Indie Writers Death Match Starts… Now

Broken Pencil reports that the top eight stories in the lit magazine’s first ever winner-takes-all online short story contest have been given the big nod. The chosen eight “have been selected from aspiring writers around North America and the world. Now it’s time for our readers to vote and our competing writers to do whatever it takes to make it into the top four.”

Each week, two stories will be pitted against each other in the online arena. The authors will be in constant communication with their audience through a blog which they can use to hype their story or talk trash their opponent.

But with stakes this high, you can see why things might get crazy:

The bruised but triumphant writer will have his or her story published in Broken Pencil’s upcoming Fiction Issue, and will also receive an Indie Lit Library -- tons of great books from groundbreaking small presses ECW, Conundrum, City Lights, Brindle & Glass, and Arsenal Press -- as well as $250 cash and a Broken Pencil prize pack!

You can see the Broken Pencil Deathmatch here.