For all you creative types

McSweeney's Internet Tendency is having a writing contest:

WE'RE HAVING A CONTEST, WITH PRIZES.
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Several weeks ago we ran a piece by Dan Wiencek called "Thirteen Writing Prompts." As the title suggests, the piece is a list of 13 different writing prompts, such as this one:

A wasp called the tarantula hawk reproduces by paralyzing tarantulas and laying its eggs into their bodies. When the larvae hatch, they devour the still living spider from the inside out. Isn't that fucked up? Write a short story about how fucked up that is.

Soon, people were submitting stories they had written using the prompts as jumping-off points. We had no place to publish these stories at the time, but now we do, because we're having a contest.

Here are the contest instructions:

Write a story using one of the 13 writing prompts found in "Thirteen Writing Prompts."
Make sure the story is 1,000 words or less.
Send the entire story, pasted into the body of an e-mail, to 13prompts@mcsweeneys.net.

Send us your story by 5 p.m., Wednesday,June 21, 2006.

Mr. Dan Wiencek, author of the writing prompts, has graciously agreed to judge the contest.

Here are the prizes:

Grand Prize: A subscription to the McSweeney's Book Release Club, which will provide the winner with the next 10 books released by McSweeney's Books (including titles from Stephen Dixon, David Byrne, and Evany Thomas), and publication on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

First Runner-up: Any three current titles from McSweeney's Books and publication on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

Second Runner-up: Any two current titles from McSweeney's Books and publication on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

Undetermined Number of Honorable Mentions: Any current title from McSweeney's Books and publication on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.
Please note that we will only be able to respond to the winning submissions.
Enjoy, and if you have any questions about the contest, please feel free to send them to 13prompts@mcsweeneys.net.
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