South American Short Story Writing Contest

South American Short Story Writing Contest

We are looking for the best possible short stories.

Winning prize is $100 USD and publication in gringolandiasantiago.com.

Deadline: 30 March 2012.

Candidates must have previous writing experience either in a print publication or on-line in a blog.

We are also seeking interns and writers.

Submit entries along with links to any work you have published to werowe@walkerrowe.com.

There is no reading fee.

We are interested in quality writing.

Visit the website’s contest page:

http://www.gringolandiasantiago.com/2011/11/13/south-american-short-story-writing-contest/#comments

The ADA Education Fund: 2nd Annual “What Would Martin Do?” Essay Contest

The Americans for Democratic Action Education Fund is hosting its second annual “What Would Martin Do?” essay contest, questioning what would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. say to President Obama if he were alive today. This contest is part of our third annual “What Would Martin Do?” forum in which a group of speakers will discuss how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. might address the policies and situations that are seen in the 21st century.

Rules for the contest are:

1)      The topic of the essay is “What Would Martin Do?” and should envision a conversation between Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama.  It should touch on key policy issues facing our country in the 21st century.

2)      Your essay may not exceed 500 words.

3)      Essays must be submitted as a Word attachment to info@ADAEdFund.org not later than 5pm EST on December 15, 2011.  Please use the subject line “Essay Contest.”  Late entries will not be considered.

4)      Please be sure to include your full name, home address, email, and the best phone number with your entry.

5)      Up to 5 finalists as selected by a prestigious panel of judges will have their essays posted on the ADA Ed Fund’s website.  Online voting by the general public will determine the winners.

6)      Entries will be judged on historical knowledge, understanding of Dr. King’s philosophy, creativity, and writing skills.  The entry must also reflect an understanding of current policy discussions and the landscape of social and economic justice.

7)      The winners will be notified on or before January 4, 2011.

8)      The winner will receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond.  Two runners-up will each receive a $100 savings bond.

9)      The winners will be invited to read their essays at the WWMD Symposium (details TBA) in Washington, DC, will have their winning submission published on the ADA Ed Fund’s website, the quarterly publication ADA Today, and shared on our Facebook page.

10)  There is no qualification or age requirement for entry.  Anyone (except current ADA or ADA Ed Fund Staffers and Board Members) may enter.

Good luck, and thanks for participating in the second annual WWMD Essay Contest!  Please feel free to pass this along to friends and colleagues… Thanks!

For more information please visit our website:

http://adaedfund.org/2011/11/what-would-martin-do-essay-contest/

PartSelect’s $5000 GE Appliance Giveaway

PartSelect.com is giving away $5,000 worth
of new GE Appliances to one lucky blogger!

That’s $5,000 you can slice and dice anyway you want*.

Pick your color. Pick your style. Pick a new fridge and stove, or new washer
and dryer set. You win, you choose.

To enter, simply choose one of our official blogging topics below, write a
post** and send it to contests@partselect.com. It’s that easy!

Official Blogging Topics:

Tell us about your worst DIY disaster!

(Not all DIY’s end with a smile! Share your best ‘oops!’ moments.)

Tell us about your proudest creation or empowering DIY moment!

(Ever tackled a tough project that left you jumping for joy?)

Tell us your best “If my appliance could talk” story!

(If your washer could talk, what dirt would it have on you?)

What is the coolest way you problem solved a home-related conundrum?

(Got a great ‘cheat’ for solving life’s little problems?)

What is the coolest thing you upcycled or repurposed in your home?

(Show us how you turned ‘trash’ into treasures!)

Post must be received by 11:59pm EST on December 30, 2011.

* Some restrictions apply. ** Check out the Entry terms for full contest details.

Visit the contest page: http://www.partselect.com/GE-Parts.htm#GE-Giveaway

2011 Anderbo Poetry Prize

anderbo.com
For up to six unpublished poems

Winner receives:

$500 cash
Publication on anderbo.com

Judged by Debora Greger

2011 Contest Assistant: Anderbo Poetry Editor Charity Burns

Guidelines:
–Each poem should be typed on 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper with the
writer’s name in the upper-right corner of every page
–Include a cover page with name, contact information and
the titles of the poems submitted
–Limit six poems per poet
–Writer must not have been previously published on anderbo.com
–Mail submissions to Anderbo Poetry Prize,
270 Lafayette Street, Suite 705, 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

Deadline: December 15th, 2011

Judge: Debora Greger    Contest Assistant: Charity Burns

Visit the website: http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/anderprize2011.html

The Medulla Review: Oblongata Contest

Dear Poets &Writers,

The editor-in-chief will review poetry, fiction, and hybrid submissions of 1,000 words or less for the new Oblongata Contest from November 20, 2011 until January 22, 2012. The entry fee is $10.00 for each submission. First, second, and third place winners will be chosen for publication. Works will be published by February 1, 2012.

