Worcester Writers' Circle

From the WWC mailbox

2011-11-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

Launch of DAW's One Act Playwriting Competition 2012

Monday 17th October 2011. Today, DAW launched its annual Playwriting Competition. The competition aims to encourage the writing of plays for theatre in English and Welsh. Previous prizewinners have been published and performed as a result of promotion through our New Writing Scheme.

THE WINNING PLAY IN EACH CATEGORY

WILL RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE OF £250

AND WILL BE PUBLISHED

PLAYING TIME: 20-50 MINS – A MINIMUM CAST OF TWO

An Adjudicating Panel appointed by the Drama Association of Wales will read and consider the plays entered into the Competition and will award the following prizes:

• Best Play for a Youth Cast (16-25 years) - £250

• Best Play in the Open Category - £250

• Best Play in the Welsh Language - £250

• plus commemorative Prizewinners Medals

• The above plays will also be published by DAW Publications

• Also:

• The Best Play from a Wales Based Playwright will be awarded a bursary to T? Newydd, the National Writers’ Centre for Wales

TO CONTINUE THE SUCCESS OF LAST YEARS SERVICE...

If you would like to make use of DAW’s Script Reading Service whilst your play is with us, please send £37.50 as the combined price of both competition entry - £17.50 and Script Reading Service - £20.00

For a hard copy of the application form, please contact Teresa on Cardiff +44 (0) 29 2045 2200 or

email: teresa@dramawales.org.uk

For a downloadable entry form by pdf or word format, visit our website: www.dramawales.org.uk/pages/playwritingcompetition.html

Closing date: 31st January 2012

THE COMPETITION IS OPEN TO EVERYONE. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED FROM ENTERING IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE WALES - WE RECEIVE ENTRIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

With special thanks this year to Christchurch Theatre Club, Dorset

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Dear Writers:

I would be very pleased to offer your group a free writing workshop at one of your regular meetings. I have taught writing for many years and so perhaps I will be able to offer something of interest.

I will make no charge, but only ask if I might be allowed to bring the new book that I have written, Freeing My Sisters, Olympia Publishers, for your members to see and buy if they wish.

Some possible topics you may wish to consider for the workshop are Building a Character, The Importance of Setting, Point of View (or Viewpoint). Naturally, if you have a specific topic you would like assistance with, please let me know.

With all best wishes,

Wilma Hayes

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Discover the pleasures of poetry with the T S Eliot Prize reading groups!

Now in its second year, this scheme is based on the shortlist for the 2011 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry, announced on 20 October.

The judges, Chair Gillian Clarke, Stephen Knight and Dennis O’Driscoll, have agreed on the ten-book shortlist:

Black Cat Bone John Burnside Cape

The Bees Carol Ann Duffy Picador

Profit and Loss Leontia Flynn Jonathan Cape

Night David Harsent Faber

Armour John Kinsella Picador

Grace Esther Morgan Bloodaxe

Tippoo Sultan’s Incredible Daljit Nagra Faber

White-Man-Eating Tiger

Toy-Machine!!!

November Sean O’Brien Picador

Farmers Cross Bernard O’Donoghue Faber

Memorial Alice Oswald Faber

From today groups can download three poems from each book, together with reading group notes on the poems, a biography and photo of each poet.

The PBS website will offer readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite poet and to take part in discussion of the shortlist on our facebook page. The result of the reading groups’ vote will be announced at the award ceremony.

Anxious about poetry? Who’s Afraid of T S Eliot? is an article suggesting ways in which you can overcome any anxieties you may have and free yourself up to enjoy poetry. The article offers some helpful comparisons along the lines of ‘if you like this… (novel) you might like to try that… (poetry collection)’.

Generous reading group discounts are available and readers can sign up for a weekly email which will cover the ten poets in turn and keep you up-to-date with news on the Prize.

There will also be a prize draw for tickets for the celebratory T S Eliot Prize Readings in the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank on Sunday 15 January 2012.

Reading groups can download the poems from the site and incorporate them into their reading plans, or order books from the PBS if they wish to read further. We also hope to encourage the setting-up of new poetry reading groups. Pam Johnson’s article on the site shows how to go about it and describes how her own group enjoyed reading last year’s shortlist.

The winner of the 2011 T S Eliot Prize will be announced at the award ceremony on Monday 16 January 2012, when Mrs Valerie Eliot will present the winner with a cheque for £15,000. The shortlisted poets will each receive £1,000.

For further information please go to www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects

or contact: Hilary Davidson or Chris Holifield at the Poetry Book Society

tel 020 7831 7468 emails hilary@poetrybooks.co.uk and chris@poetrybooks.co.uk

Competition Listings

2011-11-06T15:20:00.000-08:00

Events Listings

Festivals around the UK

Aldeburgh International Poetry Festival

www.thepoetrytrust.org

London History Festival

14th to 24th November 2011 at Kensington Central Library and Waterstone's Kensington

www.londonhistoryfestival.com

Dylan Thomas Festival

The Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea

http://www.dylanthomas.com/index.cfm?articleid=8653

Richmond Upon Thames Literature Festival

2011 will see the 20th Richmond literary festival. http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/leisure_and_culture/arts/literature_festival.htm

Cambridge Winter Wordfest

At the ADC Theatre in Cambridge

http://www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk/

Southwold Literature Festival

Part of the Ways with Words series of literature festivals, held in the lovely seaside resort of Southwold, Suffolk

http://www.wayswithwords.co.uk

Competition Listings for November

Closing November 1st

Bridge House Short Story Competition

Prizes: 1st - Six months one-to-one mentoring; runner-up - five short story critiques. A total of fifteen winners will also have their stories published in a collection.

Entry fee: £5.

4Screenwriting Competition

Free to enter. looking for 12 talented, original writers who currently have no broadcast credit but want to write for television drama. Run by Channel 4, over a 5 month period participants will work on their own 1 hour script for an original series or serial, and attend two weekend talks and script-meetings.

http://4talent.channel4.com/extra/4SC

Closing November 5th

Words With Jam/Cornerstones Literary Consultancy

Prize: Win a free General Report on a manuscript up to 100,000 words in length. Entry is Free. Send the opening paragraph (no more than 100 words) of your as yet unpublished novel. Further details on web site. wordswithjam.co.uk/compcornercornerstones

Closing November 15th

Creative competitor

Free to enter competition for stories upto 300 words.

http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/new-competitions/free-writing-competition/

Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival Fiction Contest (USA) Grand Prize: $1500, domestic airfare (up to $500) and French Quarter accommodations to attend the 26th annual Festival in New Orleans (21-25 March 2012), VIP all-access Festival Pass for 2012 (value $500), public reading at a literary panel at the 2012 Festival, and publication in Louisiana Literature. For original short stories up to 7000 words in length. Visit www.tennesseewilliams.net/contests for full guidelines.

The London School of Liberal Arts

The Subversive Image Competition, Prizes: 1st prize: £200, 2nd prize: £100. Entry is Free. Visit the competition page on our website for guidelines. libartslondon.co.uk/portfolio/competition/

221b Magazine Winter Annual

Free to enter competition for detective stories up to 12,000 words. email to editor221b@yahoo.co.uk. For full details please see our website: 221bmagazine.co.uk/

Closing November 18th

The Women’s Empowerment Project Book Prize

Entry is £20. The competition winner will have their book published and receive competitive royalties.

Full details on web site. twepbookprize.wordpress.com/

Closing November 30th

The Betty Trask Prize

Free to enter competition for novelists under 35. Prize fund of £20,000.

Details on the web: http://www.societyofauthors.org/betty-trask

Cafe Writers Open Poetry Comp

For poems with a maximum of 40 lines there are generous prizes of up to £1000

Details on the web: http://cafewriters.awardspace.com/competitions.htm

Cinnamon Press Poetry/ Short Story/ Novella

Three categories with great prizes. Details on the web: http://www.cinnamonpress.com/competitions/

Fish Publishing Short Story

For stories up to 5000 words. Details on the web: http://www.fishpublishing.com/short-story-competition-contest.php

Inktears Short Story Competition 2011 (UK)

For short stories on any theme between 1000 and 3000 words in length. Stories may be previously published (prior to 30 April 2011) or unpublished. Visit www.inktears.com for full details.

Leaf Books First Chapter

Submit the first 2000 words of your novel to win.post Leaf Books Ltd, 2 Hastings Place, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, U.K. CF64 2TD

Magma 50th Issue Poetry Competition (UK)

For unpublished poems up to 80 lines on any subject. Poems will be judged by George Szirtes. Poems of up to 10 lines will also be considered for the Magma Editor's Prize (first prize of £500, second£200).Visit www.magmapoetry.com/competition for full details and to download postal entry form, or to enter online from 16 October onwards.

