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

Legal Matters/Short Short Fiction Contest

Thought for the Day: Accepting the unacceptable is the hardest lesson to learn and the most important to achieve inner peace. ~  Char Wilson, artist

Legal Matters

Legal Write Publications has a Twitter account @LegalWritePub on articles and blogs that deal with the legal side of writing, as well as a blog covering copyright and related issues: http://legalwritepublications.com/blog/.  Their web site offers free e-reports on the benefit of copyright and what it does NOT protect: http://legalwritepublications.com/freebies/

Esquire/Aspen Writers’ Foundation Short Short Fiction Contest

http://www.esquire.com/fiction/short-short-fiction-contest-2011

Deadline: October 7, 2011

Win a trip to New York to study with Colum McCann, and a scholarship to the Aspen Summer Words Fiction Workshop if you can beat Colum McCann (in 78 words). Entries must be 78 words, in honor of Esquire's 78th birthday, and will be judged on plot, characterization, theme, and originality.

Ten winners will receive reimbursement up to $500 for round trip economy plane fare to New York for a fiction workshop, taught by Colum McCann, and a literary party. Winners also receive reimbursement for up to $500 for two nights lodging in New York City.  One of the ten finalists will be selected as the Grand Prize winner of a full scholarship for the advanced fiction workshop at Aspen Summer Words (June 17 to 22, 2012).

The contest is sponsored by Hearst Communications.

Black Orchid Novella Award

Thought for the week: "Writing is not the lottery. New writers have to be realistic about what it takes to get published. But there is one similarity to the lottery: You have to play to win." ~ Lori Perkin 


BLACK ORCHID NOVELLA AWARD
http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/neroaward/black_orchid_award/BO_award_proc.htm

Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length and postmarked by May 31, 2011. Each entry must be an original unpublished work of fiction that conforms to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe mystery series:

       1. "traditional" in flavor
       2. The sleuth's deductive abilities solve the crime. No coincidences.
       3. The killer is known to the victim. No random psycho shootings. 
       4. The characters must have an engaging relationship.
       5. Some wit is required.
      
No entry fee. The winner will be offered a standard Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine contract.

The Wolfe Pack, founded in 1977, is a forum to discuss, explore, and enjoy the 72 Nero Wolfe books and novellas written by Rex Stout. The organization promotes fellowship and extends friendship to those who enjoy these great literary works of mystery through a series of events, book discussions, and a journal devoted to the study of the genius detective, Nero Wolfe, and his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin. The organization has more than 500 members worldwide.

Is Your Character Strange?

Do you have a character with an obvious quirk? If so, check out the current contest at Reading Writers. This contest seeks stories in which the protagonist aggressively seeks a goal while those around him/her try not to react to the eccentricity. E-mail one unpublished short story up to 1500 words no later than May 15, 2011. The winner will receive $100 and be published in The Verb. Check out the link above for more details and even a bio of the judge.

Thought for the week and your quirky character: "We all want to be accepted, but in the end it is the truly original that are remembered."   Mary Moquin

Kenyon Review Contest and Creating Suspense

Creating suspense is an effective way to grab readers and keep them turning the page. Some writers do this by withholding information from the reader, but this technique can alienate your audience. A far better method is creating tension by what you tell your reader.

Linda Rohrbough, well-known public speaker and publisher author, has an excellent article on how to do this here: http://lindarohrbough.com/home/pdfs/How_Not_to_Cheat_Your_Reader_by_Linda_Rohrbough.pdf


KENYON REVIEW CONTEST
http://www.kenyonreview.org/contests-sf.php

This no-fee contest has a February 28, 2011 deadline and is limited to writers 30 years of age or younger at the time of submission. Your story must be 1,200 words or less.

Only one entry allowed per author. You must use their electronic system to submit.

The Kenyon Review will publish the winning short story in the Winter 2012 issue, and the author will be awarded a scholarship to attend the 2011 Writers Workshop, June 18-25, 2011 in Gambier, Ohio.

