After NaNoWriMo: Revising & Editing Tips to Keep You from Going Insane By Margo Dill
You might be thinking, I write flash fiction and short stories, why does this apply to me? This article has fantastic tips on revision and editing that any fiction writer can use. Yes, even flash fiction writers! While teaching her novel class, Margo noticed some common problems in early drafts--things like writers forgetting about the golden rule of showing not telling or adding sensory details or sticking to one point of view. Read this article to find out what problems to look for and learn how to fix them. READ MORE>>
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Fresh News Daily From The Muffin |  |
Tuesdays are contest winner interview days! Learn from other flash fiction writers and find out what inspires their stories. Visit The Muffin for daily writing inspiration.
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How to Make Dialogue Tags Work for Your Story
By Margo Dill
In this article, Margo shows you how to use dialogue tags to set a scene--so you can keep the action moving and give readers a sense of place. She also shows you how to incorporate dialogue tags to reveal a character's appearance, to tell who is talking and what he or she is doing, and to share inner thoughts. READ MORE>>
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The Contest Conundrum: What Are Flash Fiction Contest Judges Looking For?
By LuAnn Schindler
If you've ever entered one of our contests or are thinking about entering, this article takes you behind the scenes of a flash fiction critique. With the permission of a flash fiction writer, we share a sample story and walk you through the critique process. You'll see how judges score entries, examine content components such as universal story pattern, and what they look for in technical aspects. Learn by example from this article, and then get to work crafting your flash fiction! READ MORE>>
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Writing a Middle-Grade NovelInstructor: Margo Dill Start Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Duration: 6 Weeks This class will get writers started on a middle-grade novel. They will learn what makes a novel middle-grade and brainstorm different ideas for this age group. The instructor will lead students through pre-writing exercises and help students write their first two chapters with plenty of feedback on ways to revise and edit their work. When the class is over, students will be well on their way to completing a middle-grade novel. Limit: 20 Students View Full Course Description HERE>>
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How to Get the Right Literary Agent for Your ManuscriptInstructor: Annette Fix Start Date: Monday, March 5, 2012 Duration: 4 Weeks By the end of this course, you will know how to target the rightagent for your material and leave with a list of agents who are signing and selling in your genre. You will develop your "elevator pitch" and learn valuable in-person pitching techniques. You will complete the course with a query letter that showcases your voice and the tone of your book, and lifts your query out of the slush pile. Limit: 10 Students View Full Course Description HERE>>
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| Featured Article |  | How to Cut Your Flash Fiction Contest Entry Down to Size
By Mandy Vicsai
Mark Twain said "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." This is especially true for stories of 500 words. Yet shorter stories can be punchier, more focused and as a writer more fulfilling because of the challenge they present.
This article gives you seven practical ways to cull your words to the required count. It's based on my story Strange Doin's, winner of WOW!'s Fall 2006 Competition.
READ MORE>>
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Writing a Strong Story: Beginnings, Middles, and Ends A great novel is one that grabs your attention at the beginning and keeps a firm hold on you until the very last word.
Kerrie Flanagan interviews successful authors--Debbie Dadey, Cricket MacRae, Laura Resau, Jeanne DuPrau, Amy Kathleen Ryan, Kathryn Cushman, Jodi Picoult, and Jonathan Kellerman--who share how they work through the challenges of writing a strong story, hopefully giving you new techniques and strategies to add to your writing toolbox. READ MORE>>
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The results are in!
FALL 2011 FLASH FICTION CONTEST WINNERS |
Greetings!
Did you know February is Flash Fiction Month? It's time to get creative!
One way to do that is by entering writing contests that inspire your muse. We've listed some contests that you may be interested in, as well as our own quarterly flash fiction contest, which closes at the end of this month. You'll find more details on that below, as well as a Q&A on what our guest judges look for when reading fiction, a Q&A on how to tell if a contest is legitimate or not, and some exercises to spark your creativity. But in the meantime, we're pleased to announce the results of the Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest!
What a pleasure it's been to read the stories of so many talented writers. Our guest judges did not have an easy time. The diversity of the entries in style, genre, and content led to careful deliberation.