Mary Gornell Memorial Short Story Comp

For stories up to 2000 words. Details on the web: http://www.ashbywritersclub.com/

The New Writer Prose and Poetry Prize

Story: 500-5000 wds. Micro Fiction: 500 wds. Poems: Single poems up to 40 lines. Collections 6-10 poems. Articles (literary theme) 2000 wds. Email admin@thenewwriter.com with queries) The New Writer, PO Box 60, CRANBROOK, TN17 2RE

The Plough Poetry Prize

Prizes up to £1000. Details on the web: http://www.theploughprize.co.uk/

Soul-Making Literary Competition (USA)

The competition now has 12 categories which include short story, flash fiction, young adult writers prose, humour, and novel excerpt. Address: The Webhallow House, 1544 Sweetwood Drive, Broadmoor Vlg., CA 94015-1717, USA. Visit www.soulmakingcontest.us for more information and complete rules.

Swanezine - Short Story Competition 2011

Free to enter with a 1000 word max no minimum.To enter go to the website. swanezine/short-story-competition

The New Writer Prose and Poetry Competition - Fiction

Short stories 500 to 5,000 words, micro fiction up to 500 words; on any subject or theme. Details on the web: thenewwriter.com/

Sunday humor

2011-10-23T05:33:00.001-07:00

Play in a Day

2011-10-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 22 · 10:00am - 8:00pm

Worcesterer Arts Workshop

21 Sansome Street

This is a full day event for actors and writers of all ages. Starting at 10am, the writers will be given a plot summary which they must use to create a short script, and they will direct the actors to bring their vision to life! This play will have a spooky, Halloween theme, giving writers a chance to create a fantasy world of monsters and ghouls, and actors a chance to explore their paranormal alter egos!

The performance itself will be at 7:30pm for those who just want to watch the end result!

Created by - Nicholas Frank Munro Turner, Lisa Ventura

Sebastian Peake

2011-10-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

TICKETS ON SALE NOW for Gormenghast: The Life And Work Of Mervyn Peake

The Worcestershire Literary Festival are delighted to be bringing Sebastian Peake back to Worcester on Saturday 29th October 2011, 7.30pm at The Fownes Hotel to reprise his talk “The Life And Work Of Mervyn Peake”. For more information and to buy tickets click here.

Tickets can be purchased via the box office Worcester Live on 01905 611427, by visiting the Worcester Live box office in the Crowngate Shopping Centre in Worcester or online by visitingwww.worcslitfest.com/gormenghast/ and paying via paypal.

Have you ever ....

2011-10-12T00:41:00.000-07:00

Been to one of those work meetings?

I am going to assume, that it is simply the universe's way of motivating individuals like myself to keep writing, hoping and dreaming.

6 days and counting... for the Booker Prize!

2011-10-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

The six books, selected from the longlist of 13, are:
Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape - Random House)
Carol Birch Jamrach’s Menagerie (Canongate Books)
Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers (Granta)
Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent’s Tail)
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury)
A.D. Miller Snowdrops (Atlantic)
Chair of judges, Dame Stella Rimington, comments: “Inevitably it was hard to whittle down the longlist to six titles. We were sorry to lose some great books. But, when push came to shove, we quickly agreed that these six very different titles were the best.”
The winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on Tuesday 18 October at a dinner at London’s Guildhall and will be broadcast on the BBC. The winner will receive £50,000 and each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, will receive £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their book. Last year’s winner, The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, has sold over 250,000 copies in the UK alone.

A flash of flash fiction

2011-10-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

LWC Flash Fiction Slam 2011

The Limerick Writers' Centre is running its second international flash fiction contest this month.

This year, writers are being asked to submit pieces of up to 500 words (not including title), with the prompt being '2011'. They say that the stories could be about anything: '2011 could be number or a year. The pieces must be stories with a beginning, a middle and an end - not poetry or vignettes.'

Entries must be submitted by email by the closing date of 30 October 2011. A short-list of 10 entries will be announced on or around 15 November. Each shortlisted entrant will have the opportunity to read their piece (or have it read by an actor) at the 2nd Annual LWC Flash Fiction Slam in December 2011. On the night, there will be a small prize selected by the judges and a small prize voted on by the audience.

Reader's Digest UK 100-Word Short Story Contest

This contest for stories of exactly 100 words has a top prize of 1,000 UK pounds - a pretty good rate per word! It's open to UK and Irish writers only - sorry if that doesn't apply to you.

There are three categories: one for adults, and two schools’ categories: one for children aged 12 to 18, and one for children under 12. In the adult category, the entry voted best by the panel of judges will receive £1,000, and two runners-up will receive £100 in book tokens. In each of the school categories, the prize for the winner is £500 of high-street vouchers of their choice, and £500 for their school. Winning entries will be published in a future issue of Reader's Digest.

The closing date is January 31, 2012, and entries have to be submitted by email.

Miranda Dickinson Flash Fiction Contest

This contest for aspiring novelists, from the HarperCollins Authonomy website, invites you to create a 416-word story, beginning with the words, 'It started with a kiss'.

The contest is being held to celebrate the release of the third novel 'It Started With a Kiss' by UK romantic fiction author Miranda Dickinson. A near-neighbour of mine, Miranda was originally 'discovered' via the Authonomy site, and is now one of HarperCollins' star authors.

The winning entrant will be invited to submit the first 20,000 words of their novel manuscript (which need not be related to the contest story) to be reviewed by Miranda’s own editor. They, alongside four runners up, will also receive a signed copy of Miranda’s new novel, publishing November 10 2011. The contest is open world-wide. The closing date is 16 October 2011, so you'd better get writing now!

From the WWC Mailbox

2011-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

Discover the pleasures of poetry with the T S Eliot Prize reading groups

Poetry was recently described by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy as ‘a necessary and nourishing part of our lives’. The Poetry Book Society wholeheartedly agrees and we’d like to offer you the chance to engage with the best in contemporary poetry through the T S Eliot Prize reading groups. The scheme is based on the shortlist for the 2011 T S Eliot Prize for Poetry. We hope to encourage fiction reading groups to try poetry, using the work of the poets shortlisted for the Prize.

The judges, Chair Gillian Clarke, Stephen Knight and Dennis O’Driscoll, will meet in mid October to decide on the ten-book shortlist, which will be announced on Thursday 20 October. From that day, reading groups will be able to download a biography and photo of each poet and three poems from their book, together with reading group notes on the poems, from www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects/13. The PBS website will offer readers the opportunity to vote for their favourite poet online, the result of which will be announced at the award ceremony.

Generous reading group discounts will also be available. Readers can also sign up for a weekly email which will cover the ten poets in turn and keep them up-to-date with news on the Prize.

There will also be a prize draw for tickets for the celebratory T S Eliot Prize Readings in the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank on Sunday 15 January 2012. The 2010 Readings were a great success, attracting one of the biggest audiences for a single poetry event of recent times.

The PBS is keen to encourage fiction groups to give poetry a go, so, to help you on your way, the poems will be available to download from the site so that you can incorporate them into your reading plans. You can also order books from the PBS if you wish to explore any of the poets in more depth. In addition, we’ll be providing helpful advice on how to set up and run a poetry reading group.

The winner of the 2011 T S Eliot Prize will be announced at the award ceremony on Monday 16 January 2012, when Mrs Valerie Eliot will present the winner with a cheque for £15,000. The shortlisted poets will each receive £1,000.

The four Poetry Book Society Choices from 2011 are automatically shortlisted for the Prize. This means we already know that Night by David Harsent (Faber), November by Sean O’Brien (Picador), Profit and Loss by Leontia Flynn (Jonathan Cape) and Armour by John Kinsella (Picador) will be on the shortlist.

The T S Eliot Prize was inaugurated in 1993 to celebrate the Poetry Book Society's 40th birthday, and to honour its founding poet. Now in its nineteenth year, the T S Eliot Prize is the ‘world’s top poetry award’ (Louise Jury, The Irish Independent). The Prize is awarded annually to the writer of the best new poetry collection published in the UK or Ireland. It is unique as it is always judged by a panel of established poets and it has been described by Sir Andrew Motion as ‘the Prize most poets want to win’. Last year’s winner was Derek Walcott, for his collection White Egrets (Faber).

Founded by T S Eliot and friends in 1953, the Poetry Book Society is a unique poetry organisation which provides its members with its Poet Selectors’ choice of the best new poetry books. The PBS has two websites; an online bookshop (www.poetrybookshoponline.com) offering 90,000 poetry books and CDs, including the Poetry Archive recordings, together with a wide range of poetry news, articles, reviews, information and events listings, and the PBS website, www.poetrybooks.co.uk, which has a special members’ section and houses the PBS’s projects, including the T S Eliot Prize and its Shadowing and reading group schemes.

For further information please go to www.poetrybooks.co.uk/projects

or contact: Hilary Davidson or Chris Holifield at the Poetry Book Society

tel 020 7831 7468 emails hilary@poetrybooks.co.uk and chris@poetrybooks.co.uk

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To The Worcestershire Writers

Our 100-word story competition was such a hit when we launched it last

year that we’ve decided to do it all over again.

