Brindlewood Bay Writing Contest
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We are holding a mystery-writing contest for Brindlewood Bay! There are two tracks for submissions: Murder Mysteries and Sweeps Week Mysteries. Murder Mysteries are the classic Brindlewood Bay mysteries involving murders that take place in or near the town of Brindlewood Bay. Sweeps Week Mysteries don't necessarily involve a murder, and are frequently more supernatural in nature and/or take place while the Mavens are on holiday somewhere else in the world.
To learn more about Brindlewood Bay, go here. Submission Guidelines
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Resources Folder
A collection of resources can be found in this folder. The resources folder contains:
While it is not strictly necessary, you may also want to have the full rules of the game on-hand. You can pick up a Pay What You Want copy of the DriveThruRPG edition of the game here.
- 2 sample Murder Mysteries (Dad Overboard and The Great Brindlewood Bay Bake-Off)
- 2 sample Sweeps Week Mysteries (The Hex-Files and Let the Night One In)
- The "Anatomy of a Mystery" section of the rulebook.
- Some guidance on Sweeps Week mysteries (note: the guidance was written for people running the game, but should still be helpful for understanding how they are different from Murder Mysteries).
While it is not strictly necessary, you may also want to have the full rules of the game on-hand. You can pick up a Pay What You Want copy of the DriveThruRPG edition of the game here.
Discord
You are invited to discuss the contest and solicit feedback on your entry on The Gauntlet Publishing Discord server, via the #writing-contest channel. The server can be found here.
Writer's Workshop
Brindlewood Bay's creator, Jason Cordova, will be holding a special writer’s workshop for contest participants. The workshop will be via Zoom on May 1st from 12 PM - 3 PM Eastern. Anyone participating in the contest is welcome to attend; a Zoom link will be sent out via Discord. The workshop will be recorded so it can be viewed later.
Public Viewing Folder
Entries will be made available for public viewing after the deadline for submissions has passed. If you don’t want your entry included in the public viewing folder, you can opt out by telling us so when you send your submission email.
Judging Criteria and Announcement of Winners
The entries will be judged on writing quality, creativity, and playability. The entries will also be judged blind, meaning the judges will not know who wrote which submission. The judging panel will be announced at a later time. The winners and runners-up will be announced in late June or early July during a special podcast episode.
Prizes
While the primary aim of the contest is to have fun and engage in a creative process with like-minded writers, there are also some prizes available.
- 1 Murder Mystery winner will receive $250 USD.
- 1 Murder Mystery runner-up will receive $100 USD.
- 1 Sweeps Week Mystery winner will receive $250 USD.
- 1 Sweeps Week Mystery runner-up will receive $100 USD.
Publication and Text Ownership
You own the text of your entry and are free to publish it wherever you wish after the announcement of winners. If you publish it commercially, please check in with us before using any of our color (locations and characters). Additionally, your commercial publication should say "This mystery is not associated with Jason Cordova or Gauntlet Publishing, but it is published with their permission" somewhere on the document. We are not actively seeking to publish any entries (again, the contest is mostly for fun) but if something catches our eye that would be a good fit for one of the books, we will make a formal publishing offer to the entrant. If the winner or a runner-up receives such an offer, we will pay our publishing rate in addition to their prize money.
Official Mysteries (Published or Planned for Publication)
It’s not a contest requirement, but you might wish to avoid writing a Mystery that is similar to the ones we have already published or plan to publish. A list of those Mysteries, and a short description of each, follows.
The Murder Mysteries are:
Dad Overboard: In this starter mystery, the Mavens learn about Albert Krause, a wealthy banker whose body just washed up on the beach. His family's yacht is currently anchored off the Bay, and Sheriff Dalrymple suspects one of the Krauses was involved in his death. The Murder Mavens take the case, but as they get closer to solving it, they may come face-to-face with the dark history of the town...
The Great Brindlewood Bay Bake-Off: The Jolly Good Baking Show has come to Brindlewood Bay to find the town's best baker, and the Murder Mavens have made it to the final round of the competition! But chaos erupts when the baking show's popular judge, steely-eyed Paul Riviera turns up dead in his trailer, his face covered with white powder and his hands tied behind his back with perfectly plaited nylon cord.
All Hallow’s Scream: B-movie director Abner Vidal and his wife, Coco, are throwing a Halloween party in their extravagant, Tinseltown-inspired home. The Mavens are invited, but when Abner turns up dead, his head submerged in a bobbing-for-apples tub, they realize this night is going to be more about tricks than treats.
Jingle Bell Shock: The Mavens are participating in the Brindlewood Bay Lunch Club's annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Carol-a-thon fundraiser when they get sucked into the Hawthorne family's bitter drama involving money and murder. Inspired by the film Knives Out.
A Murder Most Mucky: A lighthouse keeper has taken a suspicious tumble to his death in the nearby burg of Mucky Point. When the Mavens arrive, they discover a town with hostile, secretive locals, and some strange connections to creatures living under the waves...
