NPR's Three-Minute Fiction Contest Now Open - Finders Keepers

Finders Keepers: Round eleven of NPR's Three-Minute Fiction Contest is now open.

Guest judge is Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, and St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

Submissions for this edition of NPR's contest should be:

* An original short story

* No more than 600 words

* Can be read in about three minutes

* About a character who finds an object

* And has no intention of returning it

* Deadline is 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 12

* One entry per person

Winner will receive signed copies of Russell's novels and have his or story published in The Paris Review.

Click here for more details.

NPR's Three Minute Fiction Contest - Round Three

Today in St. Peters, MO: Clearing, high 29 degrees.

Got a minute--or maybe three? Here's a contest for you. It's Round Three of NPR's Three Minute Fiction Contest. Their contest premise is: Send in an original short story that can be read in three minutes or less. This time they've provided a photo for writers to look at to write a story. The story must be no more than 600 words. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on February 28, 2010. Only one entry per person. Here's a link with complete details.

NPR book critic Alan Cheuse will choose a winning story to be read on-air, and NPR will also post their favorite entries on their site.

Contest winner will be interviewed and have his/her story read on-air during Weekend All Things Considered and will receive an autographed copy of the Alan Cheuse book "To Catch the Lightning: A Novel of American Dreaming" and an autographed print-out of the Alan Cheuse short story "Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941." (approximate value - $20.00).

I've jotted down a couple ideas for stories, and time permitting I'll submit something.

P.S. Sorry my postings have been spotty lately, but it has been a busy week. If I post tomorrow it will be later in the day because I'm chaperoning a field trip with Michael's class to see "The Wizard of Oz" at a local high school. I'm excited about the trip; it should be fun.