Last year, Greater & Grander sponsored its first annual Collective Folk Fiction Writing Competition. This was intended to counteract the dangerous superhero narrative that only one special person could save us from all this madness.

From that, we had a series of winners.

This year, in Greater & Grander’s ongoing pursuit of expanding artistic boundaries, we have decided to sponsor another writing contest, open to all, free to enter, and focused on stories of collective action.

This is not just about highlighting new and undiscovered authors. This is about shifting paradigms. This is about creating a new genre.

Therefore, we are opening this second annual writing contest for submissions in the new genre, Collective Folk Fiction. This genre focuses on several characteristics, and should contain as many of the following. You are not required to include all, but you will be scored, partly, on how many you can include in your submission:

• The story focuses on a group of people from different walks of life (age, language, ethnicity, occupation, intersectionality, etc.) coming together to accomplish something.
• The story and characters should reject the “cult of individualism.”
• The story should NOT equate goodness with force. The characters should use tactics to succeed that do not include the worship of force, or violence.
• If possible, the characters should reject the war machine, or overt nationalism, in favor of working together across divides.
• Character’s strengths and weaknesses should NOT be determined by their genes, bloodlines, or any discussion similar to eugenics.
• The story must focus on the freedom and equality of all, regardless of power-dynamics.
• The characters should not operate as vigilantes outside the law, unless the representation of the law itself is unjust (Robin Hood, Black Lives Matter, etc.).
• The heroes should challenge, not reinforce the status quo.
• Characters (even good ones) should have flaws.
• It is preferred that the story deals with a progressive theme, including (but not limited to): right to healthcare; right to a decent home; right to the social safety net; right to free education; right to employment for everyone regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.; right to a basic livable income; right to pursue a small business.

Also, we are leaning more into genre fiction this year: Surreal; Adventure; Noir; Fantasy; Science Fiction; Historical Fiction; Horror; Magical Realism; Saga; Western; Slipstream or Alternative History/Reality, etc. So, submissions in those genres is encouraged, but not required.

Requirements

Due to last year’s submissions, we are noting several requirements for this year.

First, to be clear, this is not a poetry or non-fiction essay competition. We are open to several story formats, including prose, screenplay, stage-play, found-letters format, etc. However, if you submit a work of poetry or non-fiction essay, without a clear narrative story, they will not qualify.

A second change this year is that if an entry is poorly written, has several spelling or grammatical errors, or does not have a competently written story, then it will immediately be disqualified, and be given a score of 0.

Thirdly, recommended length for submissions is 1,500 to 3,000 words. However, there is a minimum limit of 6 words, and a maximum limit of 4,663 words.

Additionally, submissions are also only limited to 1 entry per writer (or per team of writers).

You can check out some of our past fiction posts here.

The grand prize winner will receive a $250 cash prize, and be published in Greater & Grander’s 2021 collection of Collective Folk Fiction ebook. The collection of stories will also be available for purchase on Amazon.

Runners up will also be published in Greater & Grander’s 2021 collection of Collective Folk Fiction ebook, and up to 5 authors will receive $50 each. The collection of stories will also be available for purchase on Amazon.

Submissions will open September 1st. Deadline for submissions will be Sunday, December 8th, 2021, at 11:59 pm PST.

By submitting your story, you agree to the following main principles:

• You own the copyright and intellectual property of the story you submit;
• You grant Greater & Grander and its assignees and affiliates the right to modify, adapt, and/or edit your story; and
• You grant Greater & Grander and its assignees and affiliates the non-exclusive right to use, publish, and monetize any Contributions that you submit or provide to Greater & Grander.
• You must be at least 18 years of age to enter.

Please note, at this time, the choice of winner will be left solely to the discretion of Greater & Grander.

Schedule

Deadline for entries – Sunday, December 8th, 2021, at 11:59 pm PST

Evaluation Period – December 9th, 2021 through January 31st, 2022

Possible Edit Requests of Authors – February 1st, 2022 through February 27th, 2022

Winner Announcements – February 28th, 2022

Please sign up to our Mailing List to find out about the competition, or follow us on social media.

Subscribe, Like, Follow!