MORE BITS & PIECES FOR Writers/Authors #197

REASON TO KEEP WRITING: JOSE SARAMAGO, age 87, Portuguese Nobel Prize-winning novelist (1998), playwright and journalist. Saramago often found himself going against the tide of popular opinion. His works, some of which can be seen as allegories, commonly present subversive perspectives on historic events, emphasizing the human factor. His novel “Blindness” which was made into a 2008 movie starring Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore, about the population of an unnamed city struck by a mysterious blindness which is never explained. Society's fragilities come to the fore as a general breakdown of infrastructures ensues. This work introduced many readers to Saramago’s impressive body of work--which included novels, poetry, and short stories. He was also the author of the novels “The Gospel According to Jesus Christ” and “Baltasar and Blimunda.” He opened his 1998 Nobel Prize lecture with these words: "The wisest man I ever knew in my whole life could not read or write." His last book was “Cain,” published in 2009. From the 1980s Saramago was one of Portugal's best-selling contemporary writers and his works have been translated into more than 20 languages.

BOUNDARY WATERS JOURNAL(BWJ) - features articles, articles that help readers enjoy their trips to canoe country. Articles must be informative, entertaining and inspiring. Subjects include detailed wilderness canoe trip journals, fishing how/where to, camping advice, hiking trips, wildlife profiles, history, natural resource issues, fiction, wilderness essays, hunting, winter camping/activities and interesting area people, about wilderness recreation, nature and conservation within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), Quetico Provincial Park and Superior National Forest. Contact page to query: http://www.boundarywatersjournal.com/cms/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=15

AUREALIS, Australia - science fiction, fantasy or horror short stories between 2000 and 8000 words. All types of science fiction, fantasy and horror that are of a "speculative" nature will be considered, some w/Australian characterization and background. Guidelines: http://www.aurealis.com.au/submissions.php

RIDDLE FENCE, Newfoundland - accepting poetry for some issues, fiction and creative non-fiction Deadline for each issue. No electronic submissions. Watch for current deadlines and needs. Guidelines: http://riddlefence.com/submissions

MAD MAGAZINE - actively looking to expand pool of freelance comedy writers and there's more opportunity to join The Usual Gang Of Idiots than ever. If you have a twisted sense of humor, a peculiar way of looking at the world, or are simply eager to express your immature, strange or just plain silly side, then we want to see your stuff. Guidelines: http://www.dccomics.com/mad/?action=submissions

EPIC's 2010 WRITING COMPETITION FOR STUDENTS - Deadline: Oct. 20, 2010. Open to Students worldwide, attending public, private, or home schools. Entries may be a story, poem, or essay, written specifically for the contest or as a school assignment for grades 6-8/ages 11 to 14 (Middle School categories) or grades 9-12/ages 15 to18 (High School categories). $100 prize. Guidelines: http://newvoicesyoungwriters.com/enter.html

2011 CHICKEN HOUSE CHILDREN’S FICTION COMPETITION, UK - Deadline Oct. 29, 2010. No entry fee. Prize is the offer of a worldwide publishing contract w/Chicken House, w/royalty advance of £10,000. The entrant must not have previously published any book in any country, whether fiction or nonfiction. The entry should be suitable for childrens' audience aged between 9 and 16. Picture books and graphic novels will not be accepted and illustrations will not be considered. Guidelines:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/children/article7074710.ece

DISCOVERING NEW MYSTERIES COMPETITION - Deadline: Oct. 31, 2010. No entry fee.
Short Stories, Scriptwriting, Submit mystery plays, short stories, which can be performed or read in under an hour. Categories: outstanding screenplay or teleplay, best work for young adults 12 - 18, best short mystery play (including one-act plays, short screenplays and short stories). $2500 for Best New Work (one prize across all genres). $1000 for Best New Writer. $1500 for Outstanding Screenplay or Teleplay. $500 for Best Work for Young Adults (12 - 18). $500 for Best Short Mystery Play. Guidelines: http://www.newmysteries.org/submission_guidelines

