A new year, a new start. Francesca hopes you'll find
something familiar, or even better, something outside your comfort zone in this
latest selection of competitions.
When I first
attended Adult Education creative writing classes I'd written several short
stories and poems, but not a lot else. Our tutor (author Elaine Everest),
encouraged us to try our hand at all sorts of different writing. We had a go at
scripts, several forms of poetry, articles, flash fiction, tips and fillers, leaflets,
non-fiction books, novels and a few more things besides.
One of the
most valuable aspects of these classes was that we were also encouraged to submit
to all sorts of markets. Between us, we've ended up with a whole heap of different
genres and types of writing published in different arenas. This success is
largely due to us being pushed to write and submit outside of our comfort zone.
Today, now running her own classes, Elaine still encourages us to try new
things, giving us challenges that we might not normally tackle.
It's a new
year, so why not try a competition outside of your comfort zone? Or dig out work you've abandoned in order to
write something else. The selection this month includes short stories, novels
for adults and children, script writing, poetry, flash fiction and two humour
competitions. Perhaps you fancy yourself as a Ben Elton or Carla Lane? Perhaps
the new Mike Leigh? Have a go and see what new doors you can open.
Good luck to you all, and don't forget to let us know of any successes you have.
Kelpies Prize 2018
Theme: Children's
novel set in Scotland for either 8-10 or 12-15 year olds.
Prize: Winning
author, £2,000
Closing date: 28
February 2018
Entry: Free
Bridgend Writers' Circle Short Story Competition
Theme: Open.
1,500 – 1,800 words
Prize: £200 /
£50 / £30
Closing date: 1st
March 2018
Entry: £5 /
£7.50 for 2
The International Windsor Fringe Award for New Drama Writing
Theme: Plays
of 30 minutes max, 6 actors max. Only amateur playwrights.
Prize: 3
winners selected for stage performance.
Closing date: 5
March 2018
Entry: £10
Brittle Star Short Story Fiction Competition (also poetry)
Theme: Open,
2,000 words max.
Prize: £250
per genre / £50 pg / £25 pg
Closing date: 14
March 2018
Entry: £5 /
£3.50 each subsequent
Writing Magazine Humour Short Story Competition
Theme: Humorous
short story, 1,500 – 1,700 words.
Prize: £200
plus publication in magazine / £50 plus publication online
Closing date: 15
March 2018
Entry: £5 / £3
for subscriberss
Edge Hill Short Story Prize
Theme: Single
author collection of short stories, published between 1st Jan &
31 Dec 2017 (not self published)
Prize: £10,000
/ £1,000 reader's choice.
Closing date: 23
March 2018
Entry: Free
Retreat West Flash Fiction
Theme: 'Forgetting'.
500 words max. No children's stories
Prize: £200 /
2 x £75
Closing date: 25
March 2018
Entry: £8
The International Rubery Book Award
Theme: For
international and self published books.
Prize: £1,500
plus read by top literary agent. Catergory winners £150 each. No publication
date restriction. All genres.
Closing date: 31
March 2018
Entry: £36
Twisted Mysteries Writing Competition
Theme: Read
the brief, but basically what lies beneath the surface in 1933.
Prize: £100 /
£50 / £25 plus all winners published in an eBook anthology.
Closing date: 30
March 2018
Entry: £5
Scottish Arts Club Short Story Award
Theme: Open.
Max 1,500 words. Unpublished writers only (novel and short story)
Prize: £1,000
/ 2 x 100 / Scottish prize £500
Closing date: 31
March 2018
Entry: £10
Writers Bureau Short Story Competition
Theme: Open.
2,000 words max.
Prize: £300 /
£200 / £100 / £50 plus a WB course for all winners
Closing date: 31
March 2018
Entry: £5
Writers' Forum Fiction Competition (also poetry)
Theme: Open.
1,000 – 3,000 words
Prize: £300 /
£150 / £100
Closing date: Rolling.
Entry: £6 / £3
for subscribers
(Writers'
Forum also have a flash fiction competition each month, but the duration for
each is short and you'll need to look for the current theme)
Bristol Poetry Prize
Theme: Open.
Up to 100 lines.
Prize: £600 /
£300 / £100
Closing date: 31
March 2008
Entry: £6
Details (scroll down)
Wergel Flump Humor Poetry Contest
Theme: Humorous
poem up to 250 lines
Prize: £1,000
/ £250 / 10 x £100
Closing date: 1st
April 2018
Entry: Free
Looking Ahead:
First Novel Prize
Theme: Novels
over 50,000 words
Prize: £1,000
/ £250 / £100
Closing date: Open
February 1st - 31 May 2018
Entry: £25
Francesca Capaldi Burgess has been placed or
shortlisted in a number of competitions including Winchester Writers'
Conference, Twyford Writers, Chorley & District Writer's Circle, Retreat
West, Cordelia.net, Meridian Writing, Flash a Famous Phrase, Wells Festival and Writing Magazine. She's
had stories and a serial published in magazines worldwide and in three
anthologies, including Diamonds and
Pearls and 100 Stories for
Haiti plus a few
articles and a poem. She is a member of the RNA
New Writers' Scheme and the Society for Women Writers and Journalists. Francesca runs a writing blog along with RNA member Elaine
Roberts called Write Minds.
