SHORT FICTION COMPETITION - Closing 30 March

SHORT FICTION is running their third short story competition;

From their website: Prize is £300 plus publication in Issue 3 of Short FICTION (due out September 2009). Writers without fiction book publication (of novel or short stories) are eligible. Entries must be of previously unpublished work (in magazine or online). Submitted stories must be under 5000 words. There is no theme restriction.

Go on!!! Nice comp. They give you two options for entry. £5 for a story, or (much better, this...) £10.00 for one story plus a copy of the edition in which the winning work is published. And as the mag costs £9.50 anyway - seems like a good deal to me.

Good luck!

Full details on the website: HERE http://www.uppress.co.uk/shortfiction.htm

The comp info is a bit hidden - the link is on the right of the home page, near the bottom, in pale grey print.

GUARDIAN UNLIMITED BACKS ZADIE'S DECISION...

Great stuff.




Hannah Edelstein, in a well balanced article that looks at the wider scene and considers the feelings of the writers, comes out in favour of Zadie Smith and the Willesden Committee's initial decision not to award the prize.

She says:


It's ... rather depressing to think that...the committee was simply not able to elicit the calibre of entries they were looking for.
But after pondering this teacup-sized storm, and despite my sympathy for the disappointed competitors, I actually think that it is kind of refreshing. Judging from the banter on the blogosphere every time a new longlist is announced, it's apparent that many think the returns of literary prizes are diminishing.
So I rather think it's time someone stood up and said that they weren't just going to hand out stacks of cash to writers just because the calendar requires it. Of course there are going to be periods when the output of writers is more fallow, so why not remark upon it, rather than bowing to the pressure to celebrate something - anything - for tradition's sake? I kind of admire Smith and the rest of the Willesden judges for being the ones to make that stand.

FULL GUARDIAN UNLIMITED ARTICLE HERE




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WRITERS AND EDITORS EXCHANGE VIEWS

Kelly Spitzer, Submissions Editor for the flash fiction ezine Smokelong Quarterly, starts a series of exchanges between writers and editors

HERE


This one concentrates on the topic of feedback from editors when rejecting your work. Do writers want critique from editors, or not?

and

The Editors reply

HERE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SHORT STORY AND A NOVEL....

Is a lot A LOT of often unnecessary words!

I spent yesterday editing a section of the novel-in-progress down to make it eligible for a short fiction call.

It started at 7,750 wds or thereabouts. I had already 'tightened' to c 5,750.

The call is for work no longer than 3,000 wds.

Wow. Not possible. 7570 to under 3000?

It certainly is. The story that came through in Bridport last year was a heavily edited part of the same novel, losing at least half that section's bulk.

More is not necessarily better.

Less is often more.


The trouble is, every novel I pick up now does the same to my head..."You could have said this in a quarter of the words... or less. Why have I paid to read the extra?"