Welcome to The Writing Pool’s Weekly Writing PostTM! We provide you with a free weekly newsletter filled with notices about contests, events, conferences, and other information that might be useful or of great interest to writers of all leanings. Meanwhile, calls for submission to literary publications as well as information about publishers can be found at The Writing PoolTM, your bottomless pool for great writing resources.
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewritingpool/
Follow The Writing PoolTM blog at https://thewritingpool.com/. Share a link, an article, a poem, or something else literary. Send your submission to cindy@thewritingpool.com
|
There is creative reading as well as creative writing. |
If you want to include a notice or announcement in the Weekly, please email your submission to weekly@thewritingpool.com
***
My Short Story Appreciation course at the Seniors College will begin in October and I have found 9 new contemporary stories from around the world to read and discuss over 8 weeks with up to 20 students. I know one of my favourite classes was literature, no matter where in the world it came from. Is it any surprise I mastered in Literature in English? That said, there are several levels of reading and the appreciation of literature increases with each level. Different sources will mention anywhere from 2 (literal and figurative) to 5 levels. So we can cover all bases, we’ll look at the 5 levels: 1) lexical; 2) literal; 3) interpretive; 4) applied; and 5) affective.
As the word suggests, lexical comprehension involves understanding the words in a text. This is less of a problem as readers mature because of the broadening scope of their vocabulary. Improving your lexical comprehension is simple: if you don’t understand a word, consult a dictionary or thesaurus. Unfortunately, not all words mean exactly what the dictionary tells us, unless you have a comprehensive dictionary that includes idiomatic expressions and colloquial usage. That also includes localisms and dialect, as well as nuances in the use of words. Quite often, we will be able to determine the meanings of words, phrases, and expressions from the lexical milieu—or the surrounding words and paragraphs. The way the words are used, who is using them, what the speaker’s expressions are—all these can be determined from the lexical milieu or context. It can get a little more complicated: lexical meaning includes grammatical understanding. If we don’t understand the way sentences are structured, we’ll have difficulty understanding implied meanings.
Literal comprehension comes from understanding all the facts presented in the story or text. You understand it literally when you can answer the basic questions: who, what, where, and when. Sometimes, understanding at the literal level is easier than lexical comprehension because the facts don’t change; word meanings can. The interpretive level of comprehension involves answering the questions why, how, and what if. This involves reasoning, extrapolation, and prediction. When interpreting literature, we try to figure out characters’ motivations, processes, progression, and intention. Applied comprehension is when we try to see the connections between the text and existing knowledge or opinions. We decide things like right or wrong, make judgements and comparisons. When we attempt to understand the social and emotional aspects of a text, we comprehend the story on an affective level. We are able to connect motives to the development of both plot and character and, thereby, comprehend the story in its entirety, from every possible angle. It is a level of appreciation that improves with maturity and age because then, we are better able to apply the higher-order thinking skills involved in the latter 3 levels of comprehension. These higher levels of comprehension are what the Short Story Appreciation course aims to achieve.
How well do you comprehend what you read? Share your favourite stories to read in The Writing Pool™! You can also read about other aspects of writing at Creativity Unlimited.
Happy writing!
~cpl
***
NEWS
NaNoWriMo Coming soon!
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing.
On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.
***
PEI LOCAL/ATLANTIC
An Evening of Poetry at the Confederation Centre Public Library
Enjoy an evening of poetry with Shane Neilson and Jim Johnstone who are visiting Confederation Centre Public Library, Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. as part of their East Coast reading tour. Shane Neilson is a physician, author, and poet. He was born in New Brunswick, and currently practices medicine in Guelph Ontario. He will be reading from his book, Shaving off His Face. Jim Johnstone is a reproductive physiologist, poet, editor, and critic. He was born in Stouffville, Ontario. He will be reading from his book, The Essential D.G. Jones. Join the two poets as they read from their latest work and discuss the craft of writing.
***
There’s a new literary festival in town!
In the spirit of literary co-operation, the directors of the Port Medway Readers’ Festival are pleased to share this announcement from Christina Pottie about a new literary festival in town: The Lunenburg Lit Festival!
The Lunenburg Lit Festival will be hosted by South Shore Public Libraries on September 30 – October 1.
We have a great line up secured!
Friday night: Rebecca Thomas, Kris Bertin and Wayne Johnston,
Saturday afternoon: Dean Jobb, Wanda Taylor and Joan Dawson, and
Saturday Night: George Elliot Clarke, Ami McKay and Colin Campbell
We also have a children’s event on Saturday morning as well a guided town walking tour.
Tickets can be purchased any South Shore Public Libraries Branch. All the details are on the lit website – https://lunenburglitfestival.wordpress.com
***
2016 CBC Short Story Prize
WHAT: Submit your original, unpublished stories. The word count must be between 1200 and 1800 words. Please note that as of the 2016 CBC Short Story Prize, the rules regarding how we determine word count have been modified. Please visit our Rules and Regulations or our FAQ for details.
WHEN: Competition runs from September 1 to October 31.
WHO: All Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
HOW: While the competition is active, submit online by clicking the “submit” link below or, if you wish to submit by mail, you can download the offline submission form.
