After a wee bit of a hiatus, the Opening Up Competition is back! We have good ol’ 45 to thank for this one, as I received a USA Federal COVID-19 stimulus check – what better use for it than a digital fiction competition?

The Opening Up Digital Fiction Writing Competition first ran in 2017, and again in 2018. Its aim is to discover the best “popular” digital fiction: digital fiction that appeals to mainstream audiences.

From 2021 onward…

The 2021 Opening Up competition merged with the New Media Writing Prize, as Lyle Skains (founder of Wonderbox and organizer of Opening Up) became a co-organizer for the NMWP. We added “Opening Up” as an additional category with additional prize funds, allowing the public to vote on this category.

In the future, we’re hoping to add more categories, such as those for works aimed at children, and those striving for social change: works that highlight social injustice, that educate about health, that offer us an alternative perspective on people, cultures, history, politics, and more.

Taking a page from the IFComp, we are also likely opening the NMWP/Opening Up prize vault to voluntary contributions from anyone and everyone. 100% of these contributions will be distributed to competition winners.

Stay tuned for the official call for submissions, and join the mailing list below for updates right in your inbox!