Fiction Contest!

**NOTE: the deadline is September 1st.

Welcome to the first annual Fiction Contest! We have devised this contest in order to promote creativity and spontaneity in fiction writing, and also because sometimes we just enjoy making up nonsensical rules for things.

We’ve nicknamed it the ‘MacGyver’ Story Contest because what you will be doing, should you choose to enter, is using at least three of these seemingly random prompts to create an interesting and coherent short story:

This year’s prompts are (pick at least three):
• A cow that produces milkshakes instead of milk
• The World Snooker Organization
• A hammer dulcimer
• An extremely pretentious person
• A pyramid
• Couscous

Please keep these guidelines in mind:
1. The only ‘rules’ are that you need to use at least three prompts and keep the story under 8000 words. Any genre (except erotica) will be accepted.
2. This is not a poetry contest – we will have one of those in the fall. Please do not send us poetry for this contest.
3. Contest entries will only be considered until September 15th. The winning entry, along with the first and second runner up, will be published in the first May issue.
4. Submissions for the contest are considered separately from normal submissions and will NOT be considered for normal publication. Only the top three entries will be published in the magazine.
5. The winner will receive a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

Please send all contest entries to submissions@fourcornereduniverse.com with the subject line “Contest Entry”.