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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| Now, the essence, the very spirit of Christmas is that we first make believe a thing is so, and lo, it presently turns out to be so.
~Stephen Leacock |
If you want to include a notice or announcement in the Weekly, please email your submission to weekly@thewritingpool.com
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What Stephen Leacock says is the essence of Christmas is, really, the essence of all literature, mythology included. In literature, we can invent something and make it come alive. We can do that because we are writers. We create worlds, people, lives, and problems that might never have been there in the first place, or might exist unnoticed, or be the most pressing issue of the times. Regardless of what it is, we weave a completely new, make-believe world out of one little thing and, before you know it, that one little thing is a whole universe through which all sorts of beings move about and interact. When we believe enough in an idea and let it foment in our heads, we come up with all sorts of magical and magnificent stories that can be so real it seems like they truly exist. This is the stuff of writing, the essence and very spirit of literature, that we can create worlds populated with beings that live and breathe and are as real as you and me from make believe.
Need more tips on writing? Ask us in The Writing Pool™! You can also read about other aspects of writing at Creativity Unlimited.
Happy Holiday writing!
~cpl
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NEWS
PEI LOCAL/ATLANTIC
A Deeper Truth
Memoir Writing Workshop
for Women with a Story to Tell
A new life-writing workshop designed for women who want to transform their deep, meaningful memories into story.
Experience a gentle process to let you go deeper into memory.
Write new work in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment.
Learn to shape your story in a way that both expresses your truth and satisfies the desires of your readers.
You’ll know this workshop is for you if:
- You feel called to write stories from your life in a masterful way that will connect deeply with readers
- You’re eager to reflect deeply on your life experiences and discover how they have shaped you
- You’re willing to re-write and polish until your memoir is deeply charged with meaning and of publication quality.
- You’d like the companionship of other writers who are on the same journey
- You’re looking for guidance and insights from an inspiring teacher.
Winter Session – 10 Weeks– January 7th to March 11th – Saturday mornings in Charlottetown, UPEI campus
Registration Options:
2 payments of $295; or 1 payment of $495
Class size is limited.
To apply or for more information contact kathleenhamilton@eastlink.ca
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Your Editor, Your BFF: Working With An Editor
Seminar date: January 18, 2017
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Venue: Stratford Public Library
How do you hire an editor? Do you really need one? And what the heck does an editor do, anyway?
If you’re curious about working with an editor, then this seminar is for you! Join Colleen McKie (Savvy Fox Author Services) as she dishes out all about working with an editor. She’ll chat about the different kinds of editors, why all publishing authors need one, and how to find the perfect one for you and your book.
This will be an interactive seminar and questions are always welcome. It’s also free! So stop by and find out all about the world of editing.
About Colleen
A self-described word nerd, Colleen has been working as a freelance writer and editor for a decade. She started off doing piecework for websites and blogs and in the past six years focused mainly on developmental editing. Colleen was one of the editors for Becoming Fierce (Best Book of 2014, Quill & Quire) when she was with Fierce Ink Press, a publishing house she co-founded. With her current business, Savvy Fox Author Services, she primarily works with self-publishing authors, including award-winning Halifax author Natalie Corbett Sampson (It Should Have Been a #GoodDay).
When not editing, reading, or writing books, she hangs out with her husband and their zillion rescued animals.
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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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Latest from Island Author J.J. Steinfeld
Fiction writer, poet, and playwright J. J. Steinfeld’s latest book, An Unauthorized Biography of Being (110 Short Fictions Hovering between the Absurd and the Existential), has been recently published by Ekstasis Editions. J. J.’s seventeenth book is an eclectic and thought-provoking collection of short fictions exploring the themes and the psychological terrain the author has been dealing with in all of his writing, from the absurd to the existential, the surreal to the spiritual, the realistic to the fantastical. Steinfeld’s writing grapples with the desire for meaning and sense in the human condition while confronting the chaotic and painful and sometimes strange aspects of history and people’s lives.
In An Unauthorized Biography of Being, J. J. Steinfeld launches readers into the void, again and again, giving structure to the unstructured and sense to the senseless. Steinfeld’s voice powers an awareness of the timeless desire “to be” staking itself against the improbability of life itself etching out our shared comedy and tragedy on a damaged yet fascinating planet. These are stories that test the very boundaries of existence, being, story, and meaning.
