KEY WEST, Florida Keys — More than 1,100 people have submitted stories to the Florida Keys Flash Fiction Contest, competing to work in Ernest Hemingway's former Key West writing studio, but aspiring authors can still enter by March 31.

The competition is open to adult residents of the U.S. and other selected countries. Entries are limited to 500 words or less.

The winner will spend up to 10 days writing in the Key West studio where Hemingway authored novels and short stories in the 1930s. Other components of the prize, that must be used between July 5 and July 31, include three weeks' accommodations in a residency cottage at The Studios of Key West, a $1,500 air travel card and a $500 debit card for meals and incidentals. The award also includes a day of fishing in the Bacardi Oakheart Key West Marlin Tournament, a highlight of the 2016 Hemingway Days festival.

The contest celebrates the Key West literary heritage that dates back to Hemingway, who wrote classics including “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Green Hills of Africa” while living in a Spanish Colonial estate on Whitehead Street.

Competition details, rules and the official submission form can be accessed at fla-keys.com/flashfiction. Entries can only be submitted via the website.

Sponsors include the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, The Studios of Key West, the Key West Literary Seminar and the Florida Keys & Key West tourism council. The contest's final judge is a representative of the literary seminar.

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