2011 ERIC GREGORY TRUST FUND AWARDS, Great Britain - Deadline: Oct. 31, 2010 Open to British subjects by birth who reside in the UK and under age 30 as of March 31, 2011. Poetry, verse-drama, or belles letters. Max 30 poems. £24,000 in total prizes, average of £4000 per winning poet. List of ongoing contests: http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-fiction-non-fiction-and-poetry

INTERNATIONAL NEW MYSTERIES COMPETITION (Angie Awards) - Deadline: Oct. 31, 2010. No Entry Fee. Short Stories, Novels, Scripts and Screenplays for both adult and youth audiences. BEST NEW WORK, +$2500 prize; MOST PROMISING NEW WRITER, +$1000 prize; OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY or TELEPLAY, +$1000 prize; BEST WORK FOR YOUNG ADULTS OR CHILDREN, +$500; BEST SHORT MYSTERY (1-Act plays, short screenplay, short story), +$500. Guidelines: http://www.newmysteries.org/documents/Submission%20Form%202011.pdf

ONCE WRITTEN.com FALL FICTION CONTEST - Deadline: Oct. 31, 2010. Entry Fee: $15. Award: $1000. Guidelines: http://www.oncewritten.com/Contests/FictionContest.php

DZANC BOOK PRIZE - Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010. Open to all US citizens and residents only. All writers applying must have a literary work-in-progress they can submit for review, and present the judges with a Community Service Program they can facilitate. Such programs may include anything deemed "educational" in relation to writing and much take place in the US. $5000 prize. Guidelines: http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzanc-prize

MANY VOICES PROJECT LITERARY COMPETITION - Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010. Short Stories, Nonfiction, Poetry. Open to US Citizens. Book length unpublished manuscripts. Poetry prize open to US citizens, prose and genre open only to legal residents of
Minnesota or NYC. $1000 prize and standard book contract.
Guidelines: http://www.mnstate.edu/newriverspress/submissions/mvpproject.cfm

ARTIST’S MAGAZINE ALL-MEDIA ONLINE COMPETITION - Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010. Entry fee: $15 per slide or image. Compete and Win in 7 Categories! Oil and oil pastel, Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel, Mixed media and collage, Graphite, charcoal and colored pencil, Digital Art. Guidelines: http://www.artistsnetwork.com/allmedia

WRITERS DIGEST SHORT STORY POPULAR FICTION CONTEST – Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010. Entry fee $20. Grand Prize-Winner - $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books and the 2009 Novel & Short Story Writer's market. All manuscripts must be 4,000 words or fewer. 5 Categories! Romance; Mystery/Crime Fiction; Science Fiction/Fantasy; Thriller/Suspense; Horror. Guidelines: http://www.writersdigest.com/popularfictionawards

MINOTAUR BKS/MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA CRIME NOVEL CONTEST -
Deadline: Nov. 13, 2010. Open to any writer, regardless of nationality, who has never been pub'd. Self-pub'd writers may enter, as long as the entry has not itself been self-pub'd. $10,000 advance +publishing contract from Minotaur Books. Guidelines: http://us.macmillan.com/Content.aspx?publisher=minotaurbooks&id=4933

FROM MY TWITTER THREAD:
ONLINE WORKSHOP: Promotion and Marketing - Nov 1 – 28, 2010 http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=491

ONLINE WORKSHOP: Principles of Good Website Design 4 Writers - Nov 7 – 20, 2010
http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=353

ONLINE WORKSHOP: Twisting History - Nov 8 - 14, 2010 http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=268

ONLINE WORKSHOP: Using Grammar 2 Develop &/or Strengthen - Nov 8 – 21, 2010 http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=280

LITERARY SCAMS – Suggest writers bookmark these links & check lists before embarking on any writing venture. A search will give you more links.
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware
http://www.spamlaws.com/literary-scams.html
http://www.bookawards.bizland.com/literary_scams.htm
http://www.authorslawyer.com/litscam.shtml
http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/avoid/av_avoid.php
http://www.writing-world.com/rights/contests.shtml