— Michael Bryson, author of Thirteen Shades of Black and White and editor of The Danforth Review
- J. Steinfeld’s latest collection is short fiction as incantation. There is something sinister, playful, and mysterious on nearly every page of An Unauthorized Biography of Being. These dreamlike pieces — ranging from the depths of the existential to the heights of otherworldly speculative fiction — don’t merely stare into the abyss. They interrogate it.
— Mark Sampson, author of Sad Peninsula and The Secrets Men Keep
A maestro of the Canadian short story, J. J. Steinfeld gathers together in An Unauthorized Biography of Being more than a hundred of his minimalist-leaning short fictions, a form whose brevity is in tune with our fast-paced, digitally preoccupied world. Yet these stories, grouped under six thematic headings, range in expansiveness from “Philosophical Thoughts” to “You Remember Sitting Across from God,” “The Comings and Goings of Ordinariness” to “What Will Today’s Thoughts Be About?,” and from “Uncertainty” to “Otherworldliness.” This final section begins with four tales that resemble Aesop’s Fables and bear an ecological lesson; and then moves into darkly fanciful speculative fiction “hovering between the absurd and the existential.”
— Professor Sandra Singer, University of Guelph, editor of J. J. Steinfeld: Essays On His Works
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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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Writer in Residence – Call for Expressions of Interest 2017
Do you write romance novels and short stories? Vancouver, B.C., is the perfect setting for writing your next romantic masterpiece. Spend the coziest days of fall surrounded by mountain views and water vistas while ensconced in a beautiful library full of surprises and opportunities guaranteed to spark your creativity. Enjoy four months writing in Vancouver, home to a remarkable natural environment and a lively cultural community.
Vancouver Public Library will host a resident romance author between Aug. 28 and Dec. 15, 2017. The Writer in Residence program promotes Canadian writing and literature to Vancouver citizens. The aims of the residency are to foster greater public appreciation for Canadian writing, provide opportunities to interact with the resident author and to provide the space, time and resources for a Canadian author to write.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/1PkBW1e
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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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Tethered By Letters
The Winter 2017 contests are now open for submissions!
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.
For details, please visit http://tetheredbyletters.com/submissions/contest/
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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
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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2017 Publishizer Book Proposal Contests
Reading is food for the heart, mind and soul. Here at Publishizer, we’re passionate about finding and helping more authors get their books published. We strongly believe that there is an urgent need for more book diversity, so we’re proud to be hosting bi-monthly themed book proposal contests in 2017.
There are no entry fees or purchases required to join. For a chance to land a publisher for your book and a shot at the US$2000 cash prize for each contest:
- Write a compelling 1000-word book proposal based on an unpublished book idea
- Submit the proposal within the appropriate contest category for approval
- Launch your campaign within the contest month to be entered into the 45-day book proposal contest
The campaign with the highest number of pre-orders for each contest wins US$2000, though every author that successfully launches a campaign on Publishizer has a chance to get published! Needless to say, the more pre-orders you get, the more publishers will express an interested in acquiring your book.
For details, please visit https://publishizer.com/contests/
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2016 Canadian Tales of the Fantastic Short Story Writing Contest
Writers of short fiction are encouraged to enter the Red Tuque Books 2016 Short Story Writing Contest. The total prize money to be awarded is $1,000.00. The first, second and third place stories will be selected by accomplished writers. The Finalist judges for this competition have yet to be announced.
Writing contest entries should be postmarked no later than Dec 31, 2016
Writing Contest Submission Guidelines & Details: Short Story Competition PDF
For more information, please visit http://www.redtuquebooks.ca/publishers/books/distribution/99.
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2016 NIGHTLIGHT READING SHORT STORY CONTEST
Nightlight Reading is requesting submissions for our 2016 Nightlight Reading Short Story Contest. This contest is geared to encouraging professional and amateur writers to write stories for at-risk boys in the 10- to 12-year-old age group who often stop reading for pleasure because of a lack of engaging literature for their age group. Nightlight Reading’s goal is to fund and promote literature that appeals to boys and keeps them engaged and reading.
- The 2016 CONTEST THEME is MYSTERY
- The written piece should be considered a SHORT STORY
- MAXIMUM COUNT of 5,000 WORDS
- Written for 10- to 12-year-old boys
Contest entries will be pre-screened and read by an adult jury panel who may be scholars, librarians, teachers, and other special guests who will decide on 10 semi-finalists. Then, a jury of young readers selected from our target readers will read all 10 semi-finalist entries and vote on the winners.