A fee of $25.00 (taxes included) for administration purposes is required for each entry.
For more information, please visit http://www.cbc.ca/books/literaryprizes/shortstory/
***
Cargo Lit Submissions
Hey all you lovers of travel and passion and adventure, Cargo’s reading period is open for Issue 6, due out next month. Whether it’s a photo you took, an experience you want to share, or a piece of art you created inspired by your place in a new world, we at Cargo Lit want to hear about it.
Don’t forget we are always looking for portrait shots for our covers – your photo or art could make the next cover of Cargo.
To drop your submission in our box, follow the links here through Submittable: http://cargoliterary.com/submit/
We are waiting for you!
the cargo team
***
Open Invitation
The poetry engine awaits you at www.poetrypei.com!
New poets are always welcome to submit a poem to this site, especially if they have never have done so before. The submission form —with complete guidelines and formatting tips—is at www.poetrypei.com/submit.
Poets already on the site: remember that you are welcome to replace your existing poem with a new one at any time, provided at least three months have passed since your last update.
***
CONTESTS AND CALLS
See more at www.thewritingpool.com
***
Field of Words Writing Competitions
The 2016 Flash Fiction and Short Story competitions (round One) are now open. Send us your best work!
Field of Words is dedicated to helping emerging writers grow. To this end, we now run international writing competitions in the categories of short fiction and flash fiction three times per year. All entrants must be aged 18 and over. Both categories offer cash prizes for the winner and runner-up.
The names and works of competition winners and runners up will be published on our Home page. The names and works of all monthly finalists will be regularly published on either our Short Story Competition Finalists page, or our Flash Fiction Competition Finalists page. The announcement of finalists is dependent upon the quality of work submitted. If stories do not meet the high standard expected of a competition finalist, then no finalists will be chosen for that month.
For more details and guidelines, please visit http://fieldofwords.com.au/writing-competition/
***
Tethered By Letters
Tethered by Letters has launched a new Twitter micro fiction contest, #Blink! Stories must be 140 characters or less. A winner will be selected every two weeks. For more details, follow @TethrdbyLettrs and @FrictionSeries on Twitter.
***
Glimmer Train 2015 SUBMISSION CALENDAR AND CATEGORIES
We have five submission categories from which to choose, including our standard category (no reading fees and payment for accepted pieces is $700), and four contests (reading fees allow for 1st place prizes from $1,500 to $2,500). Contests vs. standards. Click on the names of the categories for details.
NOTE: There is always a one-week grace period after the deadline (last day of the month).
Very Short Fiction (1st place – $1,500): Welcome in January, April, July, and October.
Short Story Award for New Writers (1st place – $1,500): Welcome in February, May, August, November.
Fiction Open (1st place – $2,500): Welcome in June and December.
Family Matters (1st place – $1,500): Welcome in March and September.
Standard Category ($700): Welcome in January, May, September.
***
The Monthly Writing Contest
Here at Writing Maps we believe good writing should be encouraged, cherished, shared, and most importantly, published.
We hold a monthly Writing Maps Writing Contest to coincide with the launch each month of a new Writing Map product. We challenge you to write and share a 150-word piece in response to our Prompt of the Month.
Each month’s two winning entries will be published in The A3 Review, the new Writing Maps Journal, a fold-out literary magazine to be published every six months. The first issue appeared in September 2014. Winning entries will also receive free Writing Maps and contributor copies of The A3 Review.
To make sure you don’t miss future contests, you can sign up to our newsletter by clicking on this link. Follow us on Twitter for conversation, updates and inspiration.
The Rules:
- Entry is $5 (approx £3). Multiple entries accepted.
- Enter online through Submittable. Click here to enter.
- The contest closes at midnight (GMT) on the fourth Saturday of the month.
- Any entries submitted after the deadline will not be eligible.
- The Writing Maps Writing Contest is open to all writers over 16.
- There is no restriction on theme or style. We encourage prose, poems, prose poems, graphic stories and hybrid forms.
- Maximum number of words is 150.
For more details, please visit http://www.writingmaps.com/pages/contest
***
Flash Fiction Competition
Now in its sixth year, this quarterly open-themed competition for fiction up to 500 words has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December.
Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories
Prizes: £300 plus publication in Words with JAM, £200 and £100
***
2017 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award
Entries are now open for the 2017 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award.
The prize, worth £30,000 to the winner, is an international award, founded in 2010, that is open to any story of up to 6,000 words written in English. Stories need to have been either previously unpublished or only published after 31 December 2015. Five authors shortlisted for the award will each receive £1,000. The prize is administered by the Society of Authors.
To be eligible, the author must simply have a record of prior publication in creative writing in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Entries can be made either digitally by pressing the Digital Entry Form button, or by post, by pressing the Postal Entry Form button, printing the postal form off and sending it together with 11 copies of the story to the address listed on this page.
The deadline for entries is 6pm (GMT) on Thursday, 29 September 2016.
For more details, please visit http://shortstoryaward.co.uk/entries
***
Flash Fiction Writing Competition September 2016
1st Prize: £500
2nd Prize: £300
3rd Prize: £200
4th Prize: £100
Closing date: 30th September 2016
Entry fee: £3.50 or FREE to Write, Learn and Publish members
Take a look at the photo and use it to kick-start your creativity. All you need to do to win one of our top prizes is to create a story that includes the depicted scene.
