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I just wanted to share some more writing contest information I received from Writer’s Market. 

THREE JUNE WRITING CONTESTS

WritersMarket.com lists more than 600 contests & awards. Here are three with June deadlines:

Annual Dream Grant is not a reward for past accomplishment, but rather an investment in potential; it is a “no-strings attached” award in support of writers’ dreams. Deadline is June 1. There’s a $20 processing fee, and the winner receives up to $800.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is offered quarterly—with the next deadline as June 30—for unpublished speculative fiction. There is no entry fee, and the winners receive prizes of $1,000, $750, and $500 quarterly with a grand prize for the year of $5,000.

Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for Traditional Verse seeks poems in traditional verse forms, such as sonnets. Both published and unpublished work accepted. Deadline is June 30. There is a $7 reading fee for every 25 lines of poetry, and 1st through 4th place prizes of $3,000, $1,000, $400, $250.

For more information follow the links or visit www.writersmarket.com

I was reading a few tweets from a friend and mentor of mine, and one of his writing tips reminded me of a acting technique I used to say to students.  When they were having trouble “finding” the character, I would tell them to list the items in the top drawer of the character’s nightstand.  Well, the truth is that tip really isn’t an acting one, but it helped them; it was a really a writing tip for character development.  So, as I read his tweet, this thought came to mind. 

Developing characters can be difficult.   A well develped character provides more to the reader in subtle ways, and the only way to present these subtleties in your writing is take make sure that you know the character well, which is where the writing tip comes  in.  To know your character well, list the items in his/her top drawer of the night stand.  It doesn’t matter whether or not those things make it into the story.  The importance is that those items enter your knowledge of the character, and if they are in the back of your mind, the characters will develop easier for you. 

My mentor’s advice, “Writing tip #25: Could you apply for loan/job as your characters? Then maybe you don’t know them well enough to tell their stories,” follows the same idea.  A good character doesn’t fall onto the page.  A good character takes labor.

I found the following contest informationin an email from Writer’s Market, and I thought I would share it here on the blog.

THREE MAY FICTION CONTESTS
WritersMarket.com lists more than 140 fiction contests. Here are three accepting entries in May:

Annual Gival Press Novel Award is offered annually for a previously unpublished original novel. With a May 30 deadline, the prize is $3,000, plus publication of the book with a standard contract.

Drue Heinz Literature Prize is offered annually to writers who have published a book-length collection of fiction or at least 3 short stories in commercial magazines or literary journals with national distribution. Submissions must be made between May 1 and June 30. The prize is $15,000.

Elizabeth Simpson Smith Award is offered annually for unpublished short stories. With a May 31 deadline, the prize is $500 and publication in an anthology.

To gain access to these contests and more, log in or sign up today at www.WritersMarket.com.