Carrot Ranch Communications and the Congress of Rough Writers invite you to participate in a flash fiction competition where everyone wins. “Four Paws for Noah” is a fundraiser for Noah Ainslie, a nine-year-old boy with Autism who is in the process of receiving a service dog. Appa, Noah’s dog friend, will ease Noah’s transitions from subject to subject, space to space and improve his access to the joys of childhood through anxiety intervention. All submission fees directly support Noah and Appa on their journey through a better life together. You can read more about this dynamic duo on their GoFundMe page.

The first prize winner of this competition will receive $250 to grease their pockets, publication on the Carrot Ranch Communications website as well as publication in the newly launched Carrot Ranch e-newsletter. Two runners up will also be selected for publication and public praise. Please use our Submittable, run by Noah ‘s mother, Shawna Ayoub Ainslie of The Honeyed Quill, to submit your original flash fiction stories should be 100-500 words each, related to the theme of “a boy’s dog.” $15 submission fee applies and you are welcome to submit more than once.  

A panel comprised of Rough Writers will serve as judges in this endeavor, with Lead Buckaroo, Charli Mills, making the final selection. Winning piece will be the most uplifting story that expresses the prompt and the spirit of the fundraiser, within 100 to 500 words, and is an excellent example of flash fiction as a literary art (comprehensive, engaging, error-free).  PDF and docx files accepted. Please do not put any identifying information inside your document as judging will be blind. Cover letter optional. Submissions open November 5-January 31, 2016. Winner announced February 20, 2016. 

GO HERE TO SUBMIT