We want to start reading your story and to feel a part of the scene straight away. You have a maximum of 500 words including the title so make every word count.
Remember that your story must be unique and previously unpublished.
For details, please visit http://bit.ly/2bZnoZK
***
Philip Levine Prize for Poetry
Deadline: September 30, 2016
Final Judge: Peter Everwine
Award: $2,000 prize and publication by Anhinga Press
The Philip Levine Prize for Poetry is open to any poet writing in English. We are accepting original, previously unpublished, full-length poetry manuscripts that are 48-80 pages in length, with no more than one poem per page. Please read the complete guidelines (.doc, 42 KB) before submitting your manuscript. Submissions are accepted July 1, 2016 to September 30, 2016 only.
Visit our Submittable page to submit your manuscript online. The online entry fee is $28.
To submit your manuscript via postal mail, you can send it to: Philip Levine Prize for Poetry, Fresno State Department of English, 5245 N. Backer Ave. M/S PB98, Fresno, CA 93740. The postal mail entry fee is $25, and checks should be made payable to “Fresno State — Levine Prize.”
Questions? Please contact the contest coordinator, Corrinne Clegg Hales, or contact the Levine Prize staff. Phone: 559.278.1569.
For more details, please visit http://fresnostate.edu/artshum/english/levineprize/guidelines.html
***
Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest
Welcome to the 14th annual Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest. Submit published or unpublished work. $4,000 in prizes.
Please submit during April 15-September 30, 2016. We will award the Tom Howard Prize of $1,500 for a poem in any style or genre, and the Margaret Reid Prize of $1,500 for a poem that rhymes or has a traditional style. Ten Honorable Mentions will receive $100 each (any style). The top 12 entries will be published online. Length limit: 250 lines per poem. No restrictions on age or country. Click the Submittable button below for full details. The results will be announced on April 15, 2017. Fee: $10 per poem.
For more details, please visit https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-margaret-reid-poetry-contest
***
Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize
The RCAH Center for Poetry, in cooperation with the MSU Press, is delighted to announce the first biannual
Wheelbarrow Books Poetry Prize.
The winner will receive $1,000 and publication in Spring 2018 under the Wheelbarrow Books imprint, with distribution by the MSU Press.
Submissions are open from April 1, 2016 through October 1, 2016 for the inaugural round, open to established authors.
For more details, please visit http://poetry.rcah.msu.edu/wheelbarrow-books-poetry-prize.html
***
Enter Shelf Unbound Magazine’s
Best Indie/Self-Published Book Competition
Each year, Shelf Unbound Magazine’s Best Indie/Self-Published Book Competition honors more than 100 indie/self-published books. In addition to $1,500 in cash prizes, we feature the winner, five finalists, and more than 100 “notable” books in the December/January issue of Shelf Unbound. You can read last year’s “winners” issue here: issuu.com/shelfunbound/docs/shelf_unbound_december-january_2016.
Any independently published book in any genre in any publication year is eligible for entry. Entry fee is $50 per book.
The competition also includes the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book, open to fiction and non-fiction sports-related books.
The deadline for entry is midnight on October 1, 2016.
The official rules for the competition can be found at www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition.html.
***
YA Fiction Contest
W@W is pleased to announce its Young Adult Fiction contest.
We are looking for the best, most exciting, and interesting YA, be it mystery or sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary, or other genres. We’re looking to celebrate good writing that exemplifies the genre.
Prize: $300 and publication on the Writers @ Work website
Entrance Fee
$10 per entry.
Deadlines
Submissions open September 1, 2016 and close midnight MST October 15, 2016.
For more details, please visit http://www.writersatwork.org/wp/?page_id=2264
***
New Writer Awards: Fiction & Nonfiction
From its advent, the mission of Sequestrum has been to feature new and emerging writers alongside literary heavyweights. Discovering new, unheralded voices is a bit like nicotine to us editors: We’re genetically predisposed to wanting more, and quitting gives us night terrors.
With our New Writer Awards, hundreds in cash prizes and publication in a future issue of Sequestrum will be awarded to up-and-coming writers of fiction and nonfiction.
New Writer Awards Details:
- Open only to writers who have not yet published a book-length manuscript.
- One first-prize winner will receive $200, plus publication in our Spring ’17 issue.
- Runner up prize(s) of $25-$50 cash, plus publication.
- One submission up to 12,000 word per $15 entry fee, or two short pieces of 1,000 words or less.
- Submissions read and reviewed on a rolling basis.
- Contest doors close October 15, 2016, dependent on submission volume.
For more details, please visit http://www.sequestrum.org/new-writer-awards-fiction-nonfiction
***
New Writer Awards: Poetry
From its advent, the mission of Sequestrum has been to feature new and emerging writers alongside literary heavyweights. Discovering new, unheralded voices is a bit like nicotine to us editors: We’re genetically predisposed to wanting more, and quitting gives us night terrors.
With our New Writer Awards, hundreds in cash prizes and publication in a future issue of Sequestrum will be awarded to up-and-coming poets.
