There are fewer and fewer opportunities for short stories to be published in magazines. One market that still accepts them is Ireland's Own, and they also run an annual writing competition which is currently open.
There is €2200 total prizemoney up for grabs and winning and some highly commended stories will be published in a Winning Writers Annual in May 2010.
The competition, backed by self-publishing firm Original Writing has a number of categories that you can enter.
For the short story competitions your entry must be no more than 2,000 words in length and must be aimed at Ireland's Own's readership. They say it must be "of an non-experimental nature".
The Open Short Story is as you may expect open to all. There are a number of prizes, with €600 for 1st, €200 for 2nd and two runners-up prizes of €100 each. The Beginners Short Story section is for unpublished writers with €400 as 1st prize and three runners-up prizes of €100.
Then there is the memories category, where competitiors must write in no more than 800 words about a memorable moment or event. The organisers suggest: " It could be about school, holidays, falling in love, getting married, emigrating, a special person you have known, etc."
Again there are good prizes to be won, €200 for 1st place and and three runners-up prizes of €100.
For all sections entries must be previously unpublished; any number of entries can be sent in by post but each one must include a €6.00 (or £5 Sterling) fee, in cheque or money order). Don't forget to include your name and address.
Entries should be sent to: 2009 Original Writing Competitions, Ireland's Own, Channing House, Rowe Street, Wexford by September 30th 2009. Which section each entry is intended for should be clearly marked on the envelope.
Hello again, apologises for no blogs recently but I've had some personal things to deal with. Anyway here's a great short story competition from the Writers' and Artists' 2010 Yearbook for writers both published and unpublished.
Your story must be up to 2,000 words long and be about the theme of 'Unity or Union' it must also be aimed at adults. The winner will receive £500 in cash and a place on the Arvon Foundation residential writing course.
I was longlisted for the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook centenary novel writing competition so it's definitely worth having a go at entering!
The winning story will also be published on the W & A's website, no purchase is necessary although every budding writer will probably want an up-to-date Yearbook, and the competition is open to all ages and nationalities.
To enter you must first register on the publishers website at http://www.acblack.com/registration/, then email your story to [email protected] with 'WAYB10 competition' as the subject line by February 14th, 2010. One entry only per person.
For more details including full terms and conditions visit www.writersandartists.co.uk
Hello again, apologises for no blogs recently but I've had some personal things to deal with. Anyway here's a great short story competition from the Writers' and Artists' 2010 Yearbook for writers both published and unpublished.
Your story must be up to 2,000 words long and be about the theme of 'Unity or Union' it must also be aimed at adults. The winner will receive £500 in cash and a place on the Arvon Foundation residential writing course.
I was longlisted for the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook centenary novel writing competition so it's definitely worth having a go at entering!
The winning story will also be published on the W & A's website, no purchase is necessary although every budding writer will probably want an up-to-date Yearbook, and the competition is open to all ages and nationalities.
To enter you must first register on the publishers website at http://www.acblack.com/registration/, then email your story to [email protected] with 'WAYB10 competition' as the subject line by February 14th, 2010. One entry only per person.
For more details including full terms and conditions visit www.writersandartists.co.uk
Can you finish a story by an Usborne author?
I have also been quite busy applying for jobs so apologies for the gap between posts. I've had another rejection, a basic slip, came back very quickly, and the envelope had got chewed up in the post. Was a bit disappointed as the agency's requirements ask for the first 50-100 words with a footer, which took a bit of time sorting. Oh well.
I have just received the new programme for this year's Bath Festival of Children's Literature. Inside there is the usual fantastic list of visiting authors (perhaps I'll get to go this time, so far I've always had diary clashes!) and there is mention of two competitions that I thought I'd pass on.
The first is by Bloomsbury, the publisher of the Harry Potter books. It is called 247tales.com and is for young writers aged between 8 and 16 resident in the UK.