Exit Stage Death: The Mavens discover that the Midwives of the Fragrant Void have a rival cult in Boston, the Court of the Occluded King, when a young actress is murdered during a performance of a strange play, The King in Shadows.
Dead Man's Hand: A charity poker tournament goes awry when a notorious card shark turns up dead at his table. The Mavens are on the case, but they might be getting too close to the power brokers who run the town...
Lies & Dolls, or A Very Brief Tenure: A college field trip to Brindlewood Bay's legendary (and creepy as hell) doll museum is interrupted when a professor is murdered. Frisky co-eds, jealous colleagues, and strange locals are all implicated in his death, but who really did it?
Deadly Silent Auction: A silent auction at Aubertin's Antiques has a number of relics from the town's founding on offer, making it of interest to the Mavens, and anyone else investigating the dark, occult history of the town. But it's going, going, gone for proprietor Pauline Aubertin when she is found dead in an alleyway behind the store.
Homecoming at Bonfire Cliff: The annual Brindlewood Bay High homecoming bonfire is disrupted when biology teacher Mark Harrison (Class of '95) is found dead near a tree, his mouth stuffed with poison sumac. The Mavens discover suspects seething and simmering with old high school grudges in this horror-forward mystery.
Carnival Carnage: The Carnivale Noctis, run by the Very Good Carnival Co., is in town! When carnival barker Samson Anderson is found dead in the Fun House, several of the carnies are suspected. But as the Mavens begin poking around for clues, they discover that the Carnivale Noctis might itself be a conduit to the Fragrant Void!
Fudge, Jury, & Executioner: In this direct sequel to The Great Brindlewood Bay Bake-off, the Murder Mavens are invited to judge a fudge making competition in the nearby town of Faversham. Faversham, which never officially acknowledged the events of the American Revolution, is like Great Britain in miniature, but they won't be having a cheery-o day when competition organizer Nell Quince is found murdered.
Exit Stage Death: This mystery is about a brand-new cult, The Court of the Occluded King. The Mavens are in Boston enjoying a strange play, The King in Shadows, when one of the show's stars is murdered on stage! One of the Maven's nephew is involved in the production, and in order to prove he wasn't involved, the Mavens take the case.
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soulless: A journalist and friend of the Mavens drops dead in the middle of high tea at one of Brindlewood Bay's newest bed & breakfasts. While investigating her death, the Mavens discover some dark and ancient secrets about the farm the new BnB is located on.
A Night at the (Whaling) Museum: There's murder and mayhem at a fundraiser for the Brindlewood Bay whaling museum. The Mavens might also uncover some troubling and little-known history about the whaler Deep Reaver and the town's origins.
Decorative Gore Season: A late afternoon of hayrides and apple cider at the Pumpkin Mart is disrupted when a body is found trussed up like a scarecrow! The Murder Mavens are on the case in this autumnal, family-focused thriller.
Fall Guys: The Mavens have been invited by one of their nephews (naturally) to watch a local wrestling promotion. But what will happen when the champion, "Earth-Shaker" Clayton Barbossa, turns up dead in the locker room showers?
Long Story Short (Too Late!): A mystery inspired by the movie Clue.
The Sweeps Week mysteries are:
The Hex-Files: The Mavens are traveling to a crafting convention when they discover the overturned vehicle of two surprisingly good-looking FBI agents. The agents were killed in the crash, but the files for the case they were working on—a series of disappearances in the nearby town of Devilwood—are handy. The Mavens pick up the investigation in the creepy little Southwest town (that looks suspiciously like Vancouver).
Dressed to Kill: It's the Summer Solstice, and while the Mavens are vacationing in England they come upon the town of Derbyshire and its strange, pagan well-dressing festival. They are quickly caught up in a terrifying mystery of missing people in a scenario inspired by folk horror tales such as The Wicker Man.
Let the Night One In: The Mavens accept an invitation to the Northern Canada cabin of reclusive author Robin Masterson, creator of the Amanda Delacourt mystery novels. When they arrive, they find a secluded town in the throes of panic on account of several recent disappearances. An initial investigation suggests it might be a cryptid-like monster responsible.
As the Crow Dies: In this bizarre mystery, the Murder Mavens have a shared dream involving a dead crow, feral children, surreal landscapes, and questions about lost youth. Can the Mavens solve the mystery of this strange place, and more importantly: will they be the same after they wake up?
The Murder Mysteries are:
Dad Overboard: In this starter mystery, the Mavens learn about Albert Krause, a wealthy banker whose body just washed up on the beach. His family's yacht is currently anchored off the Bay, and Sheriff Dalrymple suspects one of the Krauses was involved in his death. The Murder Mavens take the case, but as they get closer to solving it, they may come face-to-face with the dark history of the town...
The Great Brindlewood Bay Bake-Off: The Jolly Good Baking Show has come to Brindlewood Bay to find the town's best baker, and the Murder Mavens have made it to the final round of the competition! But chaos erupts when the baking show's popular judge, steely-eyed Paul Riviera turns up dead in his trailer, his face covered with white powder and his hands tied behind his back with perfectly plaited nylon cord.
