Our Latest Writing Contest!

OUR COLLABORATIVE NOVEL CONTEST SPONSORED BY

SUMMON YOUR INNER WRITER TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF STORYTELLING!

You are invited to join our community and write the next chapter to complete the story started by renown author Debbie Viguié, being written collaboratively right now at Next Chapters.

Participation in our novel writing contest and
membership at Next Chapters is free.

Simply register for a FREE account at Next Chapters to participate in our latest contest, writing a collaborative novel being constructed right now!

Our Authors Get Paid for Successful Novels

We believe there’s a better way to write and share novels, instead of struggling with big corporate publishing houses. Our great writers of successful books get a portion of the profits generated from novels produced on our platform.

CHAPTER ONE

There was something in the attic. Jill knew, she could hear it moving around in the middle of the night. Mother had told her time and again to stay away from the door on the third floor that led to the stairs that led up into the darkness.

No one went up there. At least, she didn’t think so. But something was up there. Maybe it would explain why mother was so nervous all the time. Or maybe it would explain why father seemed to travel constantly and never wanted to be home and was so mean and short-tempered when he was. Maybe her older brother, Joshua, knew because he would tease her about what was up there. Once he’d said it held family skeletons. She wasn’t sure if that was real or literal. But he was twelve and she was nine. He knew more stuff than she did.

But not today. Today she would find out why the girls in her class constantly told her that their parents wouldn’t let them spend the night at her house. Her hand was slick with sweat and it made it hard to turn the knob on the door at the base of the stairs. It creaked when it turned. She would have flinched, but mother was helping Joshua with his piano lesson downstairs. There was no way they could have heard the sound of the door over that.

The stairs were dark and she could feel a sick twisting in her stomach as she stared up them. She should have gotten the flashlight out of Joshua’s room. If he figured out she’d been in there and touched his things he would hit her or twist her arm until she felt it would break. Her parents would always say he was just roughhousing with her, but it didn’t feel that way. He had a lot of anger in him. Like their father. Maybe the noises in the attic kept them both up at night so they couldn’t sleep either. Last night had been the worst.

Read the rest of Chapter One and complete the story to enter our writing contest on Next Chapters’ writing platform for free right now!

Want to write the Next Chapter?

Register for a free account at Next Chapters and submit your “next chapter” for our collaborative book writing contest today!

Become a published author, plus win some fantastic prizes!

Top Chapter

One chapter submitted through this contest will be chosen as “top chapter,” which will be featured first in the published version of this novel and the writer will be awarded $250!

Best In Genre

The best chapters for each genre will win first, second and third place, and authors will receive a cash prize of $100, $75 or $50 for their placement. Winners will also be placed as the first three chapters in the printed version of this novel.

Next Chapters will assign your submission to a genre, and those with less than five entries by different authors will be included in an “other” category, so every chapter is eligible!

Get Published, Earn Royalties!

Each submitted entry will be considered for inclusion into the official version of this novel, making you a published author! As with every Next Chapter novel, all authors with chapters in one of our novels earns a portion of proceeds from book sales profits! Even if you don’t win one of the prizes, you can still get paid for your efforts!

You may enter as many chapters as you wish!
Authors may only win one prize per category.

MEET DEBBIE Viguié

Debbie Viguié is a New York Times best selling author with more than fifty novels to her credit! Her portfolio includes works both fiction and non-fiction, geared at every different age group across a variety of popular genres.

Debbie has been writing for most of her life and holds a degree in creative writing from U.C. Davis. Debbie loves theme parks and enjoys traveling with her husband, Scott. Debbie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and now lives in Florida.

You can learn more about Debbie and her works at DebbieViguie.com!

“Writing can be incredibly lonely. It’s just you locked in a room with your computer wondering if anyone will even care about what you’re doing. The isolation can be difficult. On the other hand, getting the chance to actually go to events and book signings and meet the fans is amazing. That’s when you realize someone did care and all the hard work has paid off and made a difference in someone’s life.”

Some of Deb’s works include:

The Summer of Cotton Candy

The Lord is My Shepherd

Wicked: Witch and Curse

Want to help Next Chapters assist more aspiring authors?

We’re on a mission to help as many potential authors write and sell novels. You can support our mission by signing up as one of our patrons!

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Think you’ve got what it takes to be a published author? We’re here to help you achieve your dreams.

Getting started is easy. Sign up for a free account at Next Chapters and check out the first half of a short story written by Debbie Viguié. Then write and add your next chapter to complete the story.

Whichever genre interests you, have at it! You can complete the short story as science fiction, horror, spiritual fiction, mystery, action, or any other genre you’re dreaming of using. Any genre garnering at least five chapters will be awarded cash prizes for winners, as well as a “general” category for those genres not receiving five submissions.

Your work will be read and considered for approval as an official chapter of this novel; meanwhile check some other great works on our platform and craft additional chapters there too. Or start that great story inside you waiting to be told for others to join in and write alongside you. If you’d like help improving your writing craft on this novel or one of your own, we can help there too.

If your chapter is accepted as a part of this novel – whether or not you receive a prize, you will also share in any profits generated from publishing and selling the finalized book created through our writing contest.

Want to write the Next Chapter?

Register for a free account at Next Chapters and submit your “next chapter” for our collaborative book writing contest today!

F.A.Q.

How much does it cost?

Registration on the Next Chapters writers’ platform is free. While we have some paid writing services you may opt to buy, it’s perfectly possible to start and finish your book at no cost to you. Participation in our writing contest and dozens of other novels on our platform is also free – no cost for a Next Chapters account as well as being free for you to participate in writing this novel!

I love this company! How can I help?

You may want to also help Next Chapters generate more momentum for additional contests, or even help us assist more potential authors fulfill their dreams to become a published writer.

If you’d like to help us create stories, please consider supporting us on Patreon!

What are the rules for this contest?

Authors are asked to take the first piece of a story, written by New York Times best-selling author Debbie Viguie, and finish the story.

You may write a half page to complete the short story, or you may write a hundred pages. The only requirement on writing submissions is your work should fully finish the story already started.

Prizes will be awarded for each genre, meaning you can take your conclusion of the short story in any direction you wish – science fiction, horror, mystery, or any other path you want to explore! If your chosen genre doesn’t have more than five entries, there’s also a “catch-all” category to award prizes for your chosen genre too.

Writers may enter as many times as they wish, although an individual may only win one prize per submission and one prize per genre. Writers may potentially be selected as prize winners in multiple categories by submitting multiple chapters.

As with all chapters written on the Next Chapters platform, authors retain ownership of their work. By submitting a chapter to our contest, you are also agreeing to allow Next Chapters to print and market your work, of which you may also potentially receive commissions based off profits generated through book sales and other potential activities.

This contest is open for entries starting May 15, 2022 and will remain open until September 1, 2022. We reserve the right to extend the deadline until at least 50 qualified chapters are submitted, and we will notify all authors submitting valid chapters in advance of the possible extension via the platform’s messaging system and email address used to register with our writing platform.

For more details, please check out our contest rules.

What prizes can I win?

Our book judges will award cash prizes for every genre receiving at least five submissions, plus a catch-all category for all genres with less than five entries.

First place winner in each category will receive $100; second prize winners for each category will receive $75, and third prize winners for each category will receive $50.

There will also be a grand prize winner for best chapter overall. That author will receive $250.

Every submission is also eligible to be published in an upcoming Next Chapter novel. All authors included in the published contest novel will receive a portion of the profits generated by book sales. By participating in our chapter contest, you are acknowledging you also wish to be considered for future publication.

For more details, please check out our contest rules.

I need help with something not mentioned on this page.

While we can’t fit everything on one page, we’ve never seen a problem that we couldn’t help overcome. Send us an email with any question or comment and we’ll get back to you!

CONTACT US

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We’re interested in hearing from you on ideas, wishes, and what we can do to make our site and services better.

Use the form below to send us your message. We’ll be happy to reply as soon as possible!

CONTACT INFO

Our Latest Writing Contest!

A COLLABORATIVE NOVEL BEING WRITTEN AT

Official Rules

OFFICIAL RULES

LAST UPDATED: February 22, 2022

Thank you for your interest in our contest! This contest is provided by Next Chapter Stories, LLC., a Pennsylvania Limited Liability Company, (“Next Chapter”, “Company”, “us” “Sponsor”, or “we”). These Rules are incorporated into Company’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, as may be updated from time to time. These Rules constitute a legal agreement between you and Next Chapter Stories, LLC. In order to enter into this agreement, you must agree to these Terms.

All references to “you”, “contestant”, or “your,” as applicable, mean the person who accesses, uses, and/or participates in the contest in any manner, and each of your heirs, assigns, and successors.

1. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. This contest is governed by these Official Rules and is subject to all applicable federal, state, provincial, municipal, territorial and local laws and regulations. The start and end dates and times of the Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes Period”) are defined in the Additional Terms. All entries must be received during the Sweepstakes Period and meet all other requirements in these Official Rules and the Additional Terms to be eligible to win a prize. Sponsor’s or its designee’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Sweepstakes. ALL ONLINE ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE CLOSE OF THE ENTRY PERIOD.

