Entering and Winning Writing Contests

Written by Pamela White


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8. Organize your work to be ready to enter contests. New contests pop up daily online. If you have your stories, essays, poems and book proposals organized, you can quickly pull one from your files of articles. Some contests accept previously published pieces, so know where your reprints are too.

9. Keep close tabs on what contests are coming up. Writer's Digest Writers Markets has a section listing writing contests. The Writer magazine has a markets section in each issue that includes contests. Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine, which offers large cash prizes, and ByLine Magazine, which pays extra (beyondrepparttar nice cash prizes) to publish winning stories, list their upcoming contests in each issue. Write downrepparttar 129116 URL's listed below so you can plan a weekly foray online to find new competitions that meet your writing and personality.

10. Write fiction and want to add a win to your publishing credits? Knowrepparttar 129117 periodicals and reviews that have writing contests. Read what they publish so you'll know what to submit torepparttar 129118 contests. Glimmer Train has an annual new writers contest for those who've not yet been published inrepparttar 129119 short story genre. They are so organized for this and their other contests that they accept entries andrepparttar 129120 fee online, and send e-mail reminders to subscribers and writers when new contest deadlines are looming.

11. Take advantage of business tax deductions. Entry fees can be listed on your Schedule C (assuming you are a sole proprietorship) as a business expense, so keep track of entry fees you've paid. Any cash prizes, though, are not considered business income, but must be listed under "Other Income" on your 1040.

Resources to Help You Find and Win Contests:

Information on Contests http://www.windpub.com/literary.scams/ http://www.writersweekly.com/phpBB2 - has a Whispers and Warnings Board http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/contests.html http://www.absolutewrite.com - click on Water Cooler at top of page to go to both a Bewares message board and a message board of paying opportunities including contests.

Contest listings: http://www.fmam.biz http://www.glimmertrain.com http://www.food-writing.com http://www.writing-word.com/contests/index.shtml http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ http://www.writersdigest.com/contests http://www.poewar.com http://www.directory.ansme.com/arts/5566127.html http://www.ByLinemag.com/contests.asp



Pamela White is the editor and publisher of "Food Writing," an online newsletter which is running its first contest right now. She writes on writing, food, parenting, nutrition and life in general from her haunted home in northern New York amid the bustle of three children, her husband, five cats and one dog. Visit her at http://www.food- writing.com .




Make Time to Write: Overcome Your Excuses

Written by Cynthia Morris


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Don’t forget that you have choices. There are a limited number of hours inrepparttar day, but often we give away our passion and power by forgetting that we can choose what to do with our time. I can hear you saying, “Well, I have my job, and then I have my family, and kids, and all these other obligations.” Certainly you have other commitments that you need to honor. But your roles become more powerful than you are when you believe you have no choice inrepparttar 129114 matter. Often we get stuck in one way of thinking, and that becomes our reality. Try playing with different perspectives. Withrepparttar 129115 help of a perspective shift, you may realize that your writing has a place, too. Perhaps in your mind it has been important, but you haven’t taken that extra step to actually make space for it. Without space, your writing becomes a burden on your back, something you want to do but can’t. You then become a victim of your life, secretly resenting those who get to do what they want. What would life be like if your passions had a place in your schedule? What difference would it make torepparttar 129116 people in your life if you staked a claim for your writing? Reframerepparttar 129117 way you think aboutrepparttar 129118 writing itself. The art of writing is work, but if you think of it as drudgery and something that requires a lot of you, you are missing out onrepparttar 129119 rejuvenating aspects ofrepparttar 129120 practice. Whenever you do get a chance to write, take a minute when you are finished and write down three words that describe how you feel after writing. Use these words as a lure to get you torepparttar 129121 page when you feel tired or uninspired. Vague plans can work against you. If you haverepparttar 129122 intention to sit down and write, but don’t have something specific to work on, it can be easy to shrug off your writing time. Pick a specific starting point and let that pull you intorepparttar 129123 flow. When what you are writing isn’t seductive enough, take a look atrepparttar 129124 project. How can you approach your project in a way that would entice you to make time for it? What is fresh or new about your writing? Try a tool I use with my clients. Imagine giving up writing, andrepparttar 129125 idea of writing. Ifrepparttar 129126 thought of losing your writing makes you want to grab onto it even tighter, it could be a signal that you need to do what it takes to make writing a priority in your life. I call this ‘taking awayrepparttar 129127 bone.’ Imagine trying to grabrepparttar 129128 bone fromrepparttar 129129 dog’s mouth. The dog will hang onto that bone for dear life. Are you that committed to your writing that you will do what it takes to make it happen? Give yourselfrepparttar 129130 space and time to answer these questions about your writing life. Use them to be honest about what holds you back. Then makerepparttar 129131 effort to dip into your writing when and where you can. Commit to yourself as a writer, get clear about your writing projects, and let it happen. Enjoyrepparttar 129132 process!



Cynthia Morris is the author of “Create Your Writer’s Life: A Guide to Writing with Joy and Ease”. She coaches writers of all levels to help them achieve their writing dreams. Visit her web site at http://www.originalimpulse.com to find out more about creating your writing life today.


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