NOVELIST AND SCREENWRITER KARL ALEXANDER TO SPEAK AT MARCH 8TH MEETING OF VCWC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NOVELIST AND SCREENWRITER KARL ALEXANDER TO SPEAK AT MARCH 8TH MEETING OF VCWC

Meeting will be held in temporary new location in Thousand Oaks at Glen Kendall Ballroom

(Ventura, CA – February 26, 2011) How to take life experiences, both positive and painful, and develop them into characters will be the topic that novelist and screenwriter Karl Alexander will discuss at the March 8th meeting of the Ventura County Writers Club. He will review parts from his own novels and screenplays to illustrate examples. Raised in a family of screenwriters, Alexander has been an insider to many of the top movies ever produced. The Disney classic “Old Yeller” was written by his father while his uncle stakes claim to the highly respected, “Ben Hur.”
With the closure of Borders Books on Oxnard, the club has had to move a second time in less than three months. While searching for a permanent, the club will be meeting at the Glen Kendall Jr. Ballroom at Los Robles Greens in Thousands Oaks.  The address is 299 S Moorpark Rd, on the south side of the 101 Freeway.  The public is invited and all attendees are asked to park near the far end of the building, using the West Entrance.

The March speaker, Alexander Karl, forged his own path with an incredibly diverse education and experience.  From thinning pears on an Oregon orchard to receiving a philosophy degree from Brown University, this fifth generation Angeleno seems to pace himself to successful writing. After serving a commission as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam era, he returned to San Francisco State University where he earned a Master’s Degree.  With the G.I. Bill, he honed his skills as he secured a M.F.A. from the University of Iowa and set about the world to enrich his life experiences.  While lingering in Cuba, he gained a perspective for his first novel, “Papa and Fidel.”
   
Recently, his most popular novel, “Time After Time,” has been reprinted by Tor Books in paperback format.  Not only has this novel found its way to the screen, but also as a musical which opened last spring at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.  “Jaclyn The Ripper,” the sequel to a 1979 novel, had made its appearance in 2009 to amazing reviews. To the list of his credits, Alexander has optioned ten screenplays, written two television pilots for NBC, and has published five novels.

Opening the evening will be club favorite, Greg Elliot, with a mini-grammar session. Elliot is a past president of the club, a writing professor at UCLA, and a noted grammarian who makes complicated problems easy to understand.

The meetings begin promptly at 7 PM at the club’s new meeting place, the Oxnard Borders Books in the Esplanade Center just off Highway 101 between Vineyard and Oxnard Blvd exits. The public is welcomed to all meetings, which are free.

CALENDAR INFORMATION
March Meeting of the Ventura County Writers Club
March 8, 7 PM
Glen Kendall Jr. Ballroom at Los Robles Greens
299 S. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA
Guest speakers: Karl Alexander and Greg Elliot
Open to Members and non-members.  No fee.

For more information on the Ventura County Writers Club, visit: http://www.venturacountywriters.com/
 
About Ventura County Writers Club

Since its formation in 1933 with four members in Ojai, the club has grown to more than 150 members and holds regular monthly general membership meetings. Members may attend, free of charge, a variety of Writers Workshops, groups that meet one or more times a month throughout the county to read and critique manuscripts and discuss many aspects of the business of writing. Monthly meetings are open to all interested writers and are held the second Tuesday of each month (except December) at Borders Book in Oxnard at the Esplanade Center. This is a new location beginning January 2011

For more information, contact: Kathleen Kaiser, 805-524-6970, Kathleen@KathleenKaiser.com

1st Annual Ridge to River Contest

1st Annual Ridge to River Contest

 
1st Prize is $100, an Osprey pack and publication.
2nd prize is a gift certificate for La Sportiva Mountain Running Shoes and publication.
 
Adventum, a new biannual online literary magazine, welcomes the finest contemporary outdoor adventure writing from new and established writers, as well as seasonal haiku and high quality digital photography. Accepts creative nonfiction, essays, and memoir pieces of no more than 5,000 words that explore some aspect of personal experience in the outdoors.

Entry fee: $5.

Deadline: May 30th, 2011

See www.AdventumMagazine.com for guidelines.

VIP “STAGE & SCREEN” WRITERS PACKAGE OFFERED DURING OJAI WORDFEST

Dream Weekend Designed for Aspiring Screenwriters and Playwrights

Ojai, CA (February 25, 2011) Ojai has been attracting authors and writers to its mountain valley for centuries. Its newest attraction, WordFest-a nexus of diverse reading and writing events held over nine days in March-is announcing the latest addition to its robust lineup: a VIP ‘Stage & Screen’ Writers Package.

