LifeBytes Call for Paid Submissions for Online Dating Anthology

http://www.lifebytesbook.com

This just in to LAwritersgroup.com:

Mariann O'Connor and her writing partner, Sharon Sommerhalter, are working on an anthology. It is a series book called, LifeBytes(TM), Real Stories ...The first book is about on line dating experiences. We are looking for a diverse group of stories from every segment of society.

If a story is chosen, the writer will be paid a standard anthology fee.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
We are accepting submissions for "LifeBytes...Real Stories of Online Dating" (est. publication date Fall 2010). Who doesn't love sitting around with friends and family over coffee or a cocktail sharing stories about life, work and love? LifeBytes is interested in YOUR Online dating story. Make a cup of coffee or stir up a cocktail and tell us your cyber dating adventures - the good, the bad and the ugly! "LifeBytes...Real Stories" will be a compilation of the true stories that singles love to share with one another about the ups and downs of searching for Prince (or Princess) Charming.We are looking for evocative stories that can be funny, poignant, provocative, scary, weird, sexy, edgy or happy. We're looking for the full range of experiences that make online dating such an adventure.

Writers whose work is chosen for publication will receive payment for their story in the market range of $50-$100 (word count dependent).Our extended deadline is September 15, 2009.For complete submission guidelines please visit our website.

Rough Copy magazine seeks poetry submissions

http://roughcopy.net

Rough Copy magazine, online magazine for creative writing, short stories and artistic expression, is soliciting poetry submissions for its Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 issues.

Visit their submissions page to see where to send your work. We heard that all submissions will receive a reply within two weeks, and that simultaneous and previous submissions are okay. How much do we love that?! Go forth and submit.

Create your own animated short film on Xtranormal.com

Here is site that lets you create your own short film in an easy to use online interface! Fun for writers who have written a short film and want to see it come to life.

A quick note about their fine print terms of use. From their site:

"All content of any type on the Site is the property of Xtranormal. Though you remain the owner of your personal content, by posting personal User Content on the Site you automatically grant Xtranormal and all other users a full licence to use such User Content"

Granting them and everyone on their site a free license notwithstanding, it might be a great way to show off your screenwriting skills.

Website: www.xtranormal.com

Robert Frost Foundation 2009 poetry contest:

Annual Poetry Award for poems written in the "spirit of Robert Frost."

• Website: http://frostfoundation.home.comcast.net/~frostfoundation/wsb/html/frostsite1215/home.htm
• Deadline: Poems should be postmarked (or emailed) between March 1,
  2009 and September 15, 2009 to be considered for the 2009 award.
• Reading Fee: $10.00 per poem
• Award: Unclear

Visit the website and click on 'Poetry Award' for more information on
submission guidelines.

Writing a Screenplay?

John August explains how to write better scene descriptions in an easy-to-follow video: johnaugust.com - Writing better scene descriptions

Go to www.johnaugust.com for tons of useful information about screenwriting. In the above link, John works through writing a scene on video, so that you can observe how he works to improve his scene description.

Call for Poems: Anon Poetry

A poetry magazine which uses a blind review system to select its works is calling for submissions.

Anon is a "print-based poetry magazine where poems are assessed anonymously." After a submission is accepted, then they publish the poet's name. They are now accepting submissions for their next magazine. They are looking for thoughtful and interesting poetry no longer than 40-50 lines.

Please go to http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk/submissions for more information. Follow the submission instructions carefully as any attempt to include your name on your submissions will result in disqualification. If your work is published, your name will be listed with the poem.

If you want to be considered, you should submit soon.

Check out the Poets & Writers Database of Small Presses and Publishers

Poets & Writers has a small but growing database of small presses and publishers that would come in handy for any writer looking to submit work for publication.

Find out whether they take online submissions, simultaneous submissions, the genre they publish and their reading periods.

Screamfest Screenwriting Contest - Early Deadline June 15

9th Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival & Screenplay Competition announces its call for entries.

Prizes include cash, software and an amazing trophy.

Genre(s) : Horror / Thriller

Deadlines and submission fees:

• (Early) June 15th $30


• (Regular) July 15th $50


• (FINAL) Aug. 15th $60

For more information and to download the submission form go to:

http://www.screamfestla.com/

Attn Kindle Subscribers

The Official LAwritersgroup.com blog is now available on Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C75A86

Read Reviews of Literary Magazines on NewPages.com

http://www.newpages.com/magazinestand/litmags/

Reviewed Magazines Include:

Alligator Juniper
Bayou
Beloit Fiction Journal
Creative Nonfiction
Cutbank
Gulf Stream Magazine
The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review
Hunger Mountain
Iron Horse Literary Review
JMWW
The Ledge
Manoa
Memoir (and)
New Orleans Review
PALABRA
Slice Magazine
The Sycamore Review
Third Coast
Western Humanities Review
Willow Springs
Word Riot

Phoebe MacAdams Whispers an Invocation and We Find Connection in the Commonplace

Sanora Bartels reviews Phoebe MacAdams’ latest book of poetry released by Cahuenga Press, Strange Grace and you can read it here at www.LAwritersgroup.com.

A response to "Should Creative Writing Be Taught?'"

An article by Louis Menand in The New Yorker:

Menand just published a well-written, and intriguing article in the The New Yorker entitled "Show or Tell, Should Creative Writing be Taught?"

