Deadline: October 28, 2022
Entry fee: $17
About the competition
It’s time for another Globe Soup writing challenge!
For this short story challenge, all participants will be randomly assigned a period in history. As soon as you receive your assignment, you’ll have until the closing time to research, write, and submit a short story of no more than 4,000 words, set during this historical period.
All we ask is that your story be set in your assigned period. How much the history influences the plot is up to you.
You can use real historical figures as characters, you can use completely fictional characters, or you can use a combination of both.
Your story can be centred around an actual historical event, have a historical event as the backdrop, or you can simply set your story during your assigned period with the plot, themes, and characters untied to the historical significance of that time.
Want to mix genres? That’s fine too! You can write a historical horror story, a historical romance, a historical drama, or any kind of historical fiction story you want! The possibilities are endless!
The entries will be judged on the quality of the story, not the amount of historical detail included. However, for your story to be successful and effective, it will need to feel credible, so we recommend participants do a certain amount of research and include enough historical detail for their story to feel authentic. Just don’t lose sight of the story!
The historical periods chosen for this year’s challenge are:
1. The Vikings
2. World War II
3. Ancient Egypt
4. American Civil War
5. The Roaring 20’s
If you choose to participate in the challenge, you’ll be randomly assigned one of these historical periods.
Competition guidelines
- The competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over at the time of entering. International entries are welcome.
- All entries must be written in English.
- Entries must be fiction.
- All entries must be written for adult or young adult readers. Short stories aimed at children are not allowed.
- Entries must be no more than 4,000 words in length (excluding title). There is no minimum word requirement.
- Entries must be the participants own, original work. They must not have been published, self-published, published online or made public on social media or featured among the winners in any other competition.
- Entries must not include photographs or illustrations.
- All entries are judged anonymously. The participant’s name must not appear anywhere on the submission piece.
- No one associated with Globe Soup can enter this competition.
- Entries can be resubmitted until the closing time. The last version we receive will be the one sent to the judges.
- Only one submission per ticket. If participants want to submit multiple entries, they must buy a separate ticket for each one.
- Clear instructions on how to submit will be sent to participants when they buy a ticket. Globe Soup reserves the right to disqualify entries if the submission instructions were not followed. Disqualification on this account is at Globe Soup’s discretion.
- Globe Soup will not enter into any correspondence with participants about the result. The decision of the judges is final.
- At this time Globe Soup cannot provide feedback on entries to the competition. If you want to get feedback on your entry, please join the members-only Facebook group and participate in the feedback exchange.
- Participants must use the same email address for submitting and purchasing their ticket.
- The winner will receive £1,000. Globe Soup reserves the right to delay announcing the winner due to unforeseen circumstances.
- The winner will be required to provide a short bio and a photograph of themselves to appear alongside the winning piece. A pen name or alias is permitted.
- All participants own the rights to their work, and after the competition closes, they are free to publish elsewhere. The winner grants Globe Soup the right to publish the winning story on their website. Globe Soup will only publish the winning entry.
- Globe Soup cannot, for any reason choose NOT to award the prize.
- Globe Soup cannot provide a refund of the entry fee.
- Read the whole guideline and enter the competition here.
