WOW! Women On Writing | Workshops | Writing Contests | The Muffin

November 2024 Markets Newsletter

In this issue: 

• "Build Better Beginnings: from Throat-Clearing to Motor-Running Fiction" by Melanie Faith
• "In Conversation with Senior Literary Agent Paula Munier at Talcott Notch Literary Agency" interview by Donna Judith Essner
• November Deadlines: Poetry, Fiction, Playwriting, Nonfiction, Multigenre, Just for Fun
• Craft Corner: "In Media Res" by Cindy Skaggs
• Craft Corner: "Making Something Sexy is Hard Work" by Evette Davis 
• Recent posts and features from The Muffin
• Success Stories and Social Media Fun from the WOW! Community

Writers!

It’s nearly November! Sweet season of crackly, crunchy leaves amidst the sparkling chill in the air and the Thanksgiving feast with friends and family. As the evenings extend, this is also a perfect time for grabbing a warm beverage and starting a new fiction project, continuing the novel you’ve planned, or getting back into a manuscript you’d put aside for a while.

First drafts of narratives frequently gain momentum a few pages or a chapter in, but readers must be entertained from the start or else they don’t continue reading. Let’s take a few looks at some splendid, sure-fire ideas for building beginnings that reel in readers.

• Don’t hold off. Want, want, want, immediately! Unmet desires and needs give the protagonist something to act on and to react against from the get-go. Instead of leading up slowly to the protagonist’s struggle, show the character already struggling in the first scene. Even better if they struggle from the first page.

• Limit your number of characters in the first pages. A deeper dive into one character—rather than a slower, cocktail-party-style, round-robin introduction—gives your readers a chance to shadow your protagonist and to feel firmly situated into their life and limitations before meeting the entire cast of characters. It’s great to introduce the antagonist early, though, as pushback motivates the protagonist’s need to act.  

• Move it all around. Many times, in my own drafts and in my students’ drafts, our better opening is buried a page or two (or even further) into the draft. It’s as if we are clearing our throats, doing warm-up laps around the track, before the really exciting, “now THAT’S interesting” portion begins. Often, most or all of the warm-up can be omitted and the piece is stronger for it. Great news: drafts are malleable! Don’t feel anchored to any draft’s initial first passage—you’re allowed to shorten, omit, move around, or even rewrite a passage to start your work.  

By Donna Judith Essner

Like so many writers and readers who read and collect books, one of my favorite treasures is my library. My list of Must-Read-and-Buy books continues to grow. Needless to say, my bookshelves are overflowing (I can’t bring myself to part with them!), so, I am—again—in sore need of another bookcase. Sigh. 

Seriously, though, if we writers want to learn and have the best chance of getting what it takes to get that revered book deal, first, we must read. Not only fiction, but nonfiction. I think I have as many nonfiction books on writing, and about writing, as I do fiction. Not only for my writing, but for my editing.

One of my recent purchases, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings by senior literary agent, Paula Munier, at Talcott Notch Literary is one I wished I’d acquired earlier on. The book, dog-eared and pasted with brightly colored sticky notes, is now constantly within reach. I kid you not.

Yes, we writers have been instructed ad nauseam on how to begin a story. But there’s a reason for that. Either nail the beginning of our story or expect our work to end up in that hated rejection pile with so many others. So, after studying her book, which also provided instruction on how she formed the first pages of her novel, A Borrowing of Bones, she hooked me, and I immediately bought the book. After that, I thought, why not see if Paula would be available to chat with me here at WOW!? And to my delight, she graciously agreed!

So, before we begin, I’d like to share some of Paula’s amazing talents. Not surprisingly, she’s held many notable careers in writing and publishing prior to taking on the title of literary agent at Talcott Notch Literary: journalist/reporter, editor, acquisitions editor, non-fiction author, novelist, and a USA Today best-selling author of the Mercy Carr series, of which, The Night Woods, the sixth book in the series is now available. The first Mercy Carr book, A Borrowing of Bones, was a Mary Higgins Clark nominee, and was also named as Dogwise Book of the Year, as was Blind Search, the second in the series. For anyone who loves dogs and cats and nature and mysteries, the Mercy Carr series is a must read.

WOW: Hello, Paula, and thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me today. I’m sure our readers here at WOW! can learn so much through your experiences. With all your previous writing and publishing credentials, how have these many careers helped you as a literary agent, and, for you, what is the best part about being a literary agent? 

Paula: Thanks, Donna, for having me here at WOW! I appreciate the opportunity. Well, everything I’ve done, from my days as a young reporter forward, has helped me learn to tell and sell stories. I’ve always loved words and stories in all forms, and so my time in publishing has been more a calling than career. Sitting in different seats at the table—whether as a reporter, acquisitions editor, nonfiction author, novelist, content strategist, agent—has broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of every aspect of the publishing business. Also, I love being a literary agent because, like being an acquisitions editor, it means that I am the midwife, helping writers bring their stories into the world. It’s like being an acquisitions editor—without the interminable meetings…

WOW: I am especially intrigued that you likened yourself to a “midwife.” I’d never thought of that analogy before. In essence, one of your many hats as a literary agent, then, is to guide a writer before, during, and after they are accepted for publication. That’s awesome! With that thought in mind, what can an author expect from you once they are signed with Talcott Notch? Also, what do you expect from the author?

Paula: I sign writers who are in for the long haul, who love to write and understand that revision is a necessary part of the process. I want to work with writers who have a strategic approach to their careers—and it’s my job to help them plan and execute that strategy.

WOW: Your comment that revision is necessary reminds me of Ernest Hemingway’s quote, “The only kind of writing is rewriting.” This brings to mind that many more manuscripts are rejected rather than accepted for publication. Why is that? Any suggestions on what a writer should consider before submitting their manuscript? 

Paula: One of the biggest mistakes writers make is sending out their work too soon. The bar is very high in terms of craft; you’re competing against the most accomplished authors working in your genre—not just your fellow debut authors. And there are only so many open spots on a publisher’s lists for debuts. So, you need to study your competition and master your craft. The writers who get published are the ones who finish, revise, and persist.

WOW: I hadn’t, perhaps like other writers, considered that publishers only have so many spots open to debut authors. So, it’s evident that all writers, not just debut authors, need to take their craft to a higher level to be in the running for publication. With that thought in mind, I imagine in the course of your day at Talcott Notch, you read lots of manuscript submissions. For any writer, debut writers included, when reading a submission, how far into a submission do you read before you “know” you don’t want to continue reading? 

Paula: As soon as I know I can’t sell it, I stop reading. That may happen right there on the first page because if a writer hasn’t grabbed me then and there, I know that the writer 1) is not ready for prime time and/or 2) has written the kind of story I know I’ll have difficulty selling.

“There are only so many open spots on a publisher’s lists for debuts. So, you need to study your competition and master your craft. The writers who get published are the ones who finish, revise, and persist.”

WOW: So, some manuscripts, even though they may be good, still might be a difficult sell. I’m sure that as a literary agent, keeping your finger on the pulse of the publishing world is a must to know what will sell. Are you seeing any trends in the industry right now? Ones that are easy sells? Any that lean toward a particular genre, sub-genre, or topic, fiction or nonfiction? 

Paula: You talk about the fickle world of trends at your peril! That said, as I write this, nonfiction of all kinds is hot. Horror is hot. Romantasy is hot. Even dark academia. There’s also a resurgence of noir as well as traditional mysteries, police procedurals, and near-future thrillers.

WOW: It’s great to hear that there are so many opportunities in different genres for writers to catch an agent’s eye. In nonfiction, it’s known that agents and publishers prefer a query, even before a manuscript is submitted. What is the best way to submit a nonfiction query? On that note, too, today there are a multitude of memoirs by celebrities being published. For a writer who is an unknown and they are writing their memoir, what would entice you to accept their memoir? 

Paula: When querying a nonfiction proposal, writers should be sure to have a good book proposal and a strong organizing principle. Also, memoirs are a very tough category if you’re not a Kardashian or a former president or big-time influencer. That said, if you write beautifully and you have a strong hook, you might sell it. 

WOW: At every turn here, Paula, you offer definitive ways for writers to become better at their craft. Thanks for sharing the links to writing a book proposal and using an organizing principal that works in any genre “to frame what happens in your story.” These guides will certainly better help writers craft a submission. Of course, as you mentioned previously, if you can’t sell it, you move on. But, when you have accepted a manuscript for publication, whether nonfiction or fiction, what does an author need to do to exchange their “writing hat” for their “marketing hat?” How can they help you sell their book? 

Paula: For nonfiction, you need a platform. End of story. For fiction, you need to be willing to work with your publisher on marketing and PR, which typically includes website, newsletter, events, blog tour, podcasts, and more. You need to show that you are part of your writing community and ready to do the work required to transition from writer to author.

WOW: These other elements needed by writers may be an eye-opener for many. In essence, though, they are merely switching writing gears in order to gain an audience, sell themselves, and their book. With that, I’d like to switch gears here as well. Since the COVID pandemic, have you seen a change in how readers are reading and buying their books, i.e., ebooks, audiobooks, paperback, hardcover? Do you think the trends you see now will continue into the next year? Maybe in five years?

Paula: Book sales soared during the pandemic as many people rediscovered their love of reading. But it was backlist sales; readers were looking for comfort readers by their favorite writers. Frontlist is back, but what’s selling now is high concept, across all categories. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

WOW: It certainly isn’t surprising that high-concept stories remain high on a reader’s (and movie-goer’s) list. I, too, love books that carry the story over to the theatre. (Harry Potter and Jaws comes to mind). However, other than these types of high-concept story lines, are there any other you’d like to see, but have yet to find in either fiction and nonfiction? 

