Winning Writers Divine Non-Duality and the Queer Body FREE virtual reading and conversation, 26 May 2022 2-3.30pm EDT

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Divine Non-Duality and the Queer Body Novelists Jessica Pegis (The God Painter) and Jendi Reiter (Two Natures) in Conversation   Join authors Jessica Pegis and Jendi Reiter for a virtual reading and conversation about sex, spirituality, and transcendence of gender polarity in their novels The God Painter (Stone Table Books: an imprint of Wipf and Stock, 2021) and Two Natures (Saddle Road Press, 2016). This conversation will be broadcast free on Zoom and recorded for your viewing convenience. The God Painter is a work of speculative fiction that explores divine androgyny and the challenges of adapting our religious traditions to new revelations. In the year 2035, humanity is rescued from a lethal solar flare by seven mysterious beings and transported across the universe to the uninhabited planet Ansar. Earth’s major cities are recreated, and a stunned but thankful humanity mostly carries on with life and society. But is everything as it appears? Just who are the semi-omniscient beings who rescued them? And what do they really want? Women in Theology calls it "a brilliant and inventive work of spiritual imagination." Set in New York City during the AIDS crisis of the early 1990s, Two Natures is the coming-of-age story of Julian Selkirk, a fashion photographer who struggles to reconcile his Southern Baptist upbringing with his love for other men. Toby Johnson, author of Gay Spirituality, calls it "an entertaining novel and a pleasure to read." The God Painter and Two Natures both made QSpirit's list of top LGBTQ Christian Books in their respective years of publication. When Thursday 26th | May 2022   Time 2:00-3:30pm EDT  Cost Free   Zoom Details Meeting ID: 862 5836 0751 Passcode: 891313     Meet the Speakers Jendi Reiter Jendi Reiter is the author of the novel Two Natures (Saddle Road Press, 2016), the short story collection An Incomplete List of My Wishes (Sunshot Press, 2018), and five poetry books and chapbooks, most recently Made Man (Little Red Tree, 2022). Two Natures won the Rainbow Award for Best Gay Contemporary Fiction and was a finalist for the Book Excellence Awards and the Lascaux Prize for Fiction. They are the editor of Winning Writers, an online resource site for creative writers. Read an excerpt from Two Natures. Jessica Pegis Jessica Pegis is a writer and editor living in Toronto. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star, the Financial Post, Xtra!, NOW, and Eye Weekly. For manuscript development, editing, or consultation, visit her website Girls With Glasses. She is the mother of one daughter and keeper of a long procession of cats, none of whom fell from the sky. Of course, she could be wrong.  Preview The God Painter at Wipf and Stock.         Share     Tweet     Share     Forward   Winning Writers 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222 Northampton, MA 01060-3998 © 2001-2022 Winning Writers. All rights reserved except for fair use.         We found almost four dozen excellent free poetry and prose contests with deadlines between May 15-June 30. In this issue, please enjoy the sixth installment of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot, illustrated by Julian Peters. Deadline Next Month NORTH STREET BOOK PRIZE FOR SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS Deadline: June 30. 8th year. Prizes increased to $16,750, including a top award of $8,000. This year's categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction, Creative Nonfiction & Memoir, Poetry, Children's Picture Book, Graphic Novel & Memoir, and Art Book. Fee: $70 per entry. Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche will judge, assisted by Annie Mydla, Sarah Halper, and Lauren Singer. See the previous winners and enter here. Also open now, our Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest will award $8,000 in prizes, including two top awards of $3,000 each. Submit 1-3 poems for $20. Deadline: September 30. View past newsletters in our archives. Need assistance? Let us help. Join our 135,000 followers on Twitter and find us on Facebook. Advertise with us, starting at $40.   Featured Sponsor   Recent Honors and Publication Credits for Our Subscribers Congratulations to Mahnaz Badihian (featured poem: "I Am Still a Child"), Antoinette Carone, Annie Dawid, Gary Beck, Patricia Brody, Janet Aalfs, Samantha Terrell, Robert Walton, Joshua Michael Stewart, Robert Ronnow, Deborah DeNicola, J Brooke, Michael McKeown Bondhus, Sarah Kornfeld, and Dan Valenti. Winning Writers mourns the passing of our subscriber Bernard Mann (1933-2022). Mann is the author of David & Avshalom: Life and Death in the Forest of Angels and won third prize in our 2008 Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for "Morning". He was also a landscape architect, poet, and artist. Read an interview with him in ESRA Magazine by his partner, poet and artist Helen Bar-Lev, and enjoy his "Poem for the Mediterranean", published online with the Reuben Rose winning poems of 2017. Learn about our subscribers' achievements and see links to samples of their work. Have news? Please email it to jendi@winningwriters.com.   