New Writer Awards Details:
- Open only to writers who have not yet published a book-length manuscript.
- One first-prize poet will receive $200, plus publication in our Spring ’17 issue.
- Runner up prize(s) of $25-$50 cash, plus publication.
- Up to three poems per entry. $15 entry fee. 40 lines per poem.
- Submissions read and reviewed on a rolling basis.
- Contest doors close October 15, 2016, dependent on submission volume.
For more details, please visit https://www.sequestrum.org/new-writer-awards-poetry
***
Sixth Annual StoryQuarterly Fiction Prize
Deadline: October 15, 2016
$15.00 US
The winner will receive $1000, and the winner, first runner-up and second runner-up will be published in StoryQuarterly 50. Limit: Up to 6250 words, double-spaced.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/29VCjDk
***
The Raven Short Story Contest
We Pulp Literature editors collect stories like ravens in the woods, swooping down on what catches our eye and bringing the treasures — sometimes sparkling, sometimes grisly, but always fascinating — home to our nests. Want feedback on your story? Get a professional critique from one of the Pulp Literature editors for only $25 more. Show us your most scintillating treasures in the form of short fiction up to 5000 words in length and you could be the one bringing home $500 to line your nest!
Contest opens: 1 September 2016
Deadline: 15 October 2016
Winner notified: 15 November 2016
Winner published in: Issue 14, Spring 2017
Prize: $500
Entry fee: $25
Editorial critique: $25
Earlybird fee (before 15 September): $20
Entry fees include a 1-year digital subscription to Pulp Literature
This contest is for previously unpublished short fiction between 500 and 5000 words in length. Multiple entries welcome. Total entries limited to 200.
http://pulpliterature.com/contests/
***
Jake Adam York Prize
$25.00 USD
Ends on 10/16/2016
The Jake Adam York Prize is open to poets writing in English who have published no more than one full-length poetry collection. It is a collaboration between Copper Nickel and Milkweed Editions.
The prize-winning poet will receive $2,000 and publication by MILKWEED EDITIONS. Screening for the prize will be facilitated by COPPER NICKEL.
All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to COPPER NICKEL in exchange for their reading fee.
For more details, please visit https://coppernickel.submittable.com/submit
***
River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Contest
River Teeth‘s editors and editorial board conduct a yearly national contest to identify the best book-length manuscript of literary nonfiction. All manuscripts are screened by the co-editors of River Teeth. The winner will receive $1,000 and publication by The University of New Mexico Press.
All entrants receive a one-year subscription to River Teeth with their submission fees.
Deadline for Submissions: October 31, 2016
For more details, please visit http://www.riverteethjournal.com/contests
***
Fire River Poets Open Poetry Competition 2016
Closing Date: 31st October 2016
Prizes: 1st Prize £200, 2nd Prize £100, 3rd Prize £75
Entrance Fee: £4 for one poem, £7 for two, £10 for three, £3 for each additional poem.
Poems may be in any style and on any subject. They must be the entrant’s original and unaided work; in English and not a translation; have a maximum of 40 lines per poem excluding the title and be printed or printable on one side of A4 paper.
Up to six poems per entrant may be submitted, provided each is on a separate sheet and the correct entry fee is paid.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2cJYPA5
***
The Flambard Poetry Prize
First prize: £1000
Second prize: £250
We are very pleased to announce the 2016 Flambard Poetry Prize, which continues to honour the achievements of Flambard Press and the inspiration of founders Margaret and Peter Lewis. Between 1990 and 2012, Flambard Press published an acclaimed range of poetry and fiction, helping to nurture many emergent and established writers regionally and nationally. It was recognised as one of the finest small independent presses in the UK.
The Flambard Prize is awarded annually to the best group of five poems submitted by a poet who has not yet published a single-authored pamphlet or collection. Each poem should be no longer than 40 lines.
The cost of entry is £5 per group of five poems.
The closing date for the 2016 competition is:
31st October 2016.
Entries can be made via the Newcastle University WebStore or by posting hard copies to:
Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts,
Percy Building,
Newcastle University,
Newcastle Upon Tyne,
NE1 7RU
If you have any further questions, please email NCLA at ncenla@ncl.ac.uk.
***
Spine-Chilling Fiction Competition
1st Prize: £500
2nd Prize: £300
3rd Prize: £200
4th Prize: £100
Closing date: 31st October 2016
Entry fee: £3.50 or FREE to Write, Learn and Publish members
Do you love writing spine-tingling fiction and have a fascination for horror stories? If so, enter this new writing competition from the Creative Competitor which will test your imagination and skill. Quite simply, we want to be chilled to the core by your fictional endeavors. You can use the above photo for inspiration but we welcome imaginative interpretations of the theme. To be in with a chance of winning, make sure you have a strong opening and you hold our attention throughout.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2bsCWIK
***
Larry Brown Short Story Award
We’re pleased to announce the first annual Larry Brown Short Story Award. The winning author will receive a prize of $250 along with publication in the January 2017 issue of Pithead Chapel.