So come on all you budding authors out there: this is your chance for

publishing glory and a shot at £1,000 prize money—as long as you can

write a compelling story in just 100 words, that is!

Send your entries, which should be original, unpublished and exactly

100 words long to theeditor@readersdigest.co.uk by January 31, 2012.

Please mark your entry “adult”.

For some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing, and initiate

some brainstorming at your next book club, visit:

http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/magazine/212-Your-RD/1391-Your-Books.html

to see last year’s winning and commended stories, as well as five

submissions from famous authors, which we feature in the October issue

of Reader’s Digest.

We look forward to reading your submissions,

Rachel

Editorial Assistant

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Dear Poetry Fans

Another in our limited series of autumn info-mails about poetry organisations (the highly-regarded Cinnamon Press, in this instance) who’ve agreed to mail news of our Fifth Troubadour International Poetry Prize to their poets and supporters, helping to support both poetry in general and, in particular, our ongoing mission to keep poetry alive and lively at London's longest-running and best-loved literary landmark venue...

For news of our Troubadour autumn readings, classes, and full prize details, see www.coffeehousepoetry.org

Anne-Marie Fyfe (Organiser)

coffee-house poetry at the troubadour

www.coffeehousepoetry.org

www.annemariefyfe.com

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About Cinnamon Press

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Cinnamon Press is an innovative, international small press, publishing quality poetry and fiction. Our books have won or been shortlisted for major awards, including two books from winners of our twice-yearly writing competitions being short-listed for the Forward Prize for best first collection.

You can find out more about Cinnamon Press and see a selection of our titles, including the poetry journal, 'Envoi', now in its 54th year, at our website www.cinnamonpress.com We currently have some great special offers on our new titles buy one of our newest books and for only £1 extra we will add a second book in the same genre, p+p included.

If you'd like to hear our writers perform their work we have a series of launches and events, many in London, the full programme is available at www.cinnamonpress.com/events/

The Cinnamon Press Writing Awards run twice each year with cash prizes and publication opportunities for poets (first collection), novelists and short story writers. The next deadline is November 30th 2011 and you can find full guidelines at www.cinnamonpress.com/competitions

We also have a rolling programme of mini competitions - just £3 to enter and leading to publication in our regular anthologies. You can find out about the latest mini competition on the competitions page of the website.

For those looking for support for their writing we run two courses each year at the beautiful Ty'n y Coed Farm in North Wales and also offer mentoring in association with Triskele Writes, a co-operative of three writer/tutors. You can find out more at www.cinnamonpress.com/writers-services/

We also have a regular newsletter to keep our readers informed of special offers, competitions, courses, events and more. If you'd like to be added simply send your email address to jan@cinnamonpress.com

For readers who want the best and writers who want to succeed see www.cinnamonpress.com

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Dear Poets

Just to remind you why you should be forwarding your best poems to the Troubadour Poetry Prize by Monday week:

- Top prize £2,500 thanks to generous sponsorship from Cegin Productions;

- You've up to Mon 17th Oct to submit (e-mail or post, payment via PayPal or cheque);

- Both judges will read all poems submitted;

- Prizewinners notified by Mon 21st Nov;

- Prizes awarded at Troubadour Prize Night on Mon 28th Nov;

- Results posted on www.coffeehousepoetry.org next day;

And, of course, you'd be helping keep literature live at London's longest-running and best-loved poetry venue.

Looking forward to lots more submissions over next two weeks.

And good luck!

Anne-Marie

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Please could you draw the attention of your members to the following:

THE H. E. BATES SHORT STORY WRITING COMPETITION 2011

Write us a short story on the subject of your choice.

* The competition is open to all writers.

* Entries must be no longer than 2000 words in length.

* 1st Prize £150; 2nd Prize £100; 3rd Prize £50

Special prize for the best story written by a Northamptonshire writer £50

(not awarded if the story has won 1st,2nd,or 3rd Prize)

In addition, a prize of £50 will be awarded for the best story by a writer who is

under 18 years old on the closing date for entries.

The entry fee is £4 for each story submitted - or £1 for each story submitted by

an Under 18 writer. Entrants are invited to submit as many stories as they wish.

The judging panel will comprise members of the Northampton Writers' Group.

We are delighted to announce that Katie Fforde will be the Head Judge. Katie is

the author of the best-selling books Summer Of Love, A Perfect Proposal, Living

Dangerously, and much else.

Closing date for entries is Thursday 1st December 2011.

Prizes will be awarded at a prize giving ceremony in the new year.

Date and venue to be announced.

There is no entry form. Simply send your story (typed please) with a first sheet

giving your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and title of story

(plus date of birth if entering the Under 18 competition) to H.E.Bates Competition,

19 Kingswell Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton NN2 6QB. Please mark the envelope

"f.a.o Nick Hamlyn". Include a cheque (made out to N.Hamlyn) or a postal order.

Alternatively, you may e-mail your story in Word format, complete with a first sheet

as described above, to hebatescomp@gmail.com and pay by PayPal. In this case,

we will invoice you on receipt of your story.

Please note that stories will not be returned, so keep a copy!

Further info and full rules available at www.hebatescompetition.org.uk

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Dear Poetry Fans

Just to remind everyone, well in advance, that Coffee-House Poetry's Autumn 2011 programme starts with a Salmon Press poetry evening on Monday 17th October. Hope to see lots of you there for an exciting start to a great season!

Anne-Marie

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mon 17 oct: celebrating thirty years of 'salmon poetry'

with julian stannard, lorna shaughnessy, todd swift, nessa o'mahony, alan jude moore, noel monahan, anne le marquand hartigan, (ed.) jessie lendennie and guitarist henry fajemirokun

Inspired by the Salmon of Knowledge in Celtic mythology, Salmon Press was established in Galway in 1981 as an alternative voice in Irish literature, and has published 300 volumes of poetry over the past 30 years.

- Julian Stannard (see poem below) taught English & American Lit. at University of Genoa for many years - 'The Parrots of Villa Gruber Discover Lapis Lazuli' (2011) completes his Genoese trilogy;

- Lorna Shaughnessy has published translations of contemporary Mexican poetry - most recent poetry collection, 'Witness Trees'(2011);

- Todd Swift lectures in creative writing at Kingston University and is Oxfam poet-in-residence, collections include 'Seaway: New & Selected Poems' (2008);

- Nessa O'Mahony won the National Women's Poetry Competition - her verse-novel 'In Sight of Home' was published in 2009;

- Alan Jude Moore has been short-listed twice for the Hennessy Prize; his third collection is 'Strasbourg' (2011);

- Noel Monahan's fifth Salmon collection is 'Curve of the Moon' (2010) - his poetry is now prescribed text for Leaving Certificate English;

- Anne Le Marquand Hartigan's seventh collection will be 'Unsweet Dreams: Poems of Laughter, Wit and Sex' (Oct, 2011) - her prose includes Clearing The Space, the Why of Writing (1996);

- Salmon Poetry co-founder/editor Jessie Lendennie has edited anthologies, and a book of essays, 'Poetry: Reading It, Writing It, Publishing It' (2009) - latest poetry collection, 'Walking Here' (2011);

- with music from singer/guitarist Henry Fajemirokun.

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'THE SEABIRDS OF PIMLICO HANKER AFTER SAPPHIRES'

I had a crazy idea we could have a good time

so you're flying in from Italy on Alitalia

and I'm booking a room in Edward Lear's old house

all sorted by my promiscuous credit card.

Then I take you to the Gay Hussar in Greek Street

where you can say anything you like

and because we're having a good time

I smile and offer you some Schnitzel.

Later, after I've paid the bill without flinching

we take a taxi to a discreet point on the Thames

where a boat is waiting full of elegant people.

It's a beautiful, limpid night and the orchestra

seems Welsh somehow. They're playing jazz but

they also throw in several Lieder. Everyone looks

good and so do you and apparently I do too

and before you know it we're dancing on the deck

a little Cole Porter and some Bunky Green

and our luminous children are following the boat

like mermaids but in actual fact they're boys

with your looks and my intelligence but

I close my mouth because the captain of the boat

deserves to live, the glittering orchestra deserves to live

and our earthly boys are hauling themselves

onto the deck as if they were part of an advert

and they see their parents dancing cheek to cheek

and before you know it we're sitting round a table

and the waiter's bringing audacious cocktails.

It feels so good it feels like cocaine but it isn't.

It feels as if all the Carabinieri and all the lawyers

have turned into seabirds flying off to Pimlico

and although it would be crazy to talk of love

the whole of London's lit up like a beating heart.

JULIAN STANNARD

First Prize in: Fourth International Troubadour Poetry Prize 2010

___

Anne-Marie Fyfe (Organiser)

coffee-house poetry at the troubadour

www.coffeehousepoetry.org

___

life, literature and the pursuit of happiness...

in the famous Troubadour cellar-club:

London's liveliest & best-loved poetry venue...