Prizes will be awarded for First, Second, and Third Place as follows:
- First Prize: $1,000 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
- Second Prize: $500 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
- Third Prize: $300 award plus certificate and publication of the story.
All award winners will be publicized nationally by Nightlight Reading.
The Nightlight Reading Short Story Contest is open to anyone who loves to write stories for boys, and may be a professional writer, budding writer, or student.
Submissions must not have been previously published or won any other writing contest. However, simultaneous submissions to other contests are acceptable.
Deadline for submission for the 2016 contest is December 31, 2016.
For more details, please visit http://nightlightreading.org/writing-contest/
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The Fountain Essay Contest 2016
I Am an Immigrant
Submissions to be posted
September 1 – December 31, 2016
We all move. As Einstein said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” Movement is one of the essentials of the physical world.
This movement is a good thing, at least as far as our health is concerned. Moving exercises our muscles, strengthens our heart, and clears our head. Yet, movement is not just a physical activity. For some of us, moving signifies changing almost everything in our lives: changing neighborhoods or cities, enrolling in a college or finding a new job overseas.
For some, movement is an overwhelming ordeal. Not all of us choose to move. Some are forced from their homes against their will. There are more refugees now than at any point in human history. According to the United Nations refugee agency there are more than 65 million people who have had to leave their homes – either as refugees, asylum seekers, or to be displaced in their own countries.
Immigration, whether for a career change or to flee a conflict, is an enormous challenge for both the immigrant and the host country. Both are faced with questions of assimilation, integration, xenophobia, employment, security, education, etc. There are no simple answers to these questions, and both immigrant and host have legitimate concerns.
In the context of this current moment in history, The Fountain’s 2016 Essay Contest invites you to consider the issues facing today’s immigrants. Are you an immigrant, too? Were your parents or grandparents immigrants? Are we all immigrants in this world? How do immigrants contribute to your society? How do they cause problems in your society? How would you help immigrants thrive?
We’re excited to hear your answers to one of the most pressing problems facing our world.
- Deadline for submissions: December 31
- Contest open to all writers worldwide
- Essay word count must be between 1,500 and 2,500
- Essays must be submitted as Word document only through the essay contest page at www.fountainmagazine.com/essaycontest
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Fall 2016 Travel Writing Contest
Ends on January 1, 2017
$20.00 USD
Award-winning literary travel magazine, Nowhere, is accepting submissions for the 2016 Fall Travel Writing Contest.
We are looking for young, old, novice and veteran writers to send us stories that possess a powerful sense of place. Stories can be fiction, nonfiction or essay, but please indicate which genre at the top of your manuscript. Entries should be between 800-5,000 words and must not have been previously chosen as a winner in another contest. Previously published work is accepted, but again, please indicate this. Every submission will be read blind, so anyone can win…
The winner will receive $1,000 and publication in Nowhere Magazine. Up to ten finalists will also be published. Brush off your manuscripts or write something new and send it to the only literary travel magazine going. We look forward to reading your work.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2hTSkRa
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ndr
2016-2017 Annual Chapbook Contest
Submissions for our annual chapbook contest are now open.
Information about the contest:
For this contest NDR seeks between 20-40 pages of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and/or hybrid work that attempts, through form, content, or both, to push against traditional concepts of literature and art. We want to see you refuse to conform, and to impress us with your unique vision. NDR’s Sixth Annual Chapbook Competition is judged by the brilliantly smart Douglas Kearney (bio below), whose experimental work embodies and converses through multiple disciplines.
Judge: Douglas Kearney
Prize: $200, publication, and 25 author copies
Deadline: January 1, 2017
Entry Fee: $17
For more details, please visit http://ndrmag.org/uncategorized/2016/10/2016-2017-annual-chapbook-contest/
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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 FRANK HEGYI AWARD FOR EMERGING AUTHORS
The Ottawa Independent Writers (OIW) is pleased to sponsor a new literary award for emerging authors. Named after long-time OIW member and former treasurer, Frank Hegyi, this new literary award will carry a cash prize of $500 for the winner and two years of free OIW membership. Finalists will receive a year’s free membership in the OIW. The winner and finalists will be invited to read from their books at the Prose in the Park Literary Festival on June 10, 2017.
Important Dates to Remember
January 15, 2017 – Final Date for Submission for the Award (mailed books must be postmarked on January 15, 2017 or earlier).
May 6, 2017 – Announcement of Long List at the OIW Writers’ Retreat.