Ad: Submit Your Book Manuscript at Atmosphere Press Providing expert editorial, cover design, layout, distribution, publicity, audiobook, and website services, Atmosphere Press titles have been acclaimed by reviewers with Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. We are selectively offering publishing opportunities to talented writers, providing a dedicated team of editors, designers, publicists, and avid readers to bring your books to life. ✓ Authors maintain 100% ownership rights over their work ✓ Authors have final veto power over content ✓ Authors get 100% of sales proceeds As an author-first collaborative publisher we accept book-length submissions in all genres. Whether you are super-accomplished or just-starting-out, each of our authors receives a personal experience from raw manuscript to readers' hands. From insightful editorial meetings to elegant interior design to bespoke cover design to global distribution and strategic promotion...well, we've got you covered. Every author who submits gets a free consultation call to discuss your work, and the pathway to potential book publication with Atmosphere Press.   Ad: Announcing Refugee, poems by Pamela Uschuk from Red Hen Press Refugee deals with refugees of many kinds—political refugees, refugees from racism, from domestic violence, from environmental destruction and disease, specifically cancer—and their stories of cruelty and courage, hardship, and hope to overcome the most daunting of circumstances. Taking the reader across our country through the landscapes of Colorado, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Arizona, Refugee addresses the nature of seeking shelter. We are all refugees looking for a haven from whatever oppresses our lives. What constitutes a refugee is at the heart of the collection that confronts and explores xenophobia, sexism, gun violence, domestic violence, corporate greed, and their ties to environmental destruction and political and economic tyranny. An ovarian cancer survivor, the author also writes about her own courageous confrontation with death. These inspiring poems call for a change in consciousness in the forms of action and compassion. They call for the reader to thrive. This collection is steeped in rich, sensual imagery that draws inspiration and healing from the natural world. Truth lies in recognition of the interdependence of all life. Refugee is an odyssey to find grace and unity in a besieged and divided contemporary American society. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR REFUGEE "There is a position in yoga called 'the shining heart'. This is how Pam Uschuk has approached her poems in Refugee. Pam Uschuk is on fire. She has carried her song and vision across deserts and over mountains. Witness and beauty undivided." — Luis Alberto Urrea, author of House of Fallen Angels "With tenderness, expansive compassion, and profound gifts of radiant description, Pamela Uschuk considers so many ways people may be estranged and lost in this precious, difficult world. With brave ferocity, her poems in Refugee navigate new vision and reconnection, so desperately longed for right now and always." — Naomi Shihab Nye, author of The Tiny Journalist BUY REFUGEE NOW FROM RED HEN PRESS   Ad: Operaland by Ian Strasfogel 2021 North Street Book Prize, First Prize for Literary Fiction  Operaland follows Richie Verdun, a funny, fearless little dynamo, as he enters the glamorous and treacherous world of opera facing almost impossible odds. He's in his early forties, unusually old for a beginner, and without the benefit of either musical or theatrical training. To make matters worse, this irrepressible fireplug of a man is overly fond of inappropriate, almost infantile jokes that are wildly out of place in his sophisticated new surroundings. From the North Street critique by Jendi Reiter: "The story is given depth and tension by the complexity of Richie's psyche. He is not as simple a man as he thinks he is. One side of him is the aw-shucks American boy, contented to the point of laziness—a sore point for his coaches. He's still dazzled by the miracle of music, where his fellow performers and theater executives might be too jaded and ambitious. The other side of Richie, though, is the martial, virile power of his voice, which transforms him from a ridiculous to a heroic presence." Read an excerpt from Operaland (PDF) Buy this book on Amazon   Ad: Registration Half Off! 8 Weeks to Writing a Commercially Successful Novel Get ready for a deep dive into the 8 essential elements that will help you write commercially successful novels! C.S. Lakin's 8 Weeks to Writing a Commercially Successful Novel will teach you what it takes to write purposeful scenes that are carefully constructed to accomplish the important work of advancing your plot, creating and building meaningful tension, revealing crucial character bits, and manipulating your readers' emotions so they will feel what you want them to feel. Throughout the course, you'll be mastering: 1.       High moment and character change 2.      Microtension on every page 3.      Nuances of deep POV 4.      