Held the last weekend of Ojai WordFest (Friday-Sunday, March 25-27) and presented by Ojai Writers Conference, the exclusive weekend symposium is for writers-beginners & advanced-who want to make their mark in “Hollywood” or have a career in the entertainment industry and are ready to take their writing to the next level.

Writers will enjoy three days of “Literary Decadence” from developing their craft under the skillful guidance of some of the world’s most distinguished writing teachers to VIP tickets to a celebrity-studded theatrical performance to a private salon held in the home of Hollywood’s #1 Script Consultant.

Highlights of the exclusive VIP writers weekend package include:

Three days of writing classes-focused on creating material for screen and stage-taught by internationally distinguished writing experts: Ellen Sandler, Emmy-nominated Co-Executive Producer of Everybody Loves Raymond, playwright and author of The TV Writer’s Workbook (UCLA, USC and NYU film schools’ textbook); Dara Marks, PhD, author of Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc and leading international script consultant whose unique method of story analysis has earned her top ratings by Creative Screenwriting Magazine as the best consultant in the business; and renowned writing teacher, playwright and Artistic Director of Theater 150 in Ojai, Deb Norton.

Special screening of the award-winning short film, Angel Passing, starring Hume Cronyn, Calista Flockhart and Teresa Wright, followed by a Q&A with the film’s screenwriter and award-winning playwright, Catherine Ann Jones.

A luncheon with international best-selling authors and Ojai residents: Byron Katie, founder of The Work; David Allen, widely recognized as the world’s leading authority on personal and organizational productivity whom Forbes’ recognized as one of the top five executive coaches in the United States; and Jacqueline Winspear, a mystery novelist whose Maisie Dobbs series is a New York Times best-seller. The exclusive luncheon will be held at The Ranch House-Ojai’s world famous fine dining establishment Paul Newman called “the best restaurant in the world.” A favorite among the lights of the literary and entertainment world, the restaurant is regarded to have one of the finest wine lists on the planet and was featured on Food Network as the “top pick in the nation” by a master chef.

The apex of the weekend’s activities includes a private salon at the home of Hollywood’s top script guru, Dara Marks, who along with writing teaching expert Deb Norton, will guide students to explore the power of mythology and archetypes in order to write richer stories.

The VIP experience will end outdoors in a garden setting with hors d’oeuvres, desserts, wine, and a champagne toast to Ojai’s legendary ‘pink moment’ sunset.

Dubbed the “WriteFest of WordFest,” writers in the VIP weekend program can focus on their craft by day and enjoy numerous literary festivities in the evenings. Literary events during the last three days of WordFest include: a ‘Lit Crawl’ in the historic downtown arcade of Ojai; Dessert Bar & Scrabble? night; the opening night of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (a female version) at Ojai’s Art Center; Well Red – a “writers & wine pairing” featuring red wines and authors with new works, and many more.

Tickets for the VIP Package are limited and this event is expected to sell out. For a list of available writing classes, more information or to make a reservation for the VIP Stage & Screen Writers Package, visit http://www.ojaiwritersconference.com or call (805) 669-7373.

The “Write” of Spring Tweet Writing Contest

With a nod to spring, Writing.com has partnered with Gotham Writers’ Workshop to present a Tweet Writing Contest.

Following the Twitter craze, we challenge you to dazzle us with a piece of writing that is no more than 140 characters (characters = letters, punctuation marks, and spaces). You may write on any topic and use any form—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. As Strunk and White say, “Vigorous writing is concise.”

Here’s an example, a work of “microfiction” by Ana Maria Shua:

I have nothing against fried eggs. They’re the ones who look at me with amazement, terrified, wide-eyed.

The winning tweet will be published in the next Gotham catalog and online at WritingClasses.com. The author will receive a free 10-Week Writing Workshop and a Writing.com membership. And we’ll also post some of the leading entries on Gotham’s Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/gothamwriters.

To Enter
Write about any topic in 140 characters or less. Entry is free. Enter online below. Entries must be submitted by April 24, 2011. GWW reserves the right to publish the winning entry in printed and electronic formats. Limit one entry per person.

Visit the website for details: http://www.writingclasses.com/ContestPages/twitter.php

Last Call! National Grammar Day Short Story Contest

Submit a Short Story

We’re having a National Grammar Day short story contest! The winner will have his or her story read on the Grammar Girl podcast on National Grammar Day, and the story will appear on the Grammar Girl website. The winner will also receive my only-used-once-and-returned-to-factory-condition iPod Shuffle (woohoo!) and a handwritten thank-you note. If I can figure out how to load a congratulatory message on the Shuffle, you’ll get that too. And glory. There will be glory. Here are the rules, such as they are:

1. Do not exceed 1000 words.
2. I’m looking for a short piece of fiction that somehow incorporates National Grammar Day or some other grammar theme. Keep in mind that the story will be the Grammar Girl podcast and article for National Grammar Day, so it needs to be appropriate for that purpose.
3. No foul language or excessive violence. (Fowl language? That’s fine.)
4. Use proper grammar.
5. Make me laugh.

