Postcard Perps 2010: Fatal Family Reunion
A Members-Only Short Mystery Fiction Contest
Old Ebenezer is making his will at last, and he wants one more look at all his descendents before picking his main beneficiary. Eccentric uncles, outrageous aunts, cussing cousins and a few obnoxious in-laws are gathered at a guest ranch for the first family reunion in forty years. Mix a bit of brotherly loathing and some seething sisters-in-law with plenty of plain old greed, and one or more of them will not survive the weekend. Your narrator might be a family member or an outsider, a do-gooding sleuth or a villain in mild-mannered disguise. Surprise us. Who dies, how, and why?
The Rules:
1. The annual Postcard Perps contest is open only to members of Mystery Writers Ink.
2. All submissions start with the above scenario. Don’t waste words repeating it; it only exists to set the scene for you.
3. Submissions may be written in any tense and from any point of view.
4. All submissions must be between 600 and 800 words. Every word counts.
5. All submissions must be typed in Courier or Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, on one side of the page only, with indents beginning a new paragraph. Do not leave an extra line between paragraphs.
6. Include a separate cover sheet with the entry’s title, word count and author’s contact information. Only the title and page number can appear in the header. The author’s name must not appear anywhere else on the manuscript.
7. All submissions must be received by 10 pm February 11, 2009 (the February Ink meeting) either by hand to Pamela McDowell or Jayne Barnard or by e-mail to pmcdowell@shaw.ca (please put “Ink Postcard Perps” in the subject line).
The Judging:
Entries will be judged by a panel of previous contest winners and coordinators.
The Prizes:
First prize $40, second prize MWI logo merchandise. Authors of any entries selected for publication in the newsletter will receive a one-time publication fee of $10.
