From Idea to Story, Part III/Calls for Submissions

Try these ideas to develop your story.

Remember moments from your childhood. What made you laugh? Cry? Feel sad or happy? Memories can inspire a story, but don’t allow memories to tell the entire story. Use them as a starting point then allow the characters to tell their own special tale. Let your imagination take the story in a new direction.

The basic story consists of two elements: character and conflict. The character needs to aim for a goal or experience a problem and must reach the goal or solve the problem on his/her own. Ask these questions. Who is the character? What does the character want? What is standing in the way of the character getting what she/he wants? When you answer these questions, you have a story idea. Other elements, such as setting, can be added later.

Plot an outline based on your idea. Think of the outline as a map that helps you get from the beginning of your journey to the end. The outline can be a great assist in determining where your story is going and how to get there.

Call for Submissions for adult writers:

Open City Magazine RRofihe Short Story Contest. For an unpublished short story. Minimum word count: 3,500; maximum to 5,000. Winner receives $500, a trophy, and announcement and publication on anderbo.com. NB: "Author must not have been previously published in Open City Magazine or on Anderbo."
Deadline: December 31, 2012
Submissions guidelines at http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/no-fee-rrofihe-trophy2012.html

Call for submissions for young writers:

THE STORY SHACK is not a magazine but is a place where you can potentially have your children's and young adult stories published online and shared with others. They are also looking for illustrators.
Submissions guidelines at http://thestoryshack.com/submissions/ for submission guidelines. This is a non-paying market.

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/































Open City Magazine RRofihe Short Story Contest. For an unpublished short story. Minimum word count: 3,500; maximum to 5,000. Winner receives $500, a trophy, and announcement and publication on anderbo.com. NB: "Author must not have been previously published in Open City Magazine or on Anderbo."
Deadline: December 31, 2012
Submissions guidelines at http://www.anderbo.com/anderbo1/no-fee-rrofihe-trophy2012.html

Call for submissions for young writers:

THE STORY SHACK is not a magazine but is a place where you can potentially have your children's and young adult stories published online and shared with others. They are also looking for illustrators.
Submissions guidelines at http://thestoryshack.com/submissions/ for submission guidelines. This is a non-paying market.

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/