2. HOW TO ENTER. Participates must complete a contest web form at write.nextchapters.com. No mechanically reproduced or photocopied entries accepted. Enter as often as you wish. Entering or attempting to enter the contest multiple times through the use of multiple email addresses or the use of any robotic or automated devices to submit entries is prohibited and any such entries will be deemed void and disqualified. Although it is free to enter, if you participate in the contest using your mobile device, standard data and message charges may be incurred.

3. ELIGIBILITY. Unless otherwise specified, each Contest is open to only to individuals who (i) are legal U.S. residents, (ii) who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry except for employees of Company. Void where prohibited. In order to enter the contest or receive a prize, you must fully comply with the Official Rules and, by entering, you represent and warrant that you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, whose decisions shall be binding and final in all respects relating to this contest.

4. WRITING COMPETITION. Company will hold a writing competition for any eligible entrants. Contestants shall enter one writing submission for review. The topic of the writing submissions shall be completing the short story provided online for contest entries. At the end of the entry period, Potential winner[s] will be notified via Company’s in-platform messaging system and email and must sign and return any required Affidavit of Eligibility and Release within 14 days of the date notice is sent or such other date set by Sponsor. Failure to respond within the applicable time period will result in forfeiture of prize and Sponsor shall have the option to award the prize to an alternate winner. All income taxes resulting from acceptance of prize are the responsibility of winner. By entering this contest, entrant accepts and agrees to these Official Rules and the decisions of Company, which shall be final in all matters. By entering this contest, entrants waive all right to, and hold harmless the Company from, any claim, liability, loss, damage (including punitive, incidental, and consequential damages), or expense (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in connection with participation in this contest or the acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Acceptance of a prize also constitutes permission to the Company to use winner’s name and likeness and biographical information for marketing purposes without further compensation or right of approval, unless prohibited by law. Company will not be responsible for: lost, late, misdirected, damaged, illegible, incomplete, incorrect, or postage due entries; lost, late, or misdirected prize notices; or any typographical, or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the contest, or announcement of the prize[s]. In the event of any such error, Sponsor reserves the right to request that the Administrator cancel or modify this contest in a manner deemed appropriate by the Administrator, at the Administrator’s sole discretion. All federal and state laws apply. In the event: (a) a potential winner cannot be reached for whatever reason after a reasonable effort has been exerted based on the information stated in the entry form or winner notification or Affidavit is returned as undeliverable; (b) a potential winner declines or cannot accept, receive or use the prize for any reason; (c) of noncompliance with the above or within any of the aforesaid time periods, (d) a potential winner is found to be ineligible to enter the contest or receive the prize, (e) a potential winner cannot or does not comply with the Official Rules, or (f) if a potential winner fails to fulfill the Affidavit-related obligations, the potential winner shall be disqualified from the contest and an alternate potential winner may be selected, at Sponsor’s sole discretion, from among the other eligible entries received. Entries must complete the story provided, be easy to read, use proper grammar and punctuation, and correct spelling. Illustrations and graphics will not be included in contestant’s submission.

5. JUDGING. Contest entries will be blind judged by professionals who are selected by Company. Names of the judges will be revealed when they are set. Entries will be judged on the criteria set on their judging forms. Written feedback will be given on all winning entries.

6. PRIZE(s). The prize(s), prize value(s), and number of winners are specified in the Additional Terms. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, PROVINCIAL/TERRITORIAL, AND LOCAL TAXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. Prizes are not transferable. No substitutions or exchanges of any prize (including for cash) will be permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any prize. Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen prizes or prize components. Only the number of prizes stated in these Official Rules are available to be won in the Contest. Prizes are shipped only to the winner via ground shipping to the United States. Except for applicable manufacturer’s standard warranties, the prize is awarded “AS IS” and WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied (including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose).

a. TAX INFORMATION. Company and contestants acknowledge and agree that that contestant is solely responsible for paying any local, state, or federal taxes in conjunction with any prize. To this extent, Company shall provide winning contestants an IRS FORM 1099.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. Any intellectual property rights in any contest materials which originates, or is developed, by a contestant shall remain in the exclusive ownership of that Party. Contestants agree to grant Company an exclusive, binding, not-revocable one-year license to use their work. This license may be extended annually via further notice by in-system messaging to Contestant by Company.

8. RIGHT TO MODIFY. Sponsor and its subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors shall not have any obligation, responsibility or liability, including any responsibility to award any prize to entrants, with regard to: (a) entries that contain inaccurate information or do not comply with or violate the Official Rules; (b) entries, prize claims or notifications that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient, in whole or in part, due to computer, human or technical error of any kind, including but not limited to, inactive email accounts or an entrant’s failure to monitor its email account; (c) entrants who have committed fraud or deception in entering or participating in the contest or claiming the prize; (d) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet or computer malfunctions, failures or difficulties; (e) any inability of the winner to accept the prize for any reason; (f) if a prize cannot be awarded due to delays or interruptions due to Acts of God, natural disasters, terrorism, weather or any other similar event beyond Sponsor’s reasonable control; (g) any damages, injuries or losses of any kind caused by any prize or resulting from awarding, acceptance, possession, use, misuse, loss or misdirection of any prize or resulting from participating in this promotion or any promotion or prize related activities; or (h) any typographical or other error contained in the Official Rules or other contest-related materials. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be (a) tampering with the entry process or the operation of the contest, or with any Website promoting the contest; (b) acting in violation of the Official Rules; or (c) entering or attempting to enter the contest multiple times through the use of multiple email addresses or the use of any robotic or automated devices to submit entries. If Sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that technical difficulties or unforeseen events compromise the integrity or viability of the contest, Sponsor reserves the right to void the entries at issue, and/or terminate the relevant portion of the contest promotion, including the entire contest promotion, and/or modify the contest and/or award the prizes based upon the criteria set forth in these Official Rules from all eligible entries received as of the termination date.

9. RELEASE OF LIABILITY; DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY; FORUM SELECTION CLAUSE. By participating in the contest, entrants and winners agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors (the “Released Parties”), from any and all liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever, including without limitation, property damage, personal injury (including emotional distress), and/or death, which may occur in connection with preparation for, or participation in, the contest, or possession, acceptance and/or use or misuse of the prize or participation in any contest-related or prize-related activity and for any claims or causes of action based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery. The Released Parties assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants or to any other person’s computer, regardless of how caused, relating to or resulting from entering or downloading materials or software in connection with this contest. Entrants and winners acknowledge that Sponsor has neither made nor is in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representations or guarantees, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize or any component thereof.

10. CHOICE OF LAW AND FORUM. Entrant agrees that all matters arising out of or relating to this contest and these Official Rules are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Pennsylvania, without giving effect to any of its conflict of laws provisions thereof. Entrant further agrees that any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or relating to this contest and these Official Rules shall be brought exclusively in the applicable federal or state courts located in Erie, Pennsylvania.

11. WINNERS LIST. For the names of all prize winners/name of the prize winner, available after June 10, 2022, at NextChapters.com.

Contact Us!

If you have any questions, please contact us at:

info@nextchapters.com

Next Chapter Stories, LLC.

900 State Street #301C

Erie, PA 16501

Our Latest Writing Contest!

SUMMON YOUR INNER WRITER TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF STORYTELLING!

Participation in our novel writing contest and
membership at Next Chapters is free.

Our Authors Get Paid for Successful Novels

CHAPTER ONE

Want to write the Next Chapter?

Become a published author, plus win some fantastic prizes!

Top Chapter

Best In Genre

Get Published, Earn Royalties!

You may enter as many chapters as you wish!
Authors may only win one prize per category.

MEET DEBBIE Viguié

Want to help Next Chapters assist more aspiring authors?

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Want to write the Next Chapter?

F.A.Q.

How much does it cost?

I love this company! How can I help?

What are the rules for this contest?

What prizes can I win?

I need help with something not mentioned on this page.

CONTACT US

CONTACT INFO

Our Latest Writing Contest!

Join Next Chapters for Free

Official Rules

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Our Latest Writing Contest!

SUMMON YOUR INNER WRITER TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF STORYTELLING!

Participation in our novel writing contest and membership at Next Chapters is free.

Our Authors Get Paid for Successful Novels

CHAPTER ONE

Want to write the Next Chapter?

Become a published author, plus win some fantastic prizes!

Top Chapter

Best In Genre

Get Published, Earn Royalties!

You may enter as many chapters as you wish! Authors may only win one prize per category.

MEET DEBBIE Viguié

Want to help Next Chapters assist more aspiring authors?

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Want to write the Next Chapter?

F.A.Q.

How much does it cost?

I love this company! How can I help?

What are the rules for this contest?

What prizes can I win?

I need help with something not mentioned on this page.

CONTACT US

CONTACT INFO

Our Latest Writing Contest!

Join Next Chapters for Free

Official Rules

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Join Next Chapters for Free

Participation in our novel writing contest and
membership at Next Chapters is free.

You may enter as many chapters as you wish!
Authors may only win one prize per category.