A big thank you goes to our guest judge Andrea Hurst, literary agent and president of Andrea Hurst Literary Management, for her time and effort spent choosing this season's top winners. And for this season's winners, Andrea has a special message for you, which you will receive when we send you your prizes.
So, without further ado, let's read the winning stories! Visit the Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest Winners' Page.
[And don't forget: our Winter 2012 Flash Fiction Contest ends this month, February 29th. So dig out those stories and send them on in!]
Enjoy!
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Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest Winners Announced!
Drum roll...
Congratulations goes to everyone who entered the Fall '11 Flash Fiction Contest. All of your entries were incredible this round, and our esteemed guest judge, literary agent Andrea Hurst, did not have an easy job! But with her expertise, she dutifully picked the winners.
All of the stories this season were phenomenal! I know you've all been waiting patiently, so here's the results!
- 1st Place Winner: No One Told Me Stories by Suki Michelle, Round Lake Beach, Illinois
- 2nd Place Winner: The Encounter by Laura Pelner McCarthy, Miami, Florida
- 3rd Place Winner: The Scream by Linnea Dayton, Solana Beach, California
7 Runners Up (in no particular order):
- Autumn Spring Together by L.E. Grabowski-Cotton, Memphis, Tennessee
- I Began Baking a Cake by Tearra Rhodes, Buffalo, New York
- The R Wurd by Debbi Straight, Brazil, Indiana
- Metamorphosis by Kira Plummer, Lansdowne, Virginia
- Last Letter by Shannon Norland, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Reflection by Julianne Pierce, New York, New York
- Molting by Stacey Tarpley, Chantilly, Virginia
Read the Top 10 Winners' stories in our contest feature!
10 Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
- Hush by Jan Ackerson, Three Oaks, Michigan - The Big Picture by Michael Throne, Ashburn, Virginia - Mr. Lover by Jessica Hitchens, Washington, DC - Fixation by Debbi Straight, Brazil, Indiana - Love Outside the Box by Sheila Brenda Stevens, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Knowledge and Plans of Mother Nature by Cheryl Kula, Hinton, West Virginia - The Giant by Catina Tanner, Hamer, South Carolina - The Waiting Place by Alexis Peters, Union, New Jersey - The Dead Butterfly Collector by Carolyn Kisler, Nortonville, Kentucky - The Lesson by Balana Jones, West Chester, Pennsylvania Congratulations to all the winners! And congratulations to everyone who hit the send button. We know it's not easy, but each season provides a rebirth of opportunity!
Note: Congratulations to Debbi Straight who had two stories place this season! One as a top ten story and the other as an honorable mention.
So, go on already! Read the stories here.
Critiques: If you purchased a critique for the Fall '11 contest, they will be sent out one at a time this week by our contest manager. If you have not received yours after a week has passed, please contact Anne: anne@wow-womenonwriting.com. Please make sure you check your bulk mail folder first.
Prizes: All prizes this season are digital, so we will be sending gift cards, e-books, and cash prizes electronically over the course of a week. Thank you!
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13 Story Starters
There's nothing more intimidating than staring at a blank page. One thing that always inspires me is reading other writer's work. I'm sure you will find inspiration by reading the Fall '11 Contest winners' stories, but here are a few flash fiction exercises to help you out as well (from the book, Writing Realistic Dialogue and Flash by Harvey Stanbrough):
1. Write a story about a conflict between a man and a woman; two men; two women.
2. Write a story about a conflict between a man and a child; a woman and a child.
3. Write a story about euthanasia; suicide; murder.
4. Write a story about being from Jupiter; another solar system; another galaxy.
5. Write a story about a conflict between a man and a machine; a woman and a machine; two machines (either "real" or futuristic--mechanical, electric, electronic).
6. Write a story about a conflict or the relationship between two inanimate objects (a cup and the desk it's sitting on; grass and dirt; your shoe and your sock).
7. Write a story about a conflict between a man and an animal; a woman and an animal; two animals.
8. Write a story about a conflict among three people (any gender or mix of genders).
9. Write a story about a conflict between seemingly complementary professionals (a cop and a lawyer, a baker and a cook, a writer and an editor, a teacher and a principal).
10. Write a story about a conflict between insects; an insect and a boy or girl, man or woman; an insect and his environment; an insect and an unnatural environment.