Holiday Story Contest

Do you have far to go for the holidays? You could win round trip holiday travel expenses plus $1,000 in spending money.

Folgers is sponsoring a holiday story contest and there is no fee to enter. In 200 words or fewer, answer the question, "What is the best part of wakin' up at home for the holidays with Folgers® Coffee?"

Folgers will award five contest winners, plus up to three family members or friends, travel to and from their holiday destination. Entries will be evaluated based on relevance to the theme of the contest, creativity, and clarity of expression.

Submit using their online form that has an automatic word counter. The deadline is November 30, 2010 at noon.

CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW

Call for Submissions: http://craborchardreview.siuc.edu/special.html
Guidelines: http://craborchardreview.siuc.edu/guid2.html

Deadline: November 1, 2010 (postmark; does not accept e-mail submissions)

Currently seeking work for their Summer/Fall 2011 issue focusing on writing exploring the people, places, history, and new directions that have shaped and are reshaping the American South. All submissions should be original, unpublished poetry, fiction, or literary nonfiction. Novel excerpts are acceptable, as long as they stand on their own as fiction. Pays $25 per page ($50 minimum for poetry; $100 minimum for prose). Submit only one piece during each submission period.
Crab Orchard Review is published twice per year, under the auspices of the Department of English at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and with partial funding from the Illinois Arts Council, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

On the Premises Contest #12

Current contest
About their contests

No entry fee. One submission per author.
1st prize: $180; 2nd prize: $140; 3rd prize: $100; honorable mention: $40
Between zero and three stories will be chosen as honorable mentions.
Deadline: September 30, 2010
Word limit: 1,000 to 5,000 words

The premise is STRENGTH. One or more characters must either exemplify strength themselves, or encounter someone, something, or some place that exemplifies strength. The strength can relate to any attribute that could reasonably be described as “strong”—it can be physical, emotional, olfactory, etc. Questions? Contact them at Questions@OnThePremises.com. Send submissions to Entries@OnThePremises.com or use their template .

GROANOLOGY 2: MONSTERS, MADNESS, AND MAYHEM

http://libraryofthelivingdead.lefora.com/2010/07/01/groanology-2-a-horror-comedy-submissions-now-open/

Deadline: September 30, 2010
Word count: 1,200 to 3,200
Payment is one cent per word and one contributor copy.
No reprints.

The editors of this horror/comedy anthology say, "Send us your neurotic nightmares, your Freudian fiends, your tortured soulless souls. We want to read about the heartache, the headache, and most of all that pain in your funny bone that occur when monsters are plagued with psychiatric illnesses …Don't feel limited to depression and anxiety…We'd like to see some submissions that really go whole-hog (like you’d expect from a zombie pig with delusions of grandeur…you know, just for example)." Submit via e-mail. Here's a list of psychiatric disorders to get you started: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mental_disorders_as_defined_by_the_DSM_and_ICD

CREATIVE WRITERS CIRCLE SHORT STORY CONTEST

Something different: a contest that rewards winners with cash and cookies.

http://creativewriterscircle.com/index.php?p=1_3_Contests

Deadline: August 31, 2010
No entry fee; one entry per person
1st place: $50; 2nd place: $25

This contest has the longest prompt I have ever seen – a 232-word paragraph - that must be the first paragraph in your story of 3,500 words or less. Winning stories will be featured on the web site. Each winner will also receive one dozen gourmet cookies. A minimum of 50 people must enter or the contest will be canceled.

Past Loves Day Contest

http://www.ourpastloves.com/contest

No entry fee.
Deadline: August 17, 2010
Prizes: 1st place, $100; 2nd, $75; 3rd, $50

Write your true story about a former sweetheart in 700 words or less. How did that person's presence in your life change you? Your story may be heartwarming or humorous. Winning stories will be published on the web site, anonymously if you wish. You can read the previous winners on the web site. Honorable mentions are also posted, but you can request that your story not be posted unless you place in the top three.