___

readings, mondays from 8 to 10 pm, tickets £7 concessions £6, season tickets 30% off...

classes, sundays 12-3.30 pm, £28 (concs. £24), advance booking only

cheques payable to Coffee-House Poetry, no credit cards

at 263-267 Old Brompton Road LONDON SW5

(no mail to this address, see correspondence address below)

nr. junct. Earls Court Rd & Old Brompton Rd

nearest Tube station: Earls Court (District & Piccadilly Lines)

for info, booking, season ticket & mailing list enquiries,

e:coffpoetry@aol.com w:www.coffeehousepoetry.org or write to

Anne-Marie Fyfe, Coffee-House Poetry, PO Box 16210, LONDON, W4 1ZP

Sunday funnies

2011-10-08T23:35:00.001-07:00

(thank you inkygirl)

Make time

2011-10-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

To take the time, to spend a while with you.

After thousands of years a mountain does not cease to pause and consider its own reflection.

Networking, social media, the constant stream of events.

All have their place for a writer.

Sometimes the best place for a writer to be is inside their own head.

Monday's math

2011-10-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

It started on a rainy Monday morning. An ill fated Monday morning.

It wasn't actually ill fated for me, I had just had that one and only perfect first cup of coffee for the day.

It was however ill fated for the 4 fish in my eldest daughter's fish tank, who seem to have stopped swimming in favor of less energetic pursuits, of a floating nature.

This would not have been considered ill fated, truth be told, in our house, given the sheer number of fish buried in our garden. 29 to be exact. Yes, really. I like fish don't get me wrong. I just can't stop killing them. Before the great and mighty Tescos, perhaps this was actually a gift.

It was when the death count rose, by 2 more, that the day could be tagged ill fated. There amidst some chewed ethernet cable was the younger daughter's beloved fuzzy rodents. I still ponder what went on inside the brain of the second hamster as he choose to chew the wire which had just moments before taken the life of his cage mate, but chew it he did.

While I sat furiously protesting my internet - less - ness, my daughters began the process of grieving for their departed dependents.

'I need pets that won't die all the time.' Eldest daughter says.

'All pets die.' I replied.

'I want an elephant.' Younger daughter replies.

Now thinking that I was clever, and would somehow win the parent - child battle for all things fuzzy whom poop on the carpet, I agreed.

'An elephant is perfect.' I said to a pleased little face.

Four hours later, without a trip to Just4Pets (saving me the trouble of having to guiltily face the three women who work there and, I hope, think I am still the proud owner of the small zoo they have sold me over the years.), we had adopted 1 african elephant and 1 panda from the WLF. Cuddly toys were to arrive shortly via royal mail. Perfect I thought, pets and not a single cage to clean.

6 weeks later, on a dubiously sunny October morning, again a Monday, we received an unfortunate update. The animal sanctuary from which we had adopted our beloved endangered elephant from was victim to an attack. 6 elephants were killed... including the one registered to my daughter.

It was then they brought me their contract, written in green crayola.

It was under duress I tell you, though I doubt it will stand up in any court. During the moments when I was contemplating my failure as a mother to manage to keep even a pet not within my care, that the big blue pleading eyes got the better of me.

We are now getting a puppy.

Monday!

2011-10-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

4 Fish + 2 Hamsters = 1 african elephant

1 African elephant + 1 endangered panda = 1 puppy

Don't believe me... tomorrow I will explain everything.

Mondays... thank goodness they only come once a week.

One end leads to a new beginning

2011-10-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

There is no getting around how incredibly warm the temperatures have been this weekend. Just as Autumn had made an entrance it seems summer came back for one last hurrah. Hopefully it has inspired one last summer themed story, poem or creative draft. After all in just a few months time the magazines and anthologies will be looking to fill their summer story slots.

30 day count down to NaNoWriMo!

2011-10-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2010, we had over 200,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins 12:00:01 November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at 11:59:59. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!

National Poetry - October 6th (Parole Parlate and Be:)

2011-10-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

National Poetry Day is this Thursday, October 6th.

Celebrate this year by coming to the National Poetry Day Parole Parlate Special. At 7:30pm, upstairs in Little Venice, St. Nicholas street, Worcester. There will be an outstanding line up to mark the occation including the return of Apples and Snakes' Raymond Antrobus (If you haven't already seen him perform you are seriously missing out), and to add to the excitement the evening will be guest compared by our own Theo Theobald, Worcestershire's First ever Poet Laureate!

In other National Poetry Day News!

Are you Game for it? To mark this year’s National Poetry Day theme the poetry team at Be: Magazine are challenging poets to send us their submission of the theme of GAMES. This is open to children or adults and poems may be for adults or children. The best will be published on the magazine website on October 6 and on a special GAMES poetry feature in the first issue of Be: due out late October. Poems must be previously unpublished, should be marked Games Theme and must reach us by midnight (British time!) on Tuesday, October 4. The usual submission criteria apply. (Please check out the website at:http://www.bemagazine.co.uk/write-for-be-magazine/ )

He felt that he had been outcast from life's feast

2011-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

This week's topic is 'He felt that he had been outcast from life's feast.'

October competitions

2011-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

1st Oct

The Prole Prolitzer Prize

Prose or creative non-fiction: 1500 wds. Fee: £4. Prizes: £130/2x£30. Details: http://www.prolebooks.co.uk/page8.html Prolebooks, 15 Maes-y-Dre, Abergele, Conwy, LL22 7HW

Crystal Magazine 10th Birthday comp

Story: 1500 wds. Fee: £4. Prizes: £50 plus publication. Details:http://christinecrystal.blogspot.com/p/competitions.html

Spilling Ink Fiction Prize

For stories of up to 3,000 wds. Prizes: £500, £250, £125, plus all winners and shortlisted entries will be published in a print anthology.

Entry fee: £5 per entry.

Spilling Ink Review, PO Box 16864, Glasgow G11 9DJ.

www.spillinginkreview.com

Beautiful Britain Family Travel Writing Competition.

For articles of up to 800 words about family holidays, breaks, days out or adventures in Britain. Prizes: 1st - £200, an English Heritage family day pass to the property of your choice, and a copy of Travelling with Children by Catherine Cooper. 2nd - A weekend break at the Park Inn, York, an English Heritage family day pass to the property of your choice, and a copy of Travelling with Children by Catherine Cooper. 3rd to 10th - An English Heritage family day pass to the property of your choice, plus a copy of Travelling with Children by Catherine Cooper.
Entry Fee: Free for the first entry; subsequent entries £5 each (of which £1 goes to charity).
Comp Page: http://havealovelytime.com/2011/07/the-beautiful-britain-family-travel-writing-competition.html

Oct 7th

John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry

is a search for the best live poet in Wales through a series of live heats culminating in a Grand Final. See website for submission guidelines. Prize: £500; £100; Audience Prize of £100. Entry fee: £7 per entry. Contact: 029 2047 2266. www.literaturewales.org

Bookbite First Lines Competition.

Choose a line from those shown on the competition page and use it as the opening to your own story running to no more than 750 words. Prizes: £100, £75, £25 in National Book Tokens. Winners also receive a complete set of Quick Reads. Entry Fee: None - free to enter. Comp Page: http://bookbite.org.uk/writing/writingcompetitions/11/

Christchurch Writers Competition.

The contest, you might like to know, is for articles of up to 800 words, poems of up to 40 lines, and stories of up to 2,500 words. Prizes: Articles, Poetry, Stories (in each category) - £50. One Act Play - £100. Entry Fee: £3.50. Details/Entry Form: Christchurch Writers Competition, The Regent Centre, 51 High Street, Christchurch, BH23 1AS.

10th Oct

Creative Competitor Dramatic First Paragraph Writing Comp

First paragraph: No word count stated. Theme: dramatic. Fee: £2. Prizes: £100/£50 Details: http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/new-competitions/dramatic-first-paragraph-writing-competition/

Mills and Boon New Voices comp 2011

Novel: 1st chapter, 2nd chapter, pivotal moment total wd count for all 10,000 words (see details on website). Fee: FREE. Prizes: 1x Possibility of publishing contract with Mills and Boon, Apple ipad, book hamper/3x editorial consultation, Kindle 3G, book hamper/16 x editorial advice, book hamper. Details: http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/ (no postal entries accepted).

Please note, 10th Oct is deadline for first round. There are later deadlines for those who make the second and third rounds. Details are on the website.

TRYangle Project Writing Competitions.

