February 2019: Competition Monthly
20 February 2019
What’s in a title?
Titles are important. You need something that will catch the judge’s eye and interest before they even start on the story. Long, rambling titles might seem indicative of a long, rambling story, so try to avoid them. Short, snappy titles are usually best, probably no more than five words. Make sure it’s relevant to the story, not just eye catching. Often popular sayings, famous quotes or song titles are a good place to start if you’re not good at making up titles.
It’s also better to avoid common titles if you can, though that can be difficult if you’re not sure how common your title is! One of my first published stories was called New Beginnings. I now know several people who’ve had stories with that title, or the similar A New Beginning, including my blog partner, Elaine Roberts. Other common titles include Lost and Found, The Homecoming, Rebirth, and The Awakening.
Neil Clarke, the editor of a science fiction magazine called Clarkesworld, put all the words from story titles he’d had submitted to him into a word cloud to ascertain their frequency. Some of the most common words used were man, time, house, last, new, moon, black, dead, death, world, one, little, life, red, day, love, night and dream. The fact it’s a sci-fi mag might account for some of those words, of course. To see the rest of the word cloud visit here.
Basically, you want a title that is neither too simple or common, nor too obscure or convoluted. Easier said than done, I know. If you get stuck, you could always try my old favourite, mind mapping.
Good luck everyone.
*
Rolling competitions:
Telegraph Travel Just Back
Theme: Feature article on travel experiences. 500 words max.
Prize: £250 every week with a £1,000 prize for writer of the year.
Closing date: Midnight every Wednesday
Entry: Free
The Drapers Guild Perpetual Short Story Contest
Theme: Open, any length
Prize: Best story judged after each batch of 15 stories is received wins $100.
Closing date: Ongoing
Entry: $10
Closing soon:
Reflex Fiction
Theme: Open flash fiction 180 – 360 words
Prize: £1,000 / £500 / £250
Closing date: 28 February 2019
Entry: £7
1,000 Word Challange
Theme: Crime
Prize: £150 / £75 / /£50
Closing date: 28 February 2019
Entry: £5
Lymington Writers Creative Writing Competition
Theme: Short stories up to 2,500 words on ‘community’ or Flash Fiction up to 500 words on ‘the centre’.
Prize: £100 for short story / £50 for flash fiction
Closing date: 22 March 2019
Entry: £5 for short story / £3 for flash fiction
The Page is Printed
Theme: Any genre, one side of A4
Prize: Open prize £100 / Somerset prize £100
Closing date: 31 March 2019
Entry: £5 / £10 for up to 3 entries
April competitions:
Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize
Theme: ‘Identity’, 2,500 words max
Prize: £10,000 / £3,000 / £2,000
Closing date: April 1st 2019
Entry: Free
Writing Magazine 750 Word Competition
Theme: Open
Prize: £200 + publication in magazine / £50 + publication online
Closing date: 15 April 2019
Entry: £6 / £4 subscribers
May competitions:
Bridport Short Story Prize
Theme: Open, 5,000 words max
Prize: £5,000 / £1,000 / £500 / 10 x £100
Closing date: 31 May 2019
Entry: £12
Bridport Flash Fiction Prize
Theme: Open, 250 words max
Prize: £1,000 / £500 / £250 / 3 x £100
Closing date: 31 May 2019
Entry: £9
Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award for First Novel
Theme: Open. 8,000 words max, 5,000 minimum, of opening chapters.
Prize: £1,000 / £500 / £250 / 3 x £100
Closing date: 31 May
Entry: £20
Frome Short Story Competition
Theme: Open, 1,000 – 2,200 words
Prize: £400 / £200 / £100 plus local prizes
Closing date: 31 May 2019
Entry: £8
Yeovil Literary Prize: Short Story
Theme: Open, 2,000 words max
Prize: £500 / £200 / £100
Closing date: 31 May 2019
Entry: £7
Yeovil Literary Prize: Novel
Theme: Open, 15,000 max including synopsis and opening chapters.
Prize: £1000 / £250 / £100
Closing date: 31 May 2019
Entry: £12
*
Francesca Capaldi Burgess has been placed or shortlisted in a number of competitions including Winchester Writers’ Conference, Twyford Writers, Chorley & District Writer’s Circle, Retreat West, Cordelia.net, Meridian Writing, Flash a Famous Phrase, Wells Festival, and Writing Magazine. She’s had stories and a serial published in magazines worldwide. Her first book, Danger for Daisy, was published by My Weekly Pocket Novels at the end of 2018. Apart from the RNA, she’s also a member of the Society for Women Writers and Journalists. Francesca runs a writing blog along with RNA member Elaine Roberts called Write Minds.
