Have you always wanted to cook up a hard-boiled mystery novel in the tradition of Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett, but could never quite manage to tap out 60,000 words within the limits of your busy schedule?
Well, how about six?
It’s that time again to begin crafting a compact whodunnit (or even several) to submit to the annual 6-Word Mystery Contest sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America. And once again, The Colorado Sun is joining the fun with our own free contest, in which the 10 best entries will have their $6 entry fee paid into the RMMWA contest, where they’ll be judged against others from Colorado and around the world. Results of that competition will be announced in December, with winners receiving cash prizes and recognition in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
The five categories are Thriller, Cozy, Romance and Lust, Police Procedural and Hardboiled/Noir. You can find detailed descriptions of each category’s characteristics here.
Winners of the RMMWA contest also receive cash ($100 for the overall winner) and $25 gift cards for the top pick in each category — as well as recognition on the RMMWA website and its newsletter, Deadlines. Finalists in each of five categories also earn an invitation to the chapter’s virtual Mystery & Mistletoe Holiday Party in December.
Entries will be judged by a panel that includes Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Editor Linda Landrigan; New York Times best-selling author Anne Hillerman; award-winning author, lawyer and activist Manuel Ramos; John Charles of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona; and literary agent Terrie Wolf.
The judges will narrow the field to five finalists in each category, and then the RMMWA membership will determine the winners. Entrants must be 18 or older, but there is no residency requirement.
This contest draws from the legendary tale of Ernest Hemingway, who allegedly won a $10 bet in the 1920s by writing a six-word novel: “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.”
Need inspiration? A Sun reader last year came up with the evocative “I called his widow. He answered.” that took top honors in the RMMWA’s Thriller category.
Sun readers can submit entries to our free contest by filling out and submitting the form below by midnight on Monday, Sept. 30. Of course, you can also enter the RMMWA contest yourself (the deadline is Oct. 7). Find the details at www.rmmwa.org.
And yes, we know that, if you’re lazy and unimaginative, AI apps can do the work for you. All we’re saying is: Don’t be that guy. Let’s have fun with this.
Submit
Sun 6-word finalists 2023
I called his widow. He answered. – Denali Hussin
Car crash; bear tracks; bare bones. – Betty Green
His back was stabbed, not watched. – Tim Mallot
Villainy revealed itself at low tide. – Debbe Weidler
Chocolate cake, missing piece, quiet spouse. – Becky Weiss
Smoking grill, missing burger, wagging tail. – Becky Weiss
“It was the peanuts,” she whispered. – Jodi Torpey
Don’t answer it. It’s not me. – Karen Gehrung
How many keys will it take? – Matthew
Note to self returned. Recipient unknown. – Brian Dearth