE! If you’ve thrown away all your own spam, writer Adam Israel has compiled a humongous collection of spam headlines here. Be forewarned that adult language abounds therein.)
We encourage you to spread this announcement far and wide. But note: entries from Nigeria will be examined very closely.
[...] Tales is giving away a few free issues of Weird Tales magazine and an autographed copy of Ekaterina Sedia’s The Alchemy… among other prizes in a flash fiction contest. Write a 500 word or less short story based on a spam [...]
[...] Via Cat Rambo, Weird Tales is having a flash fiction contest. [...]
[...] WEIRD TALES: magazine of the gothic, fantastic & bizarre & Blog Archive & Weird Tales wr… Weird Tales magazine writing contest write a flash story based on spam headlines, submit by August 4. [...]
[...] Weird Tales writing contest! Write a flash-fiction story — under 500 words — based on a spam you’ve received. Send your story, along with the headline that inspired it, to contest@weirdtales.net before 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 4. (tags: writing) [...]
[...] security with his bare fists” is my current fave.) Weird Tales magazine is asking folks to write a story of 500 words or less based on one of those headlines; prizes mostly involve copies of Weird Tales, [...]
Hey Weird Tales! If any of your readers need inspiration for your spam-lit contest, they should swing by spamblr.tumblr.com—it’s a website devoted to art inspired by the same spam headlines. Submissions welcome—emissions, not so much.
Sincerely,
The spamblettes
Can you submit more than one entry?
@Chris: Yes. Up to three entries is acceptable.
[...] Weird Tales magazine is having a clever contest - Take your email spam and use it to create flash-fiction: [...]
COOL contest. I’ve put a note up about it on my blog.
I hope you have the spam-filter turned off on that email account.
[...] Weird Tales Spam contest is now closed to submissions. They received 150 submissions, and the winners will be announced on [...]
I was stumped. I couldn’t think of anything better than the actual spam title: “Plucky Pensioner Discovers Hitler In Local Starbucks.” That’s a story and punchline all by itself.
[...] Tales magazine recently hosted a spiffy flash fiction contest. The challenge: write a piece of fewer than 500 words based on a SPAM [...]
This is a fantastic and most creative adventure! I missed it though and its too bad, what a challenge,it would been fun! Let me know if you do another twisted contest will you?
I’ve had some interesting spam that could of made for marvelous prose…
[...] (Weird Tales Spam Fiction Contest Honorable Mention, inspired by the spam email headline “Get your Teeth 7 shades Whiter!”) [...]