Creating Character Voice, Contest and Call for Submission

How can we strengthen our writing voices? Start by listening to how people talk. If you’re writing for teens, you might find the word, like, shows up a lot in dialog. Young children often ask questions. Where did the rain come from? Incorporate realistic dialog and narrative that reflect the age of the character into your writing.

Read works by other writers in the genre in which you are writing. Be conscious of how voice is used and why it resonates with you. Or doesn’t work, in some cases. Try to figure out why you don’t like that particular style of writing.

Read your work aloud. Does it genuinely reflect the age of the person who is telling the story?

Get to know your character. Interview your character. Ask questions and allow the character to answer as if s/he were real. You’ll learn more about your character than will be used in the story and more than the reader will need to know. The important thing is—you’ll have a better grasp of who the character is and the voice will be easier to capture.

Play with the words and scenes. Rewrite them to clean up the areas that falter. A strong voice develops through revision.

The Last Word
We wanna know how your story ends!

But you get to have the last word. Your final sentence has to be “And he/she/they would never have found out if it wasn’t for the______________________.”

Fill in that blank with a word or words.

Your story can be no longer than 350 words as determined by MS word count, excluding title. Your story can be funny, sad, mysterious, involve zombies or gratefully dead persons or live ones–just don’t do the conventional inside the parabola thinking of a crime or mystery murder. Surprise us all!

By entering this contest, you are giving us the right to publish your story on line and first time rights to printed publication, should this go into an anthology. If this contest results in creation of an anthology, there is no guarantee that your entry will included in publication.

You may have up to three entries, but each entry must be sent in an individual email attachment.
Deadline: April 5 at midnight, California time.
Send entries to thorn@awordwithyoupress.com

Cyberkids
We especially like stories, articles and poems that are funny.
· Art and written submissions can be on any topic that is appropriate for our audience (ages 7 to 12).
· Stories which include an original illustration or photo are more likely to be published than stories without pictures.
· Originality is very important--make sure the work you submit is your own and not copied from someone else.
· In addition to art and writing, we also like to publish games, puzzles, brain teasers, jokes, and multimedia creations by kids.
· Ages 13 and under: games, reviews and contests.
· Ages 13-18: poems, fiction and non-fiction

Details at www.cyberkids.com

Voice, Contests

Sometimes we have those A-ha! moments when we see, hear, or read something that grabs us in a new way. That happened to me when I read the following quote by Gordon Lish: It’s not about what happens to people on the page; it’s about what happens to a reader in his heart and mind.

Hummmm. That bit of information is a nugget of literary ore. Our stories should begin with action; the characters should change by the end of the story; a satisfying conclusion usually works best, but a story can have all these components and still not strike gold with the reader. These components are a pathway for creating the story, but just as important is how we tell the story, better known as voice.

Voice is dicey to define and comes with a variety of definitions. It’s the way a character expresses him/herself in a unique way that reveals the character from inside out. Voice can be expressed in dialog, the words spoken by the character. Or through narrative, as the character tells the story in words that reflect who the character is. Voice is what the character chooses to say and how the character says it. Strong voice has attitude and rhythm. The story must resonate with the reader to such a degree that s/he will keep turning the pages.

Next week, I’ll discuss how to strengthen voice in writing.

Contest for Student Writers

The Sylvia K. Burack Writing Award is a writing contest for high school students in grades 11 and 12 in the U.S. and Canada. The award is made in memory of Sylvia K. Burack, longtime editor and publisher of The Writer magazine. Burack was known for her dedication to helping writers and editors. Submit a previously unpublished 600- to 800-word personal essay in English on the following topic: "Select a work of fiction, poem or play that has influenced you. Discuss the work and explain how it affected you." No song lyrics.

Eligibility: You must be a student in grade 11 or 12 attending a U.S. or Canadian high school at the time you submit the essay. The winner will be asked to provide proof of enrollment in grade 11 or 12 in a U.S. or Canadian high school.

