Writing Contests
Where do my ideas come from? A mind mapping experiment and contest
Over at a blog I often read called The Writer’s Technology Companion they’re running a contest on mind-mapping -a technique my visual-learning brain rather likes - and the theme was “where do you get ideas”. That’s where this colourful mind map sprung from. In fact my ideas come from so many different sources that I [...]
Surprising myself with a short story for the Christmas season
With my teaching load finally reduced (I’ve been doing extra work at that job for the past three months or so - there’s a massive shortage of ESL teachers in Perth!), this week I have actually had two days at home to get my writing work done. Of course, I actually need about three or [...]
Vogel winner Andrew Croome and encouragement for me (and you)
You might remember that one of the goals I successfully met this year was to submit a novel to the Australian/Vogel Literary Award contest. I did it - albeit a novel that I think needs a lot of revision, but at least a full verison exists thanks to the deadline of the contest - and [...]
How to be miserable: Try to become a fiction writer!
Don’t worry, I haven’t entirely sunk into a can’t-finish-a-novel depression - I just liked the idea of entering the How to be Miserable contest being sponsored by life coach Tim Brownson. But in fact, trying to becoming a fiction writer can certainly produce its moments of misery, so if you’re in the business of wanting [...]
Another 24-hour short story is finished
When I got up this morning, I knew the topic for this season’s Writers Weekly 24-hour short story contest would be waiting in my email inbox. In previous contests I’ve been excited to get to it straight away, but somehow today my enthusiasm had waned. I read all my other email first and checked Bloglines [...]
15,000 words in 8 hours: I’m an insane writer
This past weekend, I did one of the most stupid things of my writing career. Stupid, but also quite productive. Remember how I had some new ideas and useful feedback for my Japan novel? The insanity all stemmed from this.
It started out calmly on Sunday morning. The sun was shining for the first time in [...]
The great manuscript print-out
As I type this, quite literally, I’m sitting a way back from my desk (finally, I understand the value of the wireless keyboard!) so that I can supervise the printing of my novel’s manuscript. It’s the first time I’ve printed the whole thing at once, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t trust my printer [...]
Short story progress and the Writers Weekly contest
Incredibly, three months has come and gone since I entered my first Writers Weekly 24-Hour Short Story Contest, which makes it time for another one. Today, I wrote a short story for the Spring 2008 contest, and I’m happier with it than the story I produced the last time round.
I love the idea of this [...]
First chapters and the Writing Show
Remember the Writing Show’s first chapter makeover contest I wanted to enter? The contest is a great idea: the winners will get “professional help” to improve their first chapter, all done through podcasts and stuff online so that listeners and readers can follow and learn something out of it themselves.
You might recall I got my [...]
Contest entry goals: Need … public … pressure …
Everyone knows (or if they don’t, they should) that one of the best ways to achieve goals is to tell the whole world what you’re trying to achieve. Shame is a great motivator. It got me through NaNoWriMo and I’m going to try to use it again.
I’ve already mentioned that my goal for the year [...]