- The contest is open from August 15th to October 31st of each year
- The submitted story must be less than 4,000 words
- No previously published work will be considered
- There’s a $10 entry fee for each story submission
For more details, please visit https://pitheadchapel.com/the-larry-brown-short-story-award/
***
Poetry Contest
On the theme
Reality Has Never Betrayed Me
New York Encounter is sponsoring a poetry contest to celebrate the theme of its 2017 event. The Encounter is an annual three-day public cultural event in the heart of New York City. It strives to witness to the new life and knowledge generated by the faith, following Pope Benedict’s claim that “the intelligence of faith has to become the intelligence of reality.”
The Encounter’s poetry contest invites all poets writing in English to submit up to 3 poems (maximum 30 lines each), related in some way to the theme, Reality Has Never Betrayed Me (see below).
Cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100 will be awarded to first, second and third place poems. The winners will be invited to read their poems on the NYE stage during the Encounter January 13-15, 2017.
The first place poem will be printed in the program.
Submission deadline: November 1, 2016.
Submissions of previously unpublished poems may only be made online via this link: New York Encounter 2017 Poetry Contest.
For more details, please visit http://www.newyorkencounter.org/poetry-contest-2017
***
Brick Road Poetry Press
Check for the full rules and guidelines on our website: www.brickroadpoetrypress.com
· Book-length poetry manuscripts only. Original collection of 50 to 100 pages of poetry, excluding cover page, contents, acknowledgments, etc.
·Deadline: November 1, accepted starting August 1.
·The winner receives a publication contract with Brick Road Poetry Press and $1000 prize, publication in both print and ebook formats, and 25 copies of the printed book. We may also offer publication contracts to the top finalists.
***
Alice James Award
Alice James Books is accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts to the Alice James Award (formerly the Beatrice Hawley Award) postmarked through November 1, 2016. The Alice James Award welcomes submissions from emerging as well as established poets. Entrants must reside in the United States.
The winner receives $2000, book publication, and distribution through Consortium. In addition to the winning manuscript, one or more additional manuscripts may be chosen for publication as the Editor’s Choice.
For more details, please visit http://alicejamesbooks.org/alice-james-award/
***
2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
The 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize will open for entries on 1st September 2016.
The Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction (2,000–5,000 words) in English written by a citizen of a Commonwealth country.
Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000.
Short stories translated into English from other languages are also eligible, and we invite writers from Mozambique who write in Portuguese, and writers who write in Swahili and Bengali, and who do not have an English translation of their story, to submit their stories in the original language.
Click here to download the eligibility and entry rules
Entries Close 1st November 2016.
***
2017 Split This Rock Poetry Contest, Judged by Sheila Black
10th Annual Split This Rock Poetry Contest
Judge: Sheila Black
Benefits Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness 2018
$1,000 in prizes awarded for poems of provocation & witness!
Prizes: First place $500; 2nd and 3rd place, $250 each. Winning poems will be published on www.SplitThisRock.org and within The Quarry: A Social Justice Poetry Database. All prize winners will receive free festival registration, and the 1st place recipient will be invited to read the winning poem on the main stage at Split This Rock Poetry Festival 2018.
Deadline:November 1, 2016
Reading Fee: $20, which supports Split This Rock Poetry Festival 2018.
***
“What is Your Life’s Purpose?”
The Wonder Institute invites all writers to participate in an international competition by submitting a personal essay on: “What is Your Life’s Purpose?”
What to Submit: An original, unpublished essay on the topic of “What is Your Life’s Purpose.” You may submit more than one entry. Each entry must be accompanied by a contest fee of $20.
When to Submit: Contest deadline is November 1, 2016. Entries must be postmarked by this deadline or submitted online by midnight.
Prizes and Publication: First Prize is a check for $1,000 dollars and publication on The Wonder Institute website. Honorable mention(s) will be selected at the discretion of the final judge, Linda Durham. Honorable Mention entries may also be published on the Wonder Institute website.
For more details, please visit https://www.wonderessaycontest.com/
***
The Malahat Review 2017 Open Season Awards
Submissions for this contest will be accepted as of August 2016.
The Malahat Review, Canada’s premier literary magazine, invites entries from Canadian, American, and overseas authors for our annual Open Season Awards. An exciting spring showcase of literary excellence, Open Season bestows a prize of $1500 in each of three marquee categories: poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Entries may be sent by regular mail or email. When submitting by email, please ensure you include a cover letter with relevant contact details (more below under Enter by Email); do not simply put this information in the body of the email. We also ask that no personal or contact information is written anywhere on submission itself.
Pay only $15 for each additional entry after the first.
The deadline for the 2017 Open Season Awards is November 1, 2016.
For more details, please visit http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/open_season/info.html
***
The Writer Contest: Our Darkest Hours
As the days grow darker, so do The Writer’s contests. Write a 2,000-word fictional short story using any nuance, definition, or understanding of the word “dark.”
Deadline: November 15, 2016
Grand Prize: $1,000 and publication
For more details, please visit www.writermag.com/contests
***
Fabulist and Fantastic Flash Fiction Contest
The Fabulist and Fantastic Flash Fiction Contest is open to any writer, and is the only time during the year that we accept flash fiction submissions.