He recounts the history of informal writing workshops to the creation of university level degree programs in creative writing, which he posits are a fairly recent development in the history of the creation of creative writers. Using many references such as John Barth's 1985 article in the Times Book Review entitled Writing: Can It Be Taught?, as well as Mark McGurl's book, The Program Era, he examines whether or not writing workshops, either informal or institutionalized, are worthwhile endeavors for both authors and readers. He poses the question: "Is the rise of the creative-writing workshop, as McGurl claims, “the most important event in postwar American literary history”?" He later writes the profound statement that "Writers are products of educational systems, but stories are products of magazine editorial practices and novels are products of publishing houses."

The article is a worthwhile read, and at the end, he injects his own experience of participating in writing workshops and how they've affected him in the long-term:

"I don’t think the workshops taught me too much about craft, but they did teach me about the importance of making things, not just reading things. You care about things that you make, and that makes it easier to care about things that other people make."

As someone who is somewhat adverse to institutional learning environments, but who has participated in, and run, many writing workshops that concentrate on the creation of new work, I have witnessed the joy that writers get from creating something they never expected they would invent, and how the act of creation itself keeps them coming back week after week. If a writing workshop makes you feel productively creative, then it has served it's purpose.

Brenda Ueland wrote in If You Want to Write,

"...at least I understood that writing was this: an impulse to share with other people a feeling or truth that I myself had. Not to preach to them, but to give it to them if they cared to hear it. If they did not - fine. They did not need to listen. That was all right too."

What she is saying here, and what I agree with, is the motivating factor to write should not be to gain, but rather because you love. If you gain from it, so much the better. If a writing workshop or a university degree feeds your love, feeds your passion, then participate. If writing alone feeds your love and your passion, then don't participate. Either way, write because you love.

New Writers Group starting on Thursday

There's still time to join Sanora's group! Learn more about how our groups work:

How the LAwritersgroup.com 8-Week General Writers Group Works

Each Group is Unique
Each of our groups are unique, in that we have new creative writing exercises we use in every group (save for a few oldies but goodies)? So if you've already participated in a group and would like to participate again, you don't have to worry about repeated creative writing exercises.

How the Meetings are Structured
Our groups meet once a week in eight-week cycles.
Each meeting is broken up into two sections: Creative Writing Exercises, and Feedback.

Creative Writing Exercises
During the creative writing portion, we do three improvisational creative writing exercises via writing prompts. This is the major portion of our night: getting words on the page. We do not allow laptops. We write the old fashioned way.

Feedback
The feedback portion of our meeting is something everyone participates in. All writers can bring work in for critique, and all writers are encouraged to give feedback. We have guidelines that we follow for our critique session so that the feedback remains constructive, and we also have guidelines regarding how much work each writer can bring in each meeting.

Who can participate?
We are open to all kinds of writers. Whether you are new to writing, or a seasoned veteran, you will get a nearly full notebook of new material out of the 8-weeks. We've had all kinds of aspiring and published writers participate in our groups: poets, essayists, screenwriters, comedy writers, all kinds of fiction writers, songwriters, journalists, and even attorneys who want to do some creative writing.

Do we Teach Writing?
This is a writers group. A peer-to-peer group of writers who get together once a week to create new work and support each other by giving and receiving feedback on works-in-progress. Although we are not formally teaching writing, you'd be surprised the things you pick up in these groups just by listening to and interacting creatively with other writers. We provide a safe space to tap into your own creativity and generate new work and solicit opinions from your other group members on writing you bring in for critique. We may offer more instructive seminars in the future, though, so keep your eye out!

How We Started
LAwritersgroup.com began five years ago. We started a writers group because we wanted to get creative and write with other writers for an evening once a week, and as some of our members started moving out of town, we put up a website to keep in touch with them. Before we knew it, people found our website, and contacted us, wanting to participate, and we grew from there!

If you have any additional questions about our groups, send an email to nicole@lawritersgroup.com or visit LAwritersgroup.com.

Real Simple's Second-Annual Life Lessons Writing Contest

Real Simple's seeks 1,500 word essays about first realizing you were a grown-up.

Contest description (from the Real Simple website):

When did you realize that you had become a grown-up? Perhaps it was when you first paid taxes or met your son’s first girlfriend. Whether the experience was difficult, funny, easy, or bittersweet, share your lesson and you could win.

Enter Real Simple’s second-annual Life Lessons essay contest and you could have your essay published in Real Simple; win round-trip tickets for two to New York City, hotel accommodations for two nights, tickets to a Broadway play, and a lunch with Real Simple editors; and receive a prize of $3,000.

For more information and submission details, go to:
http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/second-annual-life-lessons-essay-contest-00000000013682/

First Person America Seeks Sumissions

Stories, Videos, and Photographs Reflective of Our National Economic Crisis

Competition information as listed on website:

Artists: We are looking for short memoirs and essays, documentary films, and photographs that depict Americans from all walks of life. We are especially interested in stories that are unique to your family, your community, your town, your region – that capture the idiosyncratic things that are happening where you live - the slices of life that, taken together, will give us a First Person picture of America in 2009 – the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful.

Submission Guidelines:
Writing submissions – up to 2,500 words.
Film and video submissions – up to five minutes, excluding credits.
Photography submissions - may include up to five photographs, with or without accompanying text of up to 100 words per image.

