Overboard

The Prompt

The Setting

Create a fiction story set on any kind of boat, whether it's a petite rowboat, a sailboat, a massive cruise ship, or a mighty aircraft carrier.

The Twist

Your tale must end with a key character going overboard.

Questions to Consider

All aboard! Here are some questions to help you get your entry ready to set sail. These are for brainstorming purposes only and are not required to be answered within your story.

1. What circumstances lead to the crucial character going overboard?
2. Is the character's fall accidental, intentional, or orchestrated by someone else?
3. Is there a backstory or relationship(s) that makes their going overboard particularly significant?
4. How do other characters react to the event? Does it reveal hidden motives or deepen existing conflicts?
5. What role does the setting (ocean, river, lake, etc.) play into the narrative, and how does it enhance the story's atmosphere?
6. Does the incident take place during a storm, under a serene night sky, amidst a confrontation, or an epic battle?
7. What thoughts race through the character's mind as they go overboard?
8. Could going overboard be a metaphor for a larger theme in the story?

In order for your submission to qualify, it must:

The Prizes

Special shout-out to Rebecca Morton for inspiring this challenge idea in Share Your Ideas to Shape the Future of Vocal Challenges.

For your piece to be eligible, it should follow the rules above and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until 11:59 PM ET on August 26, 2024 will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.

The Overboard 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 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.

Any content that is determined to be generated by artificial intelligence will be disqualified and will not be eligible to place in any challenge. Read more on our stance here.