May 25, 2017 – Announcement of the Short List at the OIW Monthly Meeting
June 10, 2017 – Award Ceremony at Prose in the Park
For more details, please visit http://www.ottawaindependentwriters.com/frank-hegyi-award
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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.
All submitted works must be original and unpublished. All works that have been published in print or on the Internet, including self-published works, as well as works that have been broadcast or taped are considered previously published and are therefore ineligible for submission.
Poems must be written in English.
Multiple submissions are allowed, but for each entry (1-3 poems of up to 75 lines), participants must complete a separate submission form and pay the entry fee of $20. Please see complete guidelines on the Submittable submissions form.
Your email addresses will be used to subscribe you free of charge to our dontalktomeaboutlove.org site.
Winners will be announced in April 2017
For more details, please visit http://donttalktomeaboutlove.org/contest/
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Canadian Authors 2017 Literary Awards
Submissions for the Fiction, Poetry, Canadian History, Emerging Writer and Fred Kerner Award categories are now being accepted. Get details, the guidelines, and entry forms here
Deadline: January 15, 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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Who Can You Trust? Contest
St. Martin’s Press is giving 5 lucky winners the opportunity to be published in A Divided Spy* by New York Times bestselling author Charles Cumming. Each winner will also receive $250!!
The theme of trust looms large in A Divided Spy. Throughout the book, new and old confidants surround ex-spy Thomas Kell, providing him with sensitive information, and he (and the reader) don’t know whom he can trust until the very end of the book.
How has trusting a family member, friend, or stranger affected your life?
To enter the contest, write up to 1,000 words on how trust (or distrust) has changed your outlook.
Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, style, and integrity.
Deadline: January 17, 2017
For more details, please visit http://us.macmillan.com/static/smp/who-can-you-trust/
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NYC Midnight 11th Annual Short Story Challenge
The 11th Annual Short Story Challenge is a creative writing competition open to writers around the world. There are 3 rounds of competition. In the 1st Round (January 20-28, 2017), writers are placed randomly in heats and are assigned a genre, subject, and character assignment. Writers have 8 days to write an original story no longer than 2,500 words. The judges choose a top 5 in each heat to advance to the 2nd Round (March 23-26, 2017) where writers receive new assignments, only this time they have just 3 days to write a 2,000 word (maximum) short story. Judges choose finalists from the 2nd Round to advance to the 3rd and final round of the competition where writers are challenged to write a 1,500-word (maximum) story in just 24 hours (May 5-6, 2017). A panel of judges review the final round stories and overall winners are selected. Sound like fun? Join the competition and get ready for January 20th!
Final Entry Deadline: January 19, 2017
1st Round: January 20-28, 2017
2nd Round: March 23-26, 2017
3rd Round: May 5-6, 2017
For more details, please visit http://www.nycmidnight.com/Competitions/SSC/Challenge.htm
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New Millenium Writings
♥ 43rd writing awards contest ♥
- $1,000 Award plus publication for each category – $4,000 total awards
- Poetry, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Nonfiction
- January 31, 2017 deadline • No restrictions as to style or subject matter Multiple and Simultaneous
- Additional Guidelines Snail Mail Instructions • Alternative Checkout w/ PayPal
For more details, please visit http://www.newmillenniumwritings.org/
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$100,000 Essay Prize for Creative Thinking
Want $100,000? Simply write a 3,000-word essay for the upcoming Nine Dots Prize and a proposed book outline. The winner will get a huge pile of cash, and the chance to write their proposed book.
The recently announced Nine Dots Prize seeks to tackle contemporary issues in society.
This year’s theme is on the topic: “Are digital technologies making politics impossible?”
Anyone from around the world is welcome to enter the competition, as long as they are 18 or over.
How will the winner be determined?
Entrants must submit their 3,000-word response, an outline structure for their proposed book and a justification of their ability to complete the book in nine months via an online submission form.
The deadline for entry is January 31st, 2017.
The winner will be announced in May.
The prize is sponsored by Cambridge University Press.
To learn more, visit their website.
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Publishizer Queerly Lit Contest
Do you identify as an LGBTQ author, or are you writing stories with LGBTQ themes and characters? Submit both fiction and nonfiction book proposals here in the month of January.
Just know that we love you the way you are, and we really want to hear what you have to say.
Important Dates
Accepting submissions: 1 Jan 2017 00:00 EST
Closing date: 31 Jan 2017, 23:59 EST
Results: 19 March 2017
Prize: US$2000
For more details, please visit https://publishizer.com/contests/queerly-lit/
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Cúirt New Writing Prize 2017
The Cúirt New Writing Prize, in memory of Lena Maguire, is now open for submissions. The categories are poetry and fiction.