Submission deadline: June 30, 2009

For more information: http://www.hardtimes.firstpersonarts.org/

Drue Heinz contest for a book-length collection of short fiction

Call for Submissions 2009

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize:

http://www.upress.pitt.edu/renderHtmlPage.aspx?srcHtml=htmlSourceFiles/drueheinz.htm

From their site:

The Drue Heinz Literature Prize recognizes and supports writers of short fiction and makes their work available to readers around the world. The award is open to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least three short stories or novellas in commercial magazines or literary journals.

Manuscripts are judged anonymously by nationally known writers; past judges have included Robert Penn Waren, Joyce Carol Oates, Raymond Carver, Margaret Atwood, Russell Banks, Rick Moody and Joan Didion. The prize carries a cash award of $15,000 and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract.

The winner will be announced by the University Press in January. No information about the winner will be released before the official announcement. The volume of manuscripts prevents the Press from offering critiques or entering into communication or correspondence about manuscripts. Please do not call or e-mail the Press.

Manuscripts must be received during May and June 2009. That is, they must be postmarked on or after May 1 and on or before June 30.

See website for eligibility details.

Comedy Script Contest

The New York Television Festival announced the Fox-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest. Contest opens on June 1st.

Contest Details:

The FOX- NYTVF Comedy Script Contest Official Premiere Network Sponsor Fox and Signature Sponsor Procter & Gamble Productions (PGP) have partnered with the New York Television Festival to present the second annual FOX-NYTVF Comedy Script Contest. The contest once again invites aspiring television writers to enter their scripts for original half-hour comedy TV pilots for the opportunity to win $25,000 and a development deal with the network!

This year, the winning script will automatically receive consideration to be produced by Procter & Gamble Productions as a pilot with a first-look at the Fox network.

Scripts must present an original idea for a potential half-hour comedy series. All entries must be uploaded to the NYTVF Web site. Opening date for script submissions is June 1, 2009, and the submissions window will close on June 15 or at 1,500 entries, whichever comes first. Entry is free. For more information and official rules, visit http://www.nytvf.com/2009_scripts_info.htm.

Authors Needed

Leimert Park Village Book Fair is looking for authors to participate on Sat June 6 www.leimertparkbookfair.com

Tips on Pitching

Excellent article on how to pitch your work to development execs. Key: Have an arsenal of stories at your disposal, not just a single script.

Bartlett's Screenwriting Tips: THE WRITER'S COUCH

Read. Then start outlining. A lot.

Submit your Short Fiction Story to Esquire Mag - No fee

Winner gets $2500 and publication in Esquire Magazine
Bookfox has a superfly blog that we've fallen in love with, and he recently blogged about Esquire's new no-fee fiction contest, so we thought we'd pass it on [and why aren't you Tweeting, Bookfox? If you are, be sure to follow us].

Esquire's short story winner gets $2500 and publication in Esquire Magazine. What's the catch? You have to follow their rules, and of course, as purveyors of creative writing exercises and prompts, we're big fans of writing contests with interesting rules.

From Esquire.com:

"The first and most important rule — besides, of course, that the story has to be original — is that the story must be based on one of three titles that we have provided.

The titles are:

1. "Twenty-Ten"

2. "An Insurrection"

3. "Never, Ever Bring This Up Again"

A date, a thing, and a statement. No exceptions. Make of them what you will, do with them something great. But no taking an old story and slapping one of our new titles on it. We'll know, and we won't be happy.

Second rule: Your story cannot exceed 4,000 words. We are serious about that, too."

Submissions begin May 1st and the deadline is Midnight, August 1st, 2009.
Visit Esquire.com for more further details and to submit. Also check out Esquire's new online fiction 'zine.

Writers Group for Screenwriters

12-Weeks + 10-pages a week = complete draft. Apply now by emailing nicole@lawritersgroup.com.

LAwritersgroup.com is pleased to announce the next 12-Week Writers Group for Intermediate to Advanced Screenwriters.

Start Date: Thursday May 21st for 12 weeks
Start Time: 7:00pm - 10:30 pm
Cost: $480
Moderated by: Rob Tobin, author of two books, "The Screenwriting Formula" and "How to Write High Structure, High Concept Movies".

For more information on how the group works and how to apply, visit www.LAwritersgroup.com.

SBWC: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry Contest: DL June 1

The Santa Barbara Writers Conference has been around for 37 years, and this is the first year they are sponsoring a writing contest. From their site:

We’re pleased to announce the first annual SBWC Writing Contest in Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry. Winners in each category will receive a scholarship for tuition to the 2010 Santa Barbara Writers Conference and a grand prize winner will get a scholarship and the opportunity to have lunch with a top agent during the conference.

Guidelines and Entry Instructions

Fiction entries can be in any genre. Nonfiction can be essay, article or memoir. Fiction and nonfiction entries must be no more than 3,000 words. Poets may submit up to five poems, no more than 15 pages total. Each category will be judged by a team of SBWC workshop leaders and the winners will be chosen from among the finalists by a noted author. You can enter as many times as you like in all the categories. If these guidelines aren’t followed, your entry will be disqualified. The cost is $25 per entry, and the deadline is June 1. The winners will be announced July 20 and celebrated at a special event later this summer. For fiction and nonfiction, include a cover sheet with author’s name, address, phone number, email address and the title of the submission. For poetry, please include a cover letter with author’s name, contact information and the titles of all the poems submitted. Stories, articles and poems should have no identifying information on them except titles.

