Green River Writers Contests - Lots of Categories (Mostly Poetry) with Small Entry Fees

Time to get busy and enter a contest or two!

Earlier this month I received a brochure from Green River Writers, Inc., located in Louisville, KY. I'm not sure how I first heard about this group, but a few years ago I submitted to one of their contests.

And I won the Jim O'Dell Memorial Poetry contest, which is for limericks, standard form (5 lines) wild and absurd.

I've never claimed to be a poet, but for some reason I'm drawn to this form of writing. Marcia G., the poetess in our group, says it's because of my Irish heritage. Maybe so.

I've decided to give it a go again. I wasn't able to attend critique group today, and our group doesn't critique poetry (with rare exceptions). So, I e-mailed three limericks (two I recently came up with and one I had already written) to our members and asked them to vote on their favorite if they had time. Did I mention how generous our members are?

The response was unanimous. Everyone selected #3, a poem I wrote a few years ago that won a small prize in a humorous poetry contest with a theme about summertime, sponsored by a Missouri poetry group.

I also dug out a short story I've polished and am revising a nonfiction piece I plan to submit--if I can finish in time.

Green Rivers Writers has a total of 15 contest categories, mostly poetry, but also short fiction, first chapters of novels, creative nonfiction, and scads of poetry categories--from country music legends, small town observations, the thing under the bed, and others.

Entry fees range from $3 to $5 for nonmembers.

If you want to find out more about Green River Writers and their contests, here's a link to the categories and guidelines.

Act fast; the deadline is September 30.

Good luck if you enter!

Call for Submissions: Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry

Yesterday I received an e-mail with a call for submissions from Eilis O’Neal, Editor-in-Chief of Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry, at the University of Tulsa.

The Call for Submissions for their Spring/Summer 2015 issue has the theme of: 

Circulatory Systems: Current and Connection.

For hints at what the editors have in mind, visit the Nimrod Journal website.

Here are some guidelines:

Stories and creative nonfiction  - up to 7,500 words

Poetry - up to 8 pages 

All work must be previously unpublished 

Postmark Deadline: November 30, 2014 

Publication Date: April 2015

Send manuscripts to:

Nimrod Journal

The University of Tulsa

800 S. Tucker Dr.

Tulsa, OK 74104

Please mark both your cover letter and the outer envelope with “Spring 2015 Theme.”

Questions? Email nimrod@utulsa.edu, call (918) 631-3080. Or visit the website.

Special Announcement: Compass Flower Press Uncertain Promise Anthology Deadline Extended

Have you ever wanted to be published in a professional, theme-driven anthology?

Have you ever wanted to win a big prize for your writing?

Here's a chance to do both.

How? AKA Publishing and Compass Flower Press are actively seeking submissions for their Uncertain Promise anthology contest, and they have extended the deadline until June 9.

What are the editors looking for in submissions? Fiction and Creative non-fiction, but not poetry. 

How big are the prizes?

First place is $1,000; Second place is $500; and third place is $200.

What is the word limit? 3,000 words.

What does the theme Uncertain Promise mean?

Here are some examples from the AKA website: an unexpected outcome (joy, satisfaction, renewal, despair, emotional growth, etc.) from an otherwise routine or mundane circumstance. The uncertain promise might be an unspoken commitment from a friend or lover falls through due to misunderstanding or unforeseen happening, a career failure or future crashes--or ascends--depending on the outcome of a single event. These are some of the editor's ideas, but writers are welcome to use their imaginations and interpret the theme broadly. 

May I submit something that's already been published? No. Unpublished submissions only.

How about simultaneous submissions? Yes, but please note that on the entry form and give immediate notification if your entry is accepted elsewhere.

How are the entries judged?

Fiction and creative nonfiction submissions are read and evaluated anonymously by two editorial boards. Submission does not guarantee acceptance; acceptances that make the final cut are forwarded to independent judges for possible award of cash prizes. 

Each published contributor receives one free copy of the anthology.

How much does it cost to enter? 
Non-refundable entry fees ($US) for each category are $18 for electronic submission (paid on website) or $15 for mailed submission (paid by check or on website.) Compass Flower Press and AKA-Publishing are imprints of the independent and self-supporting publisher, AKA:yola, LLC.