Prizes:
• $500
• Publication in The Writer magazine and on WriterMag.com
• A one-year subscription to The Writer
Details: writingclasses.com/burack.
Deadline: March 31, 2011

Contest for Adult Writers

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
"Now in its tenth year. We seek today's best humor poems. Total cash prizes of
$3,600 will be awarded,with a top prize of $1,500." NB:"Poets of all nations may
enter. Your poem must be in English (inspired gibberish also accepted). Please
submit only one poem during the submission period. Your poem may be of any
length. Both published and unpublished work are welcome."
Details: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/we_guidelines.php
Deadline: April 1, 2011

Story Endings, Contest, Calls for Submissions

Knowing how to write interesting endings is important, but it’s just as important to know what not to do, so let's avoid the following:

1. Repeating the main point, unless it's a letter trying to convince someone of something. Convey the idea earlier in the piece and don't hammer the reader with the same point at the end.

2. Uninteresting chronology. The day begins early in the story so the story ends that evening with "and they all said good-night." Focus the ending on the plot rather than the time sequence. I'm sure there are exceptions to this, but remember, we're aiming for zinger endings. This type of ending offers little or no surprise element.

3.Implausible endings that don't tie up all loose ends, such as dream sequences or "then she woke up and realized it was all just a dream." Fiction should reflect real life in explaining the actions characters take. Writers should resolve the main problem/goal in a story, but it's okay to leave room for interpretation and imagination at the end. This leads to provoking a reader to think about possible outcomes for the character. Remember, the goal is to leave the reader emotionally satisfied and glad they spend time reading your story.


Totem Head’s Contest for Young Writers
Categories :
1. Ages 9 and under
2. Ages 10-12
3. Ages 13-15
4. Ages 16-18
The contest is open to US residents under 19 years old. 

Prizes :
One winner from each category will receive the following prizes.
1. Publication on AdventureWrite.com/kids
2. $50 cash
3. Certificate of Achievement

Judging Adventure Write will choose one winner from each category based : on:
1. Suitability for the Adventure Write Kid's website
2. Entertainment and Creativity
3. Spelling, grammar and punctuation
Deadline: Send your entry before 31 Dec 2011.
Details at http://www.adventurewrite.com/kids/contest.html

Stories for Children Magazine is looking for nonfiction, poems, crafts, activities and puzzles to fill their April, May and Summer 2011 issues. They buy titles for their “Best Of” anthology at the end of the year and many of the titles published in Stories for Children Magazine get contracted for educational markets.
Details at http://storiesforchildrenmagaizne.org. Guidelines are in the Contributor‘ section.

Story Endings, Calls for Submissions

A teacher in Virginia (Hello, Jennifer) who follows this blog, requested information about story endings/conclusions, so the next two blogs will address endings.

A good ending makes a story come full circle. The ending should reflect and resolve the problem or goal developed at the beginning of the story. When I conduct writing workshops with students, I encourage them to end the story with a zinger. I define a zinger as an ending that zings the reader so s/he is
1. surprised. A twist or unexpected ending enhances the overall story.
2. provoked, to think about the story more. Does the ending leave the reader satisfied?
3. feeling strong emotional attachments to the story and characters.

In this case, what works for student writers also works for professionals. Reread the story and ask yourself if the ending is a zinger. If not, think about how the ending can be rewritten to become a zinger. I like surprise endings, because they make great zingers. Humorous ending make the reader laugh. Those work well, too.

Here are more questions the writer can ask:
1. Does the ending surprise the reader?
2. Will the reader be provoked to think about the story after reading it?
3. How will the story touch the reader emotionally? Will the reader care at all? Laugh? Cry?
4. Are all ends tied up? This means that unresolved problems have been dealt with.

Next week, I’ll discuss things to avoid in writing endings.