FIRST PLACE WINNERS will receive the following:

1. Payment based on 10% of the entry fees
2. Publication with personalized TMR web-page (with a name-link on the homepage of The Medulla Review for one year). The web-page may include artwork, lengthy bios, promotions, links, songs, or a myriad of other things: creativity embraced!
3. Five indie printed mini-chapbook copies of winning piece!

SECOND and THIRD place winners will receive publication and a short-bio for one year on a homepage link entitled “Oblongata Winners.”

First place winners may not submit again for one year. Second and third place winners may submit again.

Details can be found here: http://www.themedullareview.com/Oblongata_Contest.html

Crazyhorse Journal Writing Contest

Crazyhorse literary journal is excited to announce the Crazyhorse Fiction Prize and the Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize: $2000 each and publication of your poem or short story in Crazyhorse literary journal.

Deadline to enter: January 15, 2012

Reading fee of $16 per entry includes one-year subscription.

Full entry guidelines at http://www.crazyhorsejournal.org

or Contact: crazyhorse@cofc.edu

Killer Nashville Claymore Award Contest

The Claymore Award is bestowed upon the author of the best beginning (up to 50 pages) of an unpublished manuscript not currently under contract.  ANYONE CAN ENTER YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND KILLER NASHVILLE TO ENTER OR WIN.  The ten finalists are chosen through a blind judging process and sent to our 2012 publishing partner, Five Star Press/Tekno Books.  Five Star chooses the final winner, who receives an engraved replica of a Claymore dagger.  WINNER AND ANY OF THE TOP 10 FINALISTS MAY BE OFFERED A PUBLISHING CONTRACT.  Five Star will also read the winner’s full manuscript for possible publication.  Five Star may also request full or partial manuscripts from the remaining finalists, if they so desire.  The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony during the Guest of Honor dinner on the evening of Saturday, August 25, 2012.  To attend the awards ceremony, you must be registered for both the 2012 Killer Nashville Conference and the Guest of Honor Dinner.

TOP 10 FINALISTS
$50 worth of prizes, plus a possible publishing contract, plus a possible agent.*     A possible publishing contract.
*     $50 worth of tuition, merchandise, or downloads (if available) from Killer Nashville 2012 – your choice (a $50 value).
*     Introduction to Killer Nashville approved agents and editors.
*     The right to use the “Killer Nashville Claymore Finalist” logo on your website, publicity materials, and published book (if applicable).TOP 3 FINALISTS
$300 worth of prizes, plus a possible publishing contract, plus a possible agent.

*     A possible publishing contract.
*     Free admission to Killer Nashville 2012 (a $170 value).
*     Free admission to Killer Nashville 2012 Awards Dinner (a $80 value).
*     $50 worth of tuition, merchandise, or downloads (if available) from Killer Nashville 2012 – your choice (a $50 value).
*     Introduction to Killer Nashville approved agents and editors.
*     The right to use the “Killer Nashville Claymore Finalist” logo on your website, publicity materials, and published book (if applicable).

CLAYMORE WINNER
$500 worth of prizes, plus a possible publishing contract, plus a possible agent.

*     A possible publishing contract.
*     Free admission to Killer Nashville 2012 (a $170 value).
*     Free admission to Killer Nashville 2012 Awards Dinner (a $80 value).
*     $250 worth of tuition, merchandise, or downloads (if available) from Killer Nashville 2012 – your choice (a $250 value).
*     Introduction to Killer Nashville approved agents and editors.
*     The right to use the “Killer Nashville Claymore Winner” logo on your website, publicity materials, and published book (if applicable).

If a Claymore finalist has already purchased admission to Killer Nashville or to the Awards Dinner, cost of winning items will be reimbursed based on winning level, if desired.  Please remember that the conference is limited to 500 attendees in 2012.

Enter your unpublished crime literature manuscript in 4 easy steps, and you could win a publishing contract!

Step 1 – Prepare your manuscript
Entries should be double-spaced, in 12-point Courier or Times New Roman, with at least 1-inch margins. The title and page number should appear as a header on each page, but the author’s name should appear ONLY on the registration form. Since the manuscripts are evaluated using a blind judging method, the author’s name should not appear on the manuscript itself. Judges will consider any subgenre of mystery or thriller, including political thriller, cozy, police procedural, private eye, romantic suspense, paranormal mystery, and historical mystery.
Print out up to the first 50 pages to mail to us. Please use a binder clip of an appropriate size to comfortably hold your manuscript (no paper clips, 3 hole paper, binders, brads or multi-colored paper please)

Step 2 – Fill out the registration form
Print out the registration form, fill it out, and paperclip it to your first 50 pages.

Step 3 – Pay the entry fee
You can pay the $35 entry fee online and then send a copy of that receipt with your submission, or include a check for $35 payable to “Killer Nashville.” Your entry fee helps defray the cost of producing and mailing copies to the judges.

Step 4 – Mail it
Mail up to the first 50 pages of an unpublished manuscript that is not under contract, your registration form, and your receipt (if paying online), or a check for $35.00 payable to “Killer Nashville” and mail everything postmarked by May 31, 2012 to:

Killer Nashville Claymore Award
PO Box 680686
Franklin, TN 37068-0686

If you would like confirmation that your manuscript was received, please include a stamped, self-addressed postcard with your entry. Do NOT send your manuscript in such a way that a signature is required. Manuscripts that require a signature will not be accepted.

You can verify delivery through the tracking number provided by the post office. When using the post office to mail your manuscript if you wish to track it, you may do so by mailing it Priority Mail and adding delivery confirmation. DO NOT send your manuscript via Fed Ex or UPS, they will not deliver to a Post Office Box. Please remember that we will not accept any manuscript that requires a signature.

If you have any questions, please contact us at contact@killernashville.com

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

Gulen Institute at the University of Houston – Youth Platform 2012 An International Essay Contest for High School Students

The Gulen Institute Youth Platform has announced its second international essay contest, which is open to all high school students in grades 9th through 12th currently enrolled in public or private schools from across the nation and abroad.

Topic of this year is:

“Creating solutions for the challenges faced by children today”

Awards for students		Awards for teachers
1st place	$ 3,000	1st place	$ 1,000
2nd place	$ 2,000	2nd place	$ 750
3rd place	$ 1,000	3rd place	$ 500
4th – 15th place	$   300	4th – 15th place	$ 200
16th – 30th place   $     50

In addition to these awards, all students who rank from 1st to 30th place will be awarded a 4-day trip to Washington, D.C. and New York for the award ceremony.

Airfare, accommodations, meals, and transportation expenses of award winning students will be sponsored.

Deadline for essay submission is January 31, 2012.

Please visit the event website, www.gulenyouthplatform.org, for writing strategies, judging criteria, pictures from the last year event, and all other details.

Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award

The Bethlehem Writers Group is currently accepting submissions for their debut
Short Story Award. Jonathon Maberry, a NY Times bestselling author, will judge.
The winner will receive $200 plus the opportunity to be published in their next
anthology, “Seasonal Pursuits: Sweet, Funny and Strange Tales,” due to be
released next fall. There are runner-up prizes also.

Entry fee: $10 per story.

Deadline: Submissions must be received by midnight EST, January 31, 2012

T0 enter go to our website, www.bwgwritersroundtable.com

Gemini Flash Fiction Contest

The results of the Gemini Flash Fiction Contest are in! Xavier McCaffrey wins the $1,000 grand prize for “Drinks on the Doctor.” In this brisk, 754-word flash, a young man comes home from med school to a past “rife with mystifying ailments” he can never bring himself to treat. After reading “Death in Nairobi,” the second place story by Agatha Verdadero, it is unlikely that you will soon forget it.

Honorable mentions:

“A Sip of Blackberry” by Todd Benware

“A Knife or a Blade?” by Geoffrey Uhl

“The Bridesmaid” by Heather Sappenfield

“Suspicious Package” by Laura Loomis

“The Tip” by Corey Ginsberg

Also in this issue: poetry by B.Z. Niditch and Jonathan Moody. On the cover: lively body art by Susan Olmetti.

Our Poetry Open competition, which also features a $1,000 grand prize, runs through January 3, 2012.

Visit the website: www.gemini-magazine.com

Contact: David Bright, Editor – editor@gemini-magazine.com

Shoreline Scripts Screenwriting Competition 2012

Shoreline Scripts is the only active screenwriting competition in the UK. We wanted to create not only a competition with awards, but a platform to help get great scripts from around the world into the hands of the producers and companies that have the means to get them made.

There’s some great judges signed up to read the final three screenplays of our 2012 competition. They include: Oscar Nominated Writer Jeffrey Caine (Constant Gardener, GoldenEye), Writer Tony Grisoni (Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, Red Riding Trilogy), distinguished director Ray Lawrence (Lantana & Jindabyne), along with producers Andras Hamori (Crash, The Sweet Hereafter, Big Nothing and Morvern Callar), Christopher Figg (We Need To Talk About Kevin, Dog Soldiers), and James Simpson (The Merchant Of Venice and Beowulf & Grendel).

 Start date/Deadline: The competition starts on Jan 1st 2012 and finishes on the 18th May 2012. 

Entry Fee: £25 ($38approx) Early Deadline.

THE PRIZES ARE:

1st Prize

£2500 Cash ($3870 approx)
Comprehensive Script Report/Coverage.
Itsonthegrid.com Professional Membership (worth £160)
VIP Package (10 free pitches) VirtualPitchFest.com (worth £60)
Script Consultant – Pilar Alessandra’s 6 Steps E-WorkBook. (worth £65)
Pro Lifetime Membership at Scripped.com (worth £60)

2nd Prize
£500 Cash ($775 approx)
Comprehensive Script Report/Coverage.
Itsonthegrid.com Professional Membership (worth £160)
(5 free pitches) VirtualPitchFest.com
Script Consultant – Pilar Alessandra’s 6 Steps E-WorkBook. (worth £65)
Pro Lifetime Membership at Scripped.com (worth £60)

3rd Prize
£250 ($380 approx)
Comprehensive Script Report/Coverage.
Itsonthegrid.com Professional Membership (worth £160)
Script Consultant – Pilar Alessandra’s 6 Steps E-WorkBook. (worth £65)
Pro Lifetime Membership at Scripped.com (worth £60)
(2 free pitches) VirtualPitchFest.com

4th Prize
Itsonthegrid.com Professional Membership (worth £160)
Script Consultant – Pilar Alessandra’s 6 Steps E-WorkBook. (worth £65)
Pro Lifetime Membership at Scripped.com (worth £60)
(2 free pitches) VirtualPitchFest.com

5th Prize
Itsonthegrid.com Professional Membership (worth £160)
Script Consultant – Pilar Alessandra’s 6 Steps E-WorkBook. (worth £65)
Pro Lifetime Membership at Scripped.com (worth £60)
(2 free pitches) VirtualPitchFest.com

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

Contact: contact@shorelinescripts.com – David Beazley

NaMoWriMo Writers Contest: Win a Prize for the First Line of Your Novel!

(Not associated with the NationalNovelWritingMonth.org)

WHAT’S YOUR (FIRST) LINE?

You could win $100, $50, $25 or a free book for 

the best first line from a NaNoWriMo novel!

To add to the fun of NaNoWriMo, I’m awarding a $100 prize to the writer of the best first line, with a second prize of $50, a third prize of $25, and a copy of “Your Writing Coach” for seven honorable mentions. I hope you get all of your 50,000+ words written but now you have the chance to win a prize for just your first dozen or so.

It’s free to enter

There’s no entry fee or other catch. Sure, if entering this contest happens to make you aware of my book, “Your Writing Coach” (published by Nicholas Brealey) and you order it from Amazon or another bookseller, that will be great, but mainly I like coming up with ways to encourage people to write what only they can write. We have no connection with the organizers of NaNoWriMo, this is just our way of encouraging the hard-writing novelists who choose to participate.

What makes a first line a winner?

It can be funny, intriguing, surprising, or just beautifully written. Any genre, any style, any length.

The normal-sized fine print:

1: The first line has to be original and from the novel you’re writing this month.

2: Send entries via email using the form below. Entries must be received by midnight, Sunday, December 4, 2011. Only one entry per person. You retain copyright to your first line.

3: Entries must be in English, but can come from anywhere in the world. You can use a pen name if you like.

4: We will award a first prize of $100, a second prize of $50, a third prize of $25, and seven honorable mentions will each receive a copy of my book, “Your Writing Coach.” You will be notified of the winners and prizes will be posted no later than December 15, 2011. Payment will be sent via PayPal, books via Amazon.

5: I think it’ll be fun for people to be able to read all the first lines on our website, but if you would prefer yours not to be public, just write “do not publish” after the line you are submitting.

6: The decision of the judges is totally subjective and final. I’ll be drawing up the short list myself and the final judge will be a publisher or agent (to be announced).

7: I promise never to sell or share your email details. We’ll contact you only to tell you the winners and make you aware of any other contests, courses or books you might find useful. You can unsubscribe at any time. We have no official connection with the folks organizing NaNoWriMo so if you have questions, contact me, not them (my email address is jurgenwolff@gmail.com, but don’t use that for entries).

8: The link for entries is: http://www.NaNoWriMoContest.com.

That’s it – I’m sure you’ve written your first line already, go ahead and send it, it could be a winner – good luck!

November Writing Contest: dou dou bird prize!

Meet the first dou dou bird prize! 
Just started a writing contest on my blog to win some art.  I will be
doing it monthly.

This bird is 8 inches tall, 2.75 inches wide and he is 7.5 inches in length.

Always felt like this bird had a special purpose and here it is, he will launch the monthly writing contest. So this contest is getting started late but I will start next month’s contest on the 1st.

Rules & stuff:
Anyone can enter!
100 – 1,000 words
The story must be about the bird pictured (on the website).
Post your story in the comments for this post
One entry per person
Must be an original story that you wrote
Deadline is the last day of the month
Winner will be announced on the 5th of the following month
Keep it clean, children might read this blog, if I don’t think your story is appropriate, I’ll delete it, sorry.

