Found Forms in Fiction: Letters, Tweets, & Beyond Thurs nights in October, 2018 | Oct 4, 11, 18, 25 | 6-9 pm / 12 hours total Members or full time students: $139 | General enrollment: $159 Cap: 12 | All experience levels Location: Anchorage, 421 W. 1st Ave, Suite 200 (Alaska Humanities Forum office) In this four-week class, we’ll study pieces of fiction that borrow formal structures from elsewhere in culture. We’ll study a classic epistolary work, innovative contemporary pieces like Rick Moody’s short story-in-tweets, and more. From there, we’ll identify forms that might be interesting to experiment with (as well as their respective formal possibilities and constraints). Students will write and workshop new stories utilizing borrowed forms. Instructor bio: Shane Castle is a UAA writing instructor and reader/proofreader forAlaska Quarterly Review. He has worked as a journalist and his short fiction has appeared in venues including Black Warrior Review, Indiana Review, Salamander, Electric Literature, and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Iron Horse Literary Review recently selected one of his stories for its 20th anniversary “best of” issue, and his agent is currently trying to sell his debut novel.
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Short stories can be a good starting point for authors uncertain which direction to take in their writing career. It can also help authors explore new genres and stretch their writing skills. Additionally, short stories in fan fiction on many popular websites can help build an audience base for marketing your future novels.
Authors can also submit their short stories to print magazine and ezines for publication (and often times small payment), which will also increase awareness of your name and writing style (another marketing bonus). Here are just a few of the many magazines accepting short stories: ![]() The 49 Writers Reading and Craft Talk Series presents Kathleen W. Tarr presenting On the Literary Road with Thomas Merton: Writing As a Pilgrimage. Held at the Indigo Tea Lounge on 530 E Benson Blvd #8 on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 7 PM. This series will discuss how writers must often dance in the “clarity of perfect contradiction,” as the famous Trappist monk and bestselling writer,Thomas Merton observed. Writers work in quiet isolation, and yet confront and answer the impulse to hit the road, turning themselves into wanderers and explorers. Whether physically or metaphorically, writers become pilgrims. In this 49 Writers Reading & Craft Talk Series event, author Kathleen Witkowska Tarr discusses her newly-released book, part-memoir, part-biography, We Are All Poets Here (VPD House, January 2018), a shared story about spiritual seeking, and a surprising literary pilgrimage.” ![]()
If you are a fiction writer, the Wilbur Smith Adventure Award could win you 15,000 British pounds. There are two categories: best published adventure novel (£15,000) and best non-published adventure manuscript (£7,000 grant). Criteria for submission can be found HERE.
Deadline is March 12, 2018. For writers under the age of 21, there is a special category entitled, the Author of Tomorrow Award. This award focus on adventure short story and does not require a full novel-length manuscript submission. The winner of the Author of Tomorrow award will receive £1,500 and be digitally published with Worldreader. ![]()
If you've ever wanted to write fiction and didn't know where to start, The Balance has great tips for beginning writers. They have a concise list of important aspects in fiction as well links to in depth articles on each topic. This article starts with freewriting and short stories, then move into more well-known attributes like:
For authors that could use a good website with tips on beginning the writing process or opportunities for writing should consider, www.thewritelife.com which hosted a great article with 100 of the best writing websites, organized by topic. Authors can learn new tips, find new resources, and blogs on writing and improving the craft.
Elm Leaves Journal is Buffalo State's historic literary and arts journal publishing since 1948. In 2013, the ELJ began publishing authors outside of the University's enrolled students to create a national literary journal on the cutting edge of writing.
