Writing Contest

Without AI

 

Why no AI?

In a world dominated by bots and fakes, I value authenticity. I want to  encourage real writing by real writers with real skills.  

Real readers deserve real stories.

 

The Theme: “Extremely Cold Weather”

Whether the story unflds during a peaceful winter journey or a ferocious blizzard, whether the characters are trudging across a glacier or huddling around a wood stove, whether the temperature is normal for the season or caused by climate change, what matters is that the cold weather plays a significant role in the plot, and that you let the readers feel the chill.

 

Genre: Any – but with a Gothic touch

Your story can be of any prose genre – Romance, Horror, Historical, Western, Steampunk, Noir, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Humour,  Literary,  Mystery, Thriller...   as long as it has Gothic elements.  For ideas how to give your story a Gothic plot and atmosphere, see my blog post here.

 

What does ‘NO AI’ mean?

You may not use any Artificial Intelligence app, nor the AI tools of other apps, for any part of the story’s creation. Not for story prompts, not for plotting, not for structuring, not for writing, not for revising, not for editing.

That’s the purpose of this contest: show how well you can craft a story. Not how well you can use AI.

You may use a word processor and spellchecker.

 

"But I like using AI for my writing!"

Then enter contests for AI-assisted writing.

 

"How do you know the story was not AI-generated?"

As part of the submission process, each competitor has to formally declare that they have not used any AI.

The winners need to make a public declaration before the prize is awarded.

Plus, we have our methods of finding out.

 

"But I know ways how to disguise AI writing so nobody can tell!"

All you achieve with this is prove to yourself that you're better at cheating than at writing. 

 

Is there an entry fee?

The contest is free to enter.

 

What are the Prizes?

The first prize winner receives a cash prize of 400 BGN. (Currently  that’s 200 Euro or 223 USD, but conversion rates fluctuate.)  It will sent by through an international money transfer agency of my choice, probably Wise. The top winner also gets a detailed critique of their story  from me, plus an ebook of their choice from the Writer’s Craft series.

The first three winners receive a detailed critique for their story from me, plus an ebook of their choice from the Writer’s Craft series.

Five runners-up will receive a ebook of their choice from the Writer’s Craft series.

Here’s a list of the Writer's Craft books winners and runners-up can choose from.

 

Length: Open

130 or 13,000 words or anything in between - give your story as many words as it needs and deserves. 

 

What’s the closing date?

15 February 2025.

 

How do I submit?

Send your story as an email attachment to umm.akk@gmail.com.  The email header should be:

Non-AI Story Contest: [title of your story][author name]

The manuscript should be in English language. The first page should contain:

• Your email address (so we can contact you)

• The statement “I declare that AI was not used at any stage in the creation of this story.”

• Your author name

• The story title

(Don’t sweat the formatting. As long as all the elements are there, we’re not fussed about layout, font and such.)

 

Are previously published stories acceptable? 

Only unpublished stories are eligible for the contest. However, you can submit the story to the anthology, provided you still own the rights.

 

How many stories (multiple submissions) can I enter?

As many as you want. Submit them  in separate emails.

 

Who will judge the contest?

The judging will be carried out by real people, not by an AI app.  Each story will be seen by at least two judges. The independent judging panel will consist of writers, editors and philologists who love Gothic fiction: Diana Atanasova,  Alex Binkley and others. The full line-up will be confirmed soon. 
 

What is this anthology you mentioned?

I’m planning another Gothic Fiction anthology in the  ‘Creepy Tales’ series.  It will feature AI-free writing and have the same theme as the contest: extremely cold weather. 

The contest-winning stories will be considered for publication in the anthology.  If your story is suitable, I’ll contact you with an offer.  (Writers get paid for the use of their story and keep all rights.)

If you want to submit to the anthology without entering the contest, you need to wait until the call for submissions opens.

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Rules are rules

Any story suspected of AI use, plagiarism or deception will be disqualified. The winners will be announced after the judging is completed. The decision of the judges is final.  By entering the contest, you agree to abide by the rules and to accept the conditions. If you don't like the rules and conditions of this contest, don't enter.