Each entry is $5, and can contain one or two pieces of flash fiction, each no longer than 1000 words. Writers may submit however many entries they wish, so long as they pay the $5 entry fee for each entry. Simultaneous submissions are welcome and encouraged, but submitters must withdraw their work–the fee is nonrefundable in these cases–should it be accepted elsewhere.
All work should fit within the traditions of fabulism, surrealism, or magic realism. We are not interested in science fiction or high fantasy, and these are unlikely to be selected as winners by the contest judge.
Prizes and Judging Process:
Unlike our Writing Competition, the Fabulist and Fantastic Flash Fiction Contest does not have a set prize. Instead, the prize is determined based on the number of entries as follows:
First Place Winner receives 40% of net entry fees.
Runner-Up receives 20% of net entry fees.
The entry period for this contest runs from August 15 through November 15, and all entries should be made through our Submittable page. Good luck!
For more details, please visit https://gatewayreview.wordpress.com/writing-competition/
***
Master’s Review Fall Fiction Contest
In the fall we pair with a guest judge to help select stories for our Fall Fiction Contest. The fall is literary submission season and we look forward to acknowledging three excellent stories.
PRIZES: First place wins $2000, publication on the site, and personal correspondence with our guest judge. Second and third place writers win $200 and $100 respectively, publication on the site, and letters from the judge on why your story was chosen.
DEADLINE: Nov 15
For more details, please visit https://mastersreview.com/calendar/
***
The Narratively Untold Story Award
Narratively is excited to announce our inaugural Untold Story Award. We’re scouring the world for our next big, award-winning feature story, one that requires more time and a bigger budget than most, and illuminates people and communities that would otherwise go unnoticed or uncelebrated. We’d like storytellers to view this as an opportunity to really dig into that dream story you’ve always wanted to report, but haven’t had the time or resources to undertake.
For our inaugural Untold Story Award we’re looking for an epic feature on the theme “Outsiders.” We will accept completed pieces or detailed proposals.
Deadline: November 21, 2016
Prizes: One Grand Prize Winner will receive $3,000 to fund their story
For more details, please visit http://narrative.ly/about/untold-story-award/
***
Prairie Fire Press 2016 ANNUAL WRITING CONTESTS WITH $6,000 IN PRIZES!
Prairie Fire is now accepting entries for the Banff Centre Bliss Carman Poetry Award, Short Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction Contests.
Deadline: November 30 (postmarked).
By entering the Banff Centre Bliss Carman Poetry Award Contest, you not only have a chance to win $1,250 in cash, but also a jeweller-cast replica of poet Bliss Carman’s ring, an invitation to THIN AIR (produced by the Winnipeg International Writers Festival), dinner with the staff of Prairie Fire and publication in Prairie Fire magazine.
With your contest submission you’ll receive a one-year subscription to Prairie Fire, so if would like to start reading Prairie Fire as soon as possible, you can send in your entry today!
Prizes are awarded in each of the three categories and winning entries are published in Prairie Fire:
1st prize $1,250
2nd prize $500
3rd prize $250
For more details, please visit: Contest Rules.
***
The 18th Annual Gival Press Poetry Award
Deadline: December 15, 2016 (postmarked).
Reading Fee: $20.00 (USD)
Our dates never change, if the date falls on a Sunday, then Monday becomes the default postmarked date.
Theme: Completely open.
Eligible Poets: Open to all, national and international poets.
Language: English.
Forms or Style of Poetry: Original work, not a translation of someone else’s poetry. Open to any form or style; simply good poetry.
Length of Manuscript: At least 45 typed pages of poetry, on one side only.
For more details, please visit http://www.givalpress.com/
***
2017 San Francisco Writing Contest
The San Francisco Writers Conference is pleased to announce the 2017 San Francisco Writing Contest. The contest is open to all writers everywhere, including those attending the 2017 San Francisco Writers Conference. The entry fee is $35 per item.
Your entry must fit into one of the following categories:
* Adult Fiction
* Adult Nonfiction (including memoir)
* Children’s/YA Books
Entries may have been self-published or not-yet published, but not traditionally published. Entries can be up to 1500 words in length (or less, but not more).
Please use the contest registration form on this web site SFWriters.org/contest-registration to upload your entry/entries and pay. It’s easy! If you prefer to send your fee by check, mail both the entry and check to SF Writing Contest, PO Box 326, Oakley, CA 94561.
All fees and entries must be received by 5:00 pm Pacific Time on January 13, 2017.
***
Master’s Review Short Story Award for New Writers
Because our Short Story Award for New Writers is a favorite, the contest awards three stories in the winter as well. $2000 to the best short story written by an emerging writer. The Short Story Award not only offers cash prizes, but agency review from some of the country’s best agencies.
PRIZES: First place wins $2000, publication on the site, and agency review. Second and third place writers win $200 and $100 respectively, publication on the site, and agency review.
DEADLINE: Jan 15, 2017
***
The Malahat Review 2017 Long Poem Prize
Submissions for the 2017 contest (deadline February 1) will be accepted starting November 2016.
The Malahat Review, Canada’s premier literary magazine, invites entries from Canadian, American, and overseas authors for the Long Poem Prize. Two awards of $1,000 CAD each are given. Poets contributing to The Malahat Review have also won or been nominated for National Magazine Awards for Poetry and the Pushcart Prize. The Long Poem Prize is offered every second year, alternating with the Novella Prize.
