
If This, Then That
Share your formula for the perfect movie or TV recommendation.
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $10,000
- Second place:
- $2,500
- Third place:
- $1,000
Plus, five runner-ups will receive one year of Vocal+ free.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Feb 23, 2021
Submissions closed
Mar 31, 2021 5:59 AM CUT
Results
Apr 09, 2021
Prizes
- Grand Prize:
- $10,000
- Second place:
- $2,500
- Third place:
- $1,000
Plus, five runner-ups will receive one year of Vocal+ free.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Feb 23, 2021
Submissions closed
Mar 31, 2021 5:59 AM CUT
Results
Apr 09, 2021
About this challenge
If you're anything like us, you base your own entertainment choices on recommendations from people you trust. Sometimes that means turning to an outlet like our partner Decider for those recommendations, but for this Challenge, we're hoping you'll help out one another.
Share the perfect formula to help viewers like you decide what to watch next by taking a show or movie that most people know and love, and making your recommendations for fellow fans from there. If your favorite movie is Goodfellas, then the show you should check out is definitely Peaky Blinders. If you can't get enough of Pride and Prejudice, then Bridgerton is the show for you. If you love the original Dune, add Snowpiercer to your watch list. Enter the If This, Then That Challenge by sharing your own recommendations based on the shows and movies you love, and give guidance to help others discover their new favorites.
Judges
Lea Palmieri is a host, writer, producer, and the current Director of Creative Strategy at Decider, and she sure does love a good story — especially a good love story.
Glenn Kenny is an American film critic and journalist. He is a regular contributor for Decider, as well as the author of "Made Men: The Story of 'Goodfellas'."
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until March 30, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
The If This, Then That Challenge is exclusive to Vocal+ members. To learn more and upgrade to Vocal+ visit https://shopping-feedback.today/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 third place 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.
Instructions Included
Tell a story in the form of instructions, guidelines, or a how-to manual for something fictional or mundane.
$200 Grand Prize2 days leftNothing But Voices
Write a complete short story using only dialogue. No descriptions, no dialogue tags, and no internal thoughts. Just voices on the page.
$200 Grand Prize9 days leftPublic Announcement
Write a poem that takes the form of a public announcement, notice, or warning.
$200 Grand Prize14 days leftMismatch
Write a story that blends two contrasting genres, such as horror and romance, science fiction and western, or fantasy and noir.
$200 Grand Prize16 days leftCraft Over Catharsis
Write a story that prioritizes structure, technique, or form over emotional release.
$200 Grand Prize23 days leftInstructions for a Feeling
Write a poem that gives instructions for how to experience, create, or avoid a feeling.
$200 Grand Prize28 days leftRituals of Affection
Write a story about a recurring ritual tied to love, romance, or connection. Something about it is unusual, unsettling, or unexplained.
$200 Grand Prize30 days left
Challenge resources
The Ritual of Winter Challenge Winners
Welcome to the Winners Announcement for The Ritual of Winter challenge. This prompt focused on winter rituals and the meaning that settles into them over time. The top pieces stay grounded in ordinary acts and repeated routines, letting winter shape the work through pace, attention, and restraint.
By Vocal Curation Team5 days ago in Resources
FPS: The Last Flame Challenge Winners
Welcome to our first Winners Announcement of the year and to the final challenge in the Fall Poetry Series. The Last Flame invited writers to sit with endings, using fire as a central image to consider what remains when something burns out: ash, warmth, memory, silence, or the faint promise of what comes next. The strongest pieces treated endings as gradual rather than sudden, allowing them to flicker, dim, and linger.
By Vocal Curation Team7 days ago in Resources
FPS: Villanelle of Regret Challenge Winners
Some feelings don’t fade. They repeat. The Villanelle of Regret challenged poets to write into that return. To let regret, longing, and obsession build with each pass, rather than resolve. The strongest entries trusted repetition to carry the weight.
By Vocal Curation Teamabout a month ago in Resources