From Excel for Charity in aid of the TRYangle Project is for stories of up to 1,500 words and poems of up to 40 lines. The TRYangle Project is a Greenwich-based charity whose aim is to increase the safety of familes who experience domestic violence and abuse. Hence the theme of the contest is Domestic Violence & Abuse. Prizes (in each category): £150, £75, £40, 2 x £10. Winners will be published in the Excel for Charity News Blog ... assuming they don’t opt out. Entry Fees: Stories - £5. Poems - £4 each, £7 for two, £10.50 for three, ... the list goes on, but I’m going to bed. One third of entry fees go to the TRYangle Project. Comp Page: http://www.easternlightepm.com/excelforcharity/current-competitions/

14th Oct

Stringybark Australian History Short Story Award

Story: 1800 wds. Theme: Australian History. Story can be fiction, non-fiction or a mixture of both. Fee: A$9.50 or A$17 for two or A$22.50 for a maximum of three stories. Prizes: A$300 cash, a certificate, publication in hardcopy and/or electronically and a copy of the book/A$125 cash, a certificate, publication
in hardcopy and/or electronically and a copy of the book/A$50
cash, a certificate and publication in hardcopy and/or electronically and a copy
of the book. Details:http://stringybarkstories.net/The_Stringybark_Short_Story_Award/Home.html

15th Oct

SLQ Annual Poetry Competition.

For poems of up to 50 lines on any subject and in any style. The judge is Roger Elkin, who published the book called No Laughing Matter. Prizes: £500, £250, £125, 5 x £25. Winners will be published in the Sentinel Champions magazine. Entry Fee: £5. Comp Page: http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/competitions/sapc-2011/

Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize.

This contest, which is for fiction or non-fiction of between 1,000 and 1,500 words, is for young writers aged between 18 and 25. Entries should interpret the following Benjamin Franklin quote for its significance today: ‘Light often arises from a collision of opinions, as fire from flint and steel.’ Prizes: £750, £500. Winners will be published on The Telegraph website. Entry Fee: None - free to enter.
Comp Page: http://www.benjaminfranklinhouse.org/site/sections/news/literary_prize.html

Dorothy Sargent Rosenburg Annual Poetry Competition.

This American contest, which is open to all writers under 40, is for lyric poems celebrating the spirit of life. Prizes: Varying from $1,000 up to as much as $25,000 (expect the former in these hard times). Entry Fee: None for entrants outside the United States, as it’s too much hassle dealing with international payments from bankrupt countries. If you live in the U.S., bad luck - the fee is ten dollars. Comp Page: http://www.dorothyprizes.org/DorothySargentRosenbergPoetryPrizes.htm

The Earth Vision Nature Writing Contest 2011.

This US competition is held ‘to support the cause of writing on the subject of nature and deep ecology’. It is for fiction, creative non-fiction, poetic prose or poetry with some element of nature woven into it. Prizes: 1st - $500. 2nd - $100. 3rd - $100. Honourable Mentions (2) - Entry Fee: $12.
Comp Page: http://www.evbooks.net/contest.htm

Troubadour International Poetry Prize.

This annual contest from Coffee House Poetry is for poems of up to 45 lines. Prizes: £2,500, £500, £250. Runners-up (20) - £20.
Entry Fee: £5 (6 euros/$8) each.
Comp Page: http://www.coffeehousepoetry.org/prizes

21st Oct

Creative Competitor First Chapter Writing comp

First chapter: 5000 wds max. Fee: £4. Prizes: £300/£200/£100/£50 plus publication for the winner. Details: http://creativecompetitor.com/competitions/new-competitions/first-chapter-writing-competition/

Northern Star New Author Competition

is searching for the North East’s next budding children’s author. Submit: 1000 wd synopsis for a book aimed at 7-9yrs.The winning idea will be developed into a book, illustrated and published. www.ncbf.co.uk

29th Oct

The Ruth Rendell Short Story Comp

Story: 1000 wds. Fee: £10. Prize: £1000 Details: web post Short Story Competition, InterAct Reading Service, Room 8, Victoria Charity Centre, 11 Belgrave Road,
London, SW1V 1RB.

The A.Vogel Dormeasan Write a Story for Bedtime Competition

Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words and of course be suitable for bedtime. I imagine this means you should avoid subjects that might keep the reader awake for the next fortnight, such as scream-inducing horror, tax investigations, etc. Prizes: £500, £300, £100 (x2). Winners will be announced in the magazine Your Healthy Living and will be published online.
Entry Fee: None - free to enter.
Comp Page: http://www.avogel.co.uk/story/

Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition.

This contest from the charity InterAct Reading Service is for stories of up to 1,000 words in any genre. The winner will be chosen by world-famous author Ruth Rendell who will present the prize at a special ceremony in 2012. Prize: £1,000. The winner will be commissioned to write four more stories for InterAct Reading Service over the course of one year. Entry Fee: £10.
Comp Page: http://www.interactreading.org/content/ruth-rendell-short-story-competition-20112012

30th Oct

Fiction Garden Ghost Story Comp

Story: 2500 wds. Theme: Ghosts. Fee: £3 or 2 for £5. Prizes: £100/£40/£20. Details: http://www.fictiongarden.co.uk/ghoststorywritingcontest.html

The National Poetry Competition (National Poetry Society)

Poem: 40 lines max. Fee: £6 then £3 for subsequent entries. Prizes: £5000/£200/£1000/7x£100. Details: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/npc/post: National Poetry Competition: The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London, WC2H 9BX.

31st Oct

Earlyworks Press Short Story Competition

For stories in two categories: up to 4,000 wds; between 4,001-8,000 wds. Prizes: £100, plus publication. Entry fee: £5 per story of up to 4,000 wds; £10 per story over 4,000 wds. Earlyworks Press, Creative Media Centre, 45 Robertson Street, Hastings TN34 1HL. Contact: www.earlyworkspress.co.uk

Eric Gregory Trust Fund Awards

Poetry collection: 30 poems max. Fee: FREE. Prizes: total £24,000 shared between winners. Rules: Poets must be under 30 years of age at 31st March 2012 and must be British subject by birth. Details: http://www.societyofauthors.org/eric-gregory

National Association of Writers Groups Open Short Story Comp

Story: 500-2000 wds. Fee: £5 and £3 for optional critique by judge Linda Lewis. Prizes: £250/£100/£50. Details: http://www.nawg.co.uk/competitions/open-competitions/post NAWG Comp Administrator, 28 Riversdale Avenue, Stakeford, Choppington, Northumberland, NE62 5LE

National Poetry Competition

is for poems of up to 40 lines. Judges: Colette Bryce, John Glenday and Jackie Kay. Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000, 7@£100. Entry fee: £6 for first poem, £3 each thereafter. National Poetry Competition, The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BX. www.poetrysociety.org.uk

The McKitterick Prize

Novels: Published send in Four Copies (non-returnable). Unpublished: One copy of first 30 pages. Fee: FREE. Prizes: (in 2010) £4000. Rules: open to authors who are over 40 on 31st October 2011. Novel must be full length fictional work, not aimed at children. Novelist cannot have had any other novels published. Details: http://www.societyofauthors.org/mckitterick

Milton Keynes Speakeasy Short Story and Poetry Comp

Story: 2100 wds max. Poem: 60 lines max. Fee: Poems £3 each (or £10 for 4 poems). Story £4 each (or £10 for 3 stories). Make cheques payable to Speakeasy and mark back with COMP 11. Prizes: £100/£50/£25 in each category. Details: http://www.mkweb.co.uk/speakeasy/displayarticle.asp?ID=78828 post SPEAKEASY COMPETITION 2011, 46 Wealdstone Place, Springfield, Milton Keynes, MK6 3JG, United Kingdom

SAWC Annual Short Story Competition.

This comes courtesy of the South African Writers’ Circle based in Durban, and is for stories of up to 2,500 words on any subject. The contest is open worldwide. Prizes: R1,000, R500, R250. (For your information 1,000 Rand is about £90 - or was at the time of writing.) Entry Fee: R55 (about £5).
Comp Page: http://sawriters.org.za/live/competitions/annual-competition.html

Southport Writers Circle Open Short Story Competition.

This particular contest requires stories of up to 2,000 words.
Prizes: £200, £100, £50. Entry Fee: £3 each, £10 for four.
Comp Page: http://www.swconline.co.uk/#comps.

Stepping Stones Nigeria Short Story & Poetry Competition.

This one from Excel For Charity is in aid of Stepping Stones Nigeria. It is for stories of up to 1,500 words and poems of up to 40 lines on the theme of Childhood. Prizes (in each category): £150, £75, £40 and 2 x £10. Entry Fee: Stories - £5. Poems - £4 each, £7.50 for two, £10.50 for three, £12.50 for four, £14, for five. A third of the net entry fees go to Stepping Stones Nigeria.
Comp Page: http://www.easternlightepm.com/excelforcharity/current-competitions/

Poetry Society National Poetry Competition .