Paula: Yes! I’d like to see stories in which nature plays a strong role, as in Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt or anything by Richard Powers.

WOW: You’ve just given me—and probably many of our readers—two more books to add to our ever-growing list of must reads! Ok, so now I’d like to address another topic: Submissions. It’s well known that writers should research not only an agent but the submission guidelines for a particular literary agency. In looking at Talcott Notch Literary submission guidelines, I see that first, writers are only to send a query and the first ten pages. Do you look at the query first, or just begin reading the pages? And, even if the story is good, is there anything that would keep you from accepting the manuscript?               

Paula: I read the query first, but if it’s terrible, I don’t hold it against the writer, and I go on to the pages. If the pages engage me, and I think it’s the kind of story I can sell, I request a longer partial or a full manuscript. Writing a query is writing a pitch, and the sooner you learn to do that, the better.

“What’s selling now is high concept, across all categories. I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

WOW: So, not only do we need to learn how to write a good story, it’s critical we learn how to pitch that story. For many of us, pitching a novel is a struggle. It’s tough to narrow down a 250-plus-page novel into a few sentences. I think your straight-to-the-point Elevator Pitch formula will be extremely helpful, so thanks for including that link to share with our readers. Ok, so you’ve accepted a manuscript for publication. What are the next steps toward actual publication? What is the timeline before a book hits the market? Also, what can authors expect from you with editing and marketing?

Paula: It depends on how much work the manuscript needs. I was an editor for nearly twenty years, and I won’t shop any story until I think it’s ready. Which means revisions can take as little as thirty days or as long as a year. When it comes to marketing and more: To mix metaphors, we can help show our clients the ropes, but it’s up to them to take the ball and run with it. 

WOW: As for myself and other writers as well, it’s encouraging to know that even though we have more work to do, we have continued support. On another note, I know some writers who've received full manuscript requests from agents, and they've been waiting for months to hear back. How long does it typically take to respond? Does a longer response time mean you aren’t interested, or just busy? 

Paula: To be honest, it takes forever. Because our first duty is to our signed clients. I’m always (months) behind, so I tell writers to pester me nicely once a week. That helps.

WOW: Since your schedule is so demanding, are you able to attend conferences in order to connect with more writers? If so, any recommendations for first-time conference goers, so they get the most out of their time and finances?

Paula: I love conferences because I get to see old friends, meet new friends, and meet with editors over martinis instead of Zoom. They’re great for networking and learning tips and tricks and getting inspired. There are all kinds of conferences; you should at least go to your regional conferences as well as one or two of your genre conferences. Again, it’s important that you show publishers that you are part of the writing community. Because the first people to buy your book once published besides your mother will be your writer friends. 

WOW: Paula, the breadth of your writing and publishing knowledge you’ve shared with me today is certain to help our readers learn more about their craft and what to expect when submitting and having their work published. So, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. Do you have any last words of encouragement or advice you would like to pass along to all writers who hope to get their work published with Talcott Notch?

Paula: The easiest way to get an agent/editor/book deal is to write a wonderful book. One that we can’t forget, one that haunts us until we sign you….

My sincere thanks to Paula Munier, Senior Agent at Talcott Notch Literary, for taking time out of her busy day to chat with me. The woman is a powerhouse, and to say she is an inspiration is an understatement. Using Paula’s elevator pitch suggestions, I’m now working on a new query for my YA historical novel. Also, even though Paula is currently closed to unsolicited queries, she will continue to request work through conferences and boot camps and to accept referrals. (She is on the 2024 faculty of the Write to Pitch Conference in New York this December if you want to check it out). You can learn more about Paula at talcottnotch.net, or at her website, paulamunier.com. Check out other classes taught by Paula and other agents here.

Donna Judith Essner lives and writes in sunny Florida’s sandy-beach panhandle. She has held positions as a university press associate editor, a small press acquisitions editor of several award-winning non-fiction and fiction works, and currently is a freelance editor. Her days are spent penning and editing her own manuscripts (two historical YA, and has just begun her first mystery novel), and freelance editing manuscripts. Her work has been published in newpages.com, Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley, and Faulkner and Chopin, This is her first submission to WOW! Women on Writing. She is a member of SCBWI, Women’s Fiction Writer’s Assn, Emerald Coast Writers, Sisters in Crime (SinC), and Mystery Writers of America (MWA).

Poetry

The Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize

Deadline: November 1

Established in 2019, the prize will honor exceptional poems that help readers recognize the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment. First place will receive $1,000; second place, $750; and third place, $500. In addition, all three poems will be published in the popular Poem-a-Day series. Poets may submit one original, previously unpublished, poem. No fee.

https://poets.org/treehouse-climate-action-poem-prize-guidelines 

Evaristo Prize for African Poetry

Deadline: November 1

An annual prize of USD $1,500 awarded to ten poems written by an African poet. An African Poet is taken to mean someone who was born in Africa, who is a national or resident of an African country, or whose parents are African. Manuscripts should contain ten poems, and be no longer than 40 lines each. No fee.

https://africanpoetrybookfund.submittable.com/submit/237071/evaristo-prize-for-african-poetry 

2024 Ashland Poetry Broadside Contest

Deadline: November 1

Ashland Poetry Press is holding their second annual Poetry Broadside Contest. Submit one to two unpublished poems. Poems should be 40 lines or fewer to accommodate the page (including spaces between stanzas). First place receives: $250 and 50 printed copies of their winning broadside (as well as the digital original). Two runners-up receive: 25 printed copies of their winning broadside (as well as the digital original). Fee: $10

https://ashlandpoetrypress.com/guidelines/broadside-contest/

The James Hearst Poetry Prize 

Deadline: November 1

The James Hearst Poetry Prize is a competition intended to recognize the finest poetry. Prize $1,000. They welcome all forms of previously unpublished poetry and up to five poems per submission. Fee: $23

https://northamericanreview.org/james-hearst-poetry-prize

Foster Poetry Prize 

Deadline: November 1

The Foster Poetry Prize is awarded to the author of the single best submitted poem, along with $1000 and publication in CV2. Three honorable mentions are also awarded, each with a cash prize and publication in CV2. Participating poets can be any age, but must not have previously published a full-length book of poetry (chapbooks are fine). All entrants must be willing to provide proof of their publication history if requested. Open to Canadian and International poets. Your submission may consist of 1-2 poems, and is not to exceed 80 lines total. Fee: $26

https://contemporaryverse2.ca/foster-poetry-prize/

Derricotte/Eady Prize for Black Poets

Deadline: November 6

The Derricotte/Eady Prize, named after Cave Canem co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady, spotlights chapbook-length manuscripts. Winner receives $1,000, publication of their manuscript through O, Miami Books, 10 copies of the chapbook, a residency at The Writer’s Room at The Betsy Hotel-South Beach, and a featured reading at the O, Miami Festival in April. Open to all unpublished, original collections of poems (25-30 pages in length) written in English. Please note that this is not a first-book award. Cave Canem defines Black poets as any poet who identifies as a member of the African Diaspora. The judge is Brandon D. Johnson, author of Love’s Skin, Man Burns Ant, The Strangers Between, and co-author of The Black Rooster Social Inn: This Is The Place. No fee.

https://cavecanempoets.org/prizes/derricotte-eady-prize/ 

Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize – Theme: Love, Faith, and Sex

Deadline: November 7

The Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize will open each year from September 21 to November 7 (LC’s birth anniversary to death anniversary). In the spirit of Leonard Cohen, they ask that your poems deal in some way with the intersections of Love, Faith, & Sex. $1000 will be awarded to first place winner. 4 finalists will each be awarded $250. Send up to 3 pages of poetry. Each poem starts on a new page. Fee: $15

https://www.onlypoems.net/contests/leonard-cohen-poetry-prize

Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Deadline: November 10

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad. Contest judges are poets on the Princeton University creative writing faculty. Prizes: 1st Place: $1,500; 2nd: $750; 3rd: $500. Writers can submit up to 3 poems. Previously published is okay. No fee.

https://arts.princeton.edu/about/opportunities/high-school-contests/poetry-contest/ 

Alta California Chapbook Prize

Deadline: November 11

Gunpowder Press is thrilled that Richard Blanco will be the final judge for this year’s Alta California Chapbook Prize. Send 8-12 pages of poetry in English or Spanish. The selected poems will be translated for publication in a bilingual edition. The winning manuscript will be published in a bilingual edition. The winning poet will receive $500, publication, and 10 copies of their published chapbook. This contest is open to US residents only. You can also email the lit mag to request your fee to be waived due to hardship. Fee includes a copy of the winning chapbook. Fee: $20 (or $15 for entry only)

https://gunpowderpress.submittable.com/submit/304125/alta-california-chapbook-prize

2024 Nightboat Poetry Prize

Deadline: November 15

The prize is open to any poet writing in English, including international Anglophone writers. Previous book publication is not a consideration for eligibility. Poems published in print or on-line periodicals, anthologies, or chapbooks may be included, but the manuscript itself must be unpublished. Minimum of 48 pages, paginated, no more than one poem per page. The winning poet(s) receives a $1,000 advance, a standard royalty contract, and 25 free copies of the published book. Fee: $28

https://nightboat.org/poetry-prize/

2025 Perugia Press Prize for Women

Deadline: November 15

The winner receives $2,000, book publication, twenty author copies, mentoring, and book promotion. Poets must be women, which includes all gender-expansive definitions of that term. Poets must have no more than one previously published full-length book. Manuscripts are generally between 45-85 pages. Fee: $15

https://perugiapress.org/contest/ 

Happiful Poetry Prize 2025

Deadline: November 18

They’re looking for poems that explore the topic of mental health and wellbeing in unique, engaging, and empowering ways. Submit one poem per person, no longer than 25 lines long. The winner will receive £100, and four shortlisted poets will receive a £25 National Book Token. All five poems will be published in issue 96 of Happiful. No fee.