Sensory detail 5.       Emotional manipulation 6.      High stakes 7.       Purposeful backstory 8.      Tight, distilled dialogue Enroll by May 31 with the coupon code EARLYBIRD and receive half off registration.   Ad: Carve Magazine Raymond Carver Short Story Contest - Deadline Tomorrow! Deadline: May 16, 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time Now in its 22nd year, the Carve Magazine Raymond Carver Short Story Contest is one of the most renowned fiction contests in the world. The contest opens each year on April 1 and offers $3,000 across five prizes. Prizewinners will appear in the fall issue of Carve in October alongside in-depth interviews of the authors. Additionally, Carve will forward the winning stories to three literary agencies. Dariel Suarez, author of The Playwright's House, is the 2022 guest judge. Visit our website to read the full guidelines and submit.   Ad: ENDING SOON: Two Sylvias Press Poetry Chapbook Prize Deadline: May 31, 2022 (Tuesday) ·         Judge: Pulitzer Prize Winner Diane Seuss (author of frank: sonnets from Graywolf Press) ·         Prize: $500 and publication by Two Sylvias Press, 20 copies of the winning book, and an amethyst Depression-era glass trophy (circa 1930) The Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize is open to all poets (previously published or not). Manuscripts should be 17-24 pages long. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. All manuscripts will be considered for publication. Past Winners: Saúl Hernández, Meg Griffitts, Cecilia Woloch, Jasmine An, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, Hiwot Adilow, Stella Wong, and Christopher Salerno. Created with the belief that great writing is good for the world, Two Sylvias Press is an award-winning publisher that has been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, NPR, and other noted outlets. Two Sylvias Press offers the popular National Poetry Month Writing Prompts and an Online Poetry Retreat created for writers who would like to generate new work with daily poetry prompts and creative inspiration. They also sell the nationally recognized Poet Tarot Guidebook: A Deck of Creative Exploration and just began the Weekly Muse, a project to help poets write and publish more poems. Click here for full guidelines for the Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize Thank you for your support of our indie press during this time! Looking forward to reading your poems!   Ad: The Blue Lynx Prize for Poetry   Ad: Memoir and Fiction Contest sponsored by IML Publications Deadline extended to June 15 IML Publications is a boutique publishing company dedicated to amplifying the voices of contemporary writers who are nomads and explorers of language, form, and the psyche. We're currently looking for high-quality, 50-page submissions of memoir and fiction. To enter, please visit our contest guidelines page and submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript with a one-page synopsis. You will be invoiced for the $35 entry fee via PayPal, and you may pay with a credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Five finalists in each category will be contacted by email and asked to submit complete manuscripts up to 100,000 words. These will be judged by our esteemed author, Jacqueline Gay Walley. The winner will receive $1,000 and possible book publication in print and digital editions. This contest is recommended by Reedsy and has been advertised in Poets & Writers. Questions? Please email hello@imlpublications.com.   Ad: The MacGuffin's 27th Annual Poet Hunt Awards $500 and Publication Deadline: June 15 Lynne Thompson judges the MacGuffin's Poet Hunt 27! One grand prize winner will receive $500 and publication. Up to two Honorable Mentions will also be published. Each entrant will receive one free issue of The MacGuffin that includes the winners of this contest. Send up to five poems per $15 entry fee. Include a cover page that lists your contact info and poem titles. On the following page(s), include your poem(s), beginning each poem on a new page devoid of personally identifiable information to preserve the blind review process. Enter via Submittable or visit our website for the full rules and for instructions on submitting by email and mail.   North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books Deadline: June 30 Winning Writers will award a grand prize of $8,000 in the eighth annual North Street competition for self-published books. Choose from seven categories: ·         Mainstream/Literary Fiction ·         Genre Fiction ·         Creative Nonfiction & Memoir ·         Poetry ·         Children’s Picture Book ·         Graphic Novel & Memoir ·         Art Book $16,750 will be awarded in all, and the top eight winners will receive additional benefits to help market their books. Books published on all self-publishing platforms are eligible. Any year of publication is eligible. Entry fee: $70 per book, with free gifts for everyone who enters. Submit online via Submittable or by mail. Please enjoy our judges' remarks on the winners of the seventh contest: Grand Prize winner C. Vargas McPherson's Inheriting Our Names is a lyrical memoir with