Writers start writing clandestinely on scraps of paper, in tattered journals and in front of computer screens with daunting cursors daring you to come up with something to say. Oh, that nasty cursor and the mind games it can play…
The intrepid writer takes the bait though and dives right in. The hope is for brilliance to emerge, although sometimes that only happens after multiple editions are crafted. Other times, with the addition of an extra comma or the simple deletion of a few spare words, you do have that masterpiece you were aiming for.
That is the goal.
Once you have that piece of exquisitely worded prose/poetry/fiction/non-fiction, what do you do with it? Of course most writers want to share it with the world! That might be as easy as hitting publish on your blog (like I will be doing in a minute), but sometimes that is not enough. Sometimes we want that measure of fame to come with a big price tag!
$$$$$
Oh yes, starving artists are a noble breed, but the professional writer still has bills to pay.
So what say I help a few of you aspiring writers out with a couple of suggestions on where to toss your words into the ring, in hopes for the ensuing fame and fortune you desire. Well, perhaps it won’t be a fortune, but I have come across some writing contests that are worth checking out.
WRITING CONTESTS
* 2013 Open Season Awards
The Malahat Review, Canada’s premier literary magazine, invites entries from Canadian, American, and overseas authors for our annual Open Season Awards. An exciting spring showcase of literary excellence, Open Season bestows a prize of $1,000 in each of three marquee categories: poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction.
- DEADLINE: November 1, 2012
* CBC Canada Writes Short Story Prize
This prize is awarded once a year to the best original, unpublished, short story submitted to the competition. All Canadians can participate. The Grand Prize winner will receive $6,000, courtesy of the Canada Council for the Arts, and will have his/her story published in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and on the Canada Writes website. He or she will also be awarded a two-week residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony, and will be interviewed on CBC Radio. Submissions to the short story category must be between 1,200 and 1,500 words.
- DEADLINE: November 1, 2012
* 25th Annual Short Grain Writing Contest
Prizes up to $1000 in each category. Each entrant receives a 1-year subscription to Grain Magazine. Open to Canadian, US and International entrants. Categories for submission are;
Poetry: (to a max of 100 lines) Poetry of any style – including prose poetry – up to 100 lines.
Fiction: (to a max of 2,500 words) Short fiction in any form – including postcard fiction – to a maximum of 2500 words.
- DEADLINE: April 1, 2013
Good Luck!
A Writer's Take 