https://happiful.com/enter-the-happiful-poety-prize-2025 

Winnow Literary: A Journal of Poetry and Occupation

Deadline: November 29

Winnow Literary seeks poetry submissions that reflect the full range of the human experience with occupation across the lifespan. They aim to publish poetry that honors the meaning in the daily ordinary, the complexity of the quote-unquote “simplest” tasks. They invite submissions from all writers: new, emerging, or established. Occupational therapy practitioners, occupational therapy faculty, and OT/OTA students are encouraged to submit, as well as clients, patients, and past, present, or future consumers of occupational therapy services. They are seeking submissions for their first issue with guest editor Winnie Dunn. Please send 1-3 poems in the body of an email or as an attachment to winnowliterary@gmail.com using the subject line “Poetry Submission.” Pay: $100 per accepted poem. No fee.

https://www.winnowliterary.org/submissions

Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Competition

Deadline: November 30

The competition is open to original, unpublished and unbroadcast poems in the English language of 40 lines or fewer. Prizes: €2,000, €500, €250, and €50. The poem can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Line Limit 40. The judge is Mary O’Malley. Fee €7 

https://munsterlit.ie/odonoghue-competition

24th annual A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize

Deadline: November 30

The A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize is awarded to honor a poet's first book, while also honoring the late founder of BOA Editions, Ltd., a not-for-profit publishing house of poetry and poetry in translation. Winner Receives: Book publication by BOA Editions, Ltd. in spring 2026 and $1,000 honorarium. Only manuscripts by poets who have yet to publish a full-length book collection of poetry will be considered. Minimum of 65 pages of poetry (not including Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, etc.), and maximum of 120 pages of poetry. This year's judge is Maya C. Popa. Fee: $30

https://www.boaeditions.org/pages/a-poulin-jr-poetry-prize

UNT Rilke Prize for Mid-Career Poets

Deadline: November 30

The UNT Rilke Prize awards $10,000 to a collection that demonstrates exceptional artistry and vision written by a mid-career poet and published in the preceding year. The prize is named after the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), a writer whose work embodies the qualities of ambition, intellectual and imaginative scope, and technical mastery we seek to recognize. Entrants must have published at least two previous books of poetry. Submit three copies of the book and an entry form. No fee.

https://english.unt.edu/creative-writing/poetryprize 

Poet Lore

Deadline: November 30

Poet Lore is a biannual print journal of poetry and translations. They are committed to diversity and inclusivity and highly encourage submissions from marginalized voices. You may submit up to 5 poems in a single document. For translations, you may submit up to 5 English translations of poems, and please identify the rights holder and obtain a statement that the rights to publish an English translation are available. Include the original text if possible, as well as a short biography of the writer and the translator, and a short introduction of the work. Pay: $50 per poem. No fee.

https://poetlore.submittable.com/submit 

The 2024-2025 Diann Blakely National Poetry Competition

Deadline: November 30

The Diann Blakely National Poetry Competition runs every year in the fall. The winner of the contest will receive $500 and 25 broadsides of their poem, which will also be archived on this website. The judge will be visiting Poet Vivek Narayanan. Submit one previously unpublished poem, written in English, 50 lines or fewer. No simultaneous submissions. Entries will be read blind, so please remove any identification from the file. No fee.

https://blakely.uga.edu/national-poetry-competition 

Fiction

Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize

Deadline: November 1

The Kurt Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. Prize $1,000. Submit 500–10,000 words. Fee: $23

https://northamericanreview.org/kurt-vonnegut-speculative-fiction-prize

2025 FC2 Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize

Deadline: November 1

The FC2 Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest is open to writers of, from, or in the United States writing in English who have not previously published with FC2. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a novel. There is no length requirement. The Prize includes $1,500 and publication by FC2, an imprint of the University of Alabama Press. In the unlikely event that no suitable manuscript is found among entries in a given year, FC2 reserves the right not to award a prize. Fee: $25

https://fc2.org/prizes/#sukenick

2025 FC2 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize

Deadline: November 1

The FC2 Catherine Doctorow Innovative Fiction Prize is open to writers of, from, or in the United States writing in English with at least three books of fiction published. Submissions may include a collection of short stories, one or more novellas, or a novel. There is no length requirement. The Prize includes $15,000 and publication by FC2, an imprint of the University of Alabama Press, with an Introduction by the final judge. In the unlikely event that no suitable manuscript is found among entries in a given year, FC2 reserves the right not to award a prize. Fee: $25

https://fc2.org/prizes/#doctorow

Defenestrationism 2025 Flash Suite Contest

Deadline: November 10

Defenestrationism defines a “Flash Suite” as a series of at least three flash fiction works that correlate, and build to something greater. Recurring characters, extended motifs, harmonious subject matters, and/or sustained narrative are such correlations—but they encourage innovation and new ideas. The winner receives $75, and the runner-up receives $60. Word limit of 1,000 for each individual piece of flash. Email in a single document (no PDFs). No fee.

https://defenestrationism.net/flash-suite-contest/ 

Curious Curls Fiction Contest 2024 - Curiosity

Deadline: November 15

They are looking for fiction short stories that embrace the idea of curiosity. This could be in the form of a curious perspective, a curious or observant character, or writing that takes them somewhere curiously new. Prizes: $250, $125, or $100. Submit fiction short stories under 10,000 words. Fee: $2

https://www.curiouscurlspublishing.com/fiction-contest

Starship Librarians

Deadline: November 15

Badgered and beleaguered, the front line of the culture wars, enduring book bans, budget cuts, and ruthless political theatre, it's a tough time to be a Librarian. Yet if there is to be a better tomorrow, it will be built on the art and wisdom of today. The editors are looking for stories about the librarians of tomorrow. Whether essential crew in the grand exploration of the space, defenders of knowledge in bleak radioactive tomorrows, or idealists in the halls of Neo-Alexandria, they want your stories. Pay: $50 CAD per story. No fee.

https://www.tychebooks.com/submissions 

J.F. Powers Prize for Short Fiction

Deadline: November 30

“One foot in this world and one in the next”: that’s how J.F. Powers described the Midwestern priests he wrote about in his fiction. They’re looking for carefully crafted short stories with vivid characters who encounter grace in everyday settings—they want to see who, in the age we live in, might have one foot in this world and one in the next. 1st place: $700; 2nd place: $300; Up to 8 honorable mentions: publication in the journal and a one-year subscription. No previously published works. The word limit is 8,000 words. No fee.

https://dappledthings.submittable.com/submit/24212/j-f-powers-prize-for-short-fiction

The Bath Children’s Novel Award 2024

Deadline: November 30

Open internationally, the Bath Children’s Novel Award 2024 is a writing competition for emerging authors. They accept: YA novels; novels for teens; children’s novels; early readers; chapter books and the text of picture books. Full manuscripts may be of any length; however they recommend 500-600 words per picture book, 6-10,000 for a chapter book, 40-60,000 for middle grade and 50-70,000 words for YA (or longer for fantasy novels). Novels or books may be unpublished, self-published or independently published. Winner will be awarded £5,000 GBP. The winning manuscript will be judged by literary agent Enrichetta Frezzato of Curtis Brown Literary Agency. Fee: £29.99

https://bathnovelaward.co.uk/childrens-novel-award/

Fish Publishing Short Story Prize

Deadline: November 30

The Short Story Prize 2024 is open internationally and the winners will be published in the Fish Anthology 2025. Prizes include: 1st: €3,000 plus 5-day Short Story Workshop at the West Cork Literary Festival; 2nd: €300; 3rd: €300; 7 Honorable Mentions €200 each. Maximum number of words is 5,000. Fee: €22

https://www.fishpublishing.com/competition/short-story-contest/

LitMag's Anton Chekhov Award for Flash Fiction

Deadline: November 30

LitMag's Anton Chekhov Award for flash fiction seeks short stories between 500 and 1,500 words. First Prize: $1,250 + publication in LitMag + agency review. Finalists: Three finalists will receive $100 each. All finalists will be considered for possible agency review and publication. Fee: $16

https://litmag.submittable.com/submit/301493/litmags-anton-chekhov-award-for-flash-fiction-2024-first-prize-1-250-pub

2025 Emerging Writer Award UK

Deadline: November 30

The Emerging Writer Award is open to unpublished prose writers (fiction) living in the UK with a collection of short stories or novel in development. Writers can be writing for any age group (including children and young adults) and may have had excerpts or articles published in the past, but have not yet published any major body of work. Prize: £2,000 including tuition via open courses, retreat time and/or mentoring at Moniack Mhor. Submit a 2,000-word sample of your work. No fee.

https://www.moniackmhor.org.uk/writers/awards-residencies/the-bridge-awards/ 

2025 Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition

Deadline: November 30

The contest is open internationally to writers who have not published a novel in any genre. All Manuscripts submitted must be original works of book length (no less than approximately 65,000 words) written in the English language. Murder or another serious crime or crimes is at the heart of the story. Judging will be conducted by Minotaur Books editors on the basis of the originality, creativity, and writing skill of the submission. The winner will receive an advance against future royalties of $10,000. No fee.

