Writers Digest short story competition

We’re looking for short stories! Think you can write a winning story in less than 1,500 words? Enter the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000 in cash, get published in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to our ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City! The winning entries will be on display in the 14th Annual Writer’s Digest Competition Collection.
Wondering what’s in it for you?

• A chance to win $3,000 in cash
• Get national exposure for your work
• A paid trip to the ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City

How to enter: register and pay online or download a printable entry form. (Early-Bird Entry fees are $20 per manuscript.)

Francis MacManus Short Story Competition 2014 RTÉ. Deadline: Jan 31st 2014.

Francis MacManus Short Story Competition 2014 RTÉ. Deadline: Jan 31st 2014.

 (1) The competition is open to people born or resident in Ireland.

(2) Only one entry per person is allowed.

(3) Entries in Irish or English, must be the original work of the author and must not have been previously published or broadcast.

(4) Entries should be written in the knowledge that each of the short-listed stories will be read on air.

(5) Stories must be between 1,800 and 2,000 words in length. Stories outside this word range will not be considered.

(6) Entries should be double-spaced and typewritten on one side only of A4 paper.

(7) The author’s name should only appear on the accompanying entry form.

(8) The author is advised to retain a copy of his/her entry as RTÉ cannot return scripts.

(9) Entries will be accepted from Friday 25th October, 2013 until Friday 31st January, 2014

. The winners will be announced in June 2014.

(10) The decision of the judges is final and RTÉ cannot enter into correspondence concerning the judging or merits of any entry.

(11) Each submission should be sent/delivered in an A4 envelope and accompanied by a completed entry form to:

RTÉ RADIO 1 SHORT STORY COMPETITION
RTÉ RADIO CENTRE,DUBLIN 4

Claire Keegan workshop

Claire Keegan's first fiction workshop of 2014 will held at the Millrace Hotel, Bunclody, Co Wexford on January 18 & 19. The workshop will run from 9:30 to 5pm both days. Manuscripts, which must not exceed 3,000 words, will be due on January 8th.

On December 9th, Claire will run a day on paragraphs in St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. She will be demonstrating how a paragraph of fiction works: the shape and structure of a paragraph; transitions; movement; statement and tone. Participants will be asked to scrutinise, write and rewrite paragraphs on the day. The day will begin at 9:30 and conclude at 5pm.

Please also note that due to a cancellation, we now have one place available on the November 30/December 1st workshop in Belfast.

If you would like to make a booking or receive more details, please do contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

 ckworkshop@yahoo.co.uk

The importance of the right title in a short story.Flash 500

No.1 – Titles

The importance of the title for any submitted work is often overlooked. It is the first sight the judge has of your entry and therefore merits careful consideration.

 

 

Titles must always be relevant to the theme of the work and should arouse the judge’s immediate interest without being too explicit and giving away the ending of a story or punch line of a poem.

 

A title that works on more than one level shows the author has given time and thought to the process and has not picked the first thing that came to mind.

 

Things to avoid:

• Long-winded titles.
• Sub-headings giving further information relevant to the theme. (Your entry should say it all – remember that judges also tend to keep up with current news and trends!)
• Being too clever. (Whilst apt originality is a major plus, obscure connections to the theme will work against you.)

 

A really good title will still stay in the judge’s mind long after reading your entry.

 

Short Story Competition Glimmer Train

 

Short Story Award for New Writers. First place: $1,500 and publication. Deadline: 11/30

Open only to writers whose fiction has not appeared, nor is scheduled to appear, in a print publication with a circulation over 5,000.

Most submissions run 1,500 to 6,000 words, but can be up to 12,00 words.

Winners and finalists will be announced in the February bulletin, and contacted directly by January 27th. 2nd/3rd place winners will receive $500/$300, respectively, or, if chosen for publication, $700.

The Poetry of Seamus Heaney

The Poetry of Seamus Heaney

A series of four classes exploring the poetry of Seamus Heaney.  From the best-loved poems to some less well-known, this short course aims to deepen appreciation of the work of our national poet and Nobel prize winner.

Wednesdays 2.30 - 4pm, starting next Wednesday,  November 6th.

Cost €20 (for four classes)

Booking at 051 897200,or  email ferrybank@kilkennylibrary.ie

Competition for crime writers. The Telegraph Newpaper.

Are you an aspiring crime writer? English newspaper The Telegraph is offering an unprecedented opportunity to be published by one of the world’s leading literary imprints.
Who Can EnterThe competition is open to writers from anywhere in the world. Entries must be unpublished works of fiction aimed at adult readers and written in the English language.
The prize is only open to those who have not had a novel published before and are not already signed with a literary agent.
The Prize
Harvill Secker, an imprint of Penguin Random House, will offer the winning writer a publishing deal – either physical and digital, or digital only – and a non-returnable advance of £5,000 (approximately US$8,000) for world rights in the book.
The final book will be published by Harvill Secker and be available for purchase through the Telegraph Bookshop, as well as in shops and online. An extract from the winning entry will be printed in The Telegraph in 2014.
How to EnterYour book does not have to be finished for you to enter, but you must have a detailed plan. In keeping with the international nature of Harvill Secker’s profile, the crime book must contain an international element of some sort (ie an element from outside the United Kingdom).
It’s up to writers how they interpret this requirement. It could be just a weapon that’s come from abroad, a character with a connection to another country, or the whole book could be set outside the UK. A significant international component does not, however, mean that a book will have a greater chance of winning.
To enter the competition writers must submit:

• the first 5,000 words of their crime novel
• a detailed, two-page double-spaced synopsis of how the rest of the book unfolds, including the ending
• a detailed two-page synopsis which includes details of the Novel’s plot, main characters and ending
• a £5 entry fee.

A panel of judges will select the winning entry on the basis of editorial merit. The winner will be notified by 14 February 2014.
To enter you work complete the online entry form. Full terms and conditions are available here.
The closing date for the competition is 23:59 30th November 2013 GMT
Useful Advice for Entrants
The Telegraph have published a number of great resources for writers intending to enter the competition.
These include:

• Alison Hennessey, senior editor at Harvill Secker and one of the prize’s judges explaining why she decided to launch the competition
• An online ‘masterclass’ with Alice LaPlante explaining how to create suspense
• A two video interviews with Jo Nesbo with tips and advice

Entries in The Telegraph Harvill Secker Crime Writing Competition will be assessed by a panel of four judges. The judges are:

• Alison Hennessey, senior editor at Harvill Secker – follow Alison on Twitter @crime_queen
• Sam Copeland, literary agent at RCW –  follow Sam on Twitter @stubbleagent
• Jon Stock, Telegraph books desk and author of the Daniel Marchant spy thriller trilogy – follow Jon on Twitter @MarchantM16
• Richard Reynolds, crime buyer at Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge – follow Heffers on Twitter @heffersbookshop