Might add more rules later, we’ll see how it goes.

Visit the website: http://doudoubirds.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/november-writing-contest/

“WRITERS OF THE UNEMPLOYED” SHORT STORY CONTEST”

To celebrate the February 2012 release of Life in Pieces, we will be sponsoring a contest for short stories dealing with some of the themes addressed in the new book.  If you have an idea for a story dealing with unemployment or other economic hardships, it is time to get writing.  If your story is already finished, now is your chance.

ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST

– Be received between Monday, November 14, 2011 and Friday, February 3, 2012

– Deal with some theme relating to unemployment or economic hardship

– Not exceed 7,500 words

– Include author’s name and contact information at the top of every page

– Be sent as an attachment to chrisjprofeta@gmail.com

The winner will be announced Friday, March 2, 2012 and receive an autographed copy of Life in Pieces and have his or her story published on this site. 

Details about submission guidelines and due dates can be found on Profeta’s website. 

Poetry & Writing Contest: Dream Quest One – Winter 2011 – 2012

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or writing a short story that is worth telling everyone! And to all who have the ability to dream… Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. http://www.dreamquestone.com

Guidelines:

Write a poem, thirty lines or fewer on any subject, style, or form, typed or neatly hand printed. And/or write a short story, five pages maximum length, on any subject or theme, creative writing fiction or non-fiction (including essay compositions, diary, journal entries and screenwriting). Also, must be typed or neatly hand printed. Multiple poetry and short story entries are accepted.

Postmark deadline: December 31, 2011

All contest winners will be announced on January 31, 2012

Prizes:

Writing Contest First Prize is $500. Second Prize: $250. Third Prize: $100.

Poetry Contest First Prize is $250. Second Prize: $125. Third Prize: $50.

Entry fees:

$10 per short story, $5 per poem.

To send entries: Include title(s) with your story (ies) or poem(s), along with your name, address, phone#, email, brief biographical info. (Tell us a little about yourself), on the coversheet. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for entry confirmation. Fees payable to: “DREAMQUESTONE.COM”

Mail to:

Dream Quest One

Poetry & Writing Contest

P.O. Box 3141

Chicago, IL 60654

Visit http://www.dreamquestone.com for details and enter!

No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude. “And remember, in whatever you do, it’s okay to dream, for dreams do come true.” –Dream Quest One

Last Call for Entries: Eco Arts Awards

Eco Arts Awards

E-col-o-gy – the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment

It has been said that art is an expression of what we aspire to be…

It is also true that art is a powerful catalyst for new thinking and cultural values!

In our present world, ecology and the balance of humanity with nature is the most important challenge we face. Being ‘green’ is becoming mainstream and top of mind. We want to collaborate with you, to make it more top of focus in the creative industries. Eco Arts Awards has created a platform of self-expression that reflects our passions for deep ecological balance in the world, together with the joy and happiness that art brings us in our daily lives.

In six creative categories, we invite artist to submit their ecologically inspired creative works for entry into the first of its kind annual awards program. Together we can bring about a greater awareness with more inspiration for living our lives in balance and harmony with our natural environment. $6,000 in cash awards will be provided, $1,000 each for first prize awards in the categories of songwriting, literature, photography, fine art, functional art and short videos. Deadline for submission is November 30, and winners will be announced no later than April 20th 2012. The “Early Bird” entry fee is $25, if you submit your work(s) prior to September 30th, 2011. After September 30th the regular entry fee is $30. The final deadline will beNovember 30th, 2011. You can enter as many different works as you wish. Our professional panel of jurors will select the winners for each category from approximately ten finalists. There will also be a “Peoples Choice” award, so bookmark this site and return in the new year to vote for Peoples Choice, or better yet, sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date on the contest.

We look forward to viewing/hearing/experiencing your ecologically inspired creations!

Urging Artists to Create a World of Difference

Visit the website for details: http://ecoartsawards.com/index.php

The Polygraph Tests: Refining the Writer’s Voice

Polygraph (n.) 1. a machine designed to detect and record changes in biological characteristics. 2. an author who can write on a variety of different subjects.

The Polygraph Tests is a residency program committed to enriching the process of theatre development by pairing selected playwrights with collaborators eager to guide and inspire the scripts’ evolution. We are looking for dangerous stories that expose and examine the ways in which desire and impulse define human relationships. Writers of all ages and from all experience levels are invited to submit plays that align with our mission statement:

True False Theatre is a group of artists dedicated to creating high-quality dramatic theatre that challenges the imagination and inspires a more conscious and compassionate community. Our goal is to probe modern value systems through entertaining productions of socially relevant plays, which uphold a commitment to exciting and empowering New York City.