https://us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks/submitmalicedomesticmanuscript/ 

Detectives, Sleuths & Nosy Neighbors: Dying for an Answer

Deadline: November 30

Inkd Publishing is searching for murder mysteries, detectives noir, cozy, and humorous. This is a mystery anthology and if you think your story comes close to the genre, give them a shot. Word Limit: 2,000 to 8,000 words. Pay: $20 or royalty share. No fee.

https://inkdpub.com/submissions/

OwlCrate: Future States of Stars – Upper YA, New Adult

Deadline: November 30

OwlCrate is a monthly book subscription box filled with bookish goodies. Coming Fall 2025, Future States of Stars will be OwlCrate’s second published anthology in the Darkset Chronicles anthology series. Future States of Stars is a captivating sci-fi/dystopian fiction anthology tailored for the Upper YA (18+), New Adult, and Adult audiences. Submissions should be 8,500 words or less. They are specifically seeking stories in the dystopian sci-fi genre with a Black Mirror or Twilight Zone vibe. Pay: $0.10 per word. No fee.

https://www.owlcrate.com/blogs/oc/future-states-of-stars-is-now-open-for-submissions 

Playwriting

Holiday Playwright Contest

Deadline: November 15

They are looking for holiday scripts for our upcoming collection Holiday Plays for Cultures Worldwide. Submissions should include one-act shorts with themes of holidays, especially from BIPOC and underrepresented cultures. Shorts should be between 10 and 20 pages with less than 6 main characters. The winning script receives $500 USD and publication. 1st runner up receives $250 and publication; 2nd runner up receives $150 and publication; 6 finalists will receive a $50 Amazon gift card and publication. No fee.

https://kinsmanquarterly.submittable.com/submit/300109/holiday-playwright-contest

Nonfiction

HerStry: The Big Breakup 

Deadline: November 1

HerStry centers the experiences of women identifying persons. Their next theme is The Big Breakup. We've all probably had at least one: the breakup that feels like it is ending the world. Sometimes it is the breakup of a romantic relationship, but others hurt just as bad. Maybe it is the breakup of a family, a friendship, or a long-time organization. Whatever your breakup story, we want to hear it. All stories must be true and about you. Wordcount is 500–3,000 words. Pay $20 per essay. Fee $3

https://herstry.submittable.com/submit/276543/the-big-breakup-december-2024

The Iowa Review - Nonfiction

Deadline: November 1

The page limit for nonfiction is 25 pages, double-spaced. A submission can be one or multiple essays. All submissions are read blind. Pay: $0.08 per word ($100 minimum). Fee: $4

https://iowareview.submittable.com/submit/5588/nonfiction 

Gabriele Rico Challenge for Creative Nonfiction 2024

Deadline: November 1

The Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction recognizes outstanding works of nonfiction, awarding $1,333 to the author of the winning entry. They are looking for creative nonfiction, such as personal essays or narratives, not scholarly papers or book reviews. All works should be stand-alone essays, not chapters of a longer work, 5,000-words max. Fee: $20, which includes a copy of the latest issue of Reed Magazine.

https://reedmagazine.submittable.com/submit/286122/gabriele-rico-challenge-for-nonfiction-2025-1-333-prize

Shifting Democracies Fellowship for Women Journalists

Deadline: November 8

Global Press offers two-year topical reporting fellowships for women journalists. During this two-year, full-time fellowship, writers will work as an investigative and explanatory journalist, participate in advanced skills training and be part of an international cohort of women journalists, all working and living in their home countries. Fellowships are up to $30,000 per calendar year (up to $60,000 for a two-year fellowship), and are available to women journalists who live in one of the 15 eligible countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Submit a resume, cover letter (up to 1,000 words), a portfolio containing three work samples, and three photographs demonstrating photography experience. No fee.

https://ats.rippling.com/global-press-careers/jobs/9c9dae55-d4a8-4cc7-b429-94999af6645f 

Universe of Threats – AI Threat Essay Contest

Deadline: November 9

The Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS) is building a catalog of threats, called the “Universe of Threats,” which will be used to prepare decision makers for future threats. Their fourth essay contest will focus on artificial intelligence threats. They invite you to submit your essay (up to 2,500 words) and a one-page ground truth document (up to 1,000 words) describing a threat scenario related to artificial intelligence. Judges will be looking for unique but plausible threat scenarios, as well as clearly defined and complex cascading impacts of the threat. 1st Place: $5,000; 2nd Place: $2,500; 3rd Place: $1,000. All winning submissions will be published. No fee.

https://captrs.org/threats/essay-contest/ai-threat-essay-contest/ 

2024 Brooklyn Nonfiction Prize

Deadline: November 15

The Brooklyn Nonfiction Prize, a cash prize of $500, will be awarded to the best Brooklyn-focused non-fiction essay, which is set in Brooklyn and is about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. These stories and several other submitted stories will be published on the Brooklyn Film and Arts Festival website and made available to the public. Authors will be selected to read from their work and discuss their Brooklyn stories with the audience at our annual finale event. Submissions should be between 4 to 10 pages. (Up to 2500 words). Send your Brooklyn Non-Fiction story as a Word document by email to: Brooklynfa@yahoo.com. No fee.

https://www.filmbrooklyn.org

2025 NORward Prize for Nonfiction

Deadline: November 15

The winner will receive a $750 Prize and publication in a future print issue of New Ohio Review. This prize will be judged by a group of our past nonfiction contributors. You may submit up to 20 pages of prose. Fee: $21, which includes a one-year subscription to New Ohio Review.

https://newohioreview.submittable.com/submit/302462/2025-norward-prize-for-nonfiction-750 

Kelp Journal’s Essay Contest: Animals

Deadline: November 30

We are not alone on this planet. We share it with dogs, cats, hedgehogs, and phytoplankton. Send them your essay about the other species that share our world. Tell them how animals have affected your life. 1st Place: $100 and publication; 2nd: $50 and publication; 3rd: $20 and publication. Submit up to 7,500 words. Fee: $5 (fee waivers available)

https://kelpjournal.submittable.com/submit/307101/kelp-journals-essay-contest-animals 

Royal Institute of Philosophy 2024 Essay Prize Competition – Theme: Imagination

Deadline: November 30

Each year the Royal Institute of Philosophy holds an essay prize competition. The winner will receive £2,500 and their essay will be published in the October 2025 issue of Philosophy. The topic for this year’s prize is Imagination. They intend this topic to be understood broadly, so as to include related issues in any area of philosophy and from any philosophical tradition. Submit an essay up to 8,000 words. Please submit entries by email to assistant@royalinstitutephilosophy.org, with the subject line Prize Essay. No fee.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/philosophy/annual-essay-prize 

Multigenre

2025 Fresh Voices Fellowship

Deadline: November 1

The Fresh Voices Fellowship supports one emerging Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, or other writer of color who does not have an MFA in creative writing nor an advanced English degree (MA, PhD), and is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program. One writer, in prose or poetry, will receive: $2,000 stipend, publication in Epiphany, the opportunity to participate in the editorial and publication process of a small non-profit literary magazine, and more. Submit a 5-page sample (double-spaced for prose) of previously unpublished work that you feel most represents you, your interests, and your literary style. No fee.

https://epiphanymagazine.submittable.com/submit/270216/2025-fresh-voices-fellowship 

The Stowe Prize for Literary Activism - Books

Deadline: November 1

The prize recognizes a US author of a distinguished book of general adult fiction or nonfiction whose written work illuminates a critical social justice issue in the tradition of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The winning book applies informed inquiry, is accessible and engaging to a wide audience, and promotes empathy and understanding. Because Stowe’s writings challenged slavery and promoted women’s education, social issues impacted by racism and gender discrimination will be prioritized. Prize: $10,000 for the winning book. The book must be published in the last three years in the United States. Authors are welcome to self-nominate. No fee.

https://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/stowe-prize/2025-stowe-prize-for-literary-activism-nomination-submissions/ 

Adroit Journal

Deadline: November 1

The Adroit Journal is a literary and arts nonprofit organization that was founded in 2010 by poet Peter LaBerge. At its foundation, the journal has its eyes focused ahead, seeking to showcase what its global staff of emerging writers sees as the future of poetry, prose, and art. Poetry: submit up to 6 poems in one document. Fiction and Creative Nonfiction: submit up to three pieces in one document, up to 9,000 words. Pay: $50 for poetry; $100 for fiction and creative nonfiction. No fee.

