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                                                           Left Behind - A Flash Fiction Contest

The California Writers Club Marin is accepting short-short story submissions! Winners will receive certificates of excellence and will appear on our website and the statewide website. External expert judges will be announced soon.

Theme: Left Behind

Prompt: Craft a gripping 500–1000 word short-short story that explores leaving something-or-someone behind or being left behind. Capture a powerful moment in a brief burst of storytelling. Show us what’s left behind—and what lingers on.

Flash fiction features short-short stories with high impact.

Important Dates:
🖋 Submissions Open: Sunday, June 1, 2025
⏰ Deadline: Monday, September 1, 2025 (midnight)

Submission Guidelines:
ELIGIBILITY: Current California Writers Club Members, any branch. (Exception: Board Members of CWC Marin and volunteers working on the Contest are ineligible.)

Format: Word document (.doc or .docx)

• Font: Times      New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced, with page numbers
• File      Name: StoryTitle.FlashContest.Date
• Cover   Sheet: Include your full name, mailing address, phone number,      email, and CWC branch.
• Story  Pages: No author’s name should appear on any story page, only the      cover sheet.

How to Submit:

📤 CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT
💵Pay Your $10 Entry Fee

Scoring Criteria:
✔ Story length between 500-1,000 words (deductions for outside limits)
✔ Opening immediately engages with tone, setting, or conflict
✔ Well-developed characters through action, voice, or vivid detail
✔ Clear beginning, middle, and end with story progression
✔ Resonance of deeper meaning, emotion, or universal truth
✔ Satisfying and memorable ending
✔ Fresh, original voice and concept—no clichés
✔ Crisp, polished prose appropriate to genre and mood
✔ All entries will be screened for plagiarism and AI generation

LEFT BEHIND Flash Fiction Contest Fee

$10.00 USD

$10 for CWC members (any branch). One submission per person.