All Hallow’s Scream: B-movie director Abner Vidal and his wife, Coco, are throwing a Halloween party in their extravagant, Tinseltown-inspired home. The Mavens are invited, but when Abner turns up dead, his head submerged in a bobbing-for-apples tub, they realize this night is going to be more about tricks than treats.
Jingle Bell Shock: The Mavens are participating in the Brindlewood Bay Lunch Club's annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Carol-a-thon fundraiser when they get sucked into the Hawthorne family's bitter drama involving money and murder. Inspired by the film Knives Out.
A Murder Most Mucky: A lighthouse keeper has taken a suspicious tumble to his death in the nearby burg of Mucky Point. When the Mavens arrive, they discover a town with hostile, secretive locals, and some strange connections to creatures living under the waves...
Exit Stage Death: The Mavens discover that the Midwives of the Fragrant Void have a rival cult in Boston, the Court of the Occluded King, when a young actress is murdered during a performance of a strange play, The King in Shadows.
Dead Man's Hand: A charity poker tournament goes awry when a notorious card shark turns up dead at his table. The Mavens are on the case, but they might be getting too close to the power brokers who run the town...
Lies & Dolls, or A Very Brief Tenure: A college field trip to Brindlewood Bay's legendary (and creepy as hell) doll museum is interrupted when a professor is murdered. Frisky co-eds, jealous colleagues, and strange locals are all implicated in his death, but who really did it?
Deadly Silent Auction: A silent auction at Aubertin's Antiques has a number of relics from the town's founding on offer, making it of interest to the Mavens, and anyone else investigating the dark, occult history of the town. But it's going, going, gone for proprietor Pauline Aubertin when she is found dead in an alleyway behind the store.
Homecoming at Bonfire Cliff: The annual Brindlewood Bay High homecoming bonfire is disrupted when biology teacher Mark Harrison (Class of '95) is found dead near a tree, his mouth stuffed with poison sumac. The Mavens discover suspects seething and simmering with old high school grudges in this horror-forward mystery.
Carnival Carnage: The Carnivale Noctis, run by the Very Good Carnival Co., is in town! When carnival barker Samson Anderson is found dead in the Fun House, several of the carnies are suspected. But as the Mavens begin poking around for clues, they discover that the Carnivale Noctis might itself be a conduit to the Fragrant Void!
Fudge, Jury, & Executioner: In this direct sequel to The Great Brindlewood Bay Bake-off, the Murder Mavens are invited to judge a fudge making competition in the nearby town of Faversham. Faversham, which never officially acknowledged the events of the American Revolution, is like Great Britain in miniature, but they won't be having a cheery-o day when competition organizer Nell Quince is found murdered.
Exit Stage Death: This mystery is about a brand-new cult, The Court of the Occluded King. The Mavens are in Boston enjoying a strange play, The King in Shadows, when one of the show's stars is murdered on stage! One of the Maven's nephew is involved in the production, and in order to prove he wasn't involved, the Mavens take the case.
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soulless: A journalist and friend of the Mavens drops dead in the middle of high tea at one of Brindlewood Bay's newest bed & breakfasts. While investigating her death, the Mavens discover some dark and ancient secrets about the farm the new BnB is located on.
A Night at the (Whaling) Museum: There's murder and mayhem at a fundraiser for the Brindlewood Bay whaling museum. The Mavens might also uncover some troubling and little-known history about the whaler Deep Reaver and the town's origins.
Decorative Gore Season: A late afternoon of hayrides and apple cider at the Pumpkin Mart is disrupted when a body is found trussed up like a scarecrow! The Murder Mavens are on the case in this autumnal, family-focused thriller.
Fall Guys: The Mavens have been invited by one of their nephews (naturally) to watch a local wrestling promotion. But what will happen when the champion, "Earth-Shaker" Clayton Barbossa, turns up dead in the locker room showers?
Long Story Short (Too Late!): A mystery inspired by the movie Clue.
The Sweeps Week mysteries are:
The Hex-Files: The Mavens are traveling to a crafting convention when they discover the overturned vehicle of two surprisingly good-looking FBI agents. The agents were killed in the crash, but the files for the case they were working on—a series of disappearances in the nearby town of Devilwood—are handy. The Mavens pick up the investigation in the creepy little Southwest town (that looks suspiciously like Vancouver).
Dressed to Kill: It's the Summer Solstice, and while the Mavens are vacationing in England they come upon the town of Derbyshire and its strange, pagan well-dressing festival. They are quickly caught up in a terrifying mystery of missing people in a scenario inspired by folk horror tales such as The Wicker Man.
Let the Night One In: The Mavens accept an invitation to the Northern Canada cabin of reclusive author Robin Masterson, creator of the Amanda Delacourt mystery novels. When they arrive, they find a secluded town in the throes of panic on account of several recent disappearances. An initial investigation suggests it might be a cryptid-like monster responsible.
As the Crow Dies: In this bizarre mystery, the Murder Mavens have a shared dream involving a dead crow, feral children, surreal landscapes, and questions about lost youth. Can the Mavens solve the mystery of this strange place, and more importantly: will they be the same after they wake up?