Necromancers Short Story Contest

RISE OF THE NECROMANCERS SHORT STORY CONTEST
http://www.pillhillpress.com/flesh--bone-rise-of-the-necromancers.html

Deadline: July 31, 2010
No entry fee. One story per person.
1st place: $125, 2nd: $50, 3rd: $25. Winners and runners up receive a copy of the anthology.

Send your fiercest, most magical dark fantasy story about necromancers and the undead rising. Stories may take place any time (past, present, future, alternate) at any place (Earth, imaginary places, Grandma's kitchen sink, etc.). Stories may be told from the perspective of good or evil or anywhere in between. They prefer stories in the 3,000-6,000 word range, but will accept 2,000-10,000 word stories.

Hillerman Mystery Competition

2010 HILLERMAN MYSTERY COMPETITION
http://www.wordharvest.com/novel_contest.php

Deadline: June 1, 2010. No e-mail submissions
No entry fee. Limit of one entry per writer.
Prize: publication with St. Martin's press and a $10,000 advance.

The competition is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has never published a mystery novel and who is not under contract with a publisher for publication of a mystery. All submissions must be original, unpublished book-length works (no less than 220 typewritten pages or approximately 60,000 words).

Novella Contest

FAILBETTER NOVELLA CONTEST
http://www.failbetter.com/Novella.php

Your novella must be 8,000 words or more and suitable for serial publication. For the contest, send only the first 5,000 words. You must submit via e-mail, either pasted in the body of your e-mail or as an RTF or TXT attachment. Limit of one entry per person.

Note: All entries are considered for publication, but they do not pay for regular submissions. If you only submit to paying markets, don't let the no pay possibility stop you here. They would need to contact you for the full manuscript if they wanted to publish your novella, so you could withhold it.

The prize is $500. There is no entry fee and the deadline is May 15, 2000.

Paul Goodman Essay Contest

PAUL GOODMAN ESSAY CONTEST
http://dissentmagazine.org/essaycontest/

Original 1000 to 3000 word essays in the spirit of Goodman’s "utopian essays and practical proposals." What is one of the pressing social and political issues of our time, and how would you address it?

Deadline: May 1, 2010. No entry fee.

The winning author will receive a $1,000 cash prize and his/her will be published in Dissent. Two runner-up essays will be published on the Dissent web site and receive $250 and a signed DVD copy of the film.

Essays should be sent in PDF or DOC format to essaycontest@paulgoodmanfilm.com.

Haiku Poetry Contest

HAIKI NOW! CONTEST 2010
http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/contest/haiku-now-contest-2010/#submit

Deadline: March 31, 2010. No fee.
You may enter up to one unpublished poem in each category: traditional, contemporary, innovative.

First-prize winners in each category receive $100. Honorable mentions receive $25. All winning poems will be featured on The Haiku Foundation web site and permanently archived.

The web site has sample poems for the three categories. Submit via online submission only using the links embedded in the How to Submit section of the guidelines.

RAY BRADBURY CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST
http://www.waukeganpl.org/programs/bradcontest.html
http://www.waukeganpl.org/programs/2010rbflyer.pdf

Deadline: postmarked by March 19, 2010. (No e-mail submissions.)
No fee, but a limit of one entry per individual
Categories: Creative writing (poems, essays, short stories), visual arts, multimedia

The three categories are divided into separate ones for high school students and adults, and Illinois residents and non-residents for a total of twelve categories. Creative writing entries may be no longer than two pages.

The theme for this year's contest is the relationship between life and death. The non-Illinois resident winner in each of the twelve categories receives $100. The Illinois resident winners receive $200.

The winning entries will be announced April 14.

Carteret Writers Contest Closes March 9, 2010

Hope you sent your submissions in. Cash prizes for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, flash, and children's. http://www.carteretwriters.org