Flash Novels and a Contest

Flash Book Review: The covers of this book are too far apart. ~Ambrose Bierce

Flash Novels

The length of a flash novel, like the length of flash fiction, varies. A good general definition is a novel of 75 to 150 pages. Also like flash fiction, the flash novel may have leave some things open to interpretation by the reader.

Examples of flash novels include

-                       Searching for Suzi by Nancy Stohlman tells of a young woman facing the ghosts of her past.

-                       The Pink Institution by Selah Saterstrom traces four generations of women in the Deep South.

-                       Emily Avenue, a coming-of-age story by Jeff Landon, won Flash Forward Press’ 2010 Flash Novel Contest.

-                       The Underneath by Kathi Appelt is a young adult flash novel.

Here is a flash novel contest to try:

KAZKA PRESS

Deadline: April 30, 2012

Looking for fantasy and sci-fi flash novels between 35,000 and 50,000 words. First Place receives a $250 advance. Second Place receives a $100 advance. Both will receive 35% royalties on the cover price

Eric Hoffer Short Prose Award

ERIC HOFFER SHORT PROSE AWARD

Deadline: March 31, 2012. No entry fee. $250 grand prize. 10,000-word limit. Your submission must be previously unpublished, or published with a circulation of less than 500.

This award honors the memory of American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. The winning stories and essays are published in the annual anthology, Best New Writing.

Writer’s Thought for the Week: A true critic ought to dwell rather upon excellencies than imperfections, to discover the concealed beauties of a writer, and communicate to the world such things as are worth their observation. ~ Joseph Addison

Accents and Novel/Novella/Nonfiction Contest

ACCENTS

What kind of American accent do you or your characters have? A friend of mine and I both tried this quiz which correctly identified where each of us grew up. Something to think about when we’re writing dialogue.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/spl3/american-accent-quiz.html

TARCHER/PENGUIN NOVEL/NOVELLA/NONFICTION CONTEST
 
Deadline: March 2, 2012. No entry fee.

Writers residing in the USA are invited to submit an unpublished novel, novella, or narrative nonfiction. (Limit one entry per person.) The top prize is $5,000 and a manuscript review by a Penguin editor.

Thought for the week: The question is not what you look at -- but how you look and whether you see.  ~ Thoreau