In the grim concrete sprawl of the future, it’s up to one down on-his-luck-private dick to protect our lemonade stands.

A Future Hardboiled Detective Contest

The Lemonade Carbonade Award

 

Writing Prompt

Setting your story in an alternative future, near future, or failed future, writing a piece of fiction with your take on the hard boiled detective genre. Does not have to be Cyberpunk, but it can be.

Short Story Contest Guidelines

  • Due Date

    All stories due 6 September 2015

  • Word Count

    No more than 800 of your most gritty, streetwise prose

  • Prizes

    First prize receives 5000 words feedback from NiTH team. All short listed authors receive feedback on their story.

Story Requirements

  • Characters

    Users tropes of the hardboiled detective genre. Feel free to invert those tropes as needed.

  • Setting

    It can be set anywhere, but include your future vision of the ‘Lemonade Stand’ as part of the story.

  • Special Requirements

    • Use the titles of at least two well known Cyberpunk books in your story. Word play is acceptable ( Altered Carbon / ‘altered car bomb’) but not necessary. If you need help, try NiTH’s list of 5 Cyberpunk’s books to read before you disconnect
    • Hard boiled detective fiction is a good chance to try your hand at the unreliable narrator. This article can help with that: Unreliable Narrator

Entry Format

Include the title, author name and contest name like this:

Write your own intro, no more than 150 characters. If you can’t do this leave it blank.

STORY NAME

by Author Name

For the AWARD NAME Contest

Where do I Enter?

Enter at our Submissions page.

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