Submission deadline June 1

Mail your entries along with a check payable to SBWC to:

SBWC Writing Contest,
P.O. Box 6627
Santa Barbara, CA 93160

LifeBytes - Call for Submissions - Dating Stories

Initial deadline: June 15, 2009

LifeBytes - Submission Guidelines from their website.

Guidelines for submitting your dating story:

First and foremost, we are looking for evocative stories that can be funny, poignant, provocative, scary, weird, edgy, sexy or happy. We're looking for submissions with a unique voice and point of view. Imagine your story as a vignette that you can see acted out on screen and give us the feeling that we are there with you, sharing your experience. In other words - Is this a story that even someone who has never dated online will find intriguing and engaging.

We are looking for submissions that are well-crafted. Submissions should be able to stand alone as solid, well written short non-fiction stories. Tell your tale in a way that will involve the reader in your adventure. Let it come from your heart, your story is important!

What we are NOT looking for is:
1. An essay or a sermon
2. Advice or a how-to guide to online dating
3. Revenge stories

Visit their site for more submission information.

The Los Angeles Review seeks Fiction and Poetry

Deadline: June 1 by e-mail.

The Los Angeles Review, a Red Hen Press publication, seeks fiction, non-fiction, poetry, reviews, and translations for their next issue.

From their site:

"The Los Angeles Review, established in 2003, is the voice of Los Angeles, and the voice of the nation. With its multitude of cultures, Los Angeles roils at the center of the cauldron of divergent literature emerging from the West Coast. Perhaps from this place something can emerge that speaks to the writer or singer or dancer or wild person in all of us, something disturbing, something alive, something of the possibility of what it could be to be human in the 21st century.

We dedicate the sixth issue of The Los Angeles Review to Wanda Coleman. We invite both published and emerging writers to submit their work to the editors listed below, and we thank you for being part of The Los Angeles Review.

Submission Guidelines:
Issue No. 6 is scheduled to be released in 2009. Submissions accepted from March 1 to June 1 via email only.

Indicate title and word count in the subject heading. Please include a cover letter and bio in the body of the email and attach your piece as a single .doc or .rtf attachment.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted if noted in the cover letter. No multiple submissions, please. Response time is 2-3 months.

Writers published in the 2009 Los Angeles Review will receive one contributor copy in exchange for first North American serial rights.

Guidelines:

Fiction and nonfiction:
We seek essay, memoir, and commentary told as compelling, focused, sustained narrative in a distinctive voice, rich with detail. Send 1,000-4,000 words or delight us with flash nonfiction that cat-burgles our expectations. In fiction we're looking for to hard-to-put-down shorties under 500 words and lengthier shorts up to 4,000 words--lively, vivid, excellent literary fiction.

Poetry:
Please submit 3-5 poems that will surprise us, wow us, and make us wish we'd written them ourselves. We are open to form, free verse, prose poems, and experimental styles. Our only criterion is quality.

Reviews:
We welcome reviews of new and recent books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, particularly of books that have not received the critical attention they deserve. Send reviews of three to six pages. No need to query the editor beforehand.

Translations:
Please submit 3-5 translated poems that open the poet's original vision to an English-speaking audience.

Visit their site for a list of editor e-mail addresses.

2009 Silver Screenwriting Competition Call For Submissions

All submissions must be postmarked by May 1st, 2009 by 11:59pm
Early bird deadline: March 15th, 2009 by 11:59pm - $45
Final deadline: May 1st, 2009 by 11:59pm - $55

Winners announced: September 15th, 2009

http://www.silverscreenwriting.com

No Fee Poetry Contest

Celebrating Greek and Roman mythology and Olympian Gods:

Editor/Contact Name : Victoria Grossack

Contact E-Mail : tapestryofbronze@yahoo.com

Deadline Date : 30-Apr-2009

Publication Type : Internet/Website

URL : Odes to Olympians at Tapestry of Bronze

Genre(s) : Poetry

Details : The Tapestry of Bronze is sponsoring a series of poetry contests to celebrate Greek and Roman mythology and the Olympian gods. The subject of the third contest is Poseidon (also known as Neptune), the Lord of the Oceans. The deadline is April 30, 2009. All poems remain the property of the authors. However, Tapestry of Bronze reserves the right to post winning poems and those receiving Honorable Mention on the Tapestry of Bronze website. Costs nothing to enter; $50 prize in two categories!

Draft of Screenplay? Check!

Draft of Screenplay? Check! Congrats to our Screenwriting Group members who finished their first drafts!

Nearly all the fabulous writers who took LAwritersgroup.com's Writers Group for Screenwriters finished an entire draft of their screenplays! They worked very hard writing 10 pages a week, absorbing feedback, and incorporating it into their next 10 pages.

We've scheduled the next Writers Group for Screenwriters. This group is an intense group that requires you to show up with an outline on your first night, and bring in 10 pages every week thereafter for a live read and feedback from your group members, as moderated by Rob Tobin.

