Owl Canyon Press is back with their fourth short story “Hackathon.” This year, they’re offering $2,250 in prizes, including a $1,000 grand prize.

The contest has a fun twist: Writers are given the first and last paragraphs of a story. You then fill in the rest.

According to the contest page:

Writers are invited to create and submit a short story consisting of 20 paragraphs. The contest provides the 1st and 20th paragraphs, and the short story writer crafts the rest. First prize is $1000, 2nd prize is $750, and 3rd prize is $500 with the winning short stories published in a short story anthology, as well as an invitation to give a public reading at Inkberry Books in Niwot, CO. The twenty-four (24) Finalists will also have their short stories included in this anthology.

Important: We strongly recommend entering the contest by August 31st. Submissions are free during the month of August. Otherwise, it costs $25 to enter during the month of September. So please make sure to enter before the fee kicks in.

If you’re interested in participating in the contest, or are curious about the first and last paragraphs, be sure to read the contest page here.