December. A time of evergreen trees aglow with lights and ornaments. A time of eggnog and cookies by the fire, of Christmas carols blasting on the radio. A time of Santa Claus.

     But many of us seem to forget that Christmas isn't the only holiday during that time.

     While many different cultures do celebrate Christmas, some do not. Instead, they celebrate Diwali, Hanukkah, Mawlid al-Nabi, Kwanzaa, or New Year's, all around this time.

     But some things remain the same.

     It's during the holiday season that people are at their nicest and most forgiving. Acceptance is in the air, as well as new possibilities. People that are grumpy and rude most of the time, become happier and more open-minded around this time of year. And so, in the spirit of the holiday season, I present to you talkthepoc's first writing contest: the Holiday One Shot/Short Story Contest.

     I will provide a list of prompts that you can choose from, or even combine if you like, but you are free to let creativity whisk you away. (Note: You can still write about Christmas. Many POCs still celebrate it.)

PROMPTS:

     - Someone learning about/celebrating a new holiday (i.e. a non-Jewish person celebrating Hanukkah)

     - A judgemental, prejudiced, or racist person who experiences an epiphany during the holidays and becomes accepting

     - An interracial friendship or love story set around the holiday time

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

     1. MUST be a new story written for this contest

     2. MUST be tagged #talkthepocholidaycontest2015

     3. Only ONE entry per person

     4. Entry links must be PMed and ONLY PMed, they will not be accepted otherwise

     5. NO fanfiction, non-fiction, or poetry

     6. Can be about anything, as long as it ties in with people of colour and the holiday season

     7. CANNOT be more than 15,000 words long

     8. Any number of chapters is accepted

     9. MUST be posted on Wattpad

    10. MUST be submitted by the deadline

    11. MUST be written in English

DEADLINE:

     The deadline for all submissions is December 22, at 11:59 pm EST (Eastern Standard Time).

     There will be no extensions. I will be judging on the 23rd and Christmas Eve. The results will be announced on Christmas day.

PRIZES:

First Place

     - Your story will be added to talkthepoc's official reading list. This reading list will be comprised of my book recommendations to all my followers.

     - I will read, vote, and comment on a story of your choice.

     - Optional: I will provide a detailed review for one of your stories.

     - I will promote your account on my message board.

     - I will follow your account.

     - You can request any other one thing from me (within reason). i.e. a cover request, interview, etc.

Second Place

     - I will read, vote, and comment on a story of your choice.

     - Optional: I will provide a detailed review for one of your stories.

     - I will promote your account on my message board

     - I will follow your account.

Third Place

     - I will read, vote, and comment on the first chapter of story of your choice.

     - I will promote your account on my message board.

     - I will follow your account.

Honourable Mentions

     - A shout-out from me on my message board.

FAQs:

Do I have to use the prompts?

     No, you don't. I just thought I'd help give people some ideas.

What counts as the "holiday season"?

     Anytime from November to January. This means that you can write about any holiday during that time frame.

Can my character celebrate Christmas/no holiday/other holiday?

     Yes, as long as it's within the time frame, you can write about it. 

Can my entry be a spin-off of one of my current books?

     Yes, that's fine! As long as it's clear what your entry is, and can be read by itself, spin-offs are perfectly acceptable.

I'm white. Can I still enter?

     Yes,  of course! This contest is open to EVERYONE, no matter what your race is. This account is not a club--there is no access code.

Good luck, and have fun!