September Writing Reminder

I may be taking a break from a long term challenge/contest this month, but I will still try my hand at a quick 48-hour contest this weekend. I want to remind my fellow writers that Literary Journal Toasted Cheese is hosting Three Cheers and a Tiger's annual sci-fi/fantasy writing competition this weekend. Today they will post a prompt and word count limit on their web page. The goal is write a sci-fi/fantasy short story according to the prompt within the next 48 hours.

I am interested in this particular challenge because this is a genre that I have struggled with. If you remember back in June I tried to write a science fiction story for L. Ron Hubbard's Writers and Illustrators of the Future. I was able to write a horror story for Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, which I had never done before, but the science fiction story eluded me. I look forward to a second chance. (Thank you again for voting my story in the horror writing contest! You guys are amazing!)

Congratulations to the winners of the BBC sponsored radio play writing competition. They have narrowed their favorites down to a short list of finalists. I wish I could hear what the final performances sound like. I hope I get a chance to participate in it again next year.

Do  you have a particular genre you struggle with? One you were surprised you were good at writing? Share it with me in the comment section below!

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you...

Six Month Check-Up

I started an experiment six months ago in order to force myself to expand my horizons and stretch my comfort zones. If I was going to try to be a serious writer than I wanted to prove that I didn't have to limit myself to just one genre. Sure, I had the most experience with play writing, but that was just because of my background doing theatre in the Houston area. Since my stroke I have had to seriously consider the fact that my amateur stage career, and any chances at a real career were over, giving me the rare opportunity to take my time and explore my options.

In January I taught myself how to write a radio play for BBC World Drama's International Play Writing Competition. The format is different from that of a stage play, which I still need to work on. In fact, I am currently in the market for some new software to help me with that very problem. The judging will likely take place in August.

In February I wrote a short piece for travel website, We Said Go Travel. I was really proud of this piece. The theme was to write about a place you were influenced to spend your time wisely. My Grandma and Paw Paw, both influential themselves, had just passed away and I couldn't think of a better place to write about than the time spent growing up on their property in the Big Thicket in East Texas. You can read my piece here, if you are interested. And a hearty congratulations to the winners. I hope one day I can be half the world traveler some of those lucky writers are.

In March I participated in Three Cheers and a Tiger's short story mystery writing challenge. You are given a prompt at Just the Place for a Snark, a writing forum, and in 48 hours required to write a short story. Twice a year, Three Cheers hosts this type of competition. In the Spring it's all about the mystery, in Fall they want your sci-fi/fantasy stories. You can win the winning entries in the June edition of Toasted Cheese.

April was a tough month for me. I was having some health issues that kept me from completing my personal challenge of writing a poem a day for National Poetry Month. I managed to do it about half the time, which only makes me determined to try again next year. I submitted my poems on poet Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides Blog where he challenges writers to write a poem a day every day for the month of April.

In May, I wrote a short story about an object for Haunted Waters Press's Summer issue of From the Depths. It could be any object in the world, real or imagined, however tangible and what did I do? I missed the deadline. But the editors at Haunted Waters Press read my blog (how cool is that?) about learning my lesson, and gave me a chance to submit my story anyway. What a fantastic opportunity and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Also, check out their Penny Fiction. I haven't been able to think of any yet, but they get some fascinating entries.

And here we are, halfway through June. So far I have submitted my horror story to Chilling Tales for Dark Nights. I admit that I have yet to start on a sci-fi/fantasy story for L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest. I'm having a hard time thinking of something to write about. 

One more fun thing I have found to do is Flash! Fiction Friday hosted by Rebekah Postupak. As many Fridays as I am able, I participate in writing a flash fiction story (about 150 words) that has to do with the prompt given. I have had so much fun reading everyone's entries and trying to come up with something creative and original. It's a great writing exercise, if nothing else. Fiction Friday is on Twitter.

New things I have learned/done:

Written a radio play

Written a horror story

Missed a deadline

Been given a second chance

Been disappointed at what I have produced

Realized I do better with specific guidelines rather than being giving unlimited reign (my imagination goes into overdrive and then shuts down - for days)

I write terrible poetry 

I write pretty good poetry

Quit second guessing myself!

I hate writing author bios

Sci-fi/fantasy may not be my thing...

I need to be less fearful

Brief Update

I was successful in submitting two pieces to two different competitions so far this year. In January, I wrote a radio play. In February I wrote an article for a travel magazine about a place that inspires me. I am happy to report that I already have plans for March, April and May. In March I plan on participating in a short story writing challenge. I will tell you more about the April and May competitions as more details become available.

I do know that winners have yet to be announced for the BBC Radio Play Writing Competition. Right now, they do not plan on releasing the winner's names until August. The winners for We Said Go Travel magazine will be announced May. When I know, you'll know.

At this moment, I'm going to get back to work rewriting one of my plays. I also am going to write some monologues for a possible future endeavor. The writing challenge for March, hosted by Toasted Cheese, begins March 21. 

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you!

Going for Number Two

Finding a contest for February was much easier than it was to find something for January. The web was full of contests and challenges for writers that were starting this month. I found three good ones to choose from and then chose two. I might have bitten have more than I can chew, but I want to test my limits.

The first one I chose to enter ends on February 14. Sponsored by We Said Go Travel, the challenge is to write about somewhere inspirational you can spend your time wisely and without regrets. Individuals can submit up to five entries, but each entry has to be between 500 and 800 words. A picture can be included. This is much shorter than the 53 minute play I just finished. 

The second choice is an essay about human freedom. It is a fictional piece, so I can be as creative as I want to be, but it needs to illustrate the role that freedom plays in our lives. This contest is sponsored by Students for Liberty and Libertarian Fiction Authors.  The deadline for this one isn't until March 4, but for my particular goal, I will have to finish my story and enter by midnight February 28.

Both contests offer a cash prize and a chance to be published in their respective publication. Not a bad deal. Writing an article and a short story is a different challenge from the radio play I wrote last month. I'm looking forward to it.

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you.

The Die Has Been Cast

In 2014, I have decided to embark on a personal journey to expand my horizons and stretch my comfort zones. This year, my goal is to write and enter into different writing competitions every month of this year. I made this resolution for myself back in early December and started the search back then for writing competitions for January, February and March.

Shortly before New Year's Eve (Happy Anniversary, Victor!), I finally found one that I didn't have to pay to enter into. If you're like me, I don't particularly enjoy spending much money right after Christmas, especially with three children I love to spoil once a year. The competition I found is a BBC sponsored radio playwriting competition ending January 31, 2014.

The competition consists of writing a 53 minute radio play complete with rich characters, diverse backgrounds and full sound effects. I have never written a radio play before, but I look forward to the challenge of combining my limited knowledge of playwriting with the unfamiliar landscape of writing a radio play. I think, if nothing else, it will be fun learning to write for a new genre.

Their rules and guidelines are laid out very specifically. There are certain ways they want stage directions and sound effects written. Plays can be submitted via snail-mail and e-mail. When I submit my final play, I also have to include the entry form and synopsis of my radio play. As long as I can follow the rules, I figure I have as good a chance as any other struggling writer.

Wish me luck and I'll do the same for you!