The deadline is February 28, 2011, and the winner will be announced in the March 4 podcast

Visit the website for details: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/Submit-a-Short-Story.aspx

Iris Call for Submissions

Have you ever dreamed of being published? Do you have a story to tell? Well, you’re in luck! We are currently taking submissions for our back page nonfiction essay. Here is what we’re looking for:

Submit a single work of creative nonfiction, with a maximum length of 600 words. The subject should be a story about love– the presence, absence, complications, hesitations, headlong rush into, etc. The best essays will focus on a specific event or experience and explore its larger implications and meanings. Winner will receive publication on the back page of Iris: A Magazine for Thinking Young Women and a two-year subscription. Entry Fee: $10.

Please contact ls7bf@virginia.edu for more details.

Entries (including fee) should be sent to the following address no later than April 4th.

Iris: A Magazine for Thinking Young Women

P.O. Box 800588

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA 22908-0588

Visit the website: http://iris.virginia.edu/

THE SECOND ANNUAL NORMAL PRIZE IN FICTION, NONFICTION, & POETRY

THE SECOND ANNUAL NORMAL PRIZE IN FICTION, NONFICTION, & POETRY

Fiction Prize: $1000 & Publication
Nonfiction Prize: $1000 & Publication
Poetry Prize: $1000 & Publication

Final Judges

Fiction: SUSAN STRAIGHT

Nonfiction: EULA BISS

Poetry: NICK FLYNN

GUIDELINES

1. All fiction and nonfiction submissions must be 10,087 words or less, double-spaced, 12 pt. font. Poetry submissions should not exceed five pages or five poems total. Please submit all poems in a single document.

2. All submissions will be read blind. Author’s name must not appear on the manuscript.

3. There is a $20 fee per submission. When you click “Pay and Submit” you will be automatically redirected to our billing page, after which you will immediately be able to submit your document.

4. Please, no previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions are okay as long as you notify editors should your piece be accepted elsewhere. Multiple submissions are also permitted, but each submission should be accompanied by the $20 fee.

5. Submissions for the second annual contest are only accepted online between January 1 and March 4, 2011.

Please visit our submission manager to enter.

6. All entrants will receive a complimentary issue of The Normal School. Contest winners and finalists will be announced before the Fall 2011 issue via email. For questions, please email us at: normalprize@thenormalschool.com

Submit now. Check out our website, www.thenormalschool.com

The Creative Competitor Writing Contests

Treasure Map Mystery
1st Prize: £200.00
2nd Prize: £150.00
3rd Prize: £100.00
4th Prize: £75.00
5th Prize:  Writing Course to the value of £65.00
Closing Date: 1st May 2011
  Entry Fee: £3.50
Can you craft a superb mystery tale involving a newly discovered treasure map?
If yes and you fancy writing a story that would give Indiana Jones a run for his money, then you could be in with a chance of winning our top prize of £200.00
Full details at: http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/treasure-map-mystery
Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk
 
Open Fiction Competition
 
1st Prize: £500.00
2nd Prize: £250.00
3rd Prize: £100.00
4th Prize: £75.00
5th Prize: £50.00
6th Prize: Personal e-Coaching Sesssion
7th Prize: 3 Months Premier 1 Membership
Closing Date: 5th June 2011
Entry Fee: £5.00
The theme is open so your story really can be on any subject or in any style. Be as creative and as imaginative with your entry as you like.
Word count is a maximum 2000.
Full details are here: http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/open-fiction-competition
Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk 
 
 
Emotions Fiction Competition
 
1st Prize: £75.00
2nd Prize: £50.00
 
Closing date: May 15th 2011
 
Entry Fee: £2.00
 
We like to provide thought provoking writing competitions that captures a sense of realism and brings characters to life, so for this writing competition we thought that we would get you to create a passage of writing that reflects a characters emotions.
Maximum word count 500
 
Full details here: http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/emotions-writing-competition
Email: info@creative-competitor.co.uk

Open Poetry Competition

1st Prize: £500.00
2nd Prize: £250.00
3rd Prize: £100.00
4th Prize: £75.00
5th Prize: £50.00
6th Prize: Personal e-Coaching Sesssion
7th Prize: 3 Months Premier 1 Membership
Closing date: 20th June 2011
Entry Fee: £5.00
Maximum 40 lines.
Must be original and previously unpublished.
Full details here: http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/open-poetry-competition

2011 Northwoods Woman Fiction Contest: Open only to any legal resident of Minnesota

2011 Northwoods Woman Fiction Contest

Welcome to the third year of Northwoods Woman Short Fiction Contest! We look for well-written short stories that would appeal to women ages 35-65.

Here are the rules:

1. 1500 words or less

2. Open to any legal resident of Minnesota.

3. Must be original, previously unpublished work.

4. Northwoods Woman buys regional print and electronic rights for one year.

5. Email double-spaced story in Microsoft Word format to editorial@northwoodswoman.com. Place name, address, phone number and email address along with the story title and word count on the cover page. Your personal information should not appear anywhere on the manuscript.

6. One winner will receive a $200 prize and publication in July-August 2010 issue of Northwoods Woman. Winner must submit one-page bio and photo of self. Northwoods Woman reserves the right to withhold award if no qualified work is submitted.

7. Deadline is April 15, 2011.

Visit the website: http://www.northwoodswoman.com/

Saturday Writers: One-page Poem Contest

In honor of April being poetry month, (yes, I realize it’s only February 5th, but we need a little spring around here….How about you?!)

Saturday Writers is announcing our 9^th annual poetry contest!

 

Submission Guidelines:

1) Any style, any subject, any form allowed. (No porn or gore.) Wow us in one page. (One poem per single-spaced page.)

2) No identification should appear on the entry. Attach a separate coversheet with title, name, address, e-mail, and phone number.

3) Two copies of each entry! (Both judges need a copy.)

4) Entry fee: $5 per poem, 3 entries max. Checks payable to Saturday Writers

5) Poems must be unpublished at the time of submission, original work of the contestant. (Published includes being published on any internet/blog sites.)

Decision of judges is final. Not responsible for lost or misdirected entries. Poems will not be returned. 

6) Deadline: March 15, 2011 postmark.

7) Prizes: 1^st place – $100, 2^nd place – $50, 3^rd place – $25. Top 10 entries receive a certificate.

8) Mail entries flat, not folded, to: 

Saturday Writers

One-page Poem Contest

P.O. Box 2093

St. Peters, MO 63376.

Contest is open to members of Saturday Writers and nonmembers, too. Prize winners and honorable mention recipients (top ten only) will be posted on the website by April 30, 2011. Certificates and cash prizes will be mailed the following week.

For a list of winners, check our website after April 30: www.saturdaywriters.org and back at this blog:

Visit the website for more info: 
http://saturdaywriters.blogspot.com/p/contests.html

Questions? E-mail the president at BeckySatWriters@aol.com

SPECIAL OFFER FOR AREA WRITERS TO ATTEND MASTER WRITING CLASSES DURING OJAI WORDFEST

Offer for $75 Savings Available through March 1, 2011

OJAI, CA (February 21, 2011) – Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are home to a large writer population-novelists, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, and other media enthusiasts and professionals. To introduce this eclectic literary collective to Ojai’s newest event, WordFest — a “word” festival spanning two weekends and nine days March 19-27, 2011 — area writers are being offered $75 off on any master writing class offered by Ojai Writers Conference (OWC).

Created for writers of all skill levels and genres, the Master Class series features internationally distinguished writing experts who will converge in Ojai to offer world-class intensives from fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, poetry, children’s literature and young adult to the business of writing-marketing, building platforms, public relations, promotions, creating eEooks, and more.

Guided by these skilled Master Teachers, participants will learn how to develop and tap into their “voice” to reveal what works, what doesn’t work, and how to turn their idea into a story that engages readers and, ultimately, sells.

Master Teachers include:

–  Everybody Loves Raymond former Co-Executive Producer
–  Hollywood’s #1 Script Consultant
–  Endowment for the Arts Award-Winning Playwright
–  New York Times Best-Seller List Expert
–  “Kid Lit” Market Specialist
–  Entertainment Law Attorney
And More!

For full details on Master Classes, background on Master Teachers, or to take advantage of the $75 savings offer (Promo code: masterclass; Expires March 1, 2011), visit www.OjaiWritersConference.com

About Ojai Writers Conference
The Ojai Writers Conference (OWC) was created for writers by writers. Throughout the year, the OWC presents programs, workshops and events for writers of all levels and genres beginning with the Master Class for Writers series which kicks off March 19-27 during Ojai WordFest. www.OjaiWritersConference.com

About Ojai WordFest
A new event for Ojai, WordFest will showcase international best-selling local authors Byron Katie founder of The Work, productivity guru David Allen, and mystery novelist Jacqueline Winspear as well as screenwriters, playwrights, poets, and more. Highlights include Master Class for Writers with an impressive line-up of internationally distinguished writing experts, an outdoor book fair, Well Red-a ‘wine & writers’ dessert party, poetry jams, open mic venues, theatrical performances, cooking classes with local cookbook authors, ScrabbleTM playoffs, children’s hour at Ojai Library, a downtown Lit Craw-an extravaganza of literary talent hosted by local businesses-and much more! www.OjaiWordFest.com
# # #

Employee of the Month Contest

WORK Literary Magazine is happy to announce our annual workforce motivational agenda. Starting today, we are accepting applications to our benefits and promotions department.

