If you saw yesterday's post you'll already know I plan to enter more free to enter competitions this year. (If you missed it, please consider reading and voting for this story of mine. You'll need to provide your email and verify your vote, but I'll really appreciate you making the effort.) I also entered the fable competition which I mentioned a few posts back. As I'm aiming for at least 2 entries a month, I feel I'm off to a good start!
I'm taking a two pronged approach. First I'll be entering more of those I'd blog about anyway, and secondly I'll be searching for even more free contests to enter. If you hear of any, please let me know via a link as a comment, email, tweet – however you like.
Thanks again to Alyson, who regularly passes on competition links. Her latest find is this flash fiction competition which offers $200 as its top prize. Winning and shortlisted entries will be published. I intend to try this one.
Creative Writing Ink run various competitions, plus provide a list of others you can enter, both free and with entry fees. They currently have a free to enter poetry competition, with a £10 Amazon voucher as the prize. Poetry isn't really my thing, so I'll probably give this one a miss.
The Anansi Archive offer quarterly competitions for poetry, flash fiction (up to 500 words) and short fiction (up to 3,000 words). All have cash prizes and all are free to enter. I entered last time with no luck, but I'll have another go.
This competition is for thrillers and offers $20,000 as the top prize! It's another of those where your popularity and social media reach play a part. I see why the organisers do this, but I wish they wouldn't.
Fusili Writing have another flash fiction competition. They have an unusual way of working – they wait until they have 100 entries, then pick their favourite to publish and promote on social media. That glory is the only prize, but writing flash fiction is a great exercise and they offer some advice on the site. There's also the option to get paid feedback. I've not seen an example of that, so don't know how useful it would be, but £3 isn't a lot to risk if you feel a few pointers might be helpful
Womag news
I've heard from Siobhan at Seven Days. Cheques for published stories weren't sent out before Christmas as she'd thought, but she's been assured that this will still happen.
In case you're wondering, there's no significance to the tulips, beyond my usual excuse that you could use the photos as writing prompts. Really they're just there because I like them so much and the post looked dull without any images.
15 comments:
That's great that you plan to enter more free competitions this year! Good luck with your goal and your submissions.
We all need a goal. Must try some of these longer ones (longer than 1500 words) - good for the soul...maybe, well, good for mine, anyway! I need a bit of stamina... anyone any ideas where to find it? ;)
I really enjoyed the story, Patsy (it gave me a little shiver, which I like), and have given it my vote. Good luck!
Free competitions are best!
Thanks for listing so many. That's why we have you listed as a resource at the IWSG site.
Voted for your story, Patsy.
I'm warning you, I'm entering the Brilliant Flash Fiction too!
Happy New Year
Alyson
Thanks for telling us about more free competitions. I'll definitely enter some of them. Also planning to get more work 'out there' this year.....
Thanks for all that info Patsy, I'm finally dusting off the quill & making a start for 2022 today on Nollaig na mBan (Woman's Christmas) -I've resurrected the old Irish custom in this house of woman doing no housework on the 6th Jan to mark the last day of Christmas so my husband will be doing a special dinner tonight. There could be a story in this....
Thank you very much for all the information. I'm enjoying writing flash fiction and I like the deadlines of competitions - good discipline!
Great story, Patsy, and it’s got my vote. What a nice chap that Alan is!
@ Natalie – thank you
@ Marguerite – I do think that occasionally writing in a different length from normal is a good idea. You don't really need more stamina – break it down into smaller tasks rather than trying to do it all at once. Either count each draft as one thing done, or divide it into beginning, middle and end.
@ Eirin – thank you!
@ Alyson – Noooo – oh well, good luck anyway.
@ New Girl – I think of competitions as alternative markets. If we enter, we have hope.
@ Sheelagh – There's definitely a story in that! And perhaps an article too? Worth querying Ireland's Own, I'd have thought.
@ Marian – Yes, deadlines can be motivating.
@ Alan – Amazing how many of them are!
Sound advice - thank you, Patsy. I'll certainly try.
I've voted too, Patsy, good luck. And thanks for all the heads-up on comps etc. Really useful. I shall certainly try and enter more comps this year.
Thanks for all the competition advise Patsy. With so little success with womag last year I decided to enter more competitions. I ve not come across the Brilliant flash one, so thank you for that one, I entered the anansi comp and got a highly commended in the flash comp and will be published in their anthology, so will be entering in the next one. Getting through to a LL or SL does a lot for moral and reminds me I can write! So onwards and upwards in 2022!
I emailed siobhan about payment yesterday and she assured me I will be paid. The original email last year said it will take 8-10 weeks after publication - which for me was mid dec. So we have to wait and see, I guess. But the end of Feb seems a long way off.
@ Carrie – thank you.
@ Chris – Congratulations! Yes, onwards and upwards.
@ Bubble – My cheque arrived today. Hopefully you won't have much longer to wait for yours.
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