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.
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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
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One should never use exclamation points in writing. It is like laughing at your own joke. |
If you want to include a notice or announcement in the Weekly, please email your submission to weekly@thewritingpool.com
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Probably the most overlooked technicality in writing is punctuation. As an editor and English teacher, I sometimes wonder if some writers treat punctuation how amateur cooks sometimes treat salt—they sprinkle too much or forget to even put any in their dishes. Punctuation in the wrong places can completely change the meaning of a sentence. For example, “Some people find great inspiration in cooking their families and dogs.” This sentence certainly makes better sense with a couple of commas: “Some people find great inspiration in cooking, their families, and dogs.” On the other hand, the exact punctuation can contribute a great deal more meaning than too many words. One of the most overused punctuation marks could be the exclamation point, particularly in non-dialogue text. Even in dialogue, there are better, more expressive ways to show a character’s emotions or emphasis than an exclamation point. After all, an exclamation point can be used for surprise, anger, shock, stubborness, hatred, fear, excitement, and just about any other strong emotion characters experience. Thus, an exclamation point can also be used after a forceful whisper. If you were to depend on the exclamation point alone to convey how a line is delivered, it would leave all the interpretation to the reader unless you were to describe the character’s tone, facial expression, or body language as well. Generally, I would leave exclamation points out of fiction except in dialogue and, even then, I might supplement it with descriptions. In most cases, the descriptions will suffice without the need for exclamation points.
Another way exclamation points are misused or overused is when writers use two or more exclamation points together, as if one exclamation point isn’t enough indication of excitement. At no time is more than one exclamation point grammatically required even if we see it all the time in comic books and comic strips. If you’re not sure about the use of certain punctuation marks or whether or not to use them, there are countless grammar resources in both print and on the Internet that explain when and how to use punctuations correctly. When in doubt, research.
Need more tips on writing? Ask us in The Writing Pool™! You can also read about other aspects of writing at Creativity Unlimited.
Happy writing!
~cpl
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NEWS
NaNoWriMo is Here!
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.
To prepare, see what’s going on, or sign up for NaNoWriMo, visit http://nanowrimo.org/http://nanowrimo.org/. It’s free to sign up!
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PEI LOCAL/ATLANTIC
Michael Conway Book Launch
Everybody is invited to Michael Conway’s book launch of Home Plate, Blue Helmet at the Murphy Centre at 200 Richmond Street in Charlottetown on 3 November 2016. The book is now on bookshelves at the Bookmark in Charlottetown. Book signings are scheduled for Indigo in Summerside on 5 November from 2:30-4:00 PM and at Indigo in Charlottetown on 12 November from12-2 PM.
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Stratton at the Confederation Centre Public Library
Join local pen & ink artist, Sterling Stratton, on a visual trip of the Island on Saturday, Nov.
12, 2 p.m. at Confederation Centre Public Library. Stratton, whose sketches are featured in
the Guardian, will present the first part of a two-part series based on his latest book, 1000
Images of Historic Interest on Prince Edward Island. Part one, “North Cape to Cavendish,”
focuses on the western portion of the province. Stratton was recently awarded the prestigious
Irene Rogers Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the heritage of Prince
Edward Island. His presentation will feature screen projections of his work accompanied by
unusual stories and interesting anecdotes of Island architecture depicted in his sketches.
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THE 30th COX & PALMER ISLAND LITERARY AWARDS
Deadline: January 31, 2017, 9:00pm
The 30th annual Cox & Palmer Island Literary Awards gala ceremony will take place in the spring of 2017. Prizes will be given out in five categories.
ADULT (18+) AWARD CATEGORIES
Submission Guidelines:
Unless otherwise indicated, the entry fee for each submission is $25; cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third prize categories. The ILAs are open to Island residents only (six-month resident minimum prior to submission date).
All writing, including self-published work, must be original and unpublished prior to awards ceremony.
Lucy Maud Montgomery* P.E.I. Literature for Children Awards
The manuscript must be a story written for children. One children’s story, maximum length 5,000 words, will constitute an entry. Illustrations may be submitted with the story, but are not necessary.
*L.M. MONTGOMERY IS A TRADEMARK OF THE HEIRS OF L.M. MONTGOMERY INC.
Milton Acorn Poetry Awards
One entry consists of eight (minimum) to ten pages (maximum) of poetry.
Maritime Electric Short Story Awards
One short story, maximum length 2,500 words, will constitute an entry.
Creative Non-Fiction Awards
This non-fiction category includes humour writing, memoir, biography, essay (including personal essay), travel writing, and feature articles. It involves writing about real events, people, or ideas, conveying a message through the use of literary techniques such as characterization, plot, setting, dialogue, narrative, and personal reflection. In works of creative non-fiction, the writer’s voice and opinion are evident. The work should be accessible to a general reading audience (not written for a specialized or academic audience). Maximum length: 2,500 words.
STUDENT AWARD CATEGORIES
Rotary Club of Charlottetown Royalty Creative Writing Awards for Young People:
Students may write on the topic of their choice and submit in one of four sub-categories:
- Early Elementary (Grades 1-3),
- Late Elementary (Grades 4-6),
- Junior High (Grades 7-9), and
- Senior High (Grades 10-12).
A maximum of five pages of poetry, or a ten-page short story, will constitute an entry. Longer submissions will NOT be accepted. There is no entry fee. Cash prizes will be awarded in each sub-category of First, Second, and Third.
For more details, please visit http://www.peiwritersguild.com/ila-call-for-submissions-2017/
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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
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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.
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CONTESTS AND CALLS
See more at www.thewritingpool.com
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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/
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award
$1000 Prize
Deadline: November 15, 2016
Sponsored by The Formalist
Sonnets must be original and unpublished. No translations. Writers may enter up to twelve sonnets. Sonnet sequences are acceptable, but each sonnet will be considered individually. Entry fee: $3 per sonnet.
For more details, please visit http://www.measurepress.com/measure/index.php/the-journal/nemerov-sonnet-award/
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THE MILTON KESSLER MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR POETRY
The annual winner receives a $500 prize and publication in the winter issue of Harpur Palate.
Opens: September 1
Postmark Deadline: November 15
Contest Guidelines
Harpur Palate accepts previously unpublished poems in any style, form, or genre. The $15 entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Harpur Palate. No more than five poems per entry.
For more details, please visit http://www.harpurpalate.com/p/contests.html
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THE HARPUR PALATE PRIZE FOR CREATIVE NONFICTION
The annual winner receives a $500 prize and publication in the winter issue of Harpur Palate.
Opens: September 1
Postmark Deadline: November 15
Contest Guidelines
Harpur Palate accepts previously unpublished creative nonfiction short story submissions shorter than 8000 words. You may enter as many stories as you wish. The $15 entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Harpur Palate. No more than one piece per entry.
For more details, please visit http://www.harpurpalate.com/p/contests.html
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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
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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/
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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/
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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/
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THE GREGORY O’DONOGHUE INTERNATIONAL
POETRY COMPETITION
Closing date: November 30
(Entries from September to November annually)
The Munster Literature Centre holds an annual competition for an international poetry prize for a single poem, named in honour of a late Irish poet long associated with the Centre.
The Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize will have a first prize of €1,000 (approx $1125.48 USD/ £849.14 GBP @ xe.com on 24th August 2016), a week’s residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre and publication in Southword Literary Journal. The MLC will subvent travel costs for the winner up to €600 and provide hotel accommodation and meals for four days during the Cork International Poetry Festival.
There will be a second prize of €500, third prize of €250, and ten runners-up will each have their poems published in Southword and receive Southword’s standard fee of €30.
The final date for receipt of entries is November 30.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2fnoXm9
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Wells College Press Poetry Chapbook Contest
Wells College Press invites submissions to its annual Poetry Chapbook Contest. The deadline for the 2017 competition is November 30, 2016. The winner will be announced in January 2017.
The author of the chosen manuscript will receive 20 copies of the letterpress-printed, hand-sewn chapbook. The author will also be invited to read from her or his new chapbook at Wells College in the fall of 2017, and receive a $500 honorarium + room and board for the reading.
We print editions of 150 signed and numbered copies. We craft every aspect of our chapbooks individually and obsessively: Prior chapbooks have included all type and ornament cast in metal at the Bixler Letterfoundry in Skaneatles specifically for those projects. Our books also feature hand-set title pages and hand-sewn bindings. The winning chapbook will continue this tradition of craftsmanship.
For more details, please visit https://wellscollegepress.submittable.com/submit
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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.
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Schneider Family Book Award
The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
Click here for the Schneider Family Book Award Manual (PDF)
Bibliography of Children’s Books about the Disability Experience (pdf)
Three annual awards each consisting of $5000 and a framed plaque, will be given annually in each of the following categories: birth through grade school (age 0-10), middle school (age 11-13) and teens (age 13-18). (Age groupings are approximations). The book must emphasize the artistic expression of the disability experience for children and or adolescent audiences. The book must portray some aspect of living with a disability or that of a friend or family member, whether the disability is physical, mental or emotional.
This award is given out on an annual basis.
Deadline: December 1, 2016.
For more details, please visit http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/1/apply
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St. Martin’s Minotaur/ Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition
Sponsored by Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America (MWA)
- The Competition is open to any writer, regardless of nationality, aged 18 or older, who has never been the author of any Published Novel (in any genre), as defined by the guidelines below, (except that authors of self-published works only may enter, as long as the manuscript submitted is not the self-published work) and is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a novel. Employees, and members of their immediate families living in the same household, of Minotaur Books or Mystery Writers of America (or a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of either of them) are not eligible to enter. Only one manuscript entry (the “Manuscript”) is permitted per writer. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
Please read all of the rules and guidelines before submitting your entry.
If you have questions or need further clarification after reading the following rules and guidelines, you may contact us at MB-MWAFirstCrimeNovelCompetition@StMartins.com
- To enter, you must complete an online entry form and upload an electronic file of your Manuscript. The entry form will allow you to upload one electronic file. Only electronic submissions, uploaded through the online entry form, will be considered; do not mail or e-mail manuscript submissions to Minotaur Books.
To be considered for the 2017 competition, all submissions must be received by 11:59pm EST on December 12, 2016.
For more details, please visit http://mysterywriters.org/about-mwa/st-martins/
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Announcing the 1st annual Fourth River Folio Contest
~DEADLINE DECEMBER 15, 2916~
Genre: Poetry
Judge: Natalie Diaz
Entry fee: $15
The winning entry will be published as a 10-15-page feature in our fall online issue. The author will also receive a cash prize of $500, a subscription to The Fourth River’s print edition, and an invitation to read at the issue launch in Pittsburgh, November 2017.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2fqNJm1
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We want romance
Be it historical or contemporary, a grand love story or the gripping tale of a torrid affair, through December 15 submit your Romance novel for the chance to win prizes and be read by judges from Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Hachette Book Group.
For full guidelines and details on prizes and eligibility, please visit https://www.authors.me/romance-contest/
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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/
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THE SEVENTH ANNUAL
GeminiMAGAZINE
POETRY OPEN
GRAND PRIZE: $1,000
SECOND PRIZE: $100
Honorable Mentions (4): $25 each
Entry Fee: $5 (up to three poems)
Deadline: January 3, 2017
All Six Finalists Will Be Published in
the March 2017 Issue of Gemini
We are open to ANY form of poetry, ANY subject matter,
style or length. Poems must be unpublished, but work
displayed on personal blogs is eligible.
We welcome work from new and established poets. Entries
are read blind so everyone gets an equal chance.
For more details, please visit http://www.gemini-magazine.com/poetryopen.html
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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.
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2017 Poetry Contest
Submission Deadline: January 15, 2017 Midnight EST
EXPLORE LOVE IN OUR SECOND CONTEST:
Poetry (1-3 poems per single submission) Total submission, including 1-3 poems, must not exceed 75 lines.
FIRST PRIZE: $1000.00
THREE HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Guaranteed publication in donttalktomeaboutlove.org
What does LOVE mean to you? We want your poetry exploring love in any of its myriad expressions: romantic, platonic, parental, and much, much more. We know there is a whole world of love out there, and we want to read about it. See last year’s winner and honourable mentions to get a sense of what we are looking for.
For more details, please visit http://donttalktomeaboutlove.org/contest/
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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
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The Fiction Desk Ghost Story Competition 2017
Most of the stories we publish at The Fiction Desk are more or less realistic, but we try to stray outside that from time to time: some genre fiction should be part of any balanced reading diet. One genre that we particularly like to feature is the ghost story.
The competition is judged by Rob Redman, editor of the anthology series and founder of The Fiction Desk.
The 2017 competition is open now.
This year, there is a first prize of £500, a second prize of £250, and a third prize of £100. The deadline is Tuesday, 31 January 2017, and entry costs £8 per story.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/1y8B4FL
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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
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Wundor Short Fiction Contest 2017
Novellas, Short Stories and Flash Fiction
At Wundor we plan to champion interesting, unusual fiction in all of its forms. Brevity can be one of literature’s great virtues, and we do not believe in filling out short stories into novella form if they are supposed to be short stories, or lengthening a novella to try to make a novel, when the story suits the novella form just fine.
Whether you have a single piece of work, a collection of pieces or a brilliant novella on your hands, we would like to read it. The only stipulation is that the sum total word count of your submission should fall between 5,000 and 45,000 words.
The deadline is 28 February 2017 and winners will be announced at the end of March 2017.
For more details, please visit http://www.wundoreditions.com/wundor-editions—contests.html
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Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize—2017
The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series, Selected Shorts. This long-running series at Symphony Space in New York City celebrates the art of the short story by having stars of stage and screen read aloud the works of established and emerging writers. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally.
The 2017 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize will be judged by Lauren Groff, author of Fates and Furies. The winning work will be performed and recorded live at a Selected Shorts performance at Symphony Space in May 2017, and published on Electric Literature. The winning writer will receive $1000 and a free 10-week course with Gotham Writers.
Deadline: March 1, 2017
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2dDOvzf
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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/
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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/
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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/
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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
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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.
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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.
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EVENTS & WORKSHOPS
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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
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Winter Writer’s Retreat
February 13 – February 24, 2017
Application deadline: November 16, 2016
Overview
The Winter Writer’s Retreat is a self-directed program which offers time and space for writers to retreat, reconnect and re-energize their writing practice. In addition to a single room which doubles as your private studio, you will be surrounded by a community of artistic peers, you will have the opportunity to attend inspiring talks and performances and meet with guest faculty to consult on your work.
What does the program offer?
This self-directed residency offers the opportunity to work away from the constraints of everyday life. Delve deep into your creative project and take advantage of the artistic community around you. Writing circles, formal and informal lectures and opportunities to workshop your project will be provided. Take advantage of Banff National Park’s natural environment and ignite your senses by taking part in trips to unique locations like Lake Louise, Yoho National Park or Johnson Lake.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2dChwZJ
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http://www.thewritingpool.com
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The Writing Pool 