Benefits and promotions include:
* publication!
* cash prizes!
* limited edition, promotional WORK team t-shirt!

Three categories to submit to are essay, memoir & interview, and fiction**.
You may win in any of the three categories.
Winners of each category will be awarded $50.
Editors will rank the category winners and one will be chosen as Employee of the Month, winning an additional $50 for a total of $100.

Employee of the Month Contest begins TODAY.

Deadline for Essay submissions: April 1, 2011
Deadline for Interview or Memoir submissions: April 29, 2011
Deadline for Fiction submissions: May 20, 2011

Employee of the Month, grand prize winner, will be announced: June 5, 2011

Submit to WORK’s 2nd annual writing contest

**All submissions must be in the theme of work. Submissions must be in Word (.doc), formatted with Times New Roman, 12 point font, single space. Email submissions with subject heading “[specific category] Contest Submission” to workzine@gmail.com (example: Memoir Contest Submission).
Please submit only your best work. Include jpeg photographs, artworks, or illustrations if doing so enhances or supplements your piece. A $5 submission fee will apply to all contest participants. Note: Last year we gave winners the opportunity to read at a successful, curated reading series in Portland, Oregon. We will again extend this offer to winners who can either have a representative read for them or be in Portland to read themselves.

Visit the website for details: http://workmagazinearchives.wordpress.com/employee-of-the-month-contest/

100 Words or Fewer Fiction Writing Contest, Number Seven

Two months left to enter!  We want complete, sizzling stories with excellent grammar and punctuation!  You will see wonderful examples in “Winning Stories” on the web site.

http://www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com (US)
Stories mus be unpublished, in English. on any subject except for lewd.

Deadline:  April 18, 2011

Prizes:  $500–first, $200–second, $150-third, $50-fourth.  Ten honorable mentions.
Winning four stories will be published on the web site.

Entry fee: $15, plus checkmark evaluation: $21, plus critique by Idore Anschell: $49.

Enter through the following email only:  hundredwordsorfewer@eathlink.net.  Payment is through Paypal.

Both novice and advanced writers find this challenge to be fun!
Guidelines are on the web site– http://www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com

Able Muse Book Award (Poetry)

$1000 prize plus publication of the winning manuscript by Able Muse Press. Finalists will also be considered for publication.

Guidelines:

• Blind Judging by the Final Judge Andrew Hudgins.
• Initial screening by the Able Muse Editors.
• Entries may not be previously published, but individual poems and chapbook-length sections may have been if the previous publisher gives reprint permission. (Still, more than half of the manuscript. may not have been previously published as a collection.)
• Simultaneous submissions accepted as long as we’re immediately notified if your work is accepted elsewhere.
• Unlimited entries per person.
• All poetry styles are welcome (metrical or free verse).
• Acknowledgments may be included in the manuscript but are not required.

Entry fees:  $25 for a manuscript of 50 to 120 pages.

Entry deadline: March 31, 2011

Vist the website for details: http://www.ablemusepress.com/ablemuse-book-award

Can you turn this logline for A-list Screenwriter Allan Loeb into the first 15 pages of a killer script?

“A group of married men desperate for one last bachelor party invents a long-lost friend who’s about to be wed, but things get out of control when their wives want to meet the groom before the big event.”

Break out your scriptwriting software and get to work, because the Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest gives you the unique opportunity to spin this idea into solid spec screenplay that could be your ticket to Hollywood success.

The Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest is an International competition that facilitates relationships between new writers and Industry leaders looking to help aspirants embark on writing careers.

Here’s how it works:

• Write up to the first 15 pages of a script based on the logline above, provided by Allan Loeb
• The top 10 finalists receive a copy of Final Draft Screenwriting Software, Development Notes, and a letter of congratulations from Loeb
• Each of the 10 finalists enter into a 12-week Story Specialists mentoring program, consisting of feedback for every 10 pages submitted, with the goal of completing a spec screenplay
• Allan Loeb and Production Company Benderspink judge the completed screenplays and choose a winner

The lucky winner receives transportation and lush accommodations at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, a classic Industry lunch with Allan Loeb at The Ivy, a one-on-one with a top Industry Agent, a meeting with Benderspink and more.

