#MuseOfTheMonth Cue For December 2018: Darkest Nights; Brightest Stars

Read the prompt, put on your writer’s hat, and tell us a story that passes the Bechdel Test, for the Muse of the Month, December 2018. 

In 2017, we had a very successful Muse of the Month series that culminated in an ebook that you can buy here (titled When Women Speak Up!) with the top 19 stories of the year, which are examples of the raw, untapped talent that we have among us.

In 2018, we came back with a new Muse of the Month series, that focuses on stories that pass the Bechdel Test. (Yes, we know this test is mostly for movies, but duh, we’re appropriating it for stories, too!) Effectively,

• it should have at least two well crafted, named women characters,
• who talk to each other
• on topics other than men or boys.

Every month, we will give you an unusual prompt, a slightly open ended one, so that you can set your imagination wild – but within certain rules.

So, what do you need to do?

Step 1. Read our prompt, and put on your thinking hat. “Hmm…what can I write on this?”

Step 2. Write your own story. (But of course!)

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Step 3. Send your work to us. Please email it to [email protected] with ‘Muse of the month – December 2018’ in the subject line, and your story as a word/txt attachment. Do include the name we should use if we publish it, and a brief introduction of yourself (2-3 lines) in the mail.

Please note: Given the number of entries received, we won’t be able to respond to each one, but every single entry is being read through very carefully and is much appreciated.

Deadlines

Please send in your stories by Monday, 10th December 2018, 3 p.m. IST. The 5 best stories will be published on Women’s Web between the 17th and 21st of December 2018, one on each day.

Rules

~The material should be previously unpublished elsewhere. (Copyright stays with you and you’re free to subsequently publish it elsewhere).

~The story should pass the Bechdel test. (Please read details of Bechdel test above.)

~Keep it between 250 and 2000 words. Please keep this in mind; in past editions, we have had to disqualify some good entries purely due to word count issues.

~Please avoid typing the story as inline text. Send it as an attachment only.

~The editors may change the title of the story if they think it works better.

~The winners cannot publish their story in whole anywhere else. They are, of course, free to publish an excerpt with a link back to the story on Women’s Web.

Prizes

The 5 best entries will each win an Amazon voucher worth Rs 250. Plus, the winner automatically qualifies to compete to be one of the top few winners at the end of 2018!

Do not forget to send in your entries by Monday, 10th December 2018, 3 p.m. IST

Header image source: pixabay

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