The latest prompts are as follows:
Manic/Micro Monday WhatsApp: is up to 200 words on 'Terms of Endearment.' Deadline Monday 26 October.
Repository: The Box... (could it be a jewellery box, a tool box, a first aid box, a post box, a hat box, a toy box, the list can go on but what type of box could you write about? There is no word limit but deadline is Tuesday 3rd November.
Stay safe everyone!
Hello Scribblers
I think this may be more exciting than it sounds!
Comma Press are inviting us all to The National Creative Writing Industry Conference (they possibly could have come up with a snappier name, or some clever acronym). It is being run in partnership with The Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.
The idea is for new writers, who are aspiring to publication, to make connections with the publication/ commissioning world.
There are free daily panel discussions, and other events that are ticketed- such as workshops and pitching sessions.
The online conference is taking place between 26th and 30th October.
Follow the link below to find out more about the conference and how you can get involved.
https://ncwindustryday.weebly.com/about.html
Happy Conferencing!
Hello Scribblers
Can you tell a good story in 5,000 words or under?
Can you write the kind of story that Young Adults would love to read?
Voyage are looking for a well-told story that fits this criteria.
The story should be original, but in any genre you like. It should be able to be categorised as Young Adult Fiction, in that the story should be from the point of view of a teenaged protagonist.
The competition is open until November 15th.
Voyage is online literary journal dedicated to young adult literature.
Follow the link below to find out more about them, and the submission guidelines.
https://thevoyagejournal.com/contests/
Good luck and happy scribbling!
Hello Scribblers
Are you one of those incredible people who have actually written a novel?
If you have, and you are above the age of 40 (which I think most of us Scribblers are), why not enter this competition: The McKitterick Prize.
Your novel should have either been published this year, or be still unpublished.
Follow the link below to find out more about the prize and if you are eligible to enter:
https://societyofauthors.org/Prizes/Society-of-Authors-Awards/McKitterick
The prize is run in collaboration with the Society of Authors.
Follow the link below to find out more about them and how they support the writing community:
(You can also check out their Blog, to see how the professionals do it!)
https://societyofauthors.org/About-Us
Good Luck Novel Writers, and Happy Scribbling!
Hello Scribblers
An opportunity here for Scribblers to be published in the inaugural issue of a literary journal.
There are cash prizes for the top three entries, and the chance of publication for all long-listed stories.
Janus Literary are looking for stories between 750 and 1,000 words; they must be sea-themed, with an added dimension of darkness- hence the Dark, Wild Sea prompt.
The Journal is open to " tragic stories, scary stories, sci-fi stories, dark-humoured stories". They can feature "horrible sea creatues, haunted seacliff castles, ghost ships, the Bermuda Triangle, selkies, merpeople, sentient lighthouses, possessed sailors, ill-fated cruises, fishermen lost at sea, etc".
The only limit is your imagination! Submission deadline is 16th December 2020
Follow the link below to find out more about submitting your WIld, Dark Sea Story:
https://www.janusliterary.com/submit/
Hello Scribblers
Autumn is well and truly upon us, and the unmistakable sound of jingle bells in the distance can be ignored no longer. The first Festive themed submission is open for entries.
INK, in partnership with Radio Suffolk, are looking for monologues or duologues to be broadcast over the airwaves. Entries should be broadcastable in no more than two minutes and should be Christmas themed.
There should be a nod to a Christmas song- your piece should include a sentence, or part of a sentence from the song. The title of your entry shouldn't give away the song title- but if your monologue or duologue is broadcast, they will also play the song that inspired it!
Closing date for submissions is Friday 30th October.
Follow the link below to find out more about submitting:
https://inkfestival.org/workshops/
Follow the link below to find out more about INK and what glorious things they do in our local area:
https://inkfestival.org/about-ink/what-is-ink/
Good luck and Happy Scribbling!
It is just over five years since we lost one of the real characters at Felixstowe Scribblers, or, as he called us, the 'Squabblers!' Last week he would have celebrated his 88th birthday and I'm sure he would have done it in style. Les was one of a kind, welcoming and helpful to all newcomers, polite and diplomatic too. His laughter and humour, used to light up our meetings and his writing was something to behold. RIP Les. Those who knew you will, like me, miss your presence.
Belinda, the benefactor of the original Bill Budner Trophy, wrote recently and wished to be remembered to those Scribblers who remember her. I have lost count of how long it is since she returned to her native Australia but it is good to know she is doing well and keeping busy after losing her Geoff. It seems appropriate to mention Belinda now we are approaching the deadline for the first on line Bill Budner competition.
Talking of that, a reminder that your entries should be sent to Liz by midday on Tuesday 20th October. The competition rules are on both the weblog and the Repository.
This weeks Manic, or should that be Micro Monday prompt for a story of up to 200 words is: 'You can see for miles...' Your stories should be posted direct to the WhatsApp page by Monday 19th October.
Stay safe everyone!
Dave.
Just a quickie this evening!
The new prompt for our WhatsApp group is as follows:
To write a story incorporating a 'collective noun.' You know the sort of thing...herd, flock, shoal etc...Have fun putting together a story of up to 200 words by the deadline Monday12 October.
A reminder that the Bill Budner competition is up and running. The deadline is midday on Tuesday 20th October. Amended rules for this on line competition are shown in the pages above.
Dave
Hello Scribblers
The first Thursday in October is set aside for the annual mass celebration of National Poetry Day.
This years' theme is 'Vision' and we are encouraged to #ShareAPoem and See It Like A Poet. So, why not explore the website to read some poems, find out what events are happening nationally and join in with your own poetry.
https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk
Why not explore the various styles of poetry out there? Take a look at this list from writers' digest detailing 100 different styles of poetry.
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry
I'll share one of mine here- it's an eco-rant, of course: In the 'Minute Poem' format.
Torn
Metal jaws clamp, bite, scream through to the heart,
where the sapling once stood. A crashing collapse.
Stripped, stacked and hauled away.
The squat stump next. Ripped from its grip on the earth.
Soft soil rains down.
Wary eyes, unused to wide skies, wonder what devil comes
near.
Feel free to share one of your own, or one from your favourite poet, with a friend or group, by email, social media, or by knocking on their door and reciting it to a neighbour (remember to keep your social distance!).
Happy National Poetry Day and Keep Scribbling.
