Places to submit

Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition

The Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition invites writers of short fiction to enter the 2015 contest. “The competition has a thirty-five year history of literary excellence, and its organizers are dedicated to enthusiastically supporting the efforts and talent of emerging writers of short fiction whose voices have yet to be heard.” Prizes and Publication: The first-place winner will receive $1,500 and publication of his or her winning story in Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts. The second – and third-place winners will receive $500 each. Honorable mentions will also be awarded to entrants whose work demonstrates promise. Eligibility requirements: Stories must be original unpublished fiction, typed and double-spaced, and may not exceed 3,500 words in length. There are no theme or genre restrictions. Copyright remains property of the author. The literary competition is open to all U.S. and international writers whose fiction has not appeared in a nationally distributed publication…

Places to submit

Redwood Anthology – Journeys

Submission Deadline for the 2015 Redwood Anthology:  March 1, 2015 Theme:   Journeys Eligibility: Members of the Redwood Writers Branch of the California Writers Club. You can join Redwood Writers Branch, no matter where you live. Click here for membership information. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Redwood Writers anthologies. The theme is Journeys. There are many types of journeys: travel adventures, life passages, heroes’ journeys, pilgrimages, odysseys, and flights of fancy. All journeys begin in one place and end in another, having elements of challenge, change, and transformation. Note: Submissions are required to reflect the theme, which may be interpreted broadly. If your piece is selected, you will be assigned an editor to work with you through the publication revision/editing process. Submission Guidelines Each Redwood Writers member may submit up to 2 pieces in any genre. For example, you may submit 1 poem and 1 prose piece, 2 prose…

Prompts

The Healing Power of Images Prompt #139

Today’s prompt is inspired from Poetic Medicine by John Fox, “The Healing Power of Images.” “A morning glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books” — Walt Whitman “Images are drawn from sensory experience and help us to feel what the writer or speaker is communicating. Whitman is more satisfied by the morning glory because it is real and alive, it communicates something to him about reality that is particular, clean and unmistakable. Images offer us direct experience. They can show themselves to us through any of the senses.” Think about the house you grew up in, or where you spent most of your childhood. Or, if you want to write from your fictional character’s point of view. . . picture a place where the protagonist spends a lot of  time. Now, think about routes you routinely took . . . to school. . . or…

Prompts

My tribe. Prompt #138

Today’s writing prompt is inspired from Your Mythic Journey by Sam Keen and Anne Valley-Fox. “Pre-modern people didn’t think of themselves as individuals — they were members of a tribe as well as of a family. Ancient philosophers knew that human dignity begins with ‘We are a people, therefore I am.’ Modern people are tribal too but we call our tribes by different names — churches, corporations, states, nations. Each of us was nurtured within and shaped by several corporate bodies, voluntary organizations and professional corporations that molded our values and behavior — schools, athletic teams businesses, clubs, temples, and local, national, and international governments.” Prompt: I am from . . . Note from Marlene: You can write from your personal experience, or write from your fiction character’s point of view. You may have written on this prompt previously. It’s a good one that can be used repeatedly, new things…

Just Write

The Past – from different perspectives.

The following is inspired by Your Mythic Journey by Sam Keen and Anne Valley-Fox. Chapter 4, “The Past” It’s Still Happening. “We love the present tense. Be here now. Yesterday is gone and best forgotten: our tradition is to have no tradition. We aren’t Europeans buried in ancient tombs and cathedrals and medieval ruins. We were born yesterday and we will be young forever. Over thirty is over the bridge. Age embarrasses us; remembrance is a function of senility. We exile the aged to Sun City leper colonies so they won’t impair our illusion of endless summer. But history is not so easily dismissed. Repressed memories, national or personal won’t stay down. To be alive is to have a past. Our only choice is whether we will repress or re-create the past. Childhood may be distant, but it is never quite lost; as full-grown men and women we carry tiny…

Places to submit

Ukiah Haiku Festival 2015

THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL ukiaHaiku festival 2015  – A celebration and competition devoted to the haiku form of poetry Postmark Deadline for Submissions: Saturday, March 22, 2015 Awards will be presented in the following categories: General Topics (Regional*) 1) Children, grades K-3 2) Children, grades 4-6 3) Youth, grades 7-9 4) Youth, grades 10-12 Haiku about Ukiah (Regional*) 5) Haiku about Ukiah, grades K-6 6) Haiku about Ukiah, grades 7-12 7) Dori Anderson Prize** — Haiku about Ukiah, Adults Haiku en Espanol, Temas Generales (Sumisiones Regionales*) 8) Para menores de 18 anos 9) Para mayores International, General Topics, Adult: 10) Jane Reichhold International Prize*** *Regional categories are open to residents of Mendocino, Humboldt, Lake, and Sonoma Counties in northern California. Winners in the regional categories receive a certificate, publication in a booklet of winning haiku, and a copy of the booklet. **The Dori Anderson Prize honors the memory of Dori Anderson,…

Prompts

Do you Haiku? Prompt #137

Haiku is one of the most important forms of traditional Japanese poetry. Haiku is  a 17-syllable verse form consisting of three metrical units of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. —  Haiku for People Another definition: “Haiku (俳句 high-koo) are short poems that use sensory language to capture a feeling or image. They are often inspired by an element of nature, a moment of beauty, or another poignant experience. Haiku poetry was originally developed by Japanese poets, and the form was adopted (and adapted) by virtually every modern language, including our own. The secret to writing great haiku is to be observant and appreciate nature.” — Wikihow-Write-a-Poem Haiku by Penelope La Montagne: Pruned vines stand in rows those charred Venus de Milos posing with mustard Penelope La Montagne is a poet laureate emerita of Healdsburg. She is the author of River Shoes by Running Wolf Press and Jigsaw Heart by Finishing…