Currently accepting open submissions for the BLACK OUT session, for Fall 2018, Elm Leaves Journal is looking for new, unpublished literature in the following areas:
Submissions may be of any length and should be sent in Microsoft Word to their email address eljbuffalo@gmail.com. If you have any other questions, check out the ELJ website here. ![]()
Hidden Compass is an online travel magazine that publishes quarterly. They are currently looking for powerful stories that will immerse readers in the experience or compelling narratives. They also have several other submissions categories listed below, most stories should be 800 to 1,500 words:
![]() FOLKS is a unique website magazine focusing on personal stories that tell of remarkable people who refuse to be defined by their health status. By sharing experiences, FOLKS hopes to change the stereotype about what it means to be ‘normal.’ Folks is looking for compelling personal essays with a unique hook and a strong takeaway, challenging readers to think differently about what it means to have a health condition. They want healthcare experiences that empower people or prove people are more than their conditions. Here are some examples of essays from the FOLKS archives:
![]() Bored Teachers is a unique blog designed to celebrate teachers. This site provides humor from memes, short stories, and their blog. The goal is to provide an outlet for all educators to find humor in the chaos of the job. They also provide the latest education news and awesome teaching resources. If you are interested in writing or submitting information relating to education and the teacher lifestyle, they pay $50 per approved submission. You can find out more about details for submissions here: Bored Teachers, The Struggle is Real. Relevant Publishers LLC is looking for TRUE Alaskan stories of Miracles and/or Angelic Encounters for an upcoming project schedule for publication in 2019. If you are an Alaskan and/or were present in Alaska when you experienced a real-life miraculous event, please Contact Us. The miraculous short stories must not have been previously published and must be based on accurate and true events. Stories should range between 2,500 to 6,000 words. Authors must be willing to provide a recent picture of themselves which will be posted on social media as part of the promotion of their story. 10 winning stories will be selected for publication. Selected stories will receive $100 and 3 Free Copies of the new book after publication. ![]() This nationally recognized contest is for works of original short fiction. The contest is named in honor of the Chicago literary great Nelson Algren and has been held annually since 1981. The award has been presented to a number of distinguished authors, including Louise Erdrich and Stuart Dybek. All stories entered will be considered for publication in Printers Row, the Chicago Tribunes' digital literary journal. Authors must be 18 years old or older. Stories must be 8,000 words or less. Deadline to enter is February 7, 2018 Prizes include:
To Enter the contest see the website: https://algren.submittable.com/submit/91884/2018-nelson-algren-literary-award-contest ![]() Ever read an entire fiction story in under 100 words? What that's the challenge of the International Flash Fiction Writing Contest funded by the Fundación César Egido Serrano. The goal of this contest is to write the best fiction story in 100 words or less. The contest is open to four different languages: English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Arabic. The grand prize is $20,000 for the best story, with a second prize offering of $1,000 for the runner up each language category. The deadline for entry is November 23, 2017, as indicated in the time zone of the Spanish Peninsular. By entering the contest, the Cesar Egido Serrano Foundation reserves the right to publish your story. Please note there is a section on the application that requests your ID or Passport number, but that field is optional. To protect yourself, we recommend leaving that section blank. Click Here For the Flash Fiction Contest Application
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Are you a writer under the age of 21? The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition is looking for you. This year they are compiling a unique anthology honoring H.G. Wells and are looking for short story, fiction writers. There are no entry fees for writers under 21. The winning writer receives 1,000 English pounds, which is roughly $1,200 American dollars.
The rules are very simple and can be found here. Basically, each writer completes a fiction story between 1,500 and 5,000 words. Your story cannot have been previously published and must be a completely original story. All entries must be submitted before July 16, 2017. This year's theme is "LIGHT." Light as a theme offers many opportunities for creative expression. Light might be astronomical as in the sun, moon, or stars providing light to a planet. It might be phosphorescent: algae or created by some other unique expression of life. It could be conceptual as in traveling by light. It could be metaphysical or employ quantum physics. Perhaps characters harness the power of light in healing, spiritual communication, or changing the direction of the universe. The concepts and uses of the "LIGHT" theme have endless potential. Remember this contest is in memory of H.G. Wells when submitting your stories. H.G. Wells was a self-taught writer who deeply impacted the genre of science-fiction. He often mixed scientific principles with Some of his most famous works are Time Machine, War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and the Island of Doctor Moreau. ![]() The Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books is having a contest that ends May 31, 2017 entitled "Positively Happy." They are looking for positive short stories about being grateful and happy in life regardless of circumstances. It is important that your story be first person and under 1,200 words. You can see the story contest submission guidelines here. Authors who win will be awarded $200 for their submission and receive 10 free copies of the new book. |
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