There is a €500 cash prize for the winner of each category and the opportunity to read at the Cúirt/Over the Edge showcase event at Cúirt 2017.
The youth strand of the prize ‘Young Cúirt’ is for ages 12-17. The winner will receive €100 cash prize and will read at the Cúirt Labs in April 2017.
This year’s judges are poet Doireann NÍ Ghríofa and writer Sarah Maria Griffin.
The closing date for submissions is Tuesday 31 January 2017 at 5pm. The deadline is final. Entries should be sent via email to: info@cuirt.ie
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2hGVI1n
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Rising Writer
The Rising Writer Contest is for a first full-length book of poetry by an author 33 years old or younger. Autumn House believes in supporting the work of younger, less-established writers who will become the voices of an emerging generation.
Guidelines for the 2017 AHP Rising Writer Contest:
For the 2017 contest, the preliminary judges are members of the Autumn House staff, and the final judge is Ada Limón. The winner will be awarded publication of a full-length manuscript and $1,000. The contest opens November 1, 2016 and the deadline for entries is January 31, 2017. For further questions, feel free to email us.
For more details, please visit http://www.autumnhouse.org/contest-submissions/rising-writers/
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The Prole Laureate Poetry Competition, 2016
Prize
Winner: £200, Publication in Prole 22 in April 2017.
Publication on the Prole website
2 x runner up prizes of £50, publication in Prole 22.
Publication on the Prole website
We will receive entries from October 1st 2016 to January 31st 2017.
Winners will be announced in issue 22 of Prole in April 2017 and on our website by April 20th 2017.
We are, as ever, open regarding style, content and length. What we are after is poetry that epitomises the editorial values of Prole: to make writing engaging, accessible, entertaining and challenging. Quality is all.
All work must be the original work of the writer and be unpublished.
£3.00 for first entry, £2.00 for any subsequent entries.
For more details, please visit http://prolebooks.co.uk/poetry%20competition.html
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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 13th Annual Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest
The writing contest whose name is almost as long as the entries! Deadline: February 1, 2017.
How it works:
1) Send us a story and a postcard—the relationship can be as strong or as tangential as you like, so long as there is a clear connection between the story and the image.
2) If you’re not sure where to look for a postcard, you can make your own or visit Wikimedia Commons.
3) The story can be fiction or non-fiction; maximum length is 500 words.
Prizes:
First Prize: $500Second Prize: $250Third Prize: $150
All winning entries will be published in Geist and on geist.com
Short list: Swell Geist gifts and publication on geist.com
Entry Fee: $20
Includes a one-year subscription to Geist, Canada’s favourite literary magazine. International entrants will receive the digital edition.
All additional entries are $5.
For more details, please visit http://bit.ly/2gwcR9R
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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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WOW WINTER 2017 FLASH FICTION CONTEST
WOW! hosts a (quarterly) writing contest every three months, and has done so since 2006. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. We are open to all styles and genres of flash fiction, although we do encourage you to take a close look at our guest judge for the season (upper right hand corner) if you are serious about winning. Please make sure you download our Contest Terms & Conditions PDF below for complete guidelines. Get creative, and let’s have some fun! We look forward to reading your work!
WORD COUNT:
Maximum: 750
Minimum: 250
PROMPT:
OPEN PROMPT!
Click to Download the WINTER 2017 FLASH FICTION Contest Terms & Conditions PDF
CONTEST DEADLINES:
FALL: September – November 30th 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – CLOSED
WINTER: December – February 28th, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – NOW OPEN!
SPRING: March – May 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – CLOSED
SUMMER: June – August 31st, 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) – CLOSED
ENTRY FEE: $10.00
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The Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest
For poems written in response to an occasion, personal or public: poems that make something of an occasion, or simply mark one.
For more details, please visit https://tnq.ca/product/the-nick-blatchford-occasional-verse-contest/
Deadline: February 28, 2017
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Flash 500 Short Story Competition
Welcome to our short story category. This is an open-themed competition and we accept all genres, including those written by or for children. Adult material is also acceptable providing the content fits the story and is not gratuitous.
We are looking for stories ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 words, with strong characters, a well-crafted plot and realistic dialogue (where used). Make us laugh, make us cry, but most of all, make us feel!
This is an annual competition: entries close on the last day of February 2017.