Date: Thursday, May 21st for 12 weeks

Cost: $480.00

To apply: Send a writing sample to nicole@lawritersgroup.com

visit www.LAwritersgroup.com for more information on how the group works.

You go girl!

Congrats to Jodene, former LAwritersgroup.com member who just sold an essay that will be included in a upcoming book!!! Hugs and kisses, Jodene!

Interview with Rob Tobin

Read an online interview with Rob Tobin, our screenwriting group moderator on ScriptLinks.

New 8-Week Writers Groups Scheduled

We've added two upcoming 8-Week General Writers Groups to our schedule. These groups are open to writers of all levels and genres.

• Nicole's Group 8-Week General Writers Group in West Hollywood on Wednesday, April 15th

• Sanora's Group 8-Week General Writers Group in Glassell Park on Thursday June 11
  

See http://www.lawritersgroup.com for further details.

Glass Woman Prize No Fee Short Fiction Contest

Glass Woman Prize

Here is a no-fee contest (our favorite!) funded personally by Beate Sigriddaughter for you short fiction and creative non-fiction writers out there. From her site:

The Fifth Glass Woman Prize will be awarded for a work of short fiction or creative non-fiction (prose) written by a woman.

Length: between 50 and 5,000 words. The top prize for the fifth Glass Woman Prize award is US $700 and possible (but not obligatory) online publication; I will also award two runner up prizes of $100 each and one additional prize of $50, together with possible (but not obligatory) online publication. Subject is open, but must be of significance to women. My criterion is passion, excellence, and authenticity in the woman’s writing voice. Previously published work and simultaneous submissions are OK. Copyright is retained by the author. There is no reading fee.

Submission deadline: March 21, 2009 (receipt date; anything received after that date will be considered for a future prize).

Notification date: June 21, 2009.

Be sure to check the site for additional submission guidelines.

The Black Boot Call for Fiction and Poetry

Editor/Contact Name : Ryan Wilson

Contact E-Mail : blackboot[at]mail.com

Deadline Date (if any) : 01-Aug-2009

Publication Type : Los Angeles Lit Journal

Website URL : The Black Boot

Genre(s) : Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction, Art

Details : Call for Submissions: The Black Boot wants poetry and and fiction from the guts, the heart, the darkness, the cracks of light, in other words, your best. We do readings, live writing experiments and daily web updates.

Screenwriting Group extended to 12 weeks

LAwritersgroup.com Writers Group for Screenwriters members unanimously decide to extend group for four weeks! Originally an 8-week group, we are now a 12-week group!

Our new screenwriting group is a smash hit! Our moderator, Rob Tobin, runs a tight peer-to-peer feedback group while providing expert insight and guidance on our projects. I say 'our' because I am taking the group myself! To get into the group, applicants had to submit a writing sample, and once accepted, had to bring an outline of our project on the first night. We read our outlines to the group and received feedback on the outlines from all group members and from Rob.

From week two on, we were expected to bring in 10 pages a week, which we live read and give each other feedback on, while Rob oversees this process and adds in his expertise and wisdom. The writers in the group are not only talented writers, but they offer excellent insights and feedback on our works in progress.

The reason everyone wanted the group to extend for four additional weeks is so they can complete almost all of their screenplay during the course of the group.

Wow!

LAwritersgroup.com Podcast Interview

The folks running LAwritersgroup.com were kidnapped and forced to do a podcast interview! Ok, we weren't kidnapped. Or forced to do anything. Still, it's a fun listen. Listen to the interview with Alex of www.alexlivinginla.com. Click on over and then click on the SHOWS link.

BBC International Radio Playwriting Competition

BBC World Service
International Radio Playwriting Competition
Deadline: March 31st

From their site:

The biennial International Radio Playwriting Competition is run by the BBC World Service and the British Council and is now in its eleventh year.

It is a competition for anyone resident outside Britain, to write a 60 minute radio drama for up to six characters.

There are two categories: one for writers with English as their first language and one for writers with English as their second language. The two winners will come to London and see their play made into a full radio production, which will then be broadcast on the BBC World Service. They will also each receive a $2,500 prize and there are also prizes for the runners up.

The play must be in English, unpublished and must not have been previously produced in any medium. Whether you're experienced, new, or somewhere in between, we want to hear from you.

Just check the Rules and How to Enter sections to find out more about sending us your play.

No Fee Essay Writing Contest for Men Only!

More Than A Few Good Men Essay Writing Contest (no fee):

From the editors:

We're Looking For A few Good Men. Do you have a compelling story to tell about a defining moment in your life? The editors of More Than a Few Good Men are sponsoring a national writing contest and are accepting submissions from March 1 through May 1. The contest is open to men ages 35 to 60. Each writer should submit an original essay focused on a defining moment in his life, when the challenges of childhood, coming of age, work, relationships, fatherhood or death caused a fundamental change in his understanding of himself as a man. Essays should be from 1,000 to 3,000 words long and written in the first person. More Than a Few Good Men is an anthology of essays about what it means to be a man in America today. Contributors include such accomplished writers as Mad Men creator Matt Wiener, Memoires of a Geisha novelist Arthur Golden, and Not That You Asked essayist Steve Almond. An NFL Hall of Famer, a former Sing Sing inmate, a one-time Wall Street wunderkind, and a photojournalist embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq are among the other contributors. More Than a Few Good Men will be published in spring 2010. All proceeds from the book will benefit the Good Men Foundation, a charitable organization founded to support men and boys at risk. For more information about the book, the contributors or the contest, visit www.goodmenbook.org.