11. Write a story about an internal conflict of morals (one character).
12. Write a story about a graveyard at midnight; a photo of a deceased relative that the protagonist loved and/or hated.
13. Write a story about a conflict between two or more people in a photograph.
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Additional Resources from Around the Web: For more ideas, Google "flash fiction prompts" to see what you find. Here are some we found:
Flash Fiction 365: A website that challenges you to write a story every day based on a prompt they post at midnight.
http://flashfiction365.tumblr.com/prompts
Writing Prompts Generator: Part of writer Adam Maxwell's Fiction Lounge website, the writing prompts generator shares 1 prompt on the page, so you have to refresh the page to receive a new prompt. I visited the site and landed on the prompt: "He was impervious to her abuse. Until she mentioned the dry roasted peanuts."
http://www.adammaxwell.com/writers-tools/writing-prompts-generator/
Flash Fiction Friday: Their version of flash fiction allows writers to pen a story up to 2,500 words. A prompt is posted each Friday, and if you find it sparks a story, you can post the story on your own blog, website, or some place that you can share, and return to the original prompt and post the link.
http://www.flashfictionfriday.com/
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Q: What do you deduct points for?
"I received a critique from your editors and found it very helpful! I plan to rework my story for your next contest, but I'm kind of confused about the numbers. I got a '12' total...a 5 in Subject, 4 in Content, and 3 in Technical. I get that it's out of a possible score of 5, but what do you deduct points for?"
A: Great question! Believe it or not, this is the first time we've been asked this question, and I'm sure other writers will find it helpful as well.
Yes, you are correct. There are three categories the contest judges score 1-5, with 5 being the best. They are: Subject, Content, and Technical. You received a 12 out of a possible 15, which is a good score. With a little work in a couple of areas, you could have a winning story on your hands.
Subject: Since you scored a 5 in Subject, it sounds like your story is a great fit for our readers. That means it is fiction (not poetry or an essay), and does not contain any excessive or unnecessary violence, sex, or language. Of course, we allow these elements if they move the story forward and are essential to the story, but if it's excessive or unnecessary then we will deduct a point for each.
Content: You scored a 4 in the Content category. It sounds like your story is pretty solid, but it could have a minor problem in one of the following areas. In all of our categories, the judges answer a series of mental questions as they read. If there is a problem in one of these areas, they deduct a point.
- Does the opening grab your attention?
- Is there a plot? (beginning, middle, end)
- Are there too many subplots?
- Are the characters well drawn?
- Is there conflict? (mental or moral struggle caused by incompatible desires and aims)
- Is the point of view (P.O.V.) consistent?
- Is there too much "telling" (Show vs. Tell)?
- Are there dialogue problems?
- Is the story complete? Is there an ending?
Technical: You scored a 3 in Technical, which is the toughest category to ace. Only a handful of stories receive a 5 in Technical, and those stories are usually flawless. Here are some problem areas we deduct points for in the Technical category:
- Does the story have a title?
- Are there misspellings and/or typos?
- Are there punctuation problems?
- Are there grammar/usage errors?
- Did they use cliches?
- Are there too many adverbs?
- Are there passive sentences?
- Are there tense problems?
- Are there awkward sentences?
For the Technical category, it's truly helpful to refer to the Chicago Manual of Style. If you have any questions, turn to the guide for answers. It's a must have for every writer's shelf.
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I hope this helped clear up some of the questions you have on how we score stories. When you receive a critique, you also get feedback in each area, so make sure you carefully review the editor's comments. You also receive one additional area: Overall Impression (Style). We don't judge on this category because style is subjective, but the editor who is critiquing your story will share her personal impressions. By answering the questions above and reading your story aloud, you will be able to tighten up your prose, and produce an excellent story. Hopefully, one that will be a winning story!
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Q: How can I tell if a contest is legitimate or not?
"I'm working on a novel, but I am willing to compose short stories for competition requirements. I want to be recognized so that I can build up some momentum for the publication of my novel. A nice monetary gain wouldn't be bad either. But how can I tell if a contest is legitimate or not? I want to be recognized nationally."