The challenge is to write a story in 247 words or fewer. Each month a Bloomsbury author sets a theme and writes their own 247 story - then its your turn.
This month's deadline has just passed it was about The Web and the author was Gemma Malley author of The Declaration, a book I would like to read. The winner will be posted on Wednesday so they may change to the next theme then too.
One winner is chosen each month and they receive £75 worth of Bloomsbury books and have their 247tale featured on this website. Ten runners-up will get a signed copy of the latest book from that month's featured author, as well as links to their stories.
You can email your story (only one per month) via the website www.247tales.com or post it to: 247tales competition, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY.
Include your name, age, address and a contact number or email address on your entry.
The second competition is the Usborne Young Writers' Award 2009 and challenges youngsters to finish stories by five authors. The publishers are celebrating five years of Usborne Fabulous Fiction, by offering UK writers up to the age of 14, the chance to write a story with a real author.
The lucky winners will receive a trip to Usborne House in London to meet all five authors, plus lots of other great prizes including £100 worth of FREE Usborne books and an author event at your school.
The competition is open to UK children up to and including the age of 14 on 23rd October 2009, which is the deadline for the competition. Stories must be completed in no more than 1000 words (excluding the story starter).
To enter write the story-starter author's name on your story, then send it to Usborne Young Writers' Award, Usborne Publishing, 83-85 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8RT or email it to [email protected]
Find the stories, full rules and lots of tips at http://www.usborne.co.uk/features/young_writers_award.asp
By the way some people seem to have had problems with posting comments. I have now realised they sometimes go into spam and are automatically deleted, so I will double check there from now on.
I have also been asked about following this blog, there is no need to register.
Well if you've been following me on Twitter you will know I've had a reply from the agent who was looking at my full manuscript of my revised Dr Midas and the Pirates. Sadly the whole thing had come back so I knew it was going to be bad news.
She wrote : "Publishers are being increasingly choosy about what they take on and many have cut back on the volume of books they acquire. This has a knock on effect and I have to be equally choosy. Unfortunately I didn't think that your work had that elusive "stand-out" quality that I am looking for, although I did enjoy your lively style," and went on to wish me well.
This is obviously a difficult time for publishers just as it is with other companies, and it seems to me they really need to be certain of guaranteed big sales before they'll sign a writer and this is the case with agents too. Perhaps I need to get all of you to pledge to buy a copy!!!
Anyway I've done as I always do, sent it out again to another agent.
I'm also going to have a go at the two Pure Inspiration writing competitions, being run this summer by English Heritage and being promoted by two very successful children's book writers.
The first has to be based around Whitby Abbey and will be judged by Yorkshire author G.P Taylor. Winning stories will be published in a special English Heritage book.
Graham received loads of rejections himself before self-publishing. Promoting the competition, he said: "When you are an unknown author, getting that first break can be extremely difficult. This competition will give several authors the chance to have see their works in print, hopefully uncovering some bright new talent for the future."
The second has to be based around Lucky Spot, a crystal horse made of suspended crystals, by Stella McCartney at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Northumberland, and will be judged by the author of Skellig, David Almond.
Winners of the Belsay competition will receive signed books, and the overall winner will receive a year's free membership to English Heritage.
The Whitby competition runs from 19 May to 4 September 2009, with entries welcomed from writers of all ages and abilities - although they must use Whitby Abbey as an integral part of the story.
There are four categories that will be judged separately:
* Ages 11 and under (maximum story length: 500 words)
* Ages 12 to 16 (maximum story length: 1250 words)
* Ages 17 to 21 (maximum story length: 2500 words)
* Over 21s (maximum story length: 2500 words)
All entries should be emailed to [email protected], no later than 12 noon on Friday 4 September 2009.
The Belsay stories can be set at any time: past, present or future, or indeed, be set in the real world or a parallel world, as long as Lucky Spot remains an integral part of the story. They must be submitted by email to no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 7 July 2009.
For more details visit http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.20852