In 1983 Carol Ann Duffy won this contest and 26 years later she became the Poet Lauriate. So if you’re hoping to become an overnight sensation, this is probably not the ideal starting point. But there are compensations. The top cash award is one of the best in the business, and the second prize isn’t bad either. Prizes: £5,000, £2,000, £1,000. Runners-up (7) - £100. Winners will be published on the website and in Poetry Review. Entry Fee: £6 for the first, £3 thereafter. Comp Page: http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/competitions/npc/

Chapter One Promotions Children’s Story Competition.

This annual contest is for stories of up to 1,000 words written by children. Your story must have one of the five titles given on the website. There are four age groups: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18.
Prizes (in each age category): £150, £75, £50. Plus publication in the Children’s Story Book. Entry Fee: £5.
Comp Page: http://www.chapteronepromotions.com/kids-korner/writing-competition.htm

New Media Writing Prize. Best Student New Media Writing Prize

Prizes (2): A valuable bundle of new media hardware and software, plus publication on various websites, your entry showcased at the Awards ceremony, and ‘substantial media coverage’. Entry Fee: None - free to enter.
Comp Page: http://www.newmediawritingprize.co.uk/

Atlantis Short Story Competition.

The contest from the USA is for stories of up to 1,500 words on any theme. Prizes : $300, $100, $50. Plus in-depth feedback for the top 15 entries. Entry Fee: $10. Comp Page: http://www.atlantis-shortstorycontest.com/site/page000.aspx

Leaf Books Memoir Writing Competition.

Prize: £100 plus a selection of writing books. The winner and selected runners-up will be published in the Leaf Writers’ Magazine and an anthology, and they will receive a free copy of the latter. Entry Fee: £4 each, £10 for three.
Comp Page: http://www.leafbooks.co.uk/New/For%20Writers/CurrentCompetitions.html#Mem2011

Brighton COW Autumn Leaves Competition.

This is for fiction or non-fiction pieces of between 500 and 1,000 words on the subject of autumn, endings, afterglow, etc. Your piece can, they say, be funny, sad, surreal, horrific, nightmarish, and can span an hour, a day, a year or a lifetime. Prizes (3): £10. Winners will be published on the website and may be recorded for broadcast on local hospital radio. Entry Fee: None - free to enter.
Comp Page: http://www.brightoncow.co.uk/comps/free.html

TXTLit Micro Story Competition.

For this contest you need a mobile phone. Limit your stories to 154 characters (letters and spaces, not people), and while you’re about it, refrain from using abbreviated TXT gibberish, as this is not welcome. There is a different theme each month. Prize: £50.
Entry Fee: £1 plus the normal cost of sending a text message (no use asking me what that is).
Website: http://www.txtlit.co.uk/

Apologies for blog silence

2011-10-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

My apologies, several weeks of computer problems, and the subsequent back log of work which threatened to drown me has meant the blog has suffered.

We are now back online.

September Competition listings

2011-08-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

1st September

Cheshire Prize for Literature

Prizes: The prize-winner will receive £2,000. Additional prize-money of £750 will be awarded and the best entries will be published.
Entry fee: Not stated.
The 2011 Cheshire Prize for Literature will be awarded for an original and previously unpublished piece of writing for children. The entry may be in prose or verse. A prose entry should not exceed 1,500 words. A verse entry should not exceed 100 lines. The intended readership is seven to 14-year old children. The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire. chester.ac.uk/literatureprize

Creative Competitor Last Line Fiction Writing Comp

Story: 1500 wds. Theme: leading up to last line stated on website. Fee: £2.50. Prizes: £100/£75/£50. Details: web

Cowboy Up Contest

Western theme, max 3500 words. 15 dollars entry. Top prize 250 dollars. See website for details: http://www.moonlightmesaassociates.com/id10.html

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly Award

For imaginative fiction. First prize is 1000 dollars and publication in Rosebud Magazine. The judge for this year’s award is distinguished fantasy and sci - fi author Kij Johnson, winner of both the World Fantasy and Nebula Awards. Stories upto 4500 words. Entry Fee: 15 dollars. See website: http://www.rsbd.net/NEW/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76:shelley&catid=35:contests&Itemid=54

Satirical Short Story Competition

Prizes: 10 prizes of £15.00.
Entry fee: Free.
To enter simply join this group (you need to join The Daily Satire first if you aren't a member), submit a short satirical story, and select this group from the submission ‘step two’ page. You must publish your full story here and not just a link to it. There are no rules except that your story can’t have been commercially published before. As long as it is satire and it is a short story it qualifies. thedailysatire.com/groups/

Scribble Themed Short Story Comp

Story: 3000 wds. Theme: The Visitor (please do not use the theme as your title). Fee: £5 first story, £4 for subsequent entries. Prizes: £100/£50/£25. Details: web post: Park Publications, 14 The Park, Stow On The Wold, Cheltenham, Glos., GL54 1DX

The Sullivan Prize in Short Fiction

(USA) Prizes: Winning books awarded $1000 and offered a standard contract with the University of Notre Dame Press. This is a biannual fiction prize but is judged quadrennially. Entry fee: $15 Address: C J Waterman, Creative Writing Program, Department of English, 340 O'Shaugnessy Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5611, USA.E-Mail: cwriting@nd.edu

Unbound Press Best Novel Award

Novel: 1st 10,000 wds. Fee: £20. Prizes: £500 and publication/£250 and publication/details critique for honorable mentions. Details: web post Unbound Press, PO Box 16864, Glasgow, Scotland, G11 9DJ

6th September

Previously unpublished short stories up to 5,000 words, relating to a sense of place or the natural world, interpreted as broadly or narrowly as you wish.Judge: Rivka Galchen
Winner: $1,000 and national publication in The Bear Deluxe Magazine, writer’s residency at the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology in Otis, Oregon. (up to 10 weeks)
Finalists (1-3): Honorable mention in The Bear Deluxe Magazine. See website: http://www.beardeluxe.org/doug_fir_guidelines.html

10th September

Fantasy Book Review Fantasy Short Story comp

Story: min 2000 wds, max 5000 wds. Theme: Fantasy. Fee: FREE. Prizes: Apple iPad/2x Amazon Kindles/every entrant receives free ebook of Frank P Ryan's The Snowmelt River. Rules: Strictly one entry per person only. Details: web email entries to fantasyshortstorycompetition@fantasybookreview.co.uk Subject: FBRFSSC

18th September

100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest (USA)

Prizes: 1st, $500 / 2nd, $150 / 3rd, $100 / 4th, $50 For original, complete and riveting stories of not more than 100 words. The writing of such is not easy; nevertheless, we often meet characters and enjoy plots that match the work of great novelists. The theme is open. Enter by e-mail only. Located in Seattle, Washington, USA, director Idore Anschell will be glad to reply to questions or comments by e-mail. Entry fee: $15. Checkmark evaluation, $15. Critique, $55. E-Mail: hundredwordsorfewer@earthlink.com Visit www.100wordsorfewerwritngcontest.com for winning stories, sample critiques, and complete guidelines

20th September

Creative Competitor Suspenseful Fiction comp

Story: 2000 wds. Theme: Based on paragraph on website. Fee: £4. Prizes: £300/£200/£100. Details: web

Sentinel Literary Quarterly Short Story Competition

Prizes: Prizes: £150 (First), £75 (Second), £50 (Third), 3 x £10 (Highly Commended). All winning and commended stories will receive first publication in Sentinel Champions magazine in print and eBook formats.
Entry fee: £5 for 1 story, £9 for 2 stories, £12 for 3 stories.
For previously unpublished short stories in English language up to 1500 words long, on any subject, in any style. Stories entered may not be under consideration for publication, or accepted for publication elsewhere.
Judge: Adnan Mahmutovic, author of "Thinner than a Hair", and "Illegitimate."
Results will be announced on 31-Oct-2011 at www.sentinelquarterly.com
Send stories with Cover Note or Entry Form with Cheque/Postal Order in GP£ only payable to SENTINEL POETRY MOVEMENT. Address: Unit 136, 113-115 George Lane, London E18 1AB, United Kingdom.
Enter online or download Entry Form at: sentinelquarterly.com/short-story-competition

Zouch Lit Bits Super Flash Fiction Contest (USA)

Prizes: Custom artwork, including a clock by Ostlund Custom Works valued at over $175. For work of 140 words or less. The top 14 stories will all win prizes. Entries can be on any topic, in any style and in any time period. Entry fee: FreeE-Mail: info@zouchmagazine.com

21st September

The Glass Woman Prize

Story: 50-5000 wds. Fee: FREE. Prizes: $500/$100/$50 + optional online publication. Details: web email glasswomanprize@gmail.com (postal entries no longer accepted).

23rd September

Quirky Guide Travel Writing Competition

Prizes: First prize is a weekend in Wales with Quality Unearthed.
Entry fee: None
"We want to read about the very strangest thing that ever happened to you on the road. No matter what your story is - whether the time when you wrestled with Bolivian grandmothers or just stayed in an unusual hotel - it's the telling of your tale that counts. Keep your story to 300-700 words. The three best entries will go forward to a public vote from September 24th to 29th, and the winning entry will be announced on September 30th, 2011."
quirkyguide.com/competitions

24th September

Aber Valley Arts Novel, short story and poetry comps

Novel: 150 wd outline plus first 1500 wds. Novel must be set in Wales. Story: 3500 wds. Poem: max 60 lines. Theme for short story and poetry comps: Action. Fees: novel £3. Story £1.50 or 3 for £3. Poem £1 or 3 for £2. Prizes: novel; chance of publication by Accent press (subject to work being considered good enough) and one to one workshop with Catrin Collier. Story; £80/£45/£30. Poetry; £50/£30/£15. Details: web post Undercurrents, 15 Graig y Fedw, Abertridwr, Caerffili, CF83 4AQ

30th September

Aeon Award 2011 Short Fiction Contest

Prizes: The Aeon Award short fiction contest has a Grand Prize of €1000 and publication in Albedo One! Second and third place prizes are €200 and €100 as well as guaranteed publication in Albedo One, the leading Irish magazine of science fiction, fantasy and horror.
Entry fee: €7 per entry.
The Aeon Award is a fiction writing competition for short stories in any speculative fiction genre, i.e. fantasy, science fiction, horror or anything in-between or unclassifiable! albedo1.com/

Beak Books novel and songwriting comp

Novel: 1st 3 chapters. Song: 3 mins max (and to include mandatory lyrics as stated on website). Fee: £8 for novel. FREE for songwriting comp. Prizes: £80/£60/£40 in novel comp. No prize for songwriting comp though entrants will have link to their site and chance to charge for downloads. Details: web

Capri-sun Perfect Day Competition

Prizes: "Your Perfect Day" up to £5,000; 17 x £80 Eventim gig tickets; 1,000 x £15 iTunes vouchers.
Entry fee: None. Type in your entry online. capri-sun.co.uk/perfectday

Chorley & District Writers' Circle National Flash Fiction Competition

Prizes: £100, £50 & £25 plus publication in Circle's annual digital collection of writing
Fee: £3 per entry or £5 for 2. Unlimited number of entries. Copyright remains with author.
Theme: Urban myths - open to a very wide interpretation. Odd, bizarre, funny, scary or horrific, it's up to you.
Maximum length: 500 words.
Judge: David Gaffney.
Sponsor: Fiction Feedback.
Entry by post please with cover sheet (no name on story) to Aware Competition, 27 Thirlmere Road, Blackrod, Bolton BL6 5EB, together with a cheque made out to Chorley & District Writers' Circle.
chorleywriters.co.uk or fictionfeedback.co.uk

Fleeting Magazine Poetry and Fiction Prize

Story: 1500 wds. Poetry: 40 lines max. Fee: £1. Prizes: 1 yr subs to Fleeting Mag/3 mnths subs x 2 runners up. Details: web

Leaf Books Open Comp 2011

Anything (incl any sort of writing - poem, prose etc - graphic novel, cartoon strip.): 1000 wds, 4 A4 pages or 2 A3 pages. (Must be able to be printed in mag, so sending a sculpture might not work). Fee: £4 or 3 entries for £10. Prizes: £100 plus several writing related books. Details: web post:Leaf Books Ltd, GTi Suite, Ty Menter, Navigation Park, Abercynon, RCT, Wales, U.K. CF45 4SN

Mslexia Women's Novel Comp

Novel: 1st 5000 wds (but novel should be completed before you enter and be at least 50,000 wds). Fee: £25. Prize: £5000. Details: Web post Women's Novel Competition, Mslexia Publications Ltd, PO Box 656, Freepost NEA5566, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1BR

Print Express Short Story Competition

Prizes: The winner will receive 10 printed copies of their short story published in a 14.8x10.5cm book with a 350gsm card cover. The author can design their own cover or our in house design team can help. Illustrations inside the book are optional.
Entry fee: None. Make sure your story is no longer than 4000 words. Please only send in one story.
If you're an unpublished author that loves to write short stories, we want to hear from you. If you send us a short story that you've written, you could be in with the chance of having it printed and receive 10 copies. To enter, email your short story in a Word document (or a .txt document, if it's easier) to email@printexpress.co.uk.
printexpress.co.uk/

The Society of Women Journalists Life Writing Comp

Non-fiction/Life Writing: 3000 wds. Fee: £7. Prizes: £3000/£1000/£500. Details: web (email entries only)

The Yellow Room Short Story Comp

Story: 2500 wds Fee: £4 or 3 for £10. Prizes: £80/£45/£20. (cheques payable to J M Derrick) Rules: Both men and women are welcome to enter. Entrants may pay online, but all entries must be sent by post. Entry: web post: The Yellow Room Competition, 1 Blake Close, Bilton, Rugby CV22 7LJ

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest (USA)

Prizes: 1st, $3000. Altogether there are 10 cash prizes totalling $5550. For poems in any style or genre. This competition is now in its 9th year. Both published and unpublished work is accepted. Winning entries will be published on line. Entries can be submitted by post or on line. Entry fee: $7 for every 25 lines, payable to Winning Writers. Address: Tom Howard Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060, USA. Visit www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry for more information or to enter.

Writers' Village Story Contest Autumn 2011

Prizes: The top award is £250, with a £100 second prize and third prize of £50, plus five runner-ups gain a free entry in the next round. All entrants gain a free critique of their story in the autumn 2011 round of the Writers' Village 'Best Writing' award. Winners will be awarded the title 'Winner, the Writers' Village Best Writing autumn 2011 Award' and see their work showcased online.
Entry fee: £10 for two entries and multiple entries are permitted.
Stories up to 3000 words may be submitted in any genre of prose fiction, except playscripts and poetry. Entries are welcomed world-wide. Entry rules plus all winning stories since 2009 can be found on the web site. writers-village.org

A collection of international (USA) contests in addition to the previous list

1. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 8, 2011:
Quid Novi Writing Contest Fiction Award Prize: $1000

2. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 9, 2011:
Family Circle Fiction Contest Prize: $750

3. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 12, 2011:
Bartleby Snopes Dialogue Only Contest Prize: $250

4. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 14, 2011:
Annual UCD Anthology Contest Prize: £150

5. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 14, 2011:
Riddle Fence Short Fiction Contest Prize: $500

6. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 15, 2011:
Robert Watson Literary Prize Prize: $1000

7. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 15, 2011:
The Short Story Contest Prize: £300

8. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 18, 2011:
100 Words or Fewer Writing Contest Prize: $500

9. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 21, 2011:
Anderbo Novel Contest Prize: $500

10. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 21, 2011:
Tenth Glass Woman Prize for Short Fiction Prize: $500

11. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Flash 500 Flash Fiction Contest Prize: £250

12. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Writers' Forum Short Story Contest Prize: £300

13. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
The International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest Prize: £1000

14. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Glimmer Train Fiction Open Award Prize: $2000

15. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
AICW Flash Fiction Contest Prize: $500

16. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Writers of the Future Fiction Contest Prize: $1000

17. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Carpe Articulum Short Fiction Contest Prize: $1250

18. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Dark Tales Short Story Competition Prize: £500

19. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Chariton Review Short Fiction Prize Prize: $1000

20. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest (3rd quarter) Prize: €1000

21. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Writers' Village Best Writing Award Prize: £250

22. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30, 2011:
Fault Zone Words from the Edge Contest Prize: $300

Strictly Shakespeare

2011-08-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

So here's the scoop over at Strictly Shakespeare.

On the 1st of every month the contest promoters ‘Strictly Shakespeare,’ will leave a prose and poetry prompt on their website ‘Strictly Shakespeare,’ anyone wishing to enter will have two weeks to put their thoughts together and submit their work by the deadline on the 14 of each month.

The team at Strictly Shakespeare will choose the ten best entries and then the public can have their say.

Each day one entry in each section will be knocked out due to public opinion. (The votes will be cumlative so if you don’t get a chance to vote each day, DON’T WORRY!)

After ten days the good folks at Strictly Shakespeare will have it down to a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rdwinner. The prize isn’t big you’ll get a share of the competition. However, Strictly Shakespeare are working to establish a fixed cash prize. It’s a bit of fun, give it a try.

WWC Mail Box

2011-08-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the delayed posting.

Now on to opening the post here at WWC. These are the letters received in the WWC mailbox this month.

Thynks Publications latest poetry competitions

Dear Writers Group

I am just circulating the information page regarding our current and forthcoming poetry competitions in case anyone of your writers would like to enter their work for any of them: - http://www.thynkspublications.co.uk/competitions

Good wishes

Chris

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Dear Worcester Writers' Circle,

I got your details from the NAWG website, I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but I thought your writers group might be interested in a Women’s Writers Retreat that New Writing South are organising.

