Official Rules:

1. The Competition

Stories Worth Something is a creative storytelling competition in which participants submit an original short story for the opportunity to win a $500 cash prize.

Current competition Prompt: In 500 words or less, tell us the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you.

Your story can be funny, painful, awkward, absurd, cringe-worthy, or all of the above.

We want the story you can't believe actually happened.

One eligible submission will be selected as the Winner based on the judging criteria described below.

The winning story and the nine highest-ranked honorable mentions will be featured in the Stories Worth Something digital publication.

2. Eligibility

The Competition is open to:

• Legal residents of the Unites States;

• Individuals who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry; and

• Individuals who are legally permitted to participate in a skill-based writing competition under applicable law.

Employees, immediate family members, and household members of the Organizer may not participate.

The Organizer reserves the right to request reasonable documentation verifying an entrant's age and US residency.

3. Entry Fee

The entry fee is $10 per story.

Each paid entry allows one participant to submit one eligible story for consideration in the Competition.

The entry fee is a fee to participate in the creative writing competition. It does not purchase a guaranteed prize, publication, or other outcome.

The $500 prize is independently provided by the Organizer and is not a pool or fund created from participant entry fees.

Entry fees are non-refundable except where required by applicable law or expressly provided for by the Organizer.

4. Entry Requirements

Each submission must:

1. Respond directly to the Competition Prompt.

2. Contain 500 words or fewer.

3. Be an original work written by the entrant.

4. Be written in English.

5. Be submitted by the person entering the Competition.

6. Not contain material copied or substantially reproduced from another person's work.

7. Not knowingly violate another person's copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights.

8. Not contain unlawful, threatening, or excessively hateful material.

A submission that does not follow the prompt or exceeds the 500-word maximum may be disqualified.

The Organizer may disqualify any submission that does not comply with these Official Rules.

5. Judging

Eligible submissions will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Judging Criterion Weight

Originality… 20%

Second-Hand Embarrassment… 20%

Emotional Intrigue… 20%

Creative Writing & Language… 20%

Overall Readability… 20%

Originality considers how fresh, distinctive, or unexpected the story feels.

Second-Hand Embarrassment considers how strongly the story makes the reader cringe, squirm, laugh, or otherwise experience the embarrassment alongside the storyteller.

Emotional Intrigue considers the story's ability to create emotional investment and keep the reader engaged.

Creative Writing & Language considers the entrant's use of language, imagery, voice, description, and storytelling technique.

Overall Readability considers how effectively and enjoyably the story works as a complete piece.

The Winner will be selected by a judge based on the Judging Criterion.

The top nine favorite Honorable Mentions will be featured in our digital publication along with the winning piece; subject to eligibility and publication requirements.

The Organizer may use one or more judges to evaluate submissions.

The winner and honorable mentions will be selected based on the quality and creative merit of the submitted stories. There will be no random drawing or random selection of winners.

6. Tie-Breaking

In the event of a tie, the tied submissions will be evaluated again using the published judging criteria.

The Organizer may use an additional qualified judge or judging panel to resolve a tie.

No tie will be resolved through a random drawing or other method based on chance.

7. Prize

One Cash Prize: $500 USD.

The prize will be awarded to the entrant whose eligible submission is selected as the Winner.

The prize will be paid via Venmo or another payment method mutually agreed upon by the Organizer and winner.

The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for another prize.

The winner is responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes that may apply to the prize.

The Organizer may require the winner to complete any tax documentation reasonably necessary to award the prize.

8. Publication of Winning Stories

The Winner and nine Honorable Mentions will be featured in the Stories Worth Something publication.

By entering the Competition, each entrant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish, display, distribute, and promote their submitted story in connection with:

• The Competition;

• The Stories Worth Something publication;

• The Organizer's website;

• Social media;

• Email newsletters;

• Promotional materials; and

• Future marketing or editorial materials relating to Stories Worth Something.

This license applies to the winning story and the nine selected Honorable Mention stories for publication and promotional purposes.

The entrant retains ownership of their copyright.

The Organizer does not acquire ownership of an entrant's story merely because it is submitted to the Competition.

The Organizer may edit a selected story for spelling, grammar, formatting, length, or house style while preserving the substance and voice of the author's work. Material editorial changes will not be made without the author's consent.

9. Publication Credit

Published stories will be credited to the author's name as provided during entry.

At the author's request, the Organizer may publish the story under a pseudonym or first name/last initial, subject to the Organizer's ability to verify the author's identity.

The Organizer may publish the winning entry and Honorable Mention entries together with a brief author biography or other information voluntarily provided by the author.

10. Winner Notification

The potential Winner will be contacted using the information provided with their entry.

The potential winner may be required to provide:

• Proof of identity;

• Proof of age;

• Proof of US residency; and

• Any documentation reasonably required to complete the prize payment.

If the selected winner cannot be reached, does not respond within seven days, cannot establish eligibility, or otherwise fails to satisfy these Official Rules, the Organizer may select an alternate winner from the remaining eligible submissions using the same judging criteria.

11. Competition Period

The Competition begins on August 18th and ends at 12:01AM on October 1st

Entries must be received before the stated deadline.

The Organizer reserves the right to extend the Competition deadline if necessary and will announce any extension through the official Competition website or other reasonable means.

12. Submission Ownership and Responsibility

By submitting a story, the entrant represents that:

• The story is their original work;

• They have the right to submit the story;

• The story does not knowingly infringe the rights of another person; and

• The story complies with these Official Rules.

The entrant is solely responsible for the content of their submission.

13. Disqualification

The Organizer may disqualify an entry if:

• The submission exceeds 500 words;

• The submission does not respond to the Competition Prompt;

• The submission is plagiarized or substantially copied;

• The entrant provides false eligibility information;

• The entrant violates these Official Rules; or

• The submission otherwise fails to meet the Competition's requirements.

The Organizer's determination regarding eligibility and compliance is final, subject to applicable law.

14. Skill-Based Competition

This is a skill-based creative writing competition.

The winner is determined by the quality and creative merit of the submitted story according to the published judging criteria.

No element of chance, random drawing, or random selection determines the winner.

15. Modification or Cancellation

The Organizer reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the Competition if circumstances arise that make it impractical, impossible, or unlawful to continue.

Any material changes will be communicated through the official Competition website or other reasonable means.

16. Governing Law

The Competition and these Official Rules will be governed by applicable federal law and the laws of the State of Florida.

17. Organizer

Stories Worth Something

Organizer: Alex C Wilson

Website: alexcwilsonwrites.com

Prize: $500 USD

Eligibility: US residents, age 18+