Happy New Year from The A3 Review. We’re here to help you make it a creative one!

Because we have a feeling it’s going to be that kind of year, we’re looking for writing and artwork on the theme of Leaders and Followers. We want pieces sparked by the idea of leaders, followers and/or the dynamic between the two. Use the theme as a catalyst for some creative ideas.

Think about blind loyalty and betrayal. Explore the complex emotions and interactions: obedience, humility, charisma, authority, cruelty. Or be inspired by the natural world: ducklings following their mother, bees attending their queen, herds of animals or flocks of birds following their dominant leader. Write about the point when a new leader usurps the old one. Or think about work environments, sports teams, religion, the battlefield, cults or clans.

Write about fictional situations or your own experiences of any of the above.

Start with “She was the leader of…” or “We had no choice but to follow him…” or “I finally became the leader when…” Write about a follower who wants to be a leader by making a list of all the things they’d do to get what they want? Write about the burden of leadership, a tired dictator, a cult leader who’s lost their faith, or that person who’ll go to any length to get more Twitter followers!

Deadline is 28 January. For more details visit our Submittable page.

Each month we choose two winning pieces for publication (The A3 Review is published twice a year, and the next issue comes out in April 2017). All winning entries receive Writing Maps and contributor copies, while three overall winners for each issue receive cash prizes.

Good luck and keep writing!