https://theadroitjournal.org/about/submissions/

Keepers of the Fire Book Prize - Habitat: Planet Earth

Deadline: November 1

Raven Chronicles Press announces their inaugural Keepers of the Fire prize for fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. Chosen authors will receive an advance of $1,000, 2025 publication of their book, and 50% of net revenues. Each year they will publish two books, one fiction (speculative, utopian, historical, etc.), and one nonfiction (creative nonfiction, memoir, scientific, historical, etc.). A new theme will be chosen each year. This year’s theme is Habitat: Planet Earth. They seek work that encourages new and creative ways of thinking and acting upon seemingly intractable problems. Judges: Paul Hunter (Fiction), and Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor (Nonfiction). Manuscripts should be between 20,000–50,000 words. Fee: $10

https://www.ravenchronicles.org/submissions 

New England Review

Deadline: November 1

They welcome submissions in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, dramatic writing, and translation in all genres. They are currently closed to fiction and poetry. Nonfiction: up to 10,000 words. Dramatic writing: up to 5,000 words. Pay: $20 per page ($50 minimum), plus two copies of the issue, and a one-year subscription. For online publication: $50 per piece and a one-year subscription. Fee: $3

https://www.nereview.com/ner-submissions/

The Malahat Review: Open Season Awards

Deadline: November 1

The Malahat Review, published quarterly, features contemporary Canadian and international works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction as well as reviews. Their annual Open Season Awards winners $2,000 CAD in each genre, and publication in the magazine's spring 2025 issue #230. Poetry: up to 3 poems. Short fiction and creative nonfiction: up to 2,500 words. Fee: $35-$45 CAD

https://web.uvic.ca/malahat/contests/open_season/info.html

Cutthroat Annual Writing Contests – Theme: Taking Liberties

Deadline: November 1

Cutthroat Magazine strives to publish work that promotes equity, truth, and justice, work that addresses such important issues as racism, homophobia, sexism, xenophobia, etc. Their theme is taking liberties: writers respond to war and its effects as well as recent Supreme Court decisions in the 21st century. Prizes in each genre: $1,200 and $500. Submit up to three unpublished poems (100-line limit each), one unpublished creative nonfiction piece (5000-word limit), any style. Fee $25

http://www.cutthroatmag.com/contest.html

Route 7 Review

Deadline: November 1

Submit creative nonfiction and fiction up to 5,000 words. Poetry up to 5 poems and to not exceed 6 pages. No fee.

https://r7review.submittable.com/submit/237107/2023-call-for-submissions

Ninth Letter Web Edition – Theme: "de/composition"

Deadline: November 1

They are interested in prose and poetry that experiments with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work. The theme for this issue is “de/composition.” Send them your work that sees, in decay, something new. You may submit up to three poems, or one piece of short prose (fiction or nonfiction) of up to 3500 words. Pay: $25 per poem and $75 a piece for prose. No fee.

https://ninthletteronline.submittable.com/submit

Curtis Brown Breakthrough Mentoring Program for Disabled Writers

Deadline: November 3

Four talented disabled writers will receive nine months of mentoring from a published author, plus a tutorial with a literary agent. Mentoring sessions will take place via Zoom/phone calls. You can apply to be mentored for a project at any stage of writing (from just starting to redrafting) and written in any of the following genres/categories: novel written for adults, novel written for children or young adults, collection of short stories, memoir, narrative nonfiction. Open to disabled writers over 18. No fee.

https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/course/breakthrough-mentoring-programme-for-disabled-writers-1124

Write or Die Magazine

Deadline: November 7 (Opens November 1 for free submissions)

Write or Die Magazine publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, and author interviews. Fiction: the editors are looking for character-driven stories up to 4,000 words. Nonfiction: they are interested in essays that focus on the writing life and especially love work where the personal intersects with the critical up to 3,000 words. Interviews: they accept pitches from interviewers interested in covering authors with a forthcoming or recently published book. Pay: $200 for published fiction pieces; $50 for nonfiction; $25 for interviews. No fee.

https://writeordiemag.com/submission-guidelines 

Geist 2024 Short Long-Distance Writing Contest

Deadline: November 12

Prizes: $500, $250, $150. Submit a story, 500 words or less, fiction or nonfiction, that spans two or more Canadian time zones. This could mean a physical transition across time zones (like a road trip), or an implied transition between them (like a phone call). Fee: $25 CAD, which includes a one-year subscription to Geist.

https://www.geist.com/contests/the-2024-short-long-distance-writing-contest

New Letters $1,000 Editor's Choice Award

Deadline: November 13

The editors are looking to read your best short narratives, whether they are stories, essays, poems, or hybrid forms. The only requirement is that each entry must be brief: 1,000 words or fewer. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and publication in New Letters. Fee: $20

https://newlettersmagazine.submittable.com/submit/118210/1-000-editors-choice-award

The Interpreter’s House

Deadline: November 14

The Interpreter’s House publishes new poetry and short fiction. The editorial team welcomes dare and rigor, work that destabilizes cultural or stylistic classification and boundaries. They want to read writing that surprises us; writing that makes us sit up straight and think. Poetry: please send up to 5 poems. Fiction: please send up to 2 stories (combined, they should total no more than 3000 words). No fee.

https://theinterpretershouse.org/submissions

The Orange & Bee

Deadline: November 14 (Opens November 1)

The Orange & Bee publishes original and contemporary short stories, poems, and essays that explore, expand on, and subvert the rich traditions of international folklore, with a strong focus on fairy tales (though they also sometimes dabble in other forms of folklore, such as fables, myths, and legends). Poetry: up to 50 lines. Flash: up to 1,000 words. Short fiction/nonfiction: up to 4,000 words. Pay: $50 per poem; $80 per flash; $0.08 per word for short fiction/nonfiction. No fee.

https://theorangebee.substack.com/p/submission-guidelines 

Unréal - Stories and Poems set in Montréal

Deadline: November 15

AE is seeking stories and poems in French or English for their upcoming anthology, Unréal, with fantastical or speculative elements set on the island of Montréal. Submissions may be science fiction, fantasy, horror or any adjacent genre. They may be set in the distant past, the distant future, or any time in between. They may feature Montréal as we know it today or an alternate Montréal that has never been. The island or city of Montréal must, however, be an essential element of the story. Word count: 1,000 to 5,000 words for stories. No minimum length for poems. Pay: $0.12 CAD per word or $50 CAD per poem (longer poems will be bought at the per word rate if this would result in a larger payment). Payment will be made upon acceptance. No fee.

https://aescifi.ca/unreal-call-for-submissions-lappel-des-textes/

The Lorelei Signal

Deadline: November 15

The Lorelei Signal is a quarterly SF/Fantasy electronic magazine, one that will feature strong/complex female characters. This does not mean your female character has to be the main hero or villain in the story. What it does mean is no shrinking violets, or women who serve only to get into trouble so the male hero can rescue them. Stories should be no longer than 10,000 words. Submit a max of 1 story or 5 poems during the submission period. Pay: $15 for stories, $5 for poems and flash, $5 for reprints. No fee.

https://www.loreleisignal.com/guidelines

So To Speak

Deadline: November 15

So to Speak is a feminist literary journal seeking diverse voices, focusing on intersectional feminism. They publish twice a year, accepting submissions of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and visual art, with a particular emphasis on marginalized perspectives. Fiction and nonfiction: up to 4,000 words. Poetry: up to 5 poems. Pay: $100 per piece. Fee: $4; no fee for Black and Indigenous writers.

https://sotospeak.submittable.com/submit

ServiceScape Short Story Award 2024

Deadline: November 29

For this award, any genre or theme of short story is accepted. Submit original unpublished work of short fiction or nonfiction, 5,000 words or fewer. The winner receives $1,000 USD and publication. Must be 18 and over. One submission per person. No fee.

https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award 

The Jewish Children’s Book Awards (UK/Europe)

Deadline: November 29

The awards aim to discover and celebrate inspiring new stories for young children based on Jewish history, values and tradition. As in previous years, there will be one prize for story and one for illustration. The winner of each category will receive £1,000 and all entries will be considered for publication by Green Bean Books. The submission should be suitable for readers aged 4-8 and no longer than 1,200 words. Each submission must include a separate note explaining the Jewish content in no more than 200 words. No fee.

https://greenbeanbooks.com/jcba2025/ 

31st annual Robert J. DeMott Short Prose Contest

Deadline: November 30

Send them your best prose poems, short-short stories, micro-essays, etc. Submit up to three previously unpublished pieces of 500 words or fewer. Prize: $1,008.15 + Publication. Fee $15 for up to three pieces.

https://www.ohio.edu/cas/quarter-after-eight/contest

Prism Review Poetry and Story Contests

Deadline: November 30

They love great literature, especially literature that is urgent and/or strange, and they love all voices, be they new, emerging, or established - certainly those from underrepresented groups. Prizes: $250 and publication for short stories; $250 and publication for poetry. Poetry 1-5 poems. Short stories: up to 7,000 words. Fee: $10

https://prismreview.submittable.com/submit

ParABnormal Magazine

Deadline: November 30

The subject matter of parABnormal Magazine is, yes, the paranormal. This includes ghosts, spectres, haunts, various whisperers, and so forth. It also includes shapeshifters and creatures from various folklores. They are looking for original stories with word counts between 3,000 and 6,000 words. Poems: length should be from 5-15 lines. Articles, Reviews, and Interviews: they are looking for original articles and reviews with word counts between 1,500 and 4,000 words. Pay: $25 for original stories, $7 for reprints; $6 for poems; $20 for original articles, $6 for reprints; $7 for interviews and reviews; $5 for interior artwork. No fee.

https://www.hiraethsffh.com/parabnormal-magazine-guidelines

The Fiddlehead

Deadline: November 30

The Fiddlehead is open for regular journal submissions. Poetry: submit no more than 6 poems per submission, and no more than 12 pages total. Fiction: submit one story up to 6,000 words; if it’s flash fiction (1,000 words or less) you may submit up to two stories. Creative Nonfiction: up to 6,000 words. Excerpts: from novels and scenes from plays are occasionally accepted, but short fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction are the preferred genres up to 6,000 words. Pay: $65 CAD per published page, plus two complimentary copies of the issue with your work; artwork pays $250 plus two copies. No fee.

