End of year party!

Welcome to the end of year party! 

Everyone is welcome. All food is calorie and allergen free, the drink won't give you a headache and nobody will take embarrassing photos to post online.

To join in all you have to do is say what you're bringing – food, drink, jokes, games, news, reflections on 2022, hopes for 2023 ...

I'm hoping to continue writing stories both long and short whilst travelling in the mobile writing retreat (aka campervan). 

A few more sales would be nice...

Wishing everyone who has contributed to this blog, by commenting and/or providing information, happiness in the year ahead.

Cheers!

As always –

New blog posts are published each Saturday. All blog readers are welcome to use the comment section to share writing news, tips, successes, links to competitions and other publication opportunities, to ask questions and to respond to comments from others.

Warm winter wishes

Today is Christmas Eve, the shortest day (in my part of the world) has passed and the days are getting longer and lighter.  That makes me happy. Are these things you celebrate? 

I'm celebrating another flimsy excuse to share some of my photos of Scotland! I do know that's not a reindeer - I mean the first competition link.

Free entry writing competitions

Thanks to Fiona for passing on the link to this essay writing competition. "Entrants must be aged over 16 and resident in Scotland, born in Scotland or have a longstanding association with Scotland. " I wonder if I'd qualify? (I don't just go there and take many, many photos – my husband is half Scots.) For those who do, there's a £1,500 prize on offer.

Thanks to Marguerite who shared a link to Lipstick and Lies in the comments to last week's post. This is a monthly competition with a £10 voucher for the winner and publication of their story and the runner up in a booklet due out in 2024.

And thanks to Elizabeth McGinty for sharing this flash fiction competition which looks like fun and offers a small prize. 

There's still time to enter the Green Stories novel writing competition and it looks as though they'll be running more competitions for different writing forms in 2023.

Other publication opportunities

Fanatical are looking for sci-fi, horror and fantasy stories. They pay £20 per published piece.

Womag news

I've had an acceptance from a magazine I didn't even submit to! 

Not quite as strange as it sounds – A story submitted to Yours was forwarded by the editor to her colleague at the sister publication Yours Fiction. 

That was an exception. Generally stories (poems, articles etc) will only be bought by the editor you've sent them too, so don't leave them lurking on your hide drive – get them out there! 

My news

My hands are toasty warm, thanks to the gloves Fiona made for me. Aren't they great? 

I'm amazed how much difference they make. If you're getting cold hands while typing, it's definitely worth trying a pair.

(Gary took this photo and didn't laugh very much at me trying to position my fingers as though I can actually type.)

As always –

New blog posts are published each Saturday. All blog readers are welcome to use the comment section to share writing news, tips, successes, links to competitions and other publication opportunities, to ask questions and to respond to comments from others.

Happy all the seasonal and festive things to you!

Brrr!

Brrrr! Don't you sometimes wish writing was a more active occupation? I get involved in a story and don't notice how cold I am until I stop and then it takes a lot of tea to warm me up again.

 

Free to enter writing competitions

The Secret Attic run regular competitions for fiction of various lengths. To qualify for the Amazon vouchers you need to be a member which costs £12 a year, but you can still enter the competitions for the fun and glory (plus publication) without doing that.

The prize for this year's W&AYB short story competition is a place on an Arvon course. I've heard that as well to the useful writing stuff they serve good cake. If you've been, can you confirm that?

The L Ron Hubbard Writers Of The Future contest offers a $1,000 prize every quarter for sci-fi and fantasy stories of up to 17,000 words.

Other Publication opportunities

Thanks to Alyson for pointing out that Bridge House Anthologies are looking for submissions on the theme of 'Gifted'.  Successful submissions will be published and you may earn a small amount in royalties if the book happens to do well.

Womag news

I've sold a couple of stories to TAB, 800 and 1,200 words. One was subbed in January, so don't give up on those which have been out for a while. (This is a 'closed' market.)

If you'd like to share the word lengths and waiting period for some of your successes it will help people judge what's in demand and how far in advance we need to send it.

As always –

New blog posts are published each Saturday.

All blog readers are welcome to use the comment section to share writing news, tips, successes, links to competitions and other publication opportunities, to ask questions and to respond to comments from others.

The way forward ?

Blog news

In my last post I asked for suggestions to help keep this blog going so it's useful to readers without taking up quite so much of my time. Thank you very much to all who replied (or will do so). I'll definitely be implementing some of your ideas. 

Some asked how blog readers can help take the pressure off me. I've replied more fully in the comments, but to sum it up – please share information in the comments. To (hopefully) make it easier to do this, I'm discontinuing the 'over to you' posts and will ask more specific questions in each post. However you're always extremely welcome to share writing related information and experiences, to report your successes (or otherwise!) pass on details of free competitions or submission opportunities, ask questions or for help, in the comments section of any post - and to reply to such posts from others.

If you'd like to send me competition links or general womag news directly via social media or emails that's great – but please only ask questions, share your personal experiences etc in the comments. That's because anything shared on the blog might help other readers - and they might be able to help you.

I like to thank those who provide useful links etc. If you have a website, blog or anything else you'd like me to link to, please provide that along with the info (even if I know you as my memory is terrible!)

I've published a new 'How this blog works' page to let people know what to expect, and how they can help. I expect I'll be revising that a bit over the next few weeks.

This week's specific question – which publications (physical or digital) do you submit to, or know of which are open to submissions? Please share any details you have, plus a link if possible, in the comments. Amongst other things, this will help me keep the submission guideline database up to date.

Free entry competition news

Thanks to Alyson for sending the link to this 400 word competition. First prize is £150. International entries welcome. You can submit fiction or non fiction.

Here's a crime novel competition with a publication contract as the prize.

Thanks to Fiona for sending me the link to this short story competition. Not only is there a £1,000 first prize, but the theme is crime story set in Scotland, so I've got an extra excuse to share a few more photos from my recent trip. It would be criminal to waste such an opportunity!

This short story competition has the theme 'preserve or purge'. The prize is $200 plus publication and you're allowed up to 3,500 words.

Womag / competition news

Best magazine are running another short story competition. The theme is Valentine's, closing date15th Jan and the prize £500, plus publication.

Womag news

I have a story in the current issue of Yours Fiction. Alyson Hilbourne kindly scanned the lovely illustration for me. The story was subbed in July and accepted in October. You'll only get a reply if the story is accepted.

The guidelines, websites etc for this, and all the other magazines I know about, can be found in my submissions database.

I'm home again

Sorry I didn't manage to keep up with the blog, particularly responding to comments whilst I was away. These photos are the best I can do by way of excuse.

I'm back home now, but not yet 'back' in the sense that normal service has been resumed. That might not ever happen ... Still, I wanted to share this snippet of womag news before it was too late for anyone to act on it. 

Sylvia magazine are briefly open to submissions. For this submission window only they're looking for work on the subject of menstruation. That's not a topic we write about very often, is it? Maybe we should, but on this occasion I don't think I will. They pay 25p per word of prose or £1.75 per line of poetry.

When I put up my last post, saying I was taking a short break from the blog I felt a sense of relief that the pressure was off, so I'm having a think about its future. Any suggestions for making it as useful as possible, without taking up too much of my time, are welcome.

Quick reminder about my free short story collection, Not A Drop To Drink. It would help me if those who are able (you need either a kindle or to download the free reading app) would download a copy. Even better if you enjoy reading it and leave a review!