This program features a three-week rehearsal period focused on giving writers the time and tools they need to experiment and develop strong character development, plot structure, and dialogue. Each playwright will work alongside a director and actors who are excited to inspire the author’s vision and provide him or her with feedback regarding the rewrites made during the residency. After a mid-process public reading allows each artist to experience their play with an audience, everyone returns to the rehearsal room for another week of collaborating with the writer. The residency ends with a second public reading celebrating the plays in whatever state they are in at the time.

Important Dates:

Nov 16: Application Deadline | Dec 1: Finalists Notified

Jan 8-28: Rehearsal Period | Jan 21: First Public Reading | Jan 28: Final Public Reading

Submission Guidelines:

• We select playwrights based on two factors: (1) the quality and potential of the writing, and (2) a one-on-one interview during the first week of December 2011.

• We are looking for plays on all subject matters- story and structure that dare to be different.

• Scripts don’t need to be perfectly polished; we will happily accept unfinished work.

• We accept only unpublished plays (but un-produced and previously produced plays are both acceptable).

• You can send us one or several scripts- we prefer you send us two plays so we can understand your voice as much as possible.

• Scripts can be any length (less than 75 pages is preferred).

Visit the website for details on how to enter: http://www.truefalsetheatre.org/2011/10/23/the-polygraph-tests-refining-the-writers-voice/

Kingston University/London: Short biography competition

A new competition for short innovative biographical writing designed to lead to publication by Kingston University Press Ltd.

We seek either publication-ready manuscripts and/or proposals with a sample chapter for this competition. Scripts and proposals will be judged separately by a team of judges that includes life-writers and biographers Rachel Cusk, Alexander Masters, Dr Jane Jordan and Peter Porter (all associated with Kingston Writing School) as well as KUP editors and directors.

 Key facts

§  Closing Date: Post-marked by midnight Friday 10 February 2012

§  Entry Fee: £20 per item

§  Each entry to be a maximum 35,000 words (judges will favour those under 30,000 words)

§  You may submit multiple entries, provided the £20 entry fee is paid for each

§  The author of winning manuscript or manuscripts will be published by Kingston University Press *

§  Prize winners will be contacted by 13 April 2012 and results posted on our website

* The author of the winning proposal or proposals will be offered a series of four editorial sessions with KUP editors designed to help them move forward with their work with a view to contracting the publication of their book

For further information on Kingston University Press and complete details of this competition including rules please visit the

Website: http://fass.kingston.ac.uk/kup/short-biography

Get Your Comedy Sketch Produced by an Award Winning Director

GET YOUR COMEDY SKETCH PRODUCED BY AN AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR
http://www.circalit.com/projects/competitions/jason

Ever had an idea for a comedy sketch? Circalit is back once again helping talented comedy writers get their sketches produced and distributed. This time Circalit has teamed up with award-winning filmmaker, Jason Wingard, whose most recent short, “Ben and Jackie” has been short-listed for the Virgin Media Shorts 2011 and the Reed.co.uk Short Film competition. The competition is part of Circalit’s Get your Film Made series. The winning script will be directed by Jason, who has worked alongside fantastic comedians such as Johnny Vegas, and companies such as Channel K, MTV and 2-Entertain. Participants are actively encouraged to collaborate with one another to produce the best, most groin-tearingly funny piece of comedy they can. The deadline is Thursday 16th December, and submissions are being read as soon as they’re submitted – so the sooner you enter the better! For more details, check out: http://www.circalit.com/projects/competitions/jason

PORTAL ENTERTAINMENT AND CIRCALIT ON THE SEARCH FOR THE WRITERS OF TOMORROW
£6K GLOBAL WRITING COMPETITION TO CREATE A STORYWORLD
www.circalit.com/projects/competitions/immersive

Portal Entertainment has announced a £6k global writing competition to create a storyworld: that is, a story told using different types of media across multiple platforms. The winner of the competition will receive £6k to develop their storyworld with Portal Entertainment. The top 5 entries will be given professional feedback from BBC Multiplatform Executive Producer Sarah Clay (Becoming Human, Waterloo Reunited, E20). The deadline for entries is 21st November. For more information please visit www.circalit.com/projects/competitions/immersive

CHANCE ENCOUNTERS: THE CIRCALIT FLASH FICTION COMPETITION
http://www.circalit.com/projects/competitions/hospital

In partnership with London’s trendiest hangout for creatives, The Hospital Club (www.thehospitalclub.com), and their poet-in-residence, the lyrical prodigy Sabrina Mahfouz, Circalit are extremely pleased to announce a new flash fiction writing competition. Writers are challenged to create a one page story, of whatever genre they please, on the subject of ‘A Chance Encounter’. Sabrina herself will be reading the winning story for an exclusive video-recording and podcast, which will be available on the hospital club website. The winning story will play in the club’s lifts and video screens, and will be plastered up throughout the Hospital Club’s halls for all its glitzy patrons, who include the likes of James Morrison, Kate Moss and Jude Law, to read and enjoy. This is a great opportunity to have your story exposed to a wide and varied creative audience in an original way. The deadline for entries is 1st December. Visit http://www.circalit.com/projects/competitions/hospital for more information.

