TheDorveille
Vignettes
A new literary competition searching for unique tales of the Dorveille.
The Introduction quote was from the brilliant writer and inspiration of this entire contest, Colson Whitehead
Table of contents
theDorveille
Definition:
A dreamlike semi-conscious state, such as while falling asleep or waking up, between periods of sleep, or from exhaustion; generally with reference to an altered mental state where there is no distinction between the fantastic and the familiar.
The word is a french term originating form the combination of dormir (“to sleep”) + veiller (“to be awake; to be alert”).
What story would you tell for these lost hours...
Also known as Segmented Sleep:
Biphasic sleep (or diphasic, bifurcated, or bimodal sleep) is the practice of sleeping during two periods over the course of 24 hours, while polyphasic sleep refers to sleeping multiple times—usually more than two.Each of these is in contrast to monophasic sleep, which is one period of sleep within 24 hours. Segmented sleep and divided sleep may refer to polyphasic or biphasic sleep, but may also refer to interrupted sleep, where the sleep has one or several shorter periods of wakefulness, as was the norm for night sleep in pre-industrial societies.a
theConcept
Before the industrial revolution, our bodies had a different sleep rhythm called segmented sleep. People would wake up around midnight and use the time to get stuff done. Having sex was popular. Benjamin Franklin liked to “take cold-air baths,” a fancy way of saying “open his windows naked.” Many people wrote in journals or interpreted dreams, which feel more proximate at 3 a.m. than in daylight.2
Back when segmented sleep was common, this period between “first” and “second” sleep inspired reverence. The French called it dorveille, or wake-sleep, a hypnotic state. English speakers called it “the watch.” I had usually approached the post-midnight hours full-sail, by staying up. Waking into them is different, childlike. The time feels freer. The urge to be busy abates. Conversation has a conspiratorial intimacy, as if you’ve sneaked behind the tent to find the only other smoker at the wedding.2
It got us thinking, what would we do if we suddenly had 2 or 3 extra hours every day? Sure, at first it would be fill it with binge watching and social scrolling, but what would you do after that? The possibilities are endless.
What would you do in today’s world if you suddenly had two extra hours?
Concept
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theContest
We are looking for your tale of the Dorveille. Create a short story that revolves around these stolen hours. You can set your story at any setting and any genre you desire. However, it must revolve around a character experiencing, taking advantage of, or even dreaming through the Dorveille.
Segmented sleep is the basis for the Dorveille, you can also refer to it as anything you want in your story, as long as it deals with those stolen overnight hours.
Winners will be selected. Prizes will be given*, and the best will be published in The Dorveille Vignettes**. First place receives $500 dollars, please see full rules for the rest of the prizes and details.
Our in-house team will judge all entries, before our secret super special judge will determine the winners.
Contest
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yourDorveille
Share your tale for our collection and a chance to garner material goods and national acclaim3
Share
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theDorvay
The British called this wakeful interval the watch, Professor Simonov explained, and in France it went by dorvay. You went over your accounts, whatever they may be—reading, praying, lovemaking, attending to pressing work, or overdue leisure. It was a respite from the normal world and its demands, a hollow of private enterprise carved out of lost hours.
- Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
In the novel Harlem Shuffle, author Colson Whitehead features a section of the novel called the Dorvay, which is a purposeful misspelling of the French term, Dorveille. The novel’s protagonist, Ray Carney, uses this time to hatch a plan to get back at someone who has wronged him. He uses the Dorvay as a time to plot, plan and carry out his revenge plan.
The Dorvay section of the Harlem Shuffle inspired me, like I hope it does you. It’s frowned upon to be up late in our modern society, which is supported by the age-old adage: “Nothing good comes after midnight, or maybe 2 am”. But what if you have already been asleep and just woke up around one in the morning? Should you not be able to be productive? The hardest part I had in trying to do segmented sleep was that I couldn’t fall back asleep. Maybe you will have better luck and get into a rhythm like Ray and be productive in your own personal Dorvay.
Here are some great links to read about Segmented Sleep, Harlem Shuffle, and the Dorveille:
Dorvay
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theRules
1. No entry fee is required. The Daily Board will retain the first North American serial rights to the winner and selected works, with all other rights to the story remain the property of the author.
2. The deadline for entries is November 1st. The winners will be announced by Jan 2024.
3. By submitting to the Contest, the entrant agrees to abide by all Contest rules.
4. All entries must be original works by the entrant, in English. Plagiarism, which includes the use of third-party poetry, song lyrics, characters, or another person’s universe, without written permission, will result in disqualification.Short stories or novelettes generated or created by computer software and/or artificial intelligence will be disqualified. Entries may not have been previously published in professional media.
5. To be eligible, entries must be works of prose, up to 8,000 words in length. We regret we cannot consider poetry.
6. TheContest is open to all.
7. Entries submitted electronically must be double-spaced and must include the title and page number on each page, but not the author’s name. Electronic submissions will separately include the author’s legal name, pen name if applicable, address, e-mail address, and approximate word count.
8. There shall be three cash prizes: a First Prize of $500, a Second Prize of $250, and a Third Prize of $100, in US dollars. Several others will be selected as HonorableMentions and included in a printed book1.
9. Entries will be judged by professionals. The decisions of the judges are entirely their own, and are final and binding.
10. Winners in each quarter will be individually notified of the results by phone, mail, ore-mail.
11. ThisContest is void where prohibited by law.
Rules
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yourDorveille
Ready to share your tale? Skip the background and submit right here!
theDorveille
The origins of the watch
theConcept
A tale of forgotten time
theContest
What's at stake
yourDorveille
Share your tale
theInspiration
What planted the seeds
theRules
Boilerplate details
theMenu
Everyone's asleep and there's this
midnight preserve that's open for
Criminals, writers, alcholics, & insomniacs