MatadorNetwork: They’re launching a print magazine! With *BETA*, their aim “is to publish the best English-language travel writing on the planet.” Pays: “[H]ere’s the bottom line: writing that makes the cut will be paid by the word, at competitive print rates (probably at 50 cents, for now). So every word has to be worth at least a pair of quarters.” Editors recommend reading this post for some additional information: http://matadornetwork.com/pulse/8-reasons-matador-is-launching-a-print-mag/
Guidelines at http://matadornetwork.com/betamag/writers-guidelines

Creative Kids The most exciting aspect of Creative Kids is that it is written by kids. Students from all over the world write for the magazine, so it includes exciting examples of the most creative student work to be found in any publication. Many kids get started by writing for the magazine’s “Write On” section. Here, kids express themselves by writing short opinion pieces about issues they face on a day-to-day basis.
Become a Creative Kids Author
Kids from all over the world read and contribute to Creative Kids. To submit your work to Creative Kids, be sure to read the submission guidelines first.
Details at Submission Guidelines

First Paragraph/Call for Submissions/Writing Contests

Whether a story is a picture book, a short story, or a 100,000-word novel, the most important passage is the first paragraph. The beginning paragraph introduces the reader to your writing style. This is where the reader meets the character for the first time, along with the time and place of the story. Voice comes into play early. This introduction should capture the readers' interest, making them want to read on.

The beginning paragraph should start the story at a point where the character’s life will forever be changed. There is no room for backstory in the first paragraph. The story should start with some conflict that makes that day in the character’s life different. Or use intrigue to hook the reader. Make the reader want to find out what is going to happen as you hint at the problem that lies ahead. A strong beginning raises questions in the readers’ minds, questions they want answered.

Study the opening sentences in popular books and in new books you find. Notice how the author introduced the character and set up the story. Identify what the author did to grab you interest immediately. Make a list of different methods used to grab and hold your attention in the first paragraph. Some authors use humor, unusual phrasing, a surprising statement, a mystery, odd facts, and numerous other hooks. What worked for you?

Next week, I’ll discuss types of endings/conclusions.

Call for Submissions/Contest:
*The Threepenny Review* reopens to submissions in January, at which point it
will also begin allowing online submissions through a new submission system. No
simultaneous submissions. Pays: "At present *The Threepenny Review* is paying
$400 per story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece."
http://www.threepennyreview.com

National Pet Week Writing Contest for Young Writers
The Auxiliary to The American Veterinary Medical Association is pleased to announce a call for entries to their annual writing and poster contests. The deadline is March 16, 2011. The winning entries will be used to promote the 2012 National Pet Week theme "Healthy Pets Make Happy Homes". Contest winners
will each receive $300. The writing contest is open to third to fifth graders. Entrants are invited to submit poems, essays, or stories 20 to 200 words in length. Entries must be submitted in the body of an e-mail to petweek@hotmail.com along with the entrant's name, address, grade in school, phone number and age.
The poster contest is open to artists of any age. The poster may be any size and must be colorful. Do not fold, staple, or send by fax. The use of crayons is discouraged because it does not copy well. Magic markers, dark colored pencils, and watercolor in bright shades, etc. tend to make a more attractive and reproducible entry. Posters with photos, magazine cut-outs, or additional elements of this type are
automatically disqualified. Entries must be postmarked by March 16, 2011 and mailed to:
Jewel Allen, 326 Ranch Road, Grantsville, Utah 84029. Go to the website and click on
"National Pet Week". Inquiries may be sent to petweek@hotmail.com.
Details at http://www.avmaaux.org

First Paragraph/Writing Contests

Ten seconds. That’s the average amount of time editors give to an unsolicited manuscript to determine if they want to keep reading. TEN SECONDS! Yikes! Of course, the time varies from editor to editor, but keep in mind the value of the first impression. In a literary sense, it's the first paragraph.

The first paragraph is the most important paragraph you’ll write, regardless of the type of story. Beginning sentences provide the ten seconds in which the editor decides to quit reading or becomes engaged in the story. Readers often do the same thing. In bookstores and libraries, readers pick up a book, open to the first page and read about ten seconds. As readers, we decide quickly if we like the writing style and if the story grabs us. If not, we move on to another book.

