For our first Herculean challenge, you will be presented with a prompt and a setting. The challenge will be broken into five stages:

Stage 1 - The hook

Stage 2 - The characters

Stage 3 - The summary

Stage 4 - The outline

Stage 5 - The story

After each stage, judges will review the entries and narrow it down. For example, if 100 entrants enter the challenge, after Stage 1, there may be approximately 75 contestants left who move on to Stage 2. This will continue until we reach the final stage and crown a winner.

For Challenge 1, your prompt and setting is as follows:

The year is 2301. Governments have been disbanded. Towns have been evacuated and abandoned. Survivors do what must be done to live. Some sacrifice for their families, while others turn on their fellow man. Food is scarce. Days are hot. Nights are cold. Routine is all that gets people by through the day. But then one day that all changes. Tell us what happens in your own words.

You can write in any genre, except FanFiction. We want to push your creative limits and see what you can come up with. Create characters, places, and names as you see fit. Just keep it in this setting. We can't wait to see what you come up with. 

Read on to the next Part for further challenge details and to begin Stage 1.