How many times may I enter? No limit on submissions, but each entry requires a separate entry fee.

Where is AKA Publishing located?

315 Bernadette Drive, Ste 3; Columbia, Missouri 65203

Where can I find more details? Visit the AKA website for complete details and entry instructions.

Who can I contact for more information? 
E-mail: compassflowerpress@gmail.com OR click through the contact email on the website (be sure to note “Anthology Submission” in the subject line.)

What else do I need to know?
All submissions—both snail mail and e-mail—will be notified via e-mail upon receipt.

Prize winners and entries selected for publication will be posted on CompassFlowerPress.com.

Note: As a board member of AKA Publishing, I get to help spread the word about this opportunity to fellow writers.

Contest Announcement/Call for Submissions: Uncertain Promise, a Literary Anthology

The editors of Compass Flower Press, an imprint of AKA-Publishing in Columbia, MO, are sponsoring a contest and seeking submissions for a literary anthology to be published this fall.

Full disclosure: I am a board member of AKA Publishing

Here is some basic information about the call out. For complete guidelines, visit the AKA-Publishing website:

* Fiction and creative nonfiction submissions only (no poetry)

* Word limit: 3,000 per entry (sections from larger works will be accepted)

* First place $1,000

* Second place $500

* Third place $250

* No previously published work

* Submissions are read and evaluated anonymously by two editorial boards

* Deadline: May 10, 2014 NOTE: Deadline extended until May 25, 2014
 

* Planned publication date: October 2014

* Working title/theme: Uncertain Promise. Examples of uncertain promise: an unexpected outcome (joy, satisfaction, renewal, despair, emotional growth, etc.) from an otherwise routine or mundane circumstance; an unspoken commitment from a friend or lover falls through due to misunderstanding or unforeseen happening; a career or future crashes—or ascends—depending on the outcome of a single event. These are the editor's ideas, with encouragement for those submitting to "use your imagination and please interpret broadly."
* Submission does not guarantee acceptance

* Each published contributor receives a free copy of the anthology

*Non-refundable entry fees:

*Electronic submissions $18 (US$) per entry (paid on website)

 or 

*Mailed submissions $15 (US$) per entry (paid by check or on website) 

Entry form for the 2014 Anthology/Contest may be downloaded at AKA-Publishing.com and must be completed and accompany each entry.  

Or by snail mail: 

AKA-Publishing / Compass Flower Press
315 Bernadette Dr, Ste 3

Columbia, Missouri 65203

JUDGE: Von Pittman

For complete guidelines, including detailed official submission requirements, or for questions, visit the AKA website or e-mail: compassflowerpress@gmail.com 

Good luck if you enter!

How I Spent Five Dollars and Learned How to Write an Instant Essay

Last Saturday, I spent five dollars and made a great investment in my writing career.  

My friend Lou Turner and I drove across the Missouri River to attend the St. Louis Writers Guild workshop "Write an Essay, Right Here, Right Now " by Catherine Rankovic. We met up with several other writing friends from Coffee and Critique and Saturday Writers who attended as well.

SLWG only charges $5 for non-members to attend their monthly workshops, and it was money well spent.

Rankovic is an award-winning writer who teaches creative nonfiction and poetry workshops in the online MFA program at Lindenwood University. She also is a professional manuscript editor whose website can be found at  www.BookEval.com

At the beginning of the workshop I felt like a student back in college, trying to soak up knowledge from a favorite teacher. Catherine's teaching approach was direct and low-key. I took pages of notes because just about everything she had to say about creative nonfiction was interesting or fresh.

 

Here are a few notes I jotted down about Creative Nonfiction:

Includes: personal essays, memoir, literary journalism, essays, and narrative nonfiction.

Most people think of personal essays – about writer’s life or experience

 Or Memoir – delimited chunk of memory, a place you remember, dealing with the past

Creative nonfiction is the most publishable genre.

Called the 4^th genre (poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction)

Uses techniques belonging to other genres (poetry/fiction), such as similes, metaphors, characterization, suspense, describe the five senses, opinion, reflection

In personal essays, use whole body, not just intellect – use thoughts, feelings, emotions.

Don’t write anything dishonest.

Difference between Facts and Truth.