https://thefiddlehead.ca/submit 

Moms Who Write: The Heart of Us Anthology

Deadline: November 30

To love is to experience the most human connection. It’s vulnerable. It’s messy. It’s perfectly imperfect. Love sustains us and teaches us lessons. And while the act of loving shouldn’t break our hearts, the absence of it does. It’s the easiest and the hardest thing we will ever do. They want stories centering around relationships where love is at the root—all kinds of love. Romantic. Platonic. Parental. Spiritual. Tell them about a time when love conquered all… or when love wasn’t enough. They are seeking creative nonfiction (up to 5,000 words) and poetry. No fee.

https://momswhowrite.org/submissions-are-open-for-the-heart-of-us-anthology/ 

Booth

Deadline: November 30

Booth publishes four titles of original literature on the first Friday of every month, and two print issues yearly. They are open to submissions twice a year. Poetry: submit up to 3 poems in a single document. Fiction and Nonfiction: up to 7,500 words in a single document. They also accept Lists, Comics, and Audio submissions. Pay: $50 per piece regardless of length. Fee: $3

https://booth.submittable.com/submit 

Mudroom

Deadline: November 30

MudRoom publishes three issues a year. Their mission is to provide every writer, emerging and established, the opportunity to both see their work published, and engage with a larger literary community. Poetry: submit 3-5 original, previously unpublished poems in any style. Fiction, essays, and essays in translation: up to 6,000 words. Pay: $15 per piece. No fee.

https://www.mudroommag.com/submissions 

The Queen’s Knickers Award 2025 - Illustrated Children’s Books (UK/Ireland)

Deadline: November 30

This annual prize, generously funded by Nicholas Allan, author of The Queen’s Knickers, is awarded to an outstanding children’s original illustrated book for ages 0-7. The winner will receive £5,000, as well as a golden Queen’s Knickers badge, as depicted in Nicholas Allan’s original book. The runner-up will receive £1,000 and a silvered badge. The work must have been first published in the UK and Republic of Ireland between September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024. Submit five copies of your book. No fee.

https://societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-soa-awards/queens-knickers-awards/ 

SCBWI Spark Award – Self-Published Children’s Books

Deadline: November 30

The Spark Award is an annual award that recognizes excellence in a children’s book published through a non-traditional publishing route. The Spark winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize. You must be a member of SCBWI to apply. You must have published a book intended for the children’s or YA market in the current year in one of these categories: board book, picture book, chapter book, middle grade, graphic novel, young adult. Your children’s book may be fiction or nonfiction. No fee.

https://www.scbwi.org/awards-and-grants/for-independently-published/spark-award 

The Gulliver Travel Grant

Deadline: November 30 (Opens November 1)

The Gulliver Travel Grant has been awarded annually to assist writers of speculative literature in their non-academic research. (Speculative literature spans the breadth of fantastic writing, encompassing literature ranging from hard science fiction to epic fantasy, including ghost stories, horror, folk and fairy tales, slipstream, magical realism, and more.) These funds are used to cover airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. Travel may be domestic or international. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year. Award: $1,000. Submit a cover letter and a writing sample of up to 10 pages of poetry, 10 pages of drama, or 5,000 words of fiction or nonfiction. No fee.

https://speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/the-gulliver-travel-grant/ 

T Paulo Urcanse Prize for Literary Excellence

Deadline: November 30 (Opens October 31)

T Paulo Urcanse was a Portuguese writer and activist, most famous for his short novel The Pucker Fish. Over the course of his lifetime, T Paulo submitted his short fiction and poems to over 187 contests, with submission fees totaling in the quadruple digits. Unfortunately, he never won. To rectify the great financial injustices rendered upon T Paulo, the editors of High Horse are holding the second annual T Paulo Urcanse Prize For Literary Excellence. Prizes: 1st Place: $250 and publication and an optional interview; 2nd Place: $100 and publication; 3rd – 5th Place: $50 and publication. The contest is open to poets, writers, and essayists. No fee.

https://highhorse.blog/t-paulo-urcanse-prize-for-literary-excellence/ 

WOW! Women on Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Contests

Deadlines: October 31 (creative nonfiction), November 30 (fiction). Our favorite writing community offers quarterly contests judged blindly with multiple cash prizes and more for 20 winners, up to $1,350 (fiction) and $1,175 plus a gift certificate to CreateWriteNow (nonfiction), an affordable critique option, and an entry limit on each contest. Previously published work is accepted! What’s not to love? This season's guest is Literary Agent Quressa Robinson with Folio Literary Agency. Fee: $10 (Flash Fiction) and $12 (Nonfiction).

https://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php

Just for Fun

Did you know that November 12th is National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day? Celebrate by submitting a true story or poem to one of Chicken Soup's November themes: Cat Stories and Change Your Habits & Attitudes/Change Your Life! For Cat Stories, they want to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and hysterical stories you have about your cats. For Change Your Habits & Attitudes/Change Your Life, they are looking for true stories about how you realized a certain habit or attitude was detrimental to you, what you did to change that, and the difference it made in your life. The deadline is November 30th. Word count: 1,200 words or less. Pay: $250 and ten copies of the book. No fee.

https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story/

This year, National Farm-City Week will start on November 27th! In celebration of the annual event, consider submitting to Colp's genre-free anthology collection! Colp's current theme is On the Farm. Whether it's a tale of triumph over adversity, a humorous anecdote from the barnyard, or a heartfelt reflection on the bond between farmers and the land, join them in celebrating the spirit of farming through storytelling. Word count: 1,000 - 10,000 words. Pay: AU$5.00 for stories under 2,500 words. AU$10.00 for anything above 2,500 words. The deadline is November 30th! No fee.

http://www.gypsumsoundtales.com/colp.php

By Cindy Skaggs

Despite Julie Andrews’s catchy song (“Do Re Me” The Sound of Music), when it comes to writing, don’t start at the very beginning. It’s not a very nice place to start.

As a creative writing professor, one of the most common errors I see are stories starting with backstory or exposition. It’s a killer, and I’m not the only one to say so. Kristin Nelson and Angie Hodapp (Nelson Literary Agency) list this as the number one problem with novel openings, and if the literary agent is bored on page one, they’re going to pass on the project—even if the rest is riveting. They have to get to the good part before they say yes, and they’re too busy to stay through a slow opener. 

Signs that you’re starting with backstory and/or exposition are what Nelson and Hodapp call the Deadly Rs:

• Remembering
• Reminiscing
• Reflecting
• Ruminating (via Kristin Nelson)

They give two great suggestions on how to detect the dreaded Deadly Rs, so what I want to do here is demonstrate what to do instead of backstory or exposition.

In Media Res, an Example

When you write, begin in media res, in the middle of things, so that you “hook” the reader into wanting to read more. A line like “it was a dark and stormy night” is clichéd but also passive. You want to create a more compelling opening.

[Trigger Warning: blood and gore depiction. Skip to the next subhead to avoid.]

My son’s girlfriend handed me a book recently, Verity by Colleen Hoover. I was a bit trepidatious. I hate to disappoint people when their “must read” recommendation falls flat. Fortunately, Hoover’s book grabbed me from the first line and did not let go.

“I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me.” —Hoover

I have since recommended it to several friends, which is something I seldom do. I use Hoover’s book as an example in craft articles, not because it’s perfect, but because I just read it and it does several things very well. The first being the opening sentence that starts in media res (from page 1 of Verity by Colleen Hoover):

I hear the crack of his skull before the spattering of blood reaches me.

I gasp and take a quick step back onto the sidewalk. One of my heels doesn’t clear the curb, so I grip the pole of a No Parking sign to steady myself.

The man was in front of me a matter of seconds ago. We were standing in a crowd of people waiting for the crosswalk light to illuminate when he stepped into the street prematurely, resulting in a run-in with a truck. I lunged forward in an attempt to stop him—grasping at nothing as he went down. I closed my eyes before his head went under the tire...

While not everyone will be riveted, and many will turn away from the violence of the scene, those people are not Hoover’s audience, and they will put the book back on the shelf immediately. Conversely, those who like that kind of book will stay to the end.

Verity begins with an accident then leads to the main character in a coffee shop bathroom with a man she’s never met, cleaning blood off her shirt and face:

The stranger holds the door open for me when we reach the coffee shop. A woman carrying a coffee in each hand attempts to squeeze past me when she sees my shirt. She scurries backward to get away from me.

Notice that it’s not just starting in the middle of the action, but that the action continues, and the writer is using active verbs. The writer doesn’t say the shirt was bloody; she shows it through the action as a woman “scurries” away. She’s also using very clipped language, the kind we use when we’re in shock. It builds distance, but only a little, until they get to the relative safety of the bathroom where the shock wears off, and the rest of the reaction follows. The writer uses sensory details to draw more details into the story.

I can smell the blood now. The tanginess in the air sends my mind whirling back to when I was ten. The smell of blood was strong enough to remember it all these years later.

The reader experiences more sensory details, the adrenaline letdown with “trembling fingers” and the need to focus on something other than what they just witnessed. The interesting thing is that without knowing it, the reader gets some foreshadowing of the character’s backstory in the line about the smell of blood when she was ten. It’s short, a brief sentence, and that’s all the backstory you need right now. Then she asks the man with her if he’s okay:

“I’m fine,” he says. “I’ve seen worse unfortunately.”

This gives a sense of the man’s backstory and gives the reader cause to keep reading. What’s worse than seeing “a man’s head being crushed beneath a truck”?

They trade snippets of miserable life experience in the bathroom of the coffee shop, her now wearing his shirt, as hers is unsalvageable. He finally tells her that: 

“I pulled my eight-year-old daughter’s body out of a lake five months ago.”

The main character responds, and then he asks her what we’re wondering. What was her story?

“My mother died last week.”

This isn’t just in media res; it continues to be a rollercoaster of trauma in the opening pages. If the book starts like this, what could possibly happen next, the reader wonders. And that’s why as a writer, you start in media res.

At some point, you will have to slow down to build the scene and setting and character and backstory. You’ll have to give the reader space to breathe, but the opening image is so fantastical, so compelling, the reader can’t look away.

4 Tips for Writing in Media Res

1. Begin in the middle of a climactic moment, such as a fight, conflict, or in Hoover’s case, an accident. This shouldn’t be random but should relate to the chain of events that set the story in motion.

• Another example is from the movie Speed, with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The movie starts with a bomb squad guy and his partner defusing a bomb in an elevator shaft. This sets off the chain of events that lead to the bomber planting a bomb on a bus that will go off if the bus falls below 50 mph. Check out the trailer, or at least the first fifteen seconds. One character asks the other played by Reeves about a scenario where a gunman has a hostage and is on the way to the plane. What would he (the cop) do? “Shoot the hostage,” Reeves says. Of course, the story barrels to that moment, where he must choose to shoot the hostage.

2. Use active verbs. Avoid passive verbs and passive construction. Passive verbs are words like was, were, has, have, has been, to be, and so on. Notice that Hoover doesn’t let up on the action for one moment. Even when they hit the coffee shop, Hoover doesn’t tell the reader that the character is covered in blood. She shows it by the customer who “scurries” away.

• Note that you can’t get rid of every single was/were/is in a book. It’s just not possible, but use them wisely, such as when Hoover writes, “The man was in front of me a matter of seconds ago. We were standing in a crowd.” Here, the man was passive. They (the crowd) were also passive, so using a passive verb makes perfect sense and moves us closer to the next piece of action.

3. Inject “just enough” backstory. Hoover does this so well that the reader may not even be aware of it at the time. It’s the unspoken thing that happened to the main character when she was ten. One sentence, and we want to know more. Also, there’s a promise in that moment. The writer promises the reader that they will answer the question: What happened when she was ten? By the way, that’s one of the later chapters in the book. There’s also the interjection of the stranger’s backstory about the death of his eight-year-old daughter. The characters do not dwell on these facts. They’re presented like the accident. It’s fast, it’s immediate, and for the most part, the dialogue and inner dialogue are clipped, short, and matter-of-fact rather than flowery because that’s the way someone who has just been through a traumatic event would respond.

• As the story goes forward, it cannot maintain this fantastic speed and constant barrage of trauma. The reader needs to breathe. The reader also needs information. You can use flashback, dialogue, or a line or two of exposition, but avoid the info dump. The reader won’t stick around for it.

4. Make the scene one of high stakes relevant to the plot. Of course if you’re writing a children’s book, you don’t want blood and gore, but the stakes should be high enough that the reader is convinced that the character is in trouble in some way. It should be integral to the plot. Disney does this all the time with a plot about TV kids getting into trouble, and they have to find a way out before parents get home.

• Using Speed as an example again, in the opening scene, there are people in the elevator where they’re trying to defuse the bomb, which creates high stakes. It’s also integral to the plot, because if the bomber had “won” that round, he probably wouldn’t have pulled the stunt with the bus.

• I’m not going to tell you how all these elements are high stakes and integral to the plot of Verity, you’ll have to read it yourself (no more spoilers).

Prompt

Consider an opening scene in an existing project or in one that you’re planning. Select a moment in the story that is the trigger for the remaining chain of events in your plot.

1. What climactic event would set your story in motion? Is there a fight, a conflict, or an accident?

2. Next, ask yourself if this is the best way for the plot to unfold. What would be more explosive, out of bounds, or borderline offensive? What action would reach the heart of the dilemma? What is the most unexpected thing that could happen that is still relevant to the plot, realistic, and compelling? 

• Brainstorm for several minutes. Think outside the box. Erase the box. Look at it from another character’s point of view. See it from a different angle. How can your plot show the reader what they don’t expect to see?

• In Verity, the character is on her way to a meeting in a nearby office building. If the meeting opened the novel, would it be as compelling?

3. Add a setting detail that only your main character would notice or that everyone notices, but your character sees in a unique way. 

• What makes Speed so interesting is that Reeves’s character sees things in a different way. His unique viewpoint created the problem and the solution.

4. Finally, write the scene. Don’t think, don’t judge, don’t let the doubts creep in. Write that over-the-top opening, then let it rest. Read it tomorrow. Does it still feel over-the-top or just right? Others will tell you if you’ve gone too far, but more likely, you haven’t gone far enough.

By Evette Davis

I was in Las Vegas recently, sitting in the audience at a casino on the strip, waiting for a well-regarded cabaret show to begin. My husband and I were dressed up, slightly buzzed, and ready to watch a sexy grown-up act. 

Unfortunately. 

It was a dud. 

There was nothing sexy about the show. It was a flaccid, anti-climatic mess, replete with bad jokes about proctologists, fake southern accents, and juvenile fantasies that left us profoundly unsatisfied. At certain moments, we started to snicker. Maybe, being from San Francisco, our tastes run a little wilder... ahem, but I suspect it has more to do with the fact that creating something sexy and alluring is more challenging than it seems. Anyone can show off their bodies or dip themselves into a gigantic champagne glass full of water, but it doesn’t mean they can turn you on. 

The same is doubly true in writing. Writing a sex scene in a novel is harder than it looks. 

When you decide to bring readers into the bedroom, the living room, the study, the backseat of a car, or an open field beneath the stars, you need to be ready to provide them with a gripping scene. However, you don’t want to make things too tight because that would be uncomfortable. (I’ll stop...)

As a writer, chemistry is the first thing I need between my characters. Whether it’s love at first sight or an instant dislike, sparks must fly for whatever comes next to work. Sexy starts for me in my brain. Most people need to be drawn to someone to be turned on by them. They connect with their sense of humor or intellect or how they engage with you and make you feel. Olivia, the heroine of my latest novel, The Others, immediately has witty banter with William, the almost 200-year-old vampire who becomes her lover. 

He was pale, amazingly so, with a slight sprinkling of freckles across the middle of his face, and fiery-red hair that hung straight to his shoulders. 

OK, I’ll admit—I was intrigued.

I was trying to put my finger on what caught my attention when the trio began to play. The moment I heard the music, I knew he was the vampire from the tunnel.

The recognition was immediate for us both. When I looked back at the stage, his green eyes were gazing directly into mine and he had a slight smile on his face, as if he also was satisfied to find me. I’ve never put much stock in love at first sight, but honestly, I was quite dazzled by the gorgeous musician making eyes at me. I was enjoying myself, but I realized that I needed to bring our staring contest to an end and leave before the vampire got the idea I was actually interested in getting to know him better. 

It’s been well established (by me) that I don’t have boyfriends. I sleep with men occasionally when I feel the urge, usually the kind of men who don’t want to be called again, and this suits me fine. 

Reluctantly, I packed up and abruptly set off as the band was ending its set, walking into the massive stream of people surging toward the other stages. I was allowing myself to be pushed along with the general direction of the mob when I felt a whisper of breath against my ear.

“I see you still can’t finish what you start,” he said. 

Whoa. Vampires are fast. And quiet. I didn’t even hear him come up behind me. “Have we met?” I asked, using my haughtiest voice.

My remarks caused him to throw his head back and laugh. “You spent my entire set ogling me, and now you’re going to pretend we don’t know each other? That is downright cruel.”

“I was not ogling,” I said. “I was watching you play. I happen to like bluegrass music.”

“Liar,” was his reply.

We were at a standstill. As I stood watching him, it occurred to me that he was standing in the midday sun.

“Are you going to burst into flames if we stay here?” I asked, genuinely not wanting to draw that kind of attention to myself. I mean, how would I explain that to the police?

He smiled. “No, I will not burst into flames, but I would like to get my hat and my guitar and find some shade. Would you care to join me, ma’am?”

It was the ma’am that finally got me. It was delivered in a velvety drawl that sent shivers down my spine. And just like that, all of my ‘I don’t date; I don’t get involved’ disappeared, and I followed a strange vampire into the middle of a music festival.

However, witty banter is not enough to hold a reader’s attention or keep them glued to the page. Good sex scenes require sizzle. Sizzle is like alchemy. It’s chemistry and magic and requires practice to get right. Intimate moments need to be believable. The dialogue should avoid being cheesy. When clothing comes off and bodies ignite with passion, readers should be turned on. First kisses—the moments when lips touch, tongues slip through, and lips are bruised and swollen—should be accompanied by great dialogue either internal to the character or external between them. When Olivia and William finally have sex for the first time, this is what she says:

At the same moment his teeth pierced my skin, he slid a finger inside me. This is what being hit with a Taser must feel like, I thought as my body bucked and rocked. I screamed at the shock of the pain and the pleasure.

Hard to believe, but I had forgotten for a moment that I was making love with a vampire. Your imagination only goes so far when it comes to daydreams of moments like these...William climbed out of the pool, his long red hair matted against his shoulders, glistening from the water. He was beautiful and menacing to behold, pale and thin, his body marked with tattoos and ancient scars. He sat down next to me.      

“Darlin’,” he said, “Are you ready? ’Cause this is the point of no return.”

“Which point?” I said playfully as I lay down, pulling him with me. “The trespassing on state property or the part where you make love to me?”

“Both,” he said, smiling as he slipped inside me. “Both.”