Fees, Dates and Deadlines:

• Contest Begins: February 1, 2011
• Early Submission Fee (ends 2/28/11) $40
• Standard Submission Fee: $50
• Contest Material Deadline: March 31, 2011

Ready for your shot at the big time? Visit the Industry Insider Screenwriting Contest today to learn more and enter.

The Humingbird Guide Children’s Story Contest

The Hummingbird Guide is hosting a Children’s Story Contest about hummingbirds. The ages are 6 to 12 and the submission deadline is May 31, 2011. The prizes are Hummingbird Feeder Kits and special recognition on our website. http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/kids-hummingbird-writing-contest.html

Here are the contest rules:

• Minimum of 300 words for submission.
• Submit original work written by you.
• Contest open to ages 6 to 12.
• Fill out the “name” box and be sure to include your age.
• Winners will be selected based on visitor comments(favorites).
• Submissions deadline is May 31, 2011.
• Winners announced June 15, 2011.

Your Hummingbird Story

Your Story Must Be A Minimum of 300 Words for Submission.

Please leave your name and age with the “Author” information. For example: John Smith age 7

Here is your chance to show off your work and invite all your friends and relatives to leave praises with their comments.

You will see a “Thank You” page after your submission, please leave your email address here so we can send a notification if you are the Winner.

Visit the website for details: http://www.hummingbird-guide.com/kids-hummingbird-writing-contest.html

The Travel Writing Contest

Are you a travel writer producing creative or creative non-fiction work?

If you’re a travel writer – either creative or creative non-fiction – then we want to hear from you. Don’t keep your work on a laptop or in a journal. Enter our first ever Travel Writing Contest and you will have a chance to win £100.

The winner will also receive feedback from two published travel writers – judges Paul Gogarty and Bill Corbett. And your work will be appear in this site’s anthology, which we hope to grow over time.

Rossgill Media has created this competition for a number of reasons. The massive funding cuts to the arts sector in the UK prompted us to think about how we can support writers by providing a new contest and more places to be published. And because of our love of writing, in particular travel writing, we wanted to encourage and inspire.

A digression here – even if you are not a travel writer, feel free to share with us your favourite travel works and why you like them.

We encourage budding and established travel writers to enter. The deadline for this, our very first competition, is midnight May 31, 2011.

Visit the website for details: http://www.thetravelwritingcontest.com/

VINTAGE BOOKS AND FOCUS FILMS SPONSOR JANE EYRE STORY CONTEST FOR TEENS

A Gothic Story Competition for Young Writers, Inspired by the forthcoming Focus Features film Jane Eyre

Vintage Books announces an exciting opportunity for teen writers and fans of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel—The Jane Eyre Gothic Story Competition! Students are invited to write their own gothic story (combining elements of romance and horror) and the author of the best story will win a trip for two to England!

For inspiration, contestants are encouraged to see Focus Features’ upcoming adaptation of Jane Eyre (in theaters March 8^th,) starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, and Judi Dench, and read the official tie-in edition of the novel, published by Vintage. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman’s quest for self-respect.

The Vintage contest announcement is as follows:

Vintage Books’ Jane Eyre Gothic Story Competition for Young Writers

Vintage Books is excited to announce the Jane Eyre Gothic Story competition! The author of the best gothic story (a combination of the elements of horror and romance) will receive a trip for two to visit “Brontë Country” and have their story published online at the Random House for High School Teachers website.

Please review full details and official competition rules before entering your story: www.janeeyrestudentcontest.com

To enter, submit an original story of your own creation via e-mail to janeeyrestudentcontest@randomhouse.com (entries must be in the body of the e-mail; no attachments will be accepted). Please provide your name, phone number, address, and age. Stories must be written in English; previously unpublished; and between 2,500 and 5,000 words to be eligible for the contest. The contest runs from 2/15/11–6/30/11 and is open only to residents of the United States, between the ages of 13-18 on February 15th, 2011. Only one entry accepted per person.

Visit the website:

http://knopfdoubleday.com/jane-eyre-gothic-story-competition-for-young-writers/

Call for writing and art for Status Hat’s monthly artszine

Call for writing and art for Status Hat’s monthly artszine http://www.statushat.org!

We are seeking works for these three themes, for publication in July, August and September of 2011:

GAMES & PUZZLES; THE TRAVEL ISSUE; IMAGE.

Writers, we accept:  Poetry (up to 3 poems), Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction & Articles (1000 words max).

Artists – send us a link to where we can view your work online first.