A: I think it's great that you want to build some recognition for your novel, but keep in mind, winning a writing contest is not easy. That said, here are some things to consider when deciding whether or not to enter a particular contest:
- Judges: Look for contests with reputable judges such as agents, editors, or authors. Study their bios to find out about their qualifications and see if they write and/or accept submissions in your genre. If they do, bonus!
- Previous Winners: There should be published stories to view or, at minimum, a list of names and story titles. Take a look at the types of stories that have won in the past to see if they are well written and fit your writing style.
- Publication: If you're looking for national exposure, take a look at where your story and/or name will be published. If it's online, make sure the site has a lot of traffic and is well known in its niche. If it's published in a magazine, is it national or regional? Who is the publication's audience?
- Rights: Make sure you check what rights they are acquiring, if any. Steer clear of contests that acquire all rights. Ideally, you want to retain the rights to your work.
- Number of Stories Accepted: Before you enter you need to know how many stories are accepted so you know what your odds are if you're serious about winning.
- Entry Fees: Entry fees are fine and make for serious competition (when you're paying, you will put your best foot forward), but anything over $25 or so seems excessive. Typical fees range from $5-$25, and are used to pay for prizes, administration, and contest promotion. You can also find contests that do not charge an entry fee.
- Prizes: What are the prizes? Cash? Publication? Find contests that fit your needs. Make sure that the entry fee isn't high compared to the pay out of cash and prizes, and number of entries accepted.
If you're ever in doubt if a contest is reputable, do a search and see what other writers are saying about it. You should also make sure you can easily find their contact info and even e-mail them a question just to see if you receive a reply.
Make sure you check for all the items mentioned above before you enter. Even if you don't win, entering contests is good practice and keeps you writing and submitting. Good luck!
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Fiction Writing Contests Around the Web
We're certainly not the only ones who hold a writing contest. We found some other little gems you may enjoy. As always, check their guidelines before entering to decide if they're right for you. (Please note: we are not endorsing these contests.) Listed by deadline.
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Discovering the Undiscovered Competition 2012
Deadline: February 15 (Early Bird), October 1, 2012 (Final)
Entry Fee: $23
Prizes: $1,000
Guidelines: Open to all forms of fiction or creative nonfiction including novels, memoirs, or collections of short fiction and essays. Manuscripts between 30,000-200,000 words.
Details: www.gracenotesbooks.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96&Itemid=103
100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest Nine
Deadline: February 18, 2012
Entry Fee: $15; plus checkmark evaluation: $10 additional; plus critique: $40 additional.
Prizes: $400, $50
Guidelines: Categories for stories are "Eating" and "Uncommon Character." Your story must relate to one or the other, but the connection can be loose. Original and complete fiction of not more than 100 words. See the website for examples of winning stories, checkmark evaluations, and critiques.
Details: www.100wordsorfewerwritingcontest.com
HOOT Monthly Contest
Deadline: February 20, 2012
Entry Fee: $2
Prizes: 30% of the entry fees
Guidelines: Flash fiction, poetry, and memoir that is fewer than 150 words.
Details: www.hootreview.com
Poetry-in-Motion Writing Contest
Deadline: February 29, 2012
Entry Fee: $25
Prizes: $1,000
Guidelines: Theme: Holidays and Special Events, Past and Present. The writer should submit one sonnet (which commonly consists of 14 lines, each of which has ten syllables written in iambic pentameter).
Details: www.risingstar31.com/contests.html
Wag's Review Third Annual Winter Writers Contest for Fiction
Deadline: February 29, 2012
Entry Fee: $20
Prizes: $1,000; $500; $100
Guidelines: Accepting submissions in fiction, poetry, and essays. Up to 10 pages of poetry, and up to 10,000 words of prose.
Details: www.wagsrevue.com/submit.php
Twisted Stringybark Short Story Award 2012
Deadline: March 4, 2012
Entry Fee: $9.75
Prizes: $500
Guidelines: Maximum word count 1,500 words; must have some link to Australia (no matter how tenuous); and must have a twist in the tail!
