– THE COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED –
Funny Pearls are excited to announce our 2021 short story competition, open to women of all nationalities.
Like last year, we are in search of light relief. So please send us your farce, satire, screwball, or any other subgenre that qualifies as comedy.
And if you’re unsure how to write comedy, take cue from Robert McKee who offers this simple piece of advice:
‘If you pitch your story and people don’t laugh, you’ve not written a Comedy. You’ve written… something else.
The solution, however, is not found in trying to devise clever lines or pie in the face. Gags come naturally when the comic structure calls for them. Instead, concentrate on Turning Points. For each action first ask, “What’s the opposite of that?” then take it a step farther to “What’s off-the-wall from that?” Spring gaps of comic surprise – write a funny story’. (McKee, STORY, 1999).
THE STORIES
We welcome stories between 1000 and 2500 words.
Entries must be written in English and can be on any theme.
Please submit only original, unpublished work.
THE PRIZES
The winner will receive an Amazon gift card to the value of £300;
two runners-up will each receive Amazon gift cards to the value of £100.
The gift cards will be delivered via email. All winning entries will be posted on funnypearls.com.
THE DATES
We open for email submissions on Wednesday 15th September 2021. The submission deadline is Saturday 30th October 2021. Winners will be announced on Friday 10th December 2021.
THE SUBMISSIONS
Please submit your entry as a Word document to [email protected]. In the subject line, write the word COMPETITION, capitalised, followed by your name and the title of your story, in that order.
Please read the full competition rules before you make your submission.
Philippa & Mette
funnypearls.com