Next Generation Subscription Book Club

Powell's Book Store in Portland, OR, has a new groovy subscription book club called Indiespensable where every six weeks you get new independent books and sometimes even signed first editions for only $39.95 per shipment.

From their site:

Powell's subscription club delivers the best new books, with special attention to independent publishers. Signed first editions. Inventive, original sets. Exclusive printings.... Every six weeks, another installment to read and admire. Plus, every package is stocked with exciting surprises: bonus DVDs or CDs, prepublication copies of books we're looking forward to, mugs, posters, chocolate... See gifts from previous editions. Subscribe now to assure yourself a copy of Volume 9!

VOLUME 9

Ships on March 18, 2009
Sunnyside / A Day's Pleasure
by Glen David Gold
(Knopf)

Limited edition, autographed, hardcover chapbook of "A Day's Pleasure," the first part of Sunnyside (56 pages). Printed on a heavy cream stock with 4/c frontispiece by artist J. D. King, two pen and ink interior illustrations by Patrick McDonnell (the creator of Mutts), and cased with a 6/c silk-screened image on cloth. Available only to Indiespensable subscribers. Advance Reader's Copy of Sunnyside — more than a month before the book will be available in stores. Special treats hand-picked by our staff

"A breathless stupendous novel that recreates both a young brash America on the verge of becoming itself, and Chaplin, one of its most bewitching quixotic citizens. From lighthouse to Hollywood to starlets to war to stardom to madness to genius Gold's startling narrative carries us across the world and back. Gold proves himself yet again to be the hungriest craftiest funniest and most humane novelist we have." Junot Díaz

Read Glen David Gold's essay about making the chapbook A Day's Pleasure.

Community Written Screenplay

Cowritescript.com is holding a contest where writers submit the next 10 pages of an ongoing script to create a "community-sourced screenplay." It costs $10 to submit, but what fun! From their site:

Cowrite is developing a community-created movie script. Every other week the best ten-page script entry selected by the Cowrite judges will be added to the developing story until the screenplay is completed and ready to be sold! Learn more

THE THIRD 10 PAGES ARE NOW POSTED ON THE STORY PAGE (Congrats to Tony Martin)

DEADLINE FOR NEXT 10 PAGES: 11:59 PM EST, MARCH 1ST 2009--$10
EXTENDED DEADLINE: 11:59 PM EST, MARCH 4TH 2009--$14

(Packages: $40 for 5 submissions, $75 for 11 submissions. Includes extended deadline entries and can be used for any of the 11 biweekly entry periods)

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR WEEK 4

NEXT 10 PAGES POSTED: MARCH 9TH 2009

*Entry fees must be made with a credit card online

Call for Submissions: Assisi online journal: DL Apr 18

Call for Submissions

Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters

St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York is pleased to announce that Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters is now accepting submissions for its inaugural issue.

Assisi will offer an eclectic mix of essays (both academic and personal), short fiction and poetry in an online journal which is published twice-yearly. We will also publish photographs, drawings
and other art works.

Submissions will be accepted by e-mail only. You may submit through April 18, 2009 for the inaugural Spring 2009 issue.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Your text submission must be in Word or Rich Text Format, and must be sent as an attachment to your e-mail. At this time, we can only accept photos and art work submitted as .JPEG files. Include your name, address, daytime telephone number and title(s) of submission(s) in the body of your e-mail. NO IDENTIFICATION SHOULD APPEAR ON THE MANUSCRIPT OR ART WORK ITSELF.

There is a limit of one submission in each category per person per submission period. You may send all your submissions together attached to one e-mail, or send them in separately.

Essays: Up to 20 pages total, double-spaced.

Short Fiction: Up to 20 pages total, double-spaced. Novel excerpts will be considered if they are self-contained.

Poetry:
Up to 5 poems per submission, single or double-spaced. Please, no
more than one poem per page.

Photography and Art: Up to 3 works per submission.

We do not reprint previously published work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable as long as they are indicated as such and Assisi is notified immediately if the work is accepted elsewhere.

Send all submissions to: assisi(at)stfranciscollege.edu (replace (at) with @)

Assisi holds first rights for publication; we also reserve the right to use your name and the title of your work in press releases and on sections of our website other than the pages of Assisi. Beyond this use, and following publication in Assisi, rights revert to the author/artist providing Assisi is acknowledged in any subsequent publication of the work.

If you have questions, or need further information, please contact Dr. Wendy Galgan, Editor, at wgalgan(at)stfranciscollege.edu (replace (at) with @)

Call for submissions: damselfly press: DL Mar 15

damselfly press, an online literary journal for women is pleased to
announce the publication of our sixth issue and call for submissions
for the seventh issue. We are seeking electronic submissions of
original fiction, poetry, and non fiction by female writers slated for
online publication in April 2009.

The deadline to submit for the seventh issue is March 15th, 2009.

Visit the damselfly press website:

http://damselflypress.net to read the sixth issue and learn more about
the journal.

Fairy Tale Review - Call for Submissions

Fairy Tale Review, a co-publication of The university of Alabama Press, is looking for poetry and prose on the theme of "Little Red Riding Hood."