Details: www.stringybarkstories.net/The_Stringybark_Short_Story_Award/Home.html
2012 Foolish Writing Contest
Deadline: March 15, 2012
Entry Fee: $5
Prizes: $100, $50, $25
Guidelines: Answer this question, "It was so funny..." (in 200 words or less)
Details: www.foolishtimes.net
Robert Frost Poetry Contest for Poems and Haiku
Deadline: March 15, 2012
Entry Fee: $10
Prizes: A two week residency at The Studios of Key West plus $200 cash; $100; $50
Guidelines: Poems may be rhymed or unrhymed, metered or free verse, up to 40 lines. Haiku should be a short poem of no more than 17 syllables.
Details: www.tskw.org/news-room/announcing-2011-robert-frost-international-poetry-haiku-contests/
Annual Writers-Editors International Writing Competition
Deadline: March 15, 2012
Entry Fee: $3-$20
Prizes: $100, $75, $50
Guidelines: Nonfiction (previously published and unpublished); Fiction (short story and novel chapter); Children's Literature; Poetry.
Details: www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guidelines.htm
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Winter 2012 Flash Fiction Contest
 Deadline: February 29, 2012 (Midnight, Pacific Time)
Guest Judge: Literary Agent Elise Capron
About Elise:
Elise Capron is an agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, an agency known for establishing and guiding the careers of critically acclaimed fiction and nonfiction authors, including Amy Tan, Lisa See, Maxine Hong Kingston, Chitra Divakaruni, Kate White, Diane Mott Davidson, Luis Urrea, Janell Cannon, and many others. The Los Angeles Times dubbed the Dijkstra Agency "the most powerful literary agency on the West Coast" and, in its 27+ years, the agency has developed a reputation for discovering new talent and representing quality work with commercial potential.
Elise has been with the Dijkstra Agency since 2003. In addition to her own agenting, she assists Sandra Dijkstra and handles first serial sales. She specializes in debut fiction, character-driven literary and offbeat fiction, and short story collections. She is also interested in selected nonfiction if it has a literary edge. She hopes to find fiction with unforgettable writing, terrific narrative voice/tone, and great characters. Elise loves novels with an unusual or eccentric edge, and is drawn to stories she has never heard before. She hopes to work with writers who are professional, have a realistic sense of the market, and who are getting their work published regularly in literary magazines.
Some of Elise's recent and soon-to-be-published books include Jonathon Keats' Virtual Worlds: Language on the Edge of Science and Technology (Oxford University Press) and The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six (Random House), Tiphanie Yanique's How to Escape from a Leper Colony (Graywolf), Rikki Ducornet's Netsuke (Coffee House Press), Cynthia Barnett's Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis (Beacon), Jack Shuler's Blood and Bone: Truth and Reconciliation in a Southern Town, Ali Liebegott's The IHOP Papers (Carroll & Graf), Peter Plate's Soon the Rest Will Fall (Seven Stories Press), and Whitney Lyles' Party Games (Simon Pulse) and First Comes Love (Berkley).
Find out more about Elise by reading her interview on WOW! Women On Writing: http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/7-20questionselisecapron.php
Prompt: Open Prompt
Word Count: 750 Max; 250 Min
Limit: 300 Entries
Prizes:
1st Place: $350 cash prize; $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; Published on WOW!; 1 Year Premium Membership to Automated Editing ($420 value); Interview on The Muffin
2nd Place: $250 cash prize; $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; Published on WOW!; 1 Year Standard Membership to Automated Editing ($240 value); Interview on The Muffin
3rd Place: $150 cash prize; $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; Published on WOW!; 1 Year Standard Membership to Automated Editing ($240 value); Interview on The Muffin
7 Runners Up: $25 Amazon Gift Certificate; Published on WOW!; Interview on The Muffin
10 Honorable Mentions: $20 Amazon Gift Certificate; Name and title of story published on WOW!
Don't wait until the last minute! Enter today. Deadline: February 29, 2012. Visit the Contest Page and download the terms & conditions ebook (PDF). Good luck!
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We hope you enjoy reading all the wonderful stories that these ladies put their hearts into writing. Congratulations goes out to each and every one of you. Whatever you do, never give up. Follow your dreams, and go for the writing gold! 
Write on!
Angela, Anne & Team WOW!
WOW! Women On Writing
Writer's Digest 101 Best Sites for Writers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
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