Chick Lit Competition - US Based

Thought I'd pass this on from the writing about writing blogspot.

A Get Your Stilletto in the Door contest based in the US for various different types of chick lit novels.

Open to all chick lit writers who have not signed a publishing contract for novel-length fiction within five years of the contest deadline. The entry must have a projected minimum of 75,000 words (35,000 words for Young Adult).

Deadline:June 15, 2008

All entrants will receive detailed score sheets and judges' comments from the preliminary round. This is worth the entry fee, I think. They have a sample on the site so you can see what you're paying for.

They want the first 35 pages and a synopsis (up to 5 double-spaced pages) so you don't even have to have finished your novel.

Fee: $30 with paypal.

Poetry Reading in Dublin this Saturday

If you're in town, why not stop in at the Original Print Gallery, Temple Bar at 5pm for an hour. They have wine and everything!

17.00 – 18.00, Saturday, 7th June, 2008

Readers: Noel Duffy and Orlagh O’Farrell (Dublin)

Special Guest Reader: Yong Shu Hoong (Singapore)

Yong Shu Hoong has published three books of poetry in English: Isaac (1997), do-while (2002) and Frottage (2005), which won the Singapore Literature Prize in 2006.
Shu Hoong’s poems have been included in the literary journals Asia Literary Review (Hong Kong) and Ars Interpres (Sweden), as well as the anthologies Over There: Poems from Singapore and Australia (Ethos Books, 2007, co-edited by John Kinsella) and Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond (W.W. Norton, 2008). His writings have also appeared in The Straits Times and South China Morning Post.

I think Orlagh was the runner up at Strokestown this year.

Event supported by Poetry Ireland and The Original Print Gallery

Blog Stats

Every month, my blogging stats show, has beaten the previous month (except December - what were you all doing in December instead of reading my blog? What? Christmas? Parties? Eating? Watching TV?) And May has just managed to beat April at 4,300 and something views. Thanks! Let June beat May, event with one less day and lovely long evenings.

I'm amazed I find something to say most day though. The literary scene is certainly blossoming. Of course, I should be writing...or reading. See my amazon link for recent recommended and not-recommended reads.

What to do if an agent asks for a rewrite

An interesting blog entry here about what's really going through an agent's head when they ask for a rewrite and still don't offer representation.

Books in the Park

The lovely arts people in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown council have another Family based book event in Cabinteely Park.
When: Saturday 14th June 1pm to 5pm

1.00 to 1.40 How to Write a Bestseller: Cathy Kelly talks to Irish Independent and Sunday World columnist, Martina Devlin. And lets us into the secret in 40 minutes!

1.45 to 2.15 Don Conroy: Draw with Don Age 4+. I have a book signed and drawn on by Don. He's a sweetheart.

2.20 to 2.45 Join Pauline McLynn for a hilarous peek into a writer’s mind. Yes, it's Mrs Doyle but she writes too.

2.50 to 3.15 Liz Weir: Storytelling Age 0 to 5

3.20 to 3.40 Joe O’Brien: Alfie Green Stories Age 6+

3.50 to 4.10 Oisin McGann: Cartoons and Stories Age 6+

4.15 to 4.45 Derek Landy: Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire Age 7+. Derek is on a roll. He's won a movie deal for his book and he just won the Red House prize at the Hay festival.

West Cork Literary festival - the one in Bantry

The West Cork Literary Festival has a good name and attracts some impressive workshop facilitators.

This year it's 7th to 11th July in Bantry.

All the Workshops run concurrently so you have to choose one. 5 half days can get quite intensive.

Venue: Ardscoil Phobal, Chapel Street.

09.30-12.30 Monday-Friday, 7-11 July *except screenwriting, which is 14.30 - 16.30

Max. 15 places on each workshop unless stated otherwise

Price: €175 for five days (quite reasonable I think)

The Novel for Beginners/Intermediates - Michael Collins
The Novel, Advanced - Carlo Gebler
Short Story - Sean Lusk
Writing for the Stage - Veronica Coburn
Women Who Want to Write - Kate O'Riordan
Poetry - Peter Fallon
Screenwriting - Jeffrey Caine
Songwriting - Colin Vearncombe
Creativity & Spirituality - Michael McCarthy
Writing a Thriller - Damien Lewis
Writing for Children - Oisin McGann
Seduction, Secrets and Surfing: Bringing your work alive in a public reading-
(3-day workshop) - Mia Gallagher

Google the names first so you know what you're getting. I have been to workshops with 3 of these and they were not all of the same high standard, let me tell you!

The Manchester Poetry Prize 2008

This is my 301st post!
Here's one you may not have heard of.

Manchester Metropolitan University Writing School is launching its own poetry prize to promote its own Writing School.
Sometimes the newer competitions have fewer entries, so a greater chance to win.

First prize: £10,000*
In addition, a bursary for study at MMU will be awarded to an entrant aged 18-25 as part of the Manchester Young Writer of the Year Award*.
Now does that mean the winner will more than likely be in this age range?
And only one prize, so lower chances. There may be two prizes if the winner is older than 25.

Deadline: 1st August 2008
Fee. at steep £15

They want a portfolio of poetry (three to five poems; the total length
of the portfolio should not exceed 120 lines). The poems can be on any subject but must be new work, not published elsewhere.
Entrants can submit work via the competition website , or by post using an entry form.
Contact:

James Draper
Project Manager: Writing School
Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester, United Kingdom
Telephone : +44 (0) 161 247 1787
Email : j.draper@mmu.ac.uk

The Writing School will be launching The Manchester Fiction Prize in 2009.