Creating compelling sex scenes with heat and chemistry between the characters also takes practice. I read a lot of romance novels and study the sex scenes. My interests vary from historical romances to very kinky. (It should go without saying that I don’t delve into stories that involve violence or deny any party autonomy over their body—unless they request it.) I study what turns me on and what doesn’t. I watch movies and television and dissect the scenes. I read my dialogue out loud to make sure it flows and doesn’t seem awkward. What’s awkward? What’s inauthentic? As the old saying goes, you’ll know when you see it.  

I did in Las Vegas.

The bottom line: if you’re not slightly turned on when you’re writing it, don't expect your readers to be either.

The Muffin

Phantom Wedding Immersive Book Launch: A Spooky Way to Send Copies Flying Off the Table

Interview by Rosie MacLeod

One night in north London, A.N. Porter awoke to see the ghosts of “two little girls at a desk. One was playing a board game and the other was drawing a picture.” The “petrifying” experience inspired her debut novel, Phantom Wedding.

It’s a suspenseful horror story. But why restrict the scary experiences to the pages and its characters? Allowing the action to burst through the covers was the idea behind Porter’s book launch in Central London this summer. After arriving at the venue, we noticed the attire of some in attendance was, well, notable. And after looking around, we realized we were rubbing shoulders with book characters. How had we not noticed the author dressed up as her protagonist, complete with wedding veil?

During the reading, complete with ominous music and atmospheric lighting, the unease and tension that run throughout the pages wasn’t only listened to, it was lived. It was ours. It was real.

READ MORE

Chatting with E. C. Ambrose, Odyssey Writing Workshops Instructor of Bodies and Heartbeats: Crafting Characters from the Inside Out

Interview by Nicole Pyles

If you want to kick off 2025 with a writing class, you may want to consider Bodies and Heartbeats: Crafting Character from the Inside Out. Starting in January 14 of next year, E.C. Ambrose helps you to develop a clearer sense of what makes a powerful character and will teach you the techniques you need to develop strong characters. The application deadline is November 22, 2024.

Instructor E. C. Ambrose writes knowledge-inspired adventure fiction including the five-volume Dark Apostle series about medieval surgery, The Singer’s Legacy fantasy series as bElaine Isaak, and the Bone Guard international thrillers as by E. Chris Ambrose. Her latest releases are Conquistador’s Blood (Bone Guard 7) and her Young Adult science fiction novel, A Wreck of Dragons. Her superhero game, Skystrike: Wings of Justice, is available from Choice of Games.

READ MORE

Interview with Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, Author of the Novel Charmed, and Giveaway!

Interview by Nicole Pyles

We are excited to bring you an interview with Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, author of the novel, Charmed. Published through Tribeca Press, fans of romantic fiction and complex family dynamics will love Lorraine's latest novel. 

Today, we're excited to interview the author about her newest book and give you the chance to enter to win a copy of the book for yourself, along with a $25 Amazon gift card! 

READ MORE

Using Google Maps Is a Lot Like Writing from an Outline

By Sue Bradford Edwards

Last weekend, we went to a family wedding. It was just under an hour from home, but we left early. I keyed the address into Google Maps. We were less than 10 minutes from the wedding venue when the directions took us across a cattle guard. For those of you who aren’t from Cow Country, that’s a pipe grid laid into the road. You can drive over it but cattle won’t cross it. 

The problem? We were going to a vineyard. 

As soon as we realized we were in a field of cattle, we backed back up to the main road. Another member of our party keyed the name of the vineyard into Google Maps. Her set of directions and mine were in agreement (mine had corrected) until we got to a T intersection. Mine said “go right” but hers said “go left.” We went left. 

What does this have to do with writing from an outline? Google Map directions generally sound plausible right up until they don't work.

READ MORE

Inside the Search for a Literary Agent

By Renee Roberson

Back in May I shared that I was about to begin the querying process for my latest novel. After several rounds of revisions and one professional edit, I moved on to creating my submission package, which included a logline, an author bio, a one page synopsis of the book, a list of comparative titles, and the potential target audience. I created a QueryTracker account, a separate Excel spreadsheet for my own records, and began sending out queries.

At first, I struggled with the query letter. I spent a lot of time trying to personalize each and every query letter and the result was a rambling version I wasn’t happy with. After the first few agents politely turned me down, I approached my writing accountability group and asked if they would take a look at letter and give me honest feedback.

READ MORE

Building Back My Broken Writing Routine

By Nicole Pyles

Over the weekend, I started reading Chuck Wendig's Gentle Writing Advice. I don't see books on writing as a cure-all, so to speak, but this one was exactly what I needed to read.

I was reading a section in a chapter called "Self-Care for Writers," and I had a lightbulb moment. Wendig was talking about the importance of self-care. Allowing yourself to take breaks, rewarding yourself for your efforts, and more. However, one particular note spoke to me. He said that if you take off a day or two, it can become a week or two of taking time off from writing, then soon you'll find that "you've self-cared your way into not writing at all, ever." 

Oops.

READ MORE

Rejections and Notes

By Jodi Webb

Not at this time. It doesn't fit our needs. Please submit again. Thank you for thinking of us. We wish you luck...editors have an unending list of ways to hopefully soften the harshness of the no. But they don't really take the sting out of the rejection, do they?

I'm just thankful that we have moved (for the most part) past print communications. The days of opening a envelope, unfolding the crisp letterhead and reading...NO. You got to hold that physical representation of rejection in your hand and, if you wanted to torture yourself, you stuffed it into a file marked "Rejections." A file that taunted you by getting fatter and fatter and occasionally whispered "Read me."

READ MORE

Success Stories and Social Media Fun!

By Margo L. Dill

We have a very exciting and different column for you as we head into the final months of the year. Hopefully something below will inspire you, and encourage you to follow us on social media for some writing community fun! In this month’s column, we are including success stories, a photo caption post, a first lines post, and we end with a PSA about those annoying extra words that always seem to just pop up in our writing! 

You don’t have to wait for a social media post to send us your success. You can always email me with Success Story in the subject line at margolynndill@gmail.com and cc margo@wow-womenonwriting.com. November can be a busy month with multiple writing challenges, fall breaks from school, and family gatherings, especially if you celebrate Thanksgiving and then start your holiday shopping. So, get some rest writers, and enjoy what your community is talking about online by reading below! 

Success Stories

Email

Sandy Krausnick writes, “My flash fiction essays ‘Fire Therapy’ and ‘The Haunting’ were published in Flash Boulevard.”

Ann Kathryn Kelly writes, "My CNF essay, 'The Color of Heartache' won 2nd place in the Northwind Writing Award Contest! It will be published in a forthcoming anthology. They judged on 5 categories: Quality, Emotion, Style, Captures Attention, and Uniqueness. With more than 800 entries received, I'm so excited to have won 2nd Place!" 

https://raw-earth-ink.com/the-northwind-writing-award/2024-award-winners/

Facebook

Em Buckman writes, “I've had the editorial report back from my publishers and have started working on its recommendations including POV, white box, dramatic tension and baggy sentences! (historical fiction).”

Gail Buntin Blohowiak writes, “Elusive Common Sense is ready to launch.”

Instagram

@sandra_a_jensen writes, “Two successes, I was shortlisted for flash fiction by the Bridport prize, and another short piece of mine is coming out in the UK journal @theselkieuk whose mission is to support and publish traditionally underrepresented writers and artists (e.g., those like myself with disability).”

@bernadettegeyer writes, “My poem ‘I waited for the first signs’ is published in the new issue of Salamander!”

@blynngoodwin writes, “Shared another book review on www.WriterAdvice.com last week and will add another contest winner on Tuesday.”

We asked you to caption this photo!

Facebook

Em Buckman: “You've written HOW many drafts??”

Joy Lusk: “WOWza!”

Instagram

@sandra_a_jensen: “I think we’re going to need the speculum.”

First Lines

We asked for your favorite first lines or for first lines from a WIP. Here are some lines that our community wrote and some well-known goodies!

Facebook

Michele Ivy Davis shares: "I've lived in Paradise all my life." First line from my novel, Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel.

TaleBlazers Ink shares: “The rule of averages says that a human heart has about three billion beats in it; I was just over two billion beats away from the ominous one, but my heart decided to stop.” Dying to Awaken (WiP nonfiction) by Lilyana Millutin

Cynthia L Gilmore shares: “Marley was dead: to begin with.” - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Instagram

@saleemaishq shares: First line of Sisters Arcana: A Thriller (Saleema’s novel): “In the quiet moments, I can still see the wet curls clinging to her neck while the gentle waves of the Rio Grande tug at the salt cedar wrapped around her calf, unwilling to let go.”

Twitter

Sue Bradford Edwards - Author & writing instructor @SueBEdwards shares: "The pipe under the kitchen sink was leaking again. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink." This is from The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Common Words

Here is the prompt we included on social media: “What’s a word or phrase you overuse in your writing? We’re just wondering just because we are. (smiley face)” (Obviously, my favorite word is JUST.)

Here’s what you said. Do you notice your favorite words to edit out or revise in your own writing on these lists?

On Facebook:

1. Some

2. Realize

3. Understand

4. Yikes

5. Just

6. Really

7. Sigh (Characters love to SIGH!)

8. Characters also love to “shrug their shoulders.”

9. Because

10. So…

On Instagram:

1. Amazing

2. Incredible

3. That x 2 

4. Hurriedly (Characters are always rushing!)

5. Consider

6. But

7. So

8. Just (Margo’s note: Another writer who feels my pain!)

9. Said

10. Characters are mad at each and so, there is a lot of growling, sighing, and hands on hips!

On Twitter:

1. So

2. Very

3. Must

4. Still