Entries may be sent by regular mail or email.
Pay only $15 for each additional entry after the first.
The deadline for the 2015 Long Poem Prize is February 1, 2017.
For more details, please visit http://www.malahatreview.ca/contests/long_poem_prize/info.html
***
New England Poetry Club Contests
New England Poetry Club has always recognized the outstanding work of poets with its annual awards and contests. Some awards, such as The Golden Rose and the May Sarton Award, are given in recognition of career excellence, while others are run as contests. This page is a complete listing of annual awards and contests. If you choose to enter a contest, please be sure to read the guidelines before entering, as they may have changed from previous years. The link to submit entries online can be found in the guidelines tab.
Submissions accepted only in May and June each year.
For more details, please visit http://www.nepoetryclub.org/contests/
***
Neil Postman Award for Metaphor
Rolling Deadline
(no fee)
Although primarily known as an educationist and a media critic, Neil Postman was, at his core, a “noticer”—and he particularly noticed what we do with metaphor and how metaphor shapes and creates our cognitive world. Postman maintained that words (and words, in truth, are metaphors) are as much the driver of reality as they are the vehicle. Consequently, metaphor was not a subject to be relegated and limited to high school poetry units wherein a teacher drones on about the difference between “like” and “as” and considers the job finished. For Postman, the study of metaphor was unending and metaphors were as crucial as they were omnipresent; they served to give form to and dictate experience.
In honor and remembrance of Neil Postman, who died on October 5, 2003, we have established the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. The motivation for the award is simple and two-fold: To reward a given writer for his or her use of metaphor, and to celebrate (and hopefully propagate) Postman’s work and the typographical mind.
Each spring the editors will choose one poem from all of the submissions received by Rattle during the previous year. The author of the chosen poem will receive $500. There are no entry fees or special submission guidelines. Send up to 5 unpublished poems plus a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to: Rattle, 12411 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. To browse previous winners, and for information on how to submit electronically, visit our website: http://www.rattle.com/poetry/extras/postman/
***
Nonfiction Book Awards
Welcome to the NEW Nonfiction Book Awards! As an extension of the Nonfiction Authors Association, we are committed to honoring excellence in nonfiction books and welcome submissions by self-published and traditionally published authors alike, in both print and ebook formats. Publishers are also welcome to submit books for award consideration.
– See more at: http://nonfictionauthorsassociation.com/nonfiction-book-awards/#sthash.H0SVcAFl.dpuf
***
The Thistle Dew Theatre & KTDT Dramady seeks plays for Stage and Radio
http://thistledewtheatre.blogspot.com/
Call for play submissions: monologues, short plays, one act or full-length plays for stage and radio.
Monthly themed monologues and short plays needed. On-going, no submission fee, no deadline. This is a competition with one winner per production: $25.00.
Continuing call: No fees… no deadlines….
Tales/Lies for THE LIAR’S LAIR
***
Zone 3 Nonfiction Award
Zone 3 is accepting submissions for its nonfiction contest. For online submissions, click here to complete the submission manager form, choose “Zone 3 Nonfiction Award” for your genre, and upload your essay. You will be directed to another webpage for secure payment. For paper submissions, submit one essay with SASE and $10 entry fee to: Zone 3, APSU, P.O. Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. No deadline. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription. The winner will be announced on our website. Prize: $250 and publication. For details, visit http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/contests
***
Zone 3 Fiction Award
Zone 3 is now accepting submissions for its twelfth annual fiction award. For online submissions, click here to complete the submission manager form, choose “Zone 3 Fiction Award” for your genre, and upload your story. You will be directed to another webpage for secure payment. For paper submissions, submit one story with SASE and $10 entry fee to: Zone 3, APSU, P.O. Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. No deadline. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to Zone 3. The winner will be announced on our website. Prize: $250 and publication. For details, visit http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/contests
***
Zone 3 Poetry Award
Zone 3 is now accepting submissions for its annual poetry award. Submit up to three poems via our online submissions manager. Click here to log in and upload your poems; choose “Zone 3 Poetry Award” for your genre. You will be directed to another webpage for secure payment. No deadline. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to Zone 3. The winner will be announced on our website. Prize: $250 and publication. For details, visit http://www.apsu.edu/zone3/contests
***
Wielding Power Essay Writing Contests
Prizes
Winner- The winner will have their answer published, receive ten free copies of the issue (pdfs), and $1000. There will be one winner.
Finalists- The finalists will be published and receive ten free copies of the issue (pdfs). There will be two finalists.
Who May Submit
Submissions are open to all US and Canada residents (except Quebec) above the age of 18. Submission is free. You may submit up to 10 entries per question. Submissions cannot be the work of multiple authors.
How and What to Submit
IMPORTANT: failure to adhere to the following may result in disqualification. See Official Rules for complete details.
- All entries should be between 500 and 2000 words.
- To ease reading and ensure uniformity of entries- please format your answer in 12pt Times New Roman, double spaced.
- Please send your entries as a Microsoft Word or Google Document attachment to submit@wieldingpowerpublishing.com
For more information, visit http://www.wieldingpowerpublishing.com/submit/
Ongoing deadlines.
