Caught in the Act or Lucky Escape? Unveiling the Dark Secret Behind the Fair’s Most Daring Theft
Isn’t it curious how a single prompt can send hundreds of writers spiraling into wildly different tales—all in just 24 hours? For six straight weeks, we’ve been neck-deep in judging the latest crop of entries from WritersWeekly’s 24-Hour Short Story Contest, a ruthless little beast where writers have just one day to turn a prompt into gold. Imagine: you get the topic, you stare at it, and then the clock ticks. The pressure cooker’s on and creativity must flow—fast, fresh, and fiercely original. This quarter’s Spring, 2025 theme nudged contestants with a tantalizing teaser about a woman stealing “that one essential item” at the Spring Fair. Sounds simple on paper, right? Yet, beneath the surface, we saw everything from scheming thieves to unexpected kindness, baked goods that tantalized the senses, royal intrigues, and a flurry of “by hook or by crook” escapades. But here’s a little secret—while many stories leaned on tired tropes or predictable endings, the real winners were those who dared to twist the tale, surprise the reader, and dare to step off the beaten path. So, before you dive into the winners and common themes, ask yourself: if you had just 24 hours, could you write a story that not only nailed the prompt, but made us gasp?
*THE SUMMER, 2025 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST WILL BE ON SATURDAY, July 19, 2025! Only 500 participants permitted so DON’T DELAY IF YOU WANT TO PLAY!!
For the past six weeks, we’ve spent every spare moment judging the hundreds of entries submitted for WritersWeekly’s most recent 24-Hour Short Story Contest. In case you’re not familiar with our quarterly contest, this is how it works. On the date of the contest, at start-time, we send out the topic for that specific contest to all registered entrants, while also posting it on WritersWeekly.com.
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