Facts – anything somebody can look up, e.g. Lincoln was born in 1809.
 

Truth – can’t prove everything, e. g. my mother is a great cook

Narrative nonfiction – History or biography. Publishers want this type of writing, e.g. Seabiscuit

***

For the first exercise, we were directed to write a draft on a topic of our choice.

 

Catherine reminded us that the draft is difficult, but it is the artistic part

We were given time to pre-write and were reminded not to: think, censor, rewrite, hesitate, or lift pen from the page.

Catherine kept repeating “Pen to paper” when she noticed someone not writing.

When your fingers stop moving, your brain stops.

The writing prompt I chose was: I still wish I had . . .

My friend Lou chose: I was taught to . . .

***

Our second exercise was to use the "Instant Essay Formula" to write an essay, which could continue what we drafted from the prompt or be something else entirely.

First, select a topic you want to write about and explore
 

Then, with your topic in mind, prepare to free-write about your topic, three minutes per paragraph.

Write in prose and full sentences, each one building on the last one.

Put pen to paper or keep tapping those keys and do not stop to judge; write what comes to mind. Do not censor; do not stop typing or writing. It’s a draft you can correct it later.

During the writing time we were given literary devices to use for each paragraph. These devices included: a similie, dialogue, physical description or movement, humor, mixed feelings, moral values, comparison and contrast, personification of an inanimate object, a list, a definition of a term, a published historical event, and a paragraph summing it all up. After that we were reminded to be sure to give a title to our drafts.

The last piece of advice was if we had a handwritten draft, to go home and type it up that day to make it part of our unconscious repertoire.

After her presentation, I thanked Catherine and told her how surprised I was at the memories that surfaced and how the words began to flow when I began to write my draft essay.

After the workshop several writer friends went for lunch, where we discussed how much we learned and how inspired we were by the workshop. 

On the drive home, I got goosebumps when Lou read her draft essay about being told by her grandmother to speak up and not be quiet (she took her grandmother's advice to heart) and how she saw ghosts while living with her grandparents on the banks of the Illinois River.

This morning Lou called and we talked again about how much we enjoyed the workshop. She asked me to read my essay, which began to be about a pair of candlesticks I wish I hadn't sold at a garage sale but expanded to become something more.

I plan to read "Lessons in Ruby Red" tomorrow at Coffee and Critique then polish it again. The next step is to find a market and send it out, where I hope it will find a home.

Even if it doesn't get published, I have been inspired to use the "instant essay" method to tap into my artistic side and write more creative nonfiction. 

Call for Submissions: Bad Hair Days, Travel and On Being a Stupid Kid

If you're looking for something to do during the sizzling days of summer, here are some submission call outs with red hot deadlines in July and August:

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, publisher of Mozark Press, reminding me about the deadline for the Shaker of Margaritas: Bad Hair Day anthology. I'm not sure I can get something together by then, but maybe some of my visitors can. Here are the details:

The deadline is July 15. Linda is looking for humorous fiction stories about a bad hair day, "one of those days when things don’t go according to plan; in fact, it is as horrible as a bad perm or hair that turns green—unintentionally. Things go wrong, but with humor, stubbornness, and attitude—the female protagonist can survive any kind of bad hair day."

Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology and will be paid $20 upon publication. For submissions guidelines visit the "Bad Hair Day" page on http://www.mozarkpress.blogspot.com/ or http://www.mozarkpress.com/

***

Last week in the comment section on my post about the Chicken Soup for the Soul dispute settlement, Dahlynn McKowen, editor of Publishing Syndicate, issued this invitation to my visitors:

". . . I have created a competing anthology -- "Not Your Mother's Book...[subtitle]." It's a new anthology for a new century and I invite you and your fans to submit stories! http://www.publishingsyndicate.com/ Thanks!"

The August 1 deadlines are for: On Travel and On Being a Stupid Kid. Here's a link to the submission guidelines  where you can also read details about compensation options.

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I've been under the weather, but I'm feeling better today and hope to get some writing done. We're supposed to get a snow storm later this evening, so I'm going to bundle up and try to keep warm by generating heat on my keyboard.

If you're looking for a helpful writing resource, Poets & Writers on-line magazine is an excellent one to check out.

