Creative Writing Competition 2015 - from Read DL, ETB and Wonder - deadline Friday 13th March

 

Entry is free 

 

Criteria for the Creative Writing competition :

·         It must tell a complete story—with a beginning, middle, and end

·         It must have a setting

·         It must have at least one identifiable character

·         It must contain a situation/conflict and a resolution

·         It cannot be a descriptive passage, a literary reflection, an essay or a poem

Please do not put name or personal contact details on the same page as the creative writing entry itself.

Cover letter accompanying entries should include:

          Name, address, email address and phone number of author.

          Title(s) of each entry submitted.

No alterations can be made to the entry once it has been submitted, and no entries can be returned (so please remember to keep your own copy).

The committee will select the three winning entries from a shortlist submitted to them by the Judging Panel.   All decisions of the Judging Panel are final and no correspondence or discussion can be entered into regarding those decisions.  Any attempt to contact the judges in regard to the competition will result in immediate disqualification.

Copyright will remain with the author, but the READ DL committee reserves the right to arrange first publication or broadcast of selected entries as it sees fit.

The 1^st Prize winning author will be invited to read their selection at the READ DL Closing Ceremony

The three winning entries will be published in North West Words Magazine.   Authors of the three winning entries will be invited to read their selections at a North West Words event.

Submission of an entry implies the author’s acceptance of the conditions set out above.

Prizes

                             1st Prize                  €50 in book vouchers

                             2nd Prize                €30 in book vouchers

3rd Prize               €20 in book vouchers

Closing Date

All entries must be received by 5pm, Friday, 13^th March 2015.

All entries should be sent or delivered to:

Bríd McIntyre

Adult Education Centre

Ard O Donnell

Letterkenny

or sent by email to:

bridmcintyre@donegaletb.ie

 

Fat Fox Books

My Sunday evening activities are a classic example of why I seem to struggle to get anything written these days...I sit down with the best of intentions of writing, then I come across a really useful website on publishing for children's writing and before I know it, three hours later, I may have a little further insight into the publishing industry...but have I actually written anything?...no, of course I haven't. So, to make myself feel a bit better I am sharing with you the lovely website I came across for Fat Fox Books. It is a new independent publishing company and publishes books for children aged 3-14. They are one of few publishers that accept unsolicited material - submission details are here. The website also has links to other useful sites for children's writing that you can spend hours (yes, hours) browsing. Time for bed. Tomorrow I will write something BEFORE I switch on the computer.

The Bath Children's Novel Award

Find details here on this new award for children's and YA novels. It is open to unpublished and independently published novelists. The closing date is 11th october 2015. Full details will be published on April 2nd. The competition link also has a useful Q&A with the judge Sallyanne Sweeney....October is only seven months away...get writing...no pressure...

North West Words Arts Night 29th January 2015

Next week is the last of January, and that means North West Words Arts Night on the last Thursday. Nothing warms the heart in winter like a night of winning poetry and some good food in Cafe Blend, Letterkenny. It's a night for the winners and shortlistees from the Donegal Creameries and North West Words Poetry Prize 2014.

 

Two free short story competitions

Most writing competitions do charge an entrance fee, and as long it's reasonable, that's understandable. Still, sometimes they're expensive, and they do start to add up if you are entering a few. So, here are two free to enter short story competitions. They are both well known annual competitions and are run by County Councils in Ireland. The deadlines are in late February and early March.

From the Well  Short Story Competition 2015 Cork  County Library and Arts Service - deadline 20th February 2015. There is a theme of 'Light' and a maximum word count of 2,000. The judges for the 20 shortlisted entries are Claire Kilroy, Declan Meade and Billy O’Callaghan. For further details, rules, and an entry form see here


Molly Keane Creative Writing Award 2015 - deadline Friday 6th March 2015. Maximum word count 2,000. For full details, rules, and the entry form see Waterford City and County Council website here   

Happy writing.

Writing opportunities in January 2015

What better way to start a writerly New Year than to send out some submissions. There are quite a few opportunities listed below - all open in January 2015. And, for competitions, see our competitions page. Happy reading and writing through 2015 from the Garden Room Writers.

North West Words - hurry, hurry, the deadline for submissions to issue 3 is 01st January 2015. An online magazine seeking poetry, short story (max 2000 words), non-fiction (max 800 words), flash fiction (max 500 words) and jpegs of photography/art. For more details see here 

Happy Christmas from the Garden Room Writers

Image from: http://all-free-download.com/

North West Words Arts Night November

Tonight is North West Words Arts Night at 8pm in Cafe Blend, Letterkenny.

Absence, grief, writing

I truly believe that the books and writing we are meant to read find us. Even in the great chaotic morass of the internet, we can stumble upon beauty, truth and resonance. This piece by Colm Toibin reached out and grabbed me by the throat yesterday, and although my reaction is shaped by very specific circumstances and events that have been going on in my life recently, you need to read it too.
You need to read it because he is intelligent and insightful about what writers do. You need to read it because every author and book he mentions in the piece is unmissable....you have read Mary Lavin, haven't you? Julian Barnes? Joan Didion? If not, what are you waiting for?
You need to read it because you are human, and grief and loss touches us all, and great writing helps us heal. My copy of 'Nora Webster' is ready, waiting to be read. What are you waiting for?

November - some submission opportunities

For a variety of reasons, mostly work related, I couldn't manage my usual round up of submission opportunities last month. I noticed too that my fiction writing slipped far into the background of my life. These little postings help to motivate me; they keep me thinking about what might come next. And, it's nice to share them. So, I'm back with another one. Maybe it will motivate me, as much as anyone, to write and send out work soon.

Here's a list of what I've found to be open currently.

North West Words Magazine - they have just released Issue 2 and are seeking submissions for Issue 3.  Send up to three poems, or up to 2000 words of fiction, or up to 800 words of memoir to editornww@yahoo.ie For further details see inside the magazine.