
Tales Retold
Retell a classic fairy tale with a twist.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $600
- Second Place:
- $200
- 10 Runners-Up :
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 01, 2023
Submissions closed
Aug 23, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Sep 07, 2023
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $600
- Second Place:
- $200
- 10 Runners-Up :
- $25
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Aug 01, 2023
Submissions closed
Aug 23, 2023 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Sep 07, 2023
About this challenge
The Prompt
Retell a classic fairy tale with a twist.
Have you ever envisioned Little Red Riding Hood's encounter with the Big Bad Wolf in a dystopian future? Or an alternate spine-chilling horror ending to Rapunzel? Perhaps you've always imagined the Seven Dwarfs as a team of detectives in a noir-style mystery, solving the case of Snow White? This is your opportunity to explore these narratives, and many more.
The challenge is to take a beloved fairy tale - whether universally known or specific to one culture - and retell it in your own unique way. We are open to any genre - modern, fantastical, horror, or sci-fi for example - the world is your oyster, the fairy tales are your pearls.
Your story must be a reimagining or a retelling of an existing fairy tale, not a completely new creation. Aside from that, there are no boundaries to the unexpected spins you can put on these timeless tales.
Check out this list of fairy tales to get your ideas flowing.
In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
- Between 600-5,000 words.
- Based on an existing fairy tale.
This challenge was inspired by L.C. Schäfer's and Stephanie Hoogstad's suggestions to Shape the Future of Vocal Challenges.
The Prizes
- Grand Prize: $600
- Second Place: $200
- 10 Runners-Up: $25
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it should be between 600 and 5,000 words, and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on August 22nd will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The Tales Retold Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+, visit https://everydaydealxhub.live/vocal-plus%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp class="css-1923z11-Text">To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up 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 countries will not be eligible to win.
Open challenges
Challenges you can enter now for a chance to win.
The Rule Everyone Knows
Write a story centered on an unspoken rule that everyone in the story understands and follows, allowing the rule to emerge through behavior.
$200 Grand Prize34 hours leftWhat Comes Back
Write a poem about something that returns, whether expected or not.
$200 Grand Prize10 days leftSmall Win
Write a piece about a small, everyday victory that ends up meaning more than expected.
$200 Grand Prize17 days leftThe Unhappy Ending
Write a story that does not end well, and allows the consequences to stand.
$200 Grand Prize24 days leftSorry About That
Write a humorous piece in the form of an apology that gradually reveals a situation the speaker is responsible for, growing more complicated as it goes.
$200 Grand Prize31 days leftAfter It’s Gone
Write an elegy poem that mourns a person, place, time, or idea that has been lost.
$200 Grand Prize38 days leftI Made It Worse
Write a true or fictional confession about a situation where you tried to fix something and only made it worse.
$200 Grand Prize45 days leftStay a While
Write a slasher-inspired horror story set in an isolated location where a group begins to realize they are not alone.
$500 Grand Prize52 days left