Make the first line of the first paragraph so enticing, the reader is hooked enough to read the second line, then the third. The introductory paragraph is the roadmap for the remainder of the story. Hint at WHAT is going to happen as you establish the setting, introduce the main character, and point of view. That’s an incredible task, but not impossible. [See: previous three blogs for writing literary hooks.]

Next week, I’ll explore writing the first paragraph.

Wherefore a.r.t. though?
This contest is a fun way to stretch your writing muscles. The contest winner will get a literary treasure chest from A Word with You Press, sent to your doorstep, to include signed copies of all their books and a lot more.

Start with a title: “The art of_______________”

You fill in the blank. Could be the art of Picasso, the art of the deal, the art of Thomas Sully, the art of making popcorn, the art of rolling a cigarette. the art of kissing, the art of getting over 500 visitors a day on our website. ANYTHING can go in the blank.

But then it gets a little tricky.

Your first three words have to start with the letters “A” , “R“, and “T“. For example “Arthur relied totally (on the advice of his mother, who….) or Anglophiles ruined Thorn’s (respect for Guinness and the English language) or Another rotten tomato (hit him squarely in the jaw as he recited the lines to Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.) You get the idea.

The story must be no more than 500 words (this does not include the title).

Somewhere you must have a word sequence that is is created from the word “Writer”, just like you did for “Art”, like “William remembered intimate things Evelyn regretted having told him, that night they uncorked the…)

Entries must be received by February 28th, midnight, California Time. Send entries to thorn@awordwithyoupress.com.
Details at http://www.awordwithyoupress.com/

Saroyan Writing Contest for students:
THEME: Which friend or family member has had the greatest impact on your life? Why?
Limit 2-3 pages. First place $100, second place $75, third place $50. Prizes awarded in each age group: Grades 1-2, grades, 3-4, grades 5-6, grades 7-9, grades 10-12, college. Students with special needs are also encouraged to participate.
Must use entry form online.
Details at http://www.williamsaroyansociety.org/
Deadline: March 7, 2011.

Fishing for a Contract, Part III, The Pedestal Magazine, Boodle: By Kids, For Kids

Here more ways to cast a hook to catch an editor’s attention:

Humor. Keep them laughing and you’ll keep them reading. Whether you write picture books, chapter books, or children’s novels, humor is in demand. Dav Pilky’s Captain Underpants and Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones are series that play up the funny from page one, paragraph one, and sentence one.

Strong setting. In Coraline by Neil Gaiman, kids are scared, but not too scared. A haunted house or a dark cave sets the mood for intriguing reading. Thunderstorms and cold, dark basements can immediately conjure up eerie situations.

Foreshadowing. Drop hints of the problems that lie ahead to keep the interest high. Patricia Polacco’s Just Plain Fancy or E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web provide clues to build reader expectation and create suspense and a sense of wonder.

Surprise ending. Snag a surprise ending with a hook. In my book, On the Banks of the Amazon, two young hunters are on a safari. I saved the biggest hook for the last line, “The wildlife hunters pick up their camera, aim and shoot again.” Eve Bunting did the same with her book, Wednesday Surprise. The surprise is saved for the last page.

Use these hooks or a combination of two or more to develop strong beginnings and endings for your stories. If you cast a hook or two, you’ll give an editor reasons to keep on reading and up your chances of reeling in a contract.

Next week, I’ll discuss story endings.

The Pedestal Magazine.
"Re: fiction for the April 2011 issue (reading cycle February 28-April 14): we will
be accepting flash fiction up to 1,200 words. Theme will be 'Husbands and
Wives.' Writers may submit up to three (3) pieces. Please do not submit work
intended to be considered for the April 2011 issue prior to February 28." Pays:
$.08/word.

Boodle: By Kids, For Kids Audience: children ages 6-12. Publishes stories, articles, poems, mazes, puzzles, etc.
P.O. Box 1049, Portland, IN 47371. Ph. (219) 726-8141. Published quarterly. 100% of magazine is written by children.