The 2011 Winnipeg Free Press / Writers’ Collective Non-Fiction and Poetry Contest

Are you a writer with a great, true story to tell? Or maybe you’re a poet who would love to see your work published. If so, why not enter the 2011 Winnipeg Free Press / Writers’ Collective Non-Fiction and Poetry Contest

Deadline: Monday November 14, 2011

This year we are offering TWO themes to get those creative juices flowing:

“Now that was funny!” and “A fork in the road.”

Choose ONE of the above themes and craft your favourite true story into a publishable piece of

non-fiction. The contest is open to all new and emerging writers who are 18+. Poetry

submissions do not have to follow the theme, but it would be interesting if they did.

The Non-Fiction winners will receive:

1st Place – $500

2nd Place – $300

3rd Place – 100

Plus a one-year membership with the Writers’ Collective of Manitoba

The Poetry winners will receive:

1st Place – $150

2nd Place – $100

3rd Place – $50

Plus a one-year membership with the Writers’ Collective of Manitoba

All winning entries will be published in the Winnipeg Free Press and the Collective

Consciousness (the Writers’ Collective quarterly journal). An awards ceremony will be held in

the Carol Shields Auditorium at the Winnipeg Millennium Library on December 8, 2011.

Winners will be notified no later than December 2nd. All entrants supplying email addresses will

be notified of the judges’ decision before the awards ceremony. Everyone is invited to attend.

How to Enter:

The entry fee is $5 for Writers’ Collective members; $15 for non-members. An entry form must

accompany your submission. To receive an entry form and complete list of rules, call (204)

786-9468 or email: thewriterscollective@gmail.com or download at:

http://thewriterscollective.org/

Mail Entries to:

The Winnipeg Free Press / Writers Collective Non-Fiction & Poetry Contest, 4th Floor Library,

University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9.

Entries must be postmarked no later than November 14, 2011.

Visit the website for details: http://thewriterscollective.org/

For more information please contact Karen Emilson at thewriterscollective@gmail.com or by

phone at (204) 786-9468 or 290-7233.

Script Pipeline Writing Competitions

Script Pipeline, a screenwriting resource company for writers and industry is now accepting entries in our Screenwriting / TV Writing and Movie Idea competitions.  

We’re in our 10th year for the Screenwriting Contest, and have had a ton of success stories in the past few months alone: Robert De Niro is starring in a screenplay that won our competition, numerous writers have signed with agencies and managers, and a former contest winner sold Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) for $3 million last year.

More info can be found here: www.scriptpipeline.com.

Call for submissions: Switchback Flash Contest – November prompt

Each month SWITCHBACK will provide a prompt and we want you to send us your best work inspired by that prompt. The winning entry as decided by our editors will be featured on SWITCHBACK.

The November prompt is: “Nobody ever knows anything for a fact.”
• Contest submissions can be poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or even art.
• Submissions must be 500 words or under.
• Please send us only one submission per prompt.
• Please submit only previously unpublished works.
• We accept simultaneous submissions but please notify us immediately of acceptance elsewhere.
• Make sure your name DOES NOT appear on the submission itself.
• The deadline for submissions is the last day of the month.

For more information visit www.swback.com

Details

Deadline: November 30

Fee: Free

It’s November again, and of course that means that everyone’s going to be busy with NaNoWriMo!

For those of you who’ve never heard of it, NaNoWriMo is a free challenge where writers try to start and finish a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. It’s a big challenge, but a fun one too. Thousands of writers from around the world participate—and you should too!

Since so many people are going to be busy with NaNoWriMo, for this contest we want you to submit the first chapter of your NaNoWriMo novel. We know it probably won’t be your best writing—after all you’ll be busy with an entire novel’s worth of material—but the rawness is part of the fun, and everyone will be on the same playing field.

To enter, submit the first chapter of your NaNoWriMo novels. (Any other novel you may be writing or have already written doesn’t count—only NaNoWriMo chapters may apply.) The first place winner wins $50 cash via Paypal, and the second place winner wins $25 cash via Paypal. Good luck!

Prizes

1st Prize:	$50 cash via PayPal
2nd Prize:	$25 cash via PayPal

Rules

• Your entry must be the first chapter of your NaNoWriMo novel.
• Entries must be received before midnight of November 30, 2011 (UTC time), and winners will be announced within two weeks of that date.
• Only one entry is allowed per member. Multiple entries will all be disqualified.
• Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until winners are announced.
• Winners must have a valid Paypal account, or we won’t be able to send the prize money!

Submission Guidelines

• To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says “Enter this work into the contest”. Your work will automatically be considered. The checkbox will be visible until the contest deadline, which is in UTC time.
• Entry is free, but you’ll need karma points to publish your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.
• To enter the Scribophile NaNoWriMo ’11 contest, submit the first chapter of your NaNoWriMo ’11 novel.  We’ll pick the best entries.  First place wins $50 cash, 2nd place wins $25 cash.  Entry is free and the deadline is November 30, 2011.  It’s a great way to take the novel you’re already writing to a bigger audience, and maybe win some cash in the process!

  Visit the contest page for details: http://www.scribophile.com/contests/nanowrimo-11-contest/

  And a link to Scribophile: http://www.scribophile.com/

PUB POET COMP TO WRITE VERSE FIT FOR A POET LAUREATE

Country pub restaurant collection, Vintage Inns, is on the lookout for budding and undiscovered poets in a national competition backed by former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion.

The competition is running from Mon 17th Oct to Mon 5th Dec and contributors are being invited to co-author an eight-line poem inspired by Sir Andrew’s work on Vintage Inns’ latest national press campaign, which honours the Great British rural pub. He was born into a family of pub-owners/brewers and the natural choice.

Sir Andrew will judge the best line submitted each week, so they can be added to gradually complete the verse. Each winner will receive a framed copy of the eventual eight-line poem, plus a meal for four with wine at their local Vintage Inn. There are also 70 signed copies of Sir Andrew’s latest collection of poems, The Cinder Path, which has been shortlisted for The Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry, with 10 to be given away each week (to the winning co-author plus 9 runners up).

This lyrical competition with a difference is being hosted via a ‘Poetry Competition’ tab on the Vintage Inns Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/vintageinns Alternatively, entries can be emailed to pubpoet@gmail.com with full name, address and contact telephone number. Sir Andrew will judge the best each week, which will be added to the poem and uploaded ready for the next line the following week – and the first three lines to start minds wandering are:

The muted brilliance of autumn leaves

The wind’s deep voice soft-tickling the trees

The parting notes of swallows’ cresting calls….

Weekly submissions will close on Thursdays at 5pm, but Vintage Inns Facebook fans can enter as many times as they like. The weekly winning line chosen by Sir Andrew Motion will be published the following Monday. The competition will then re-open for submissions for the next line. The poem should be in rhyming couplets, so lines one and two should rhyme with each other – and so on. And for those seeking inspiration, here is one of the evocative poems Sir Andrew has written exclusively for Vintage Inns, which is themed around discovering your perfect rural pub…

From the hassles of our working

and the tangles of our streets

we arrive in winding villages

where peace and pleasure meet.

All around us worlds of trouble

turn and tremble as they please.

We are rich in the fulfilment

of our vintage life at ease.

Editor’s Notes: Vintage Inns is a unique and 200-strong collection of the UK’s best traditional (yet contemporary) dining pubs specialising in home cooked food, fine wines and cask-conditioned ales. Visit the company website atwww.vintageinn.co.uk/

Sir Andrew Motion was Poet Laureate from 1999 until 2009. He is now Professor of Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was knighted for his services to literature in 2009. Sir Andrew is also a council member of the Advertising Standards Authority and, since last July, Chairman of the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council. The post of Poet Laureate is a special honour awarded to a poet whose work is of national significance. The incumbent is Carol Ann Duffy, who was appointed in May 2009 for a fixed ten-year period.

For more details on the Vintage Inns Poetry Competition, please call Greg Rees of Connecting Element on 07866 613 907 or email greg@connectingelement.co.uk

Abrendal Austin National Writing Contest for poetry, short stories, or essays

Open for Submissions!

To know more about Abrendal and her award-winning books visit www.blackpennypress.com

Be creative, exciting, funny, truthful, make us laugh/cry, and make us love your story, essay, or poem.

All writing entries will be judged by a panel of undisclosed writing and publishing experts.

Each category will have 1^st place, 2^nd place, and 2 honorable mentions.

1st Place: $500

2nd Place: $250

2 Honorable Mentions from BPP

Once the contest ends in May 2012, all winners will be listed on our website and in the August 2012 newsletter.

Each 1st place story, poem, and essay will be published on our website and newsletter in subsequent issues.

Deadline for submissions: May 1, 2012,  12 AM Pacific time

How It Works

• Maximum 2,500 words for short story or essay and up to 5 poems for each entrant
• Double spaced
• 14 size Times New Roman font
• Keep it clean
• Please submit all stories in Microsoft Word in doc. or doc.x format as an attachment
• Stories/Poems belong to the original submitter
• Submissions will not be returned so please keep a copy for yourself
• All margins should be set at  1 inch
• Original Unpublished stories only

$20.00 entry fee per submission    

For info call 951-214-5712 or email info@blackpennypress.com

or abrendal@gmail.com

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