Call opens Feb. 18, 2011

Deadline for all submissions:  April 15, 2011.

Complete call & guidelines can be found here: 

http://www.statushat.org/create/status-hat-artszine/submission-guidelines.html

The 33rd Nimrod Literary Awards for Fiction & Poetry

The 33rd Nimrod Literary Awards
The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction &
The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

Sponsored by Nimrod International Journal
Founded by Ruth G. Hardman

FIRST PLACE: $2,000 and publication
SECOND PLACE: $1,000 and publication

Contest Rules
Contest Begins: January 1, 2011

Postmark Deadline: April 30, 2011

Poetry: 3-10 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems).

Fiction: 7,500 words maximum.

No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere.  Author’s name must not appear on the manuscript.  Include a cover sheet containing major title and subtitles, author’s name, full address, phone & email. “Contest Entry” should be clearly indicated on both the outer envelope and the cover sheet. Manuscripts should be stapled, if possible; if not, please bind with a heavy clip. Manuscripts will not be returned.  Nimrod retains the right to publish any submission.  Include SASE for results only.  If no SASE is sent, no contest results will be sent; however, the results will be posted on Nimrod’s Web site. Submitters must be living in the US by October of 2011 to enter the contest.  Winners will also be brought to Tulsa for the Awards Ceremony in October. All finalists will be considered for publication.

Entry/Subscription Fee: $20 includes both entry fee & a one-year subscription (two issues).  Each entry must each be accompanied by a $20 fee.  Make checks payable to Nimrod.

Send to:

Nimrod Journal
Literary Contest–Fiction or Poetry
The University of Tulsa
800 S. Tucker Dr.
Tulsa, OK 74104

Visit the website: http://www.utulsa.edu/nimrod/awards.html

The 2011 Event Non-Fiction Contest

EVENT, a literary journal showcasing fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, reviews and notes on writing by new and established writers from Canada and around the world, is currently in its fourth decade of publication.  EVENT is one of Canada’s most prestigious literary journals, and a strong supporter of literary non-fiction. Stories first published in EVENT have won numerous National and Western Magazine Awards, and have been featured in The Journey Prize, Pushcart Prize and Best Canadian Stories anthologies.

Three winners will each receive $500 (plus publication payment). Publication in EVENT 40/3 (December 2011). Other manuscripts may be published. Preliminary judging by the editors of EVENT.

Final Judge: Kevin Chong is the author of the music memoir Neil Young Nation, the novel Baroque-a-Nova, and two forthcoming works: a non-fiction book on horse racing, and a novel entitled Beauty Plus Pity. His writing has recently appeared in the Globe and Mail, The Walrus, the Toronto Star, Maclean’s, Chatelaine, FASHION, Vancouver Magazine and www.cbc.ca/arts. He’s an editor at Joyland.ca and teaches creative writing at UBC.

Myrna Kostash, Andreas Schroeder, Sharon Butala, Tom Wayman, Di Brandt, Terry Glavin, Karen Connelly, Charles Montgomery, Timothy Taylor and Lynn Coady are some of our past judges.

Writers are invited to submit manuscripts exploring the creative non-fiction form. Check your library for back issues of EVENT with previous winning entries and judges’ comments. Contest back issues are available for $9 (includes applicable taxes and postage; US$9 for American residents; CAN$13 for overseas residents).

Note: Previously published material, or material accepted elsewhere for publication, cannot be considered. Maximum entry length is 5,000 words, typed, double-spaced. The writer should not be identified on the entry. Include a separate cover sheet with the writer’s name, address, phone number / email, and the title(s) of the story (stories) enclosed. Include a SASE (Canadian postage / IRCs /US$1). Douglas College employees are not eligible to enter.

Entry fee: Multiple entries are allowed, however, each entry must be accompanied by a $29.95 entry fee (includes applicable taxes and a one-year subscription; make cheque or international money order payable to EVENT). Those already subscribing will receive a one-year extension. American and overseas entrants please pay in US dollars.

Deadline for entries: Postmarked April 15, 2011.

Send entries to:

EVENT Non-Fiction Contest

P.O. Box 2503

New Westminster, BC

Canada   V3L 5B2

Tel.: (604) 527-5293

email: event@douglas.bc.ca

Visit the website: http://event.douglas.bc.ca

The 2011 Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction

The Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction was established in 2004 in memory of Liza Nelligan, a writer, editor, and friend of many in Colorado State University’s English Department, where she received her master’s degree in literature in 1992. By giving an award to the author of an outstanding short story each year, we hope to honor Nelligan’s life, her passion for writing, and her love of fiction. The Nelligan Prize is offered annually. The winner receives a $1,500 honorarium and the story is published in the fall/winter issue of Colorado Review.