For three days in September we’re offering the chance to escape to the beautiful and peaceful Tilton House in rural Sussex. This special retreat gives women writers the opportunity to let go of all the baggage of everyday life and simply enjoy being a writer.

There will be six optional workshops with experienced teacher and award winning writer of short fiction, Vanessa Gebbie; who will help you on your writing journey. Other activities are also arranged throughout the weekend to inspire and push your creative abilities, and of course there is plenty of time for your own writing.

Special guests will be author, screen writer and film-maker, Carole Hayman and Sunday lunch with Helen Garnons-Williams, Editorial Director of Bloomsbury.

To find out more about the retreat visit our website: http://newwritingsouth.com/members-area/blog/workshops/tilton-house-women-writers-retreat/

If you wish to know more about New Writing South and what we do please visit our website or contact me.

Kind regard,

Rebecca

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Dear WORCESTER WRITERS’ CIRCLE ,

Would you please make this known to members of your writing circle?

AUGUST UNPUBLISHED FICTION AUTHORS PRINT READY COMPETITION

This competition starts August 2011.

The closing date for this competition is the 31st August 2011 23:59 BST.

AUGUST 2011 - Woman's fiction

This is a genuine, no fee competition that stretches over 12 months.

Each month a different genre; each month a winner. Winners are offered a

contract, paid royalties, and receive full promotion and marketingstrategies.

This is not a competition with prizes. There is no entry fee.

Only Print Ready novels of genuine merit will be chosen.

Your book could be a winner.

Full details of rules, genres and how to submit,

on our website, http://www.creativeprintpublishing.com/publishing/competitions.php

Thank you.

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How do you like to read?

The Fiction Shelf.com is a new entertainment website where readers and writers can come together and share the best new fiction.

We've hand-picked excellent stories and poems of all types and put them online in every conceivable format for anybody to read - always for free.

TheFictionShelf.com has been made to support Kindles, iPhones, Laptops and e-readers and you can even print the stories and read them on paper.

We've tried our hardest to make the site as easy to use and accessible as possible, meaning all you need to do is choose what mood you're in, click one of the stories that our editors have carefully selected and begin reading. It's really that simple.

The site needs writers as much as it needs readers and we've great facilities for helping new writers get their work seen.

As well as our weekly Editors' pick and spotlights on 'What's New' we're running competitions regularly so our readers are exposed to as many new types of writing as possible.

We're really excited about what this site can become - a community of readers and writers - but most of all we're excited about giving you an entertainment site that you can love using and share as much or as little as you want.

Log on now - www.thefictionshelf.com and register if you fancy, if not, click a heading and get reading.

And if you get the time, let us know what you think at editors@thefictionshelf.com We're new and eager and want to make the site the best one possible.

See you soon,

The Fiction Shelf Editors

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Dear Writers' Group

I hope you don't mind me getting in touch. I am a published novelist; experienced creative writing tutor and hold a First Class Honours degree, majoring in English Literature. I have just launched Creative Writing Online, an innovative online creative writing course, which I thought might be of interest to members of your writing group.

Creative Writing Online is unique: the course is entirely flexible. You can work when and where you want. There are no deadlines: you can work through the course materials at your own pace, contributing to forums and tutorials as and when you wish. You can dip in and out of the course to suit you and your lifestyle.

Consisting of twelve units, the course covers key creative writing techniques: characterisation; language and imagery; point of view; sense of place; as well as, planning, drafting and editing short stories. A range of activities is offered to provide a varied and stimulating learning experience: reading; discussion and analysis; writing exercises; peer feedback forums; and tutorials. Each unit represents roughly two to four hours’ work.

There are three Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs). These give you the opportunity to practise the skills you have learned by writing extended pieces of work and to gain detailed critiques of your writing.

The cost of the course is £95. This represents under £8 a unit - outstanding value! Furthermore, to celebrate the launch of the course, the first 30 students to enrol will be entitled to a 10% discount and to encourage you to spread the good news, if you recommend a friend, you will receive a £10 book token once your friend enrols.

I also offer a reading service and am available to run bespoke workshops and courses.

For more information please go to www.harriethopkinson.co.uk ; email or call me on 01872 501496.

Thank you for your time.

With best wishes,

Harriet Hopkinson

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Dear Writers and Poets All

Chateau Ventenac in southern France has announced a new season of writing courses, poetry courses, retreats and tailor made B&B holidays.

Please see the attached offer below for 10% reduction on all courses if booked by the end of August 2011.

To get your 10% reduction just quote AUGOFFER when paying online.

We are also offering a 10% reduction on all writing retreats and tailor made mini breaks. How about getting away for some autumn sunshine. Or maybe book ahead for next spring when the temperatures in southern France are on average 10 degrees higher than than the UK. These breaks have been designed to give writers peace and quiet in an inspiring and supportive environment. It is the opportunity to get on with work in progress whilst we look after you.

Could I ask you to please forward this email to any writers or other creative people that you know who might be wanting to develop their work in progress in a peaceful and stunningly beautiful environment. We aim to provide you with the space to relax, focus and find the inspiration to finish the novel, those poems or that short play you've been working on. Or indeed any other creative project

Find us on Facebook by clicking here

I'll look forward to hearing from you with any questions you might have. Just email me or call +44 7773 206344

Many thanks.

Best regards,

Julia

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Dear Poetry Supporters

In response to all of you who asked for an update after I e-mailed recently on the Poetry Society situation, can I direct you to the website http://thepoetrysocietyuk.wordpress.com/ for an account of the EGM, statements from former Director, Judith Palmer, and former Finance Officer, Paul Ranford, plus a short summary of my own.

Best wishes

Anne-Marie

The Good News

2011-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Good News is there are still magazines which are steadfast in their support of fiction, some of which are actually opening their doors a little wider to publish larger volumes of fiction.

Prima who is no longer purchasing fiction, has opened a ongoing competition. They are looking for stories under 400 words, and publishes the best 6 in every issue. The winner receives a cash prize, and runners up receive subscriptions. Perhaps not ideal if you are counting on it for your bread and butter, but the new writer looking to break into print could do far worse than have their name in such a reputable magazine.

Take a Break's fiction feast is very keen to receive submissions. The editors are appreciative of new writers and are quick to say they do read every piece sent to them. They publish 15 + stories an issue, and have no plans to make reductions.

The Weekly News publish 2 stories a week and welcome unsolicited manuscripts. The edito Jill Finlay asks that submissions now be sent by email.

Yours is open to unsolicited manuscripts and is holding on to their bi - weekly fiction slot.

Women's weekly is continuing to publish approximately 300 short stories every year between their weekly magazine, and their fiction specials. Editor Gaynor Davies is quoted as saying she encourages new writers to submit their work, and that they are the life blood of the magazine.

The People's Friend has found demand expanding! As such they are expecting to purchase 11 stories a week.

Hopefully, this will leave writers feeling positive that while streamlined, the women's magazine fiction market still has a pulse and is not be dismissed lightly.

When one door closes, another opens. For fiction writers it could possibly be said when one door closes, three open wide. Our next post will look at the abundance of opportunities for short story writers, and how you can make the most of it.

Let's get the bad news finished first.

2011-08-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

There is no denying it. It is a hard time for women's magazine short story writers.

Doors are slamming shut left right and centre.

Women's Own

Bella

Chat

Woman

Best

Take a Break

The Lady

Have all but completely closed their pages to fiction.

Candis

Your Cat

Your Dog

Women and Home

S Magazine

Prima

Have closed their doors to unsolicited stories, and what remains of their fiction slots will now be commissioned.

With fewer editors on staff, the magazines are saying they simply do not have the time to read submissions, and they need perfect on spec stories that will not require them to dedicate any more of their very limited time to actual editing. Some are saying that a great deal of publicity can be generated by having an already well known author write for a magazine. With the hope that the author will bring their own fan club with them, magazines are preparing to spend more to buy what they know.

It is sad, so many freelancers have spent a decade or more relying on this market.

However, in order to have a rainbow, we must have both the sunshine and the rain.

Tomorrow we will look at what remains of magazine fiction, and how you can grab hold of a piece of the endangered women's magazine short story pie.

The short story market is falling!

2011-08-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

By now every writer who do not live under a rock has heard Chicken Licken's cries. Cries of fear and disbelief, as magazine after magazine close their doors to fiction.

This week, we are going to take a close look at the short story market. It is my opinion that the sky is not falling but simply opening wider so that more kites may take flight.

In detail we will look first at what changes have come in the magazine world. It is true many doors have closed, and as writers it is to our benefit to examine why. Meanwhile, there are still an abundance of open doors. Some new, some old. It is only by becoming familiar with which doors are available to us, that we can walk through them successfully.

Incredibly useless?

2011-08-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Here are six incredibly useless facts, that might serve as good story prompts.

A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 6 years.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

Owls are one of the only birds who can see the color blue.

The first known contraceptive was crocodile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

315 entries in last year's edition of Webster's Dictionary were misspelled.