From their site:

Ah, that famous quote by Charles Dickens! So wrong, and yet so right. The Red Issue will be Fairy Tale Review’s sixth annual issue and, as the color suggests, will be as as devoted to Little Red Riding Hood as was dear Mr. Dickens. This is will be the journal’s first truly themed issue and we welcome your newest and brightest writing to it. As usual we do not offer further guidelines for your submissions or word count limits. The best way to get a sense of what is possible is to look at a back issue. We are open to all forms, all styles, all manner of thinking.

Reading Period: February 15, 2009 – June 15, 2009
Notification by: August 15, 2009

Apr 15: 42 Magazine: Call for Submissions

42 Magazine
Celebrating Life with Meaning

From their site:

Call for Submissions, updated January 22, 2009 Summer 2009 issue deadline is April 15, 2009 42 is a new quarterly print magazine seeking submissions for Summer 2009 and subsequent editions. The editors invite submissions of articles, poems, and stories that illuminate the themes of a meaningful life, whatever that means to you. Our thematic focus is on: Peace :: Justice :: Ecology :: Economy :: Self-reliance :: Simplicity :: Reason :: Joy :: Love :: Art

Yes, this is a paying market. Yes, we plan to be picky. Yes, we also plan to encourage new and emerging writers and artists.

We're all about the Yes around here. We pay on publication. We don't pay a ton, but we pay.

What we're looking for in general are articles, poems, stories, and art that express how you are increasing the level of meaning and meaningful interaction in your life, and in the lives of others. There's a LOT of wiggle-room there, and if it's well written, there's almost nothing we won't consider. That said, here are some decent guidelines for the kinds of things we're hoping to see.

Visit their submissions page for further details.

Feb 15: Gertrude fiction and poetry chapbook contest

Each year Gertrude Press publishes two chapbooks; one fiction and one poetry. These attractive collections will include a unique cover in a limited press run.

http://www.gertrudepress.org/guidelines/chapbook.html

Writer Compensation:
$50 cash award
50 complimentary copies of the chapbook

Chapbooks will be distributed to subscribers, libraries, and
bookstores carrying Gertrude, the Press' annual literary journal.

Poetry Chapbook Guidelines:

Submit 16-20 pages of poetry via surface mail only.

Indicate which poems have been previously published and by whom.
Unpublished poems are welcome.

Poetry may be of any subject matter and writers from all backgrounds
are encouraged to submit.

Include a cover letter and SASE for notification. For manuscript
returns, please include exact postage.

Indicate how you learned of the contest in your cover letter.

Include a $15 submission fee payable to Gertrude Press.

Submission fee includes copy of the winning chapbook.

Submissions accepted beginning September 1, 2008 until February 15,
2009 (postmark deadline).

Fiction Chapbook Guidelines:

Submit 16-20 pages of short fiction or a self-contained novel excerpt
via surface mail only.

Indicate which selections have been previously published and by whom.
Unpublished pieces are welcome.

Fiction may be of any subject matter and writers from all backgrounds
are encouraged to submit.

Include a cover letter and SASE for notification. For manuscript
returns, please include exact postage.

Indicate how you learned of the contest in y
our cover letter.

Include a $15 submission fee payable to Gertrude Press.

Submission fee includes a copy of the winning chapbook.

Submissions accepted beginning September 1, 2008 until February 15,
2009 (postmark deadline).

Please send all submissions to:
Gertrude Press
PO Box 83948
Portland OR 97283

Winners will be announced by May 1, 2009.

Call for Scripts, Screenplays: Horror, Comedy, Drama

Horror, Drama, Comedy Screenplays sought

Company:New Muse Entertainment, Shani Haller

Call for: MTV award winning director looking for scripts

Description:MTV award winning music video director Nathan Cox (http://www.mergefilms.com/cox) is looking for scripts in the horror, drama, and comedy genres.

Contact info: Please e-mail Shani Haller at seekingscripts[at]ymail.com

Feb 28: Chistell No-Fee Writing Contest

9th Annual Chistell Writing Contest Guidelines

Contest Begins: October 1, 2008

Contest Deadline: February 28, 2009

Theme based on Long Walk Up and Spiral: Courage

Entry Fee: None. No purchase necessary to enter contest

Age Limit: Must be 16 years or older to enter contest

Genres: Short story and poetry

----------------------------------------------------------

Grand Prize Short Story: $100.00

2nd Place Short Story: $50. 00

Grand Prize Poetry: $100.00

2nd Place Poetry: $50.00

Peoples from around the globe 16 years or older may enter the contest.
Pornographic, discriminatory nor hate related stories or poems will be accepted. Electronic submissions are preferred and encouraged. Entries should be submitted inside the body of an email (and not sent as attachments in order to avoid viruses) and sent to: soulfar@aol.com with 9th Annual Chistell Writing Contest Submission in the subject line of the email.

All submitted short stories and poems must be unpublished and under complete (100%) ownership to the author submitting the work.

No writer may submit the work of any other writer living or deceased.
Submitted short stories and poems must not be under consideration for publication by another editor or/and publisher at the time the short story or poem is submitted to the contest. Previous
winners in the Annual Chistell Writing Contest are not allowed to enter this years contest.

Winners will be announced in May 2009. A special page will be created at the Chistell website (http://www.chistell.com) to include the winning short stories and poems. In addition, a press release will be sent to global media informing them of the winning short stories and
poems.

All rights to all submitted short stories and poems remain with the writer submitting the work. At the conclusion of the contest, writers are encouraged to submit the work to other editors/publishers for publication.

It is our hope to help you advance and grow your writing career and to increase appreciation for reading, writing and literacy around the globe.

Jan 15: BkMk Press Poetry and Fiction Book Contests

BkMk Press of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Announces The G. S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction, and The John Ciardi Prize for Poetry:

Next Postmark deadline: January 15, 2009
http://www.umkc.edu/bkmk/poetry.html

For the best book-length collections of poetry and of short fiction in English by a living author: Prize: $1,000 and publication of winning book for each prize

Submissions:

Manuscripts must be typed on standard-sized paper, in English. Poetry manuscripts should be approximately 50 pages minimum, 110 pages maximum, single spaced. Short fiction collections should be approximately 150 pages minimum, 300 pages maximum, double spaced.

Entries must include two title pages: one with author name, address and phone number; and one with no author information. Any acknowledgments should appear on a separate piece of paper.

Entries must include a table of contents.

Author's name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript.

Please submit your manuscript in loose pages, bound only with a clip or rubber band. We prefer that you do not staple or permanently bind your manuscript. Do not submit your manuscript by fax or e-mail.

Simultaneous and multiple submissions are acceptable. Please notify us of acceptance elsewhere.

An SASE should be included, for notification only. Note: No manuscripts will be returned.

A non-refundable reading fee of $25 in US funds (check made payable to BkMk Press) must accompany each manuscript. Entrants will receive a copy of the winning book in their genre when it is published.

Manuscripts must be postmarked no later than January 15, 2009.

Manuscripts will not be returned. No refunds will be issued.

Judging will be blind at all levels. Initial judging will be done by a network of published writers and editors. The final judging will be done by a poet and a fiction writer of national reputation. Winners will be announced in July 2009 and the winning entries will be published in 2010.

These competitions are held annually.

Address To:

John Ciardi Prize for Poetry or Sharat Chandra Prize for Fiction
BkMk Press
University of Missouri-Kansas City
5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499

(816) 235-2558
Fax (816) 235-2611
bkmk@umkc.edu

Apr 15: Premier Book Awards

Premier Book Awards is currently accepting entries in both fiction and non-fiction for the 2009 contest. With so many new titles published every year it is increasingly difficult for an individual book to stand out. Winning a contest is an opportunity for publicity-exposure for the author and the book.

There is no better way to gain credibility and increased sales than to win an award for writing excellence. When faced with two competing titles, buyers will invariably select the one that has won an award.Premier Book Awards were established to recognize meritorious works by writers who self-published or had their books published by a small press or independent book publisher. POD books are welcome. The contest is open to selected book length fiction and non-fiction titles with a 2008 or 2009 copyright, published in the English language and
targeted for the North American market. There are $100 cash awards for the winners in each category, plus a $500 award for the Premier Book of the Year. Winners also receive a certificate suitable for framing and Premier Book Awards will issue a press release to announce the achievement. Check the website for details:

www.PremierBookAwards.com
Deadline: April 15th, 2009
admin@premierbookawards.com

Tebotbach Call for Submissions: Spillway

Tebot Bach invites you to contribute to Spillway 14

General Guidelines

poetry: 5 unpublished poems max and a bio / previously published
accepted on rare occasions
reviews: poetry collections, poetry related volumes, poetry cd's

see www.tebotbach.org for sample cover art

interviews: contact info@tebotbach.org for specific guidelines

Email submissions to info@tebotbach.org

Mifanwy Kaiser
Tebot Bach
P.O. Box 7887
Huntington Beach, CA 92615-7887
www.tebotbach.org
714-968-0905

The Tebot Bach Mission

Tebot Bach is dedicated to advancing literacy, strengthening
community, and broadening the audience for poetry by demonstrating
through readings, workshops, and publications, the power of poetry to
transform human experience.

Free Teleseminar For Writers

I ran across this free teleseminar for writers that might be a nice way to start 2009:

FreshStart '09: A Holistic Workshop for Writers by Marla Beck, Life Coach for Writers

Date/Time:
Thursday, January 8
10am PST / 1pm EST

http://www.coachmarla.com/teleclass.html

Mar 1: Wilderness House Literary Review Call for Submissions

Call for Submissions: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry
Website: http://www.whlreview.com/
Deadline: March 1

All submissions must be in electronic form. Our preference is an MS Word file sent as an attachment.

Poetry may be submitted in any length.
Short fiction may be submitted in three formats:

1. very short stories less than 500 words in length

2. short stories less than 1000 words in length

3. Short stories that don’t fit the above should be less than 5000 words.

• Non-Fiction is just that so lets see some interesting footnotes.
• Book Reviews should be positive unless the author is a well-known blowhard. Our mission is to encourage literature not discourage it.
• Non-fiction should be short, (a lot) less than 5000 words.
• Any form of art may be submitted with the constraint that it must be something that can be published in 2 dimensions. It’s hard to publish sculpture but illustrations together with some intelligent prose count.
• Published works are welcome with proper attribution.

Please submit all works electronically.