For more details, please visit http://www.flash500.com/index_files/ss.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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SPACE
The word “space” has multiple literal meanings and can work as a noun or a verb, and it has multiple metaphorical meanings as well. There’s outer space, inner space, emotional space (“I need my space!”), etc. Your challenge: Write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which the idea of “space” plays an important role. You may interpret “space” any way you want, as long as your readers can figure out how you’re using it.
GENRE RULES: No children’s fiction, no exploitative sex, no over-the-top grossout horror, and no stories that are obvious parodies of existing fictional worlds/characters created by other authors.
Deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern US time, THURSDAY, March 2, 2017. Note carefully–this one ends on a THURSDAY!
One entry per author. There is no fee for entering this contest.
For more details, please visit http://onthepremises.com/current-contest/
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The Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest
This contest for essays of any length, on any topic, in which the writer’s personal engagement with the topic provides the frame or through-line.
For more details, please visit https://tnq.ca/product/the-edna-staebler-personal-essay-contest/
Deadline: March 28, 2017
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PARSEC Sci-Fi Contest
Opens Jan. 1, 2017; closes March 31, 2017.
No fee. All entrants will be notified of results by June 15, 2017.
Theme for 2017: A hidden, underlying truth.
Maximum word count: 3,500. No minimum.
Prizes: $200 First, with publication in 2017 Confluence Convention program book; $100 Second, $50 Third. (http://parsec-sff.org/confluence/ )
Visit http://parsec-sff.org/ for more details.
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Publishizer Up The Rabbit Hole Contest
Are you writing writing a book about consciousness, spirituality, psychedelics, entheogens, plant medicines or alternative therapies? Send in your proposals, fellow cosmonauts. Let’s ride this next wave of human consciousness together.
Important Dates
Accepting submissions: 1 Mar 2017, 00:00 EST
Closing date: 31 Mar 2017, 23:59:59 EST
Results: 17 May 2017
Prize: US$2000
For more details, please visit https://publishizer.com/contests/rabbit-hole/
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The Peter Hinchcliffe Short Fiction Award
(sponsored by the St Jerome’s University English department)
For a work of short fiction by a writer in the early stages: someone who has not yet published a novel or story collection.
For more details, please visit https://tnq.ca/product/the-peter-hinchcliffe-short-fiction-award/
Deadline: May 28, 2017
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Hourglass Literary Magazine Writing Competitions
At the confluence of the West and the East, Hourglass Literary Magazine proudly announces its second international writing competition for:
- Best Short Story
- Best Poem
- Best Essay
- Final closing date: 11:59 P.M. April 30, 2017 (US Central time).
- Jury/Judges: SibelanForrester, Jelena Lengold and John K. Cox.
- The competition is internationaland is open to all authors writing in English or any of the BCMS languages (comprising Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Montenegrin.)
- There are no theme, or genrelimitations and boundaries.
- Work must beoriginal and unpublished.
- One author can compete in all categories, for all three awards respectively.
- Multiple submissions are allowed (as well as simultaneous submissions).
For more details, please visit http://hourglassonline.org/contest/
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Palooka Press Chapbook Contest
$10.00 USD
About Palooka Press
The press was founded to offer an opportunity to writers seeking a home for shorter manuscripts.
How It Works
We take great pride in reading every word and giving each manuscript its due attention. We consider manuscripts of all types, styles, and genres and aren’t looking for a particular aesthetic. We’ll give anything a fair chance. Please send your best fiction, poetry, nonfiction, graphic narrative, or hybrid genres. Manuscripts should be roughly 35-50 pages, but we’re flexible. The $10 entry fee comes with an electronic issue of Palooka.
The Winner Receives…
*Publication by Palooka Press (a perfect-bound book with a glossy color cover)
*$200 honorarium
*20 free copies of the book
*A bio and photo featured on our website
*Chapbook will be sent out for review and promotion
Deadline: May 15, 2017
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Gover Story Prize
Best New Writing accepts unpublished fiction and creative nonfiction under 10,000 words for publication and consideration for the Gover Story Prize ($250). The story must be new and unpublished, including on-line publication. Submissions are read quarterly following the last day of March, June, September, and December. You will receive a response within two weeks of those dates. Simultaneous submissions cannot be considered. Please, no more than one submission per quarter, and STRIP YOUR NAME from the story pages. If your story was previously published, including on-line publications, please do not submit it.
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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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The Weekly Writing PostTM is brought to you by
The Writing PoolTM
http://www.thewritingpool.com
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The Writing Pool 