Click here to read an interview with Ken Atchity about his novel The Messiah Matrix.
Category: The Blog
Writing contest: Narrative magazine
Click here for information on Narrative magazine’s story contest. Or read below.
Spring 2013 Story Contest
Our spring contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We’re looking for short shorts, short stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15,000 words, and must not have been previously chosen as a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest.
Prior winners and finalists in Narrative contests have gone on to win other contests and to be published in prize collections, including the Pushcart Prize, the Whiting Writers’ Award, The Best American Short Stories, the Atlantic prize, and others. View some recent awards won by our writers.
As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.
We welcome and look forward to reading your pages.
Awards: First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,000, Third Prize is $500, and up to ten finalists will receive $100 each. All entries will be considered for publication.
Submission Fee: There is a $22 fee for each entry. And with your entry, you’ll receive three months of complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.
All contest entries are eligible for the $4,000 Narrative Prize for 2013 and for acceptance as a Story of the Week.
Timing: The contest deadline is July 31, 2013, at midnight, Pacific daylight time.
Judging: The contest will be judged by the editors of the magazine. Winners and finalists will be announced to the public by August 31, 2013. All writers who enter will be notified by email of the judges’ decisions, which will be final. The judges reserve the option to declare ties and to designate and award only as many winners and/or finalists as are appropriate to the quality of contest entries and of work represented in the magazine.
Submission Guidelines: Please read our Submission Guidelines for manuscript formatting and other information.
Other Submission Categories: In addition to our contest, please review our other Submission Categories for
Writing event: Willamette Writers
(left to right) Fellow writers Shirley Lewton, Jamie Caulley and Kathy Eaton enjoy dinner at Pal’s Shanty in Northeast Portland, Oregon before we all attended a meeting of Willamette Writers.
Writing event: Mortified
On May 4, 2013, I attended a Mortified reading in Portland, Oregon. Mortified (getmortified.com) is a grassroots storytelling forum where adults use letters, songs, diaries and movies from their past to tell embarrassing stories about themselves. No re-writing allowed! Do you have any old diaries or letters? If you do, why not see what stories they hold.
Writing programs: The best of the best
In this article, The Atlantic lists the best graduate programs in creative writing:
The Best of the Best
A guide to graduate programs in creative writing.
Edward J. Delaney Aug 1 2007, 12:00 PM ET
More
Also see:
Where Great Writers are Made
Assessing America’s top graduate writing programs.
Ten Top Graduate Programs in Creative Writing
(in alphabetical order)
Boston University
University of California at Irvine
Cornell University
Florida State University
University of Iowa
Johns Hopkins University
University of Michigan
New York University
University of Texas, Michener Center
University of Virginia
Five Programs With Notable Alumni
Boston University
University of California at Irvine
Columbia University
University of Iowa
University of Virginia
Five Highly Selective Programs
Brown University
University of California at Irvine
Johns Hopkins University
University of Texas, Michener Center
University of Virginia
Five Programs With Distinguished Faculty
Boston University
Columbia University
University of Iowa
New York University
University of Virginia
Five Innovative/Unique Programs
University of Arkansas
Brown University
Chatham University
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Five Well-Funded Programs
Brown University
Cornell University
University of Michigan
University of Texas, Michener Center
University of Virginia
Five Up-and-Coming Programs
Brooklyn College
University of Mississippi
Ohio State University
Rutgers University at Newark
University of Wisconsin
Five Top Low-Residency M.F.A. Programs
Antioch University
Bennington College
Pacific University
Vermont College
Warren Wilson College
Five Top Ph.D. Programs in Creative Writing
Florida State University
University of Houston
University of Nevada at Las Vegas
University of Southern California
University of Utah
Edward J. Delaney, who has received a PEN-Winship Award in fiction and whose work has appeared in the anthologies The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Best American Short Stories, teaches at Roger Williams University. His documentary film about the short-story writer Andre Dubus premieres in August.
Writing event: Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon
Willamette Writers Conference will take place August 2-4 in Portland, Oregon.
Writing event: Willamette Writers meeting May 7, Portland Oregon
Jennie Shortridge and Erica Bauermeister to Speak at Willamette Writers
May 7, 2013, 7pm The Old Church 1422 SW 11th Ave.
“Different Paths, Same Journey”
Northwest authors Jennie Shortridge and Erica Bauermeister will speak about the varying paths a writer can follow to reach their creative destinations. Shortridge initially focuses on character development—their past and desires—and lets the dialogue, story, and plot grow from there; while Bauermeister will be struck by an image that becomes a story, though one not necessarily written in order since her plots develop structure over time.
Both from Seattle, Jennie Shortridge is the author of Love Water Memory, while Erica Bauermeister recently published The Lost Art of Mixing. Shortridge is a founding member of Seattle7Writers.org, a collective of authors devoted to community literary projects in the Northwest. Bauermeister received a PhD in literature from the University of Washington and taught for several years. For more information, visit their websites at http://www.jennieshortridge.com and http://www.ericabauermeister.com.
Nancy Woods
Writing process: Why write?
Writing prompt: Caller ID
Writing prompt:
A woman is sitting in her apartment when her cell phone rings. When she looks at the caller ID, she sees the name of someone she doesn’t want to talk to. Describe the scene. Does the woman answer the phone?
Writing in the news: English books becoming less emotional
According to a study referred to in this New York Times article by Jennifer Schuessler, English-language books are becoming less emotional. The only exception: Words relating to fear are on the increase. The study looked at “broad emotional shifts across decades” and found that “‛happy’ and ‘sad’ periods coincided with historical events.”
Does that mean we’re living in a fearful decade? If we are, would it be wise for writers to write about fear?
Nancy Woods 