General guidelines:

1. $1,500 will be awarded for the best short story, which will be published in the fall/winter 2011 issue of Colorado Review.
2. This year’s final judge is Ron Carlson; friends and students (current & former) of the judge are not eligible to compete, nor are Colorado State University employees, students, or alumni.
3. Entry fee is $15 per story; there is no limit on the number of entries you may submit.
4. Stories must be previously unpublished.
5. There are no theme restrictions, but stories must be under 50 pages.
6. All manuscripts must be typed and double-spaced.
7. Contest opens January 1, 2011.
8. Deadline is the postmark of March 11, 2011.
9. Winner will be announced by July 2011.
10. All submissions will be considered for publication.

To submit online:

1. The story title and your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address should be in your cover letter, in a separate document from your story. Be sure your name is not anywhere in the story itself.
2. Submit here.

To submit via regular mail:

1. Include two cover sheets: on the first, print your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and the story title; on the second, print only the story title. Your name should not appear anywhere else on the manuscript.
2. Enclose a check for $15 for each story. Checks should be made out to Colorado Review.
3. You may submit multiple stories in the same envelope, and the check can be made out for the total.
4. Provide SASE for contest results.
5. Manuscripts will not be returned. Please do not enclose extra postage for return of manuscript.
6. Entries must be clearly addressed to:

Nelligan Prize – Colorado Review
9105 Campus Delivery
Department of English
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-9105

Visit the website:

http://coloradoreview.colostate.edu/nelligan-prize/submission-guidelines/

2011 Anderbo Creative Nonfiction Prize

2011 Anderbo Creative Nonfiction Prize

For an unpublished up-to-1500-word Creative Nonfiction Piece

Winner receives:

$500 cash
Publication on anderbo.com

Judged by Elizabeth Wurtzel

2011 Contest Assistant: Emma Stockman

Guidelines:

–The creative nonfiction piece should be typed on

8 1/2 x 11 paper with the writer’s name and contact information

on the upper right cornerof the first page, and the writer’s name

on every page

–Entries must be postmarked by June 15, 2011

–Limit one entry per writer

–Writer must not have been previously published on anderbo.com

–Mail submissions to Anderbo Creative Nonfiction Prize,

270 Lafayette Street, Suite 1412, New York, NY 10012

–Enclose self-addressed stamped business envelope to receive

names of winner and honorable mentions

–All entries are non-returnable and will be recycled

–Reading fee is $10. Check or money order payable to RRofihe

Visit the website:

http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/andernonfictionprize2011.html

The gritLIT Challenge of Three 3000 words or 300 lines!

Our competition is called The Challenge of Three and is open to all writers in English, regardless of nationality.

http://www.gritlit.ca/pages/2011-writing-competition

gritLIT, Hamilton’s literary festival, seeks three outstanding works of short fiction and three suites of poems. We want to be impressed, thrilled, and entertained. (Your immortality will come later.)

Six Cash Prizes to be won! We will publish the winning entries in a handsome chapbook.

The gritLIT Challenge of Three is open to all writers. Stories and suites of poems must be written in English and not be previously published or accepted for publication elsewhere.

Stories may be up to 3000 words and a suite of poems may be up to 300 lines.

Deadline: June 1, 2011

Poetry and fiction will each have their own prizes: First $200 // Second $100 // Third $50

Entry Fee: $20 per submission.

Entries should be addressed to: gritLIT Literary Contests, 69 Hughson St. North, Suite 102 Hamilton, ON L8R 1G5

No submissions via email or email attachment. For more information, please contact contest@gritlit.ca or visit our website at www.gritlit.ca

The TIFERET 2011 Writing Contest

Enter the TIFERET 2011 Writing Contest

$500 Awards

TIFERET: A Journal of Spiritual Literature offers three awards of $500 in the categories of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
We publish writing from a variety of spiritual and religious traditions.
Our mission is to help reveal spirit through the written word.
Alicia Ostriker, Poetry Judge * Josip Novakovich, NonfictionJudge * Gayle Brandeis, Fiction Judge  
 
Contest Guidelines:

·        Unpublished poems in English must be received through our online submissions manager by May 1, 2011 deadline.
·         First prize in each genre: $500 and publication in TIFERET.
·         Honorable Mention Prizes will receive publication in TIFERET ONLINE.
·         $20 fee for each entry. Limit 4 poems, one story or essay up to 25 pages in length.
·         To enter, go to: http://www.tiferetsubmissions.com/ Specify genre and pay your appropriate entry fee using PayPal.

Winners will be announced June 30, 2011. 

Please note: any submissions received without payment will not be considered