
The Little Things
Submit a poem inspired by finding joy in something small.
Prizes
- First place:
- $1,000
- Second place:
- $500
- Third place:
- $250
All winners will also receive a framed Amber Vittoria print.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jun 29, 2020
Submissions closed
Aug 01, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Aug 07, 2020
Prizes
- First place:
- $1,000
- Second place:
- $500
- Third place:
- $250
All winners will also receive a framed Amber Vittoria print.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jun 29, 2020
Submissions closed
Aug 01, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Aug 07, 2020
About this challenge
In the midst of what’s been a hectic year, we want to celebrate the little things that make us smile. We’ve teamed up with artist Amber Vittoria for this Challenge. Her work is a constant reminder of happiness and celebrating life, so we’re sharing one of her prints, My New Friend, for you to get inspired. This piece in particular was inspired by the idea of finding joy in the smaller things in life—and now we’re asking you to use that inspiration to fuel your own creativity.
For this Challenge, we want you to submit a poem inspired by finding joy in something small, using Amber’s art as a source of inspiration to help get you started. Enter the Challenge for a chance to win prizes up to $1,000, and a framed print of Amber’s work to keep as a reminder that happiness can be found in tiny places.
How to enter
For your poem to be eligible, it must be between 100 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Poems published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until July 31, 2020, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or third place prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these 35 countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
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Write a poem that includes one line that does not strictly belong and let the tension it creates remain unresolved.
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Write a story in which something is clearly wrong but all characters behave as if everything is normal.
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Write a haiku that captures a small, precise moment from the present without reflection or commentary.
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Write a story set in a world where a well-known myth exists that focuses on a detail the myth simplifies, ignores, or distorts.
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Write a poem that states its central concern directly without metaphor, indirection, or symbolic substitution.
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$200 Grand Prize58 days left
Challenge resources
Instructions Included Challenge Winners
For the Instructions Included challenge, we asked writers to tell a story through instructions and to trust the form to carry what could not be said outright. Across the top entries, that trust paid off in many different ways.
By Vocal Curation Team5 days ago in Resources
The Ritual of Winter Challenge Winners
Welcome to the Winners Announcement for The Ritual of Winter challenge. This prompt focused on winter rituals and the meaning that settles into them over time. The top pieces stay grounded in ordinary acts and repeated routines, letting winter shape the work through pace, attention, and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team24 days ago in Resources










