Green River Writers and Springfield Writers' Guild Seeking Contest Submissions

Now that summer is winding down and my teenage grandchildren will be heading off to school next week, I'm hoping to write more and -- if time permits while working on my novel and preparing for speaking engagements this fall -- submit to writing contests. 

Here are announcements from two writing organizations which have sent me their contest guidelines and asked me to share the guidelines with other writers. 

Both organizations have categories open to non-members.

The first is Green River Writers. According to their website, Green River Writers is, "a non-profit organization founded in Kentucky in 1984 to support writers through education, promotion and fellowship."

Here is a link to Green River Writer  contest guidelines. The deadline for submissions for the Green River Writers Contests is August 15 August 31. Contest categories are mostly poetry, but there are fiction and non-fiction categories as well.

The second is Springfield Writers' Guild, a chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. The deadline for submission to the SWG annual contest is September 15. Here are guidelines for the SWG contests, which has contest categories for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

Good luck if you submit!

Hey Writers, What Time is It? It's Contest Time!

Back-to-school season brings back childhood memories of my early school days, evoking the smell of crayons, sharpened pencils, glue, and clean sheets of paper in my Big Chief Tablet.

This sense of nostalgia also reminds me of the excitement of watching favorite TV shows after school with my brothers and sisters on our black-and-white TV. One favorite was the "Howdy Doody Show," which started out with "Hey, Kids, what time is it?"  Sitting at the foot of the TV, we shouted back, "It's Howdy Doody time." The show was sponsored by Rice Krispies, with their cereal's "snap, crackle, and pop."

It might not be Howdy Doody time, but with my grandkiddos back in school, for me it's writing time--and time to enter contests.

For the next two months, I've decided to "snap, crackle, and pop" into action. Here are a couple of contests I hope to enter. Both have late September deadlines and low fees .

* The first contest is the Springfield (Missouri) Writers' Guild 19th Annual Literary Awards. There are eleven contest categories including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Entry fees range from $2 to $3. Prizes range from $100 to certificates. Deadline is Sep 30. Here's a link to the submission guidelines.

* The Green River Writers Writing Contest, with fifteen categories, is sponsored by Green River Writers in Louisville, KY. Entry fees are modest, but the top two category prizes are generous. The original deadline was Aug 31, but the deadline has been extended until Sep 29. Here's a link to their site.

How about you? Do you know of any contests coming up that you'd like to share?

Springfield Writers' Guild 2011 Writing Contests

Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, the Springfield Writers' Guild has a contest for you. There are 11 contest categories; two of the 11 are for members only, but the other nine are open to everyone.

Entry fees range from $2-$3
Prizes in the top three categories are up to $100 and certificates.
Other prizes are more modest ($5-$20).
Deadline October 1 - so you have lots of time to enter.
Winners announced October 22.

Here are the complete guidelines.

And here's a list of winners from 2010.

Good luck!

Springfield Writers' Guild Annual Contests

Today in St. Peters, MO: Chance of showers, high 80 degrees. A hint of fall is in the air. Time to put on a pot of chili.

The 2009 Springfield Writers' Guild has announced its 16th Annual Literary Awards, which includes the JIM STONE GRAND PRIZE MEMORIAL AWARD.

Isn't this photo of Mark Twain from the SWG's home page intriguing? Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, put the town of Hannibal, Missouri, on the map. On a personal note, Hannibal is also the birthplace of my mom.

Like Saturday Writers, my favorite writers' group, SWG is one of thirteen chapters of the Missouri Writers' Guild. What I like about the SWG's contests is they are inexpensive to enter (only $2 or $3, depending on the contest) and they have a contest for just about any type of writer--prose, poetry, or non-fiction. Most of all, you can find out the results quickly.

Their contest deadline is October 1st, and the winners' names will be announced at the October SWG meeting. For complete guidlines, visit their website.

Oh, and Good Luck!