Win $500
Inexplicable Stories
Contest
Do you have an inexplicable story?
Did you experience a thing so strange, so odd, so unusual that it makes no sense? Enter to win $500 and publication in our anthology. Top finalists are invited for publication. Winners announced December 7, 2024.
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Submit your inexplicable true story
by November 15, 2024.
Want to submit a story for publication without entering the contest? Go here.
Dreams Do Come True
I was 12 years old when I dreamed that my mother handed me an envelope. It was torn and stained with mud in one corner.
"I found it by the mailbox," she said.
Other than birthday cards, I had never received a letter. Mystified, I opened it. Inside the envelope was money.
What a weird dream, I thought when I awoke the next morning.
After school the next day my mother handed me an envelope. "It's for you," she said, eyebrows raised.
I looked at the white envelope. It was water-stained and crumpled.
"Where did...?" My tongue stuck to the roof of my dry mouth.
"I found it by the mailbox," she said. "It must have been there for a long time."
She watched, curious, as I opened it.
Inside was a check for $10. ​​​
Inexplicable Stories Contest
Official Rules
Prizes
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First prize is $500.
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Top entries may be invited for publication in Inexplicable Stories published by Silver Sails Press in an anthology publication, our website, or podcast. No compensation is paid for publication of a story in the anthology, website, or podcast but credit is provided to the author.
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You must possess a bank account or PayPal account to be awarded the cash prize.
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Dates and fees
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Final date for submissions is November 15, 2024 USA Central Time. Any late submissions are saved for the 2025 contest date.
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Winners are announced on December 7, 2024 via Silver Sails Press newsletter and posted on the Silver Sails Press web site. Entrants are invited to subscribe to Silver Sails Press email list but subscribing is not required for entry.
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Contest entry fee is $10.
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Copyright
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The author retains copyright.
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The winning author and finalists may be invited to publish their stories on our website, anthology or podcast. We will ask permission to do so.
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Stories must be the author's own work.
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We do not accept stories written by AI or that appear to be written by AI.​
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Eligibility
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The Inexplicable Stories Contest is open to all writers, published and unpublished, who are 17 years or older.
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Entries may have been previously published in print or online, been broadcast or won a prize.
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Entries published elsewhere are not eligible for publication in the anthology but are eligible for the cash prize.
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Simultaneous submissions are permitted.
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No refunds.
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Format and Story Content​
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Stories must be in English.
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All submissions must be true stories and describe events that occurred to the author or that the author witnessed. No second-hand descriptions.
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An inexplicable story is one in which the event described is unexplained by conventional definitions. Examples include but are not limited to the paranormal, coincidences, time-bending, ESP, past life memories, angel encounters.
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Stories are a minimum of 100 words and maximum of 500 words. Do not include a title or author name in the word count.
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​A title is not required nor is the presence of a title penalized.​
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Judging
The judges are Sophia Cook owner of Silver Sails Press and Michelle Harris editorial director of Baruch Publishing. Finalists are judged anonymously by Michelle. All stories are judged by the following rubric (partial points may be awarded):
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The writing follows conventions of English language (grammar, punctuation, word usage) - 1 pt
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The story qualifies as inexplicable (unexplained by conventional ideas of reality). - 1 pt
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The story is written in an interesting way using concise, descriptive language - 2 pts
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The topic of the story is compelling. This is a highly subjective scoring point and the judges reserve the right to decide what feels personally compelling. - 1 pt