Upcoming Contests

Here are a few upcoming contests, in order of their deadlines with the closest one being mentioned first:

Flash Fiction, Memoir and Creative Nonfiction Contest by Writer Advice

We were alerted to this contest by B. Lynn Goodwin who spoke at the last Redwood Writers Conference.

WriterAdvice seeks flash fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction that mesmerizes the reader in 750 words or less. DEADLINE: April 15, 2010. Entry fee: $10 per submission. First prize: $150. Former prizewinners are the judges. Complete guidelines, mailing address, and prizes at www.writeradvice.com.

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Poetry Chapbook and Poetry Book Contest by Heartsounds Press:

Redwood Writers member Liz Pinto alerted us to that her online Pulse Literary Journal is accepting fiction submissions and has two poetry contests. This is more than just submitting one or two poems. If you have a collection of poems worthy of publication, you might garner publication as a chapbook or a book.

Larry Kramer Memorial Chapbook Contest

Send 16-24 pages of poetry.

Deadline (postmark date) April 15th, 2010.

William Dunbar Book-length Poetry Contest:

Send 48-54 pages of poetry, single-spaced, one poem per page.

Deadline (postmark date) May 1st, 2010.

Please note that the deadlines listed here are correct. Their website has conflicting deadline dates, and should be corrected soon. I verified the deadlines with Liz Pinto and the ones listed here are correct. I did not want to wait any longer to post this information.

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Redwood Writers 2010 Short Story Contest

Redwood Writers Short Story Contest begins immediately and is open to all residents living in Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Lake, and Mendocino Counties and all CWC members statewide. Submissions must be unpublished works and postmarked by May 15th. No more than two submissions per author allowed.

The cost is $10 per entry (or $8 for CWC members). Winners will be announced at the Redwood Writers' general meeting on August 8th. In addition to receiving cash prizes, the first place winner will be considered for publication in the popular Redwood Writers Anthology. Winning writers will also have their stories published in a special edition Redwood Writers newsletter.

Entries will be judged on clarity, originality, and cohesion by well know writers and judges Dan Coshnear and Stefanie Freele, Healdsburg Literary Laureate of 2010 - 2011.

Entry guidelines are found on the Redwood Writers web site.

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$2,000 Awaits Winners of Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

Entries are now being accepted for the 2010 Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, created to enthusiastically support the efforts and talent of emerging writers of short fiction whose voices have yet to be heard.

Writers will compete for a $1,000 first-place prize, $500 second-place prize, and $500 third-place prize in this internationally-acclaimed competition. Several honorable mentions are also awarded each year. As an added prize, beginning in 2009, The Saturday Evening Post will publish our first-place winner. Payment by The Saturday Evening Post for publication of the winning story will be in addition to our $1000 first-place prize.

Stories in all genres of fiction are welcome. Maximum length is 3,000 words, and writers retain all rights to their work. The final deadline is May 15, 2010; winners will be announced at the end of July.

For complete guidelines, please visit www.shortstorycompetition.com, e-mail shortstorykw@gmail.com, or send an SASE to the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, P.O. Box 993, Key West, FL 33041.

Flash fiction - slim and trim

Let me introduce you to one of my new loves: flash fiction. Perhaps it's because I love a challenge. Flash fiction is a story that is (usually) under a thousand words. Some magazines use 500, 750 or 1500 as the word limit. And it's not a character sketch. It has to have all the elements of a good story - not least of which, a beginning, middle and an end.

Like poetry, it's a discipline of word economy - you have so few to work with every word must count. If you can write a story of 1,000 words you'll find improvement in your longer works as you recognize the unnecessary words and scenes.

I'm a born editor. I think that's what makes flash easier for me, because the limit is really achieved (for me) through editing. I recommend giving it a shot. It will improve your prose and you may find it more satisfying than your weekly crossword.

Below are some places that publish flash fiction and a couple of other articles on the subject. What I think adds more fun is when you have to write about a specific prompt either written or an image. Try it and let us know how you do.

Flash Fiction Online
Vestal Review
Every Day Fiction
Literary Potpourri
Flash Me Magazine
Abyss and Apex (1500 wds)
Flash Fiction Project (No pay, no editorial review - blog comments)
Byzarium
SF Crowsnest
Maternal Spark (under 500)
Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette
WOW - Women on Writing (contest)
Duotrope (SF/F/H market list where you can sort by flash)
The Rose City Sisters

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