The times, they are a-changin', and nowhere is this more evident than in our dearest and most closely-held traditions. Cats are living with dogs, Santa's in jail for trespass, and they're serving vegan sausage at Oktoberfest.

Center your story around a tradition (real or imagined) that's been altered or fractured somehow, and that change reflects the world the characters inhabit. The rub? The judges are tired of Geriatric Sadness. Even if your story goes dark places, even if blood flows, the story should posit hope for the future.