***
The People’s Book Awards
Welcome to the people’s Book Awards where anyone can nominate or vote for titles available on the *Amazon sites worldwide, or support those important people who provide services to authors. Monthly winners.
The monthly and annual voting closes at 17:00 hours British Standard Time on the last day of each month and the votes of non-winning titles are carried forward, except in December. Monthly winning titles are taken out of the competition and will be returned in December if confirmed as a nomination for the Annual Awards by a direct message (DM) on Twitter or email to winner@thebookawards.com. Each year the voting closes on December 31st following the Annual Awards and all votes are returned to zero for the coming year.
To learn more, visit http://thebookawards.com/awards/
***
Ekphrasis Prize for Poetry
Ekphrasis is a poetry journal looking for well-crafted poems, the main content of which addresses individual works from any artistic genre. Please identify the specific work that is the focus of your poem. Acceptable ekphrastic verse transcends mere description: it stands as transformative critical statement, an original gloss on the individual art piece it addresses.
All poems published in Ekphrasis within a given calendar year will be considered for the Ekphrasis Prize for Poetry.
The winning poem will be selected by the editors of Ekphrasis.
No entry fees are required and there is no self-nomination procedure for the prize.
For submission guidelines, visit http://www.ekphrasisjournal.com/home
***
Diana Woods Memorial (DWM) Award
Creative nonfiction authors are invited to submit an essay of up to 5,000 words on the subject of their choice to be considered for the Diana Woods Memorial (DWM) Award in creative nonfiction. Winners will receive $250 and their work will be featured in the next issue of Lunch Ticket. Each award recipient must submit a 100-word biography, current photo, and send a brief note of thanks to the Woods’ family.
For more details and to submit, visit http://lunchticket.org/the-diana-woods-memorial-award/
The reading period for the award will be the month of February for the issue that publishes in June, and the month of August for the issue that publishes in December. Please note that previously published work will not be accepted.
***
L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest
- ENTRANTS RETAIN ALL PUBLICATION RIGHTS
- NO ENTRY FEE IS REQUIRED
- ALL AWARDS ARE ADJUDICATED BY PROFESSIONAL WRITERS ONLY
- PRIZES EVERY THREE MONTHS: $1,000, $750, $500
- ANNUAL GRAND PRIZE: $5,000 ADDITIONAL!
- OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW AND AMATEUR WRITERS OF NEW SHORT STORIES OR NOVELETTES OF SF OR FANTASY
There shall be three cash prizes in each quarter: a First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500, in US dollars. In addition, at the end of the year the winners will have their entries rejudged, and a Grand Prize winner shall be determined and receive an additional $5,000. All winners will also receive trophies.
The Contest has four quarters, beginning on October 1, January 1, April 1 and July 1. The year will end on September 30. To be eligible for judging in its quarter, an entry must be postmarked or received electronically no later than midnight on the last day of the quarter. (Deadlines: December 31, March 31, June 30, September 30). Late entries will be included in the following quarter and the Contest Administration will so notify the entrant.
***
EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
***
The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival 2016
The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival has been hosting a literary picnic on the idyllic banks of the Eramosa River for over 25 years. The Festival is a nationally acclaimed literary event, treasured by book lovers and authors, and widely respected by Canada’s literary community.
You will want to ensure that September 16, 17, and 18 is marked in your literary calendars; especially Sunday 18th, Festival Sunday, to hear these wonderful authors reading and discussing their works and to meet them at our signing table or as they also mingle, munch and enjoy the festival in the charming village of Eden Mills.
Discover the 2016 line-up here.
***
Thin Air 2016 Sept 23 – Oct 1
Check out the Winnipeg International Writers Festival Calendar of Events.
***
ONTARIO WRITERS WORK-IN-PROGRESS GRANTS
http://www.arts.on.ca/Page118.aspx
Purpose to assist professional writers to complete book-length works of literary merit. Ontario-based professional writers may apply for support for the continuation of new work in poetry or prose. Graphic novels and other comic arts projects will be received at a separate deadline of December 1, 2016. Please see Writers’ Works in Progress – Comic Arts for the guidelines and application. Deadline Dates: June 15 and October 18, 2016.
***
The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival
The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival each Fall in Banff, Alberta is nine epic days of mountain stories that includes profound journeys, unexpected adventures, and ground-breaking expeditions told by authors, photographers, and filmmakers from around the globe. Following the Festival in Banff, the World Tour hits the road bringing some of the audience favourites and special tour edits to a location near you.
For more details, please visit https://www.banffcentre.ca/banff-mountain-film-and-book-festival
***
Wild Writers Literary Festival
The New Quarterly is proud to present the fourth annual Wild Writers Literary Festival on November 4-6, 2016 in Waterloo, Ontario. Join us for a celebration of the savage and free and its expression in poetry, the short story, and everything in between. Create, learn, discover and share the art of groundbreaking writing.
For details, please visit http://www.tnq.ca/wildwriters/
***
The Weekly Writing PostTM is brought to you by
The Writing PoolTM
http://www.thewritingpool.com
***
The Writing Pool 