One useful feature is the database of contest deadlines. This latest database includes contests for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and nonfiction. Deadlines shown on the link above land between January 25 and February 11. Entry fees range from None to $50. Some contests have specific residency requirements, but most are open to all. A few contest entry fees include magazine subscriptions to contest entrants.

So, if you're looking for a home for your poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or nonfiction, check out Poets & Writers.

My Talk on "Prose Writing" to MFA Students at Lindenwood

Last night was an eye-opening experience. Dianna Gravemann, a writing friend and university-level teacher, invited me to talk to her MFA students in a class on "Prose Writing" at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. The focus of my talk was on short stories, specifically what I look for when judging a short story contest or deciding which short stories to accept when I'm editing Cuivre River Anthology.

The class was a mix of published and yet-to-be-published students. During my presentation I talked about what makes a good story, including the importance of story titles and gave them an exercise on "guess the original title of the book." For example, "Pansy" was the original title of what best-selling book that was made into a famous movie? Answer: "Gone with the Wind."

Last night we also discussed characters, conflict, word choices, voice, and most of the basics of short stories. But a few students had specific questions about the business of publishing, and I'm not certain I adequately covered those questions in the time I had to speak. Even if I had more time, I'm not sure I could've covered them because frankly those questions were geared for someone in publishing rather than a garden-variety writer like me.

Before leaving I handed out bookmarks with my blog address and invited the students to visit here. So, I hope some of them will visit today because I've found links to sites with insight from professionals in the publishing industry on some of the questions asked last night.

* One question had to do with the future of self-publishing. I don't have a crystal ball and wouldn't want to specualte, and self-publishing individual decision. While self-publishing isn't right for me, I mentioned a few self-publishing success stories, and Dianna chimed in with some others. Here's a link to Alan Rinzler's post on How Self Publishing Can Lead to a Real Book Deal. In his post he lists the top four reasons self-published books get signed up. Another excellent post about self-publishing comes from literary agent Nathan Bransford, "Should You Self-Publish? The Questions to Ask Yourself."

* Two related questions asked last night were: "When do you know you're ready to send off your manuscript?" and "When do you stop sending off to lit mags or publications that only give contributor copies or pay $100, and start writing to make money?" Those are very personal decisions, and I didn't have a one-size-fits-all answer, but I found something that might shed some light on the subject. Here's a link to another post from Alan Rinzler. This one is on "How Writers Build Courage."

* Related to the questions above, which touched on finding an agent, here's a post from literary agent Nathan Bransford on "How to Find a Literary Agent," along with over 100 comments about his post. You can also learn a lot about agenting from Kristen Nelson in her Agenting 101 blog posts. I frequently visit these two blogs because of the excellent information they provide for writers.

* Another question touched on the content of a manuscript. "If 90 percent of what I've written is true and 10 percent is made up, is it fiction or non-fiction?" Great question. I've heard several opinions on the matter and had lengthy discussions with writing friends. Last night I mentioned James Frey, and one student brought up "Angela's Ashes." I found an article from the Christian Science Monitor that addresses the question of "Memoirs Whose Truth and Does it Matter?" that might help. Here's another link on a related question that was asked: "What is Creative Nonfiction?"

Those are all the questions I can recall that needed to be addressed more, but if there are others, let me know.

Thanks again Dianna for inviting me to talk to your class, and thanks to everyone there for being so polite and for having so many wonderful questions!

Sue William Silverman - Special Guest Blogger Tomorrow

Today's weather for St. Peters, MO: High 89 degrees, chance of thunderstorms.

I'm pleased to announce that as part of the WOW! Guest Author Tour, tomorrow my guest blogger will be teacher and memoirist Sue William Silverman, a faculty advisor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and the associate editor of the journal Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction.

Sue's latest book, FEARLESS CONFESSIONS: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO MEMOIR (The University of Georgia Press) is fascinating and informative. The book is filled with helpful writing tips and practical exercises. I discuss her book this week on my other blog, A Book A Week.

If you've ever wondered about the line that separates truth from fiction in memoir, you will want to read her post here tomorrow on "Truth in Memoir."

So stop by tomorrow and read what Sue has to say. Even better, post a comment, or ask a question and Sue will be available to answer.