magical-realist elements, reconstructing her grandparents' lives as a young working-class leftist couple in Sevilla during the Spanish Civil War. Subtitled "An imagined true memoir of Spain's pact of forgetting," the book eloquently delineates how fascism establishes itself by silencing historical memory. Children's Picture Book winner My Pants by Nicole Kohr is a funny and heartwarming story about an autistic little girl with a special interest in fashion. This colorful tale does double duty as a primer for parents on how to advocate for their neurodivergent child... [click to read all the remarks]   Ad: BLR Prizes: Submit Writing on Illness, Health, and Healing Deadline: July 1 Bellevue Literary Review's annual prizes recognize exceptional writing about health, healing, illness, the body, and the mind. • Goldenberg Prize for Fiction Judged by Toni Jensen • Felice Buckvar Prize for Nonfiction Judged by Rana Awdish • John and Eileen Allman Prize for Poetry Judged by Phillip B. Williams Each category offers a $1,000 First Prize and $250 Honorable Mention. Winners and honorable mentions will be published in the Spring 2023 issue of BLR. Poetry: 3 poems per submission Fiction and Nonfiction: 5,000 words maximum Only previously unpublished work will be considered. Entry fee $20. Visit BLR's website for complete guidelines.   Ad: Nimrod International Journal's Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers: $500 Prizes Deadline: July 15 Submissions are now open for the Francine Ringold Awards for New Writers, which honor the work of writers at the beginning of their careers. The Francine Ringold Awards are open only to writers whose work has not appeared or is not scheduled to appear in more than two publications in the genre in which they are submitting. $500 prizes will be awarded in both the fiction and poetry categories, and the winning work will appear in the spring issue of Nimrod. Work by all honorable mentions will also be published, and honorable mentions will be paid at a rate of $10/page up to $200. Established in 1956, Nimrod is dedicated to the discovery of new voices in literature, and the Francine Ringold Awards are a special way to recognize talented new poets and fiction writers. ·         Poetry: Up to 5 pages of poetry (one long poem or several short poems) ·         Fiction: 5,000 words maximum (one short story or a self-contained excerpt from a novel) ·         Fee Entry: $12 per entry (plus $1.70 processing fee if submitted online); includes a copy of the spring issue ·         No previously published works or works accepted for publication elsewhere. Author's name must not appear on the manuscript. Include a cover sheet containing major title(s), author's name, full address, phone, and email. Entries may be mailed to Nimrod or submitted online. Open internationally. For complete rules, visit Nimrod's website.   Ad: Rattle Poetry Prize Deadline: July 15 (11:59pm Pacific Time for online entries) The annual Rattle Poetry Prize celebrates its 17th year with a 1st prize of $15,000 for a single poem. Ten finalists will also receive $500 each and publication, and be eligible for the $5,000 Readers' Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote. All of these poems will be published in the winter issue of the magazine. With the winners judged in a masked review by the editors to ensure a fair and consistent selection, an entry fee that is simply a one-year subscription to the magazine—and a runner-up Readers' Choice Award to be chosen by the writers themselves—the Rattle Poetry Prize aims to be one of the most writer-friendly and popular poetry contests around. We accept entries online and by mail. See Rattle's website for the complete guidelines and to read all of the past winners. Please enjoy this poem by Susan Browne, one of last year's Rattle Poetry Prize finalists, published in Rattle #74, Winter 2021: DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN? she asks as we walk off the tennis court & someone starts up a chainsaw behind the fence in the parking lot so I have to shout no! & I'm suddenly tired, never been this tired of this question that's always asked if you're a woman, chunks of air falling around us like wildfire monsoon oily ocean machine-gunned atomic mushroom babies on a shriveled planet & she yells that she has three & her first grandchild! while we stand on the hot asphalt with that chainsaw tearing a log to pieces & just won't quit. She opens her car door, shows me the quilt she's made, little lambs on it & when I touch the softness I want to be born into a world where I say yes.   Ad: Jendi Reiter's Made Man "will leave you spinning and exhilarated" In a review in Solstice Lit Mag (Spring 2022), poet and critic Robbie Gamble calls Jendi Reiter's new poetry collection from Little Red Tree Publishing "a comitragic, day-glo accented, culture-hopping, snort-inducing, gender-interrogating rollercoaster of a ride." Titles like "It's Not Sensory Processing Disorder, You’re a Werewolf," "My Longest Female Relationship Is With My Subaru," "Don't Get Your Penis Stuck In The Bubble Wand," "Dreaming Of Top Surgery At The Vince Lombardi Rest Stop," and "Buzz Aldrin Takes Communion On The Moon" