How to write a prize-winning short story
Short wordcount – high bar
When written well, short stories can squeeze entire lives into just a few thousand words. They can be as rich and complex as a novel but can be consumed by a reader in one sitting. This newsletter looks at literary techniques you can use to create brilliant short stories and highlights some upcoming competitions for you to send them off to once they’re done.
WEBINAR: Writing displacement with Elaine Chew (Exclusive to members)
TODAY! This workshop will use a theoretical framework of diaspora and literary examples to explore how fiction writers can reflect themes of home vs displacement in their writing.
This week at Jericho Writers:
REPLAY: 10 ways to start a short story (Exclusive to members)
This session covers different approaches to short story writing, illustrated by classic stories and topped off with some tips from award-winning story writer Dan Brotzel.
NON-MEMBERS – JOIN US TO WATCH
BLOG: “Tiny windows into other worlds” – Why we should write short stories.
To celebrate her recent short story competition win, we asked our own Miriam to write a passion piece on short-form fiction. It also contains a difficult prompt, for those who love a good writing challenge!
FEEDBACK: Ask Jericho is now doing phone calls! (Exclusive to members)
If members need feedback on their query letter or have a burning question that needs answering – our dedicated Member Support Team are now available for calls, as well as email feedback. All included in the membership!
Short story competitions with deadlines soon
TripFiction ‘Sense of Place’ competition
Deadline 15 November. This competition costs £5/$7 to enter and has three prizes of up to £300/$400. The word count is max. 3000 words and must include a strong sense of place. There are some cool resources to help you write that on the website, too.
Deadline 15 November. A great one here for those of you with a short story collection, this prize wants to see cohesive, unpublished manuscripts between 25-40 pages. The entry fee is a steep $25, but the prize is a cool $3,000, plus publication and other cool stuff.
Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize
Deadline 16 November. This Australia-based prize is open to international writers with stories under 3,000 words on the subject of ‘travel’. There’s an entry fee of between $12-$20 AUD and three prizes – the top being $5,000 AUD and publication.
Deadline 10 December. Open to fiction and creative non-fiction up to 500 words on the theme of ‘nature’ in any genre. Entry is €10 and the prize is €500.
Do you write short stories? If so, join the Townhouse for free and connect with fellow writers in our Short Story Exchange group. Good luck if you enter any of these competitions! Let us know how you get on.
Sarah J x
Plus, don’t miss:
Self-Edit Your Novel tutored course bursary now open
Entries are now open for the already sold-out Self-Edit Your Novel tutored course in January with Debi Alper. All under-represented writers are invited to apply for this free place.
Manuscript Assessment (Discounts available for members)
Our most popular editorial service matches you to your dream editor and gives you tailored feedback on your work. It doesn’t get better than that.
Complete Novel Mentoring (Discounts available for members)
Write or edit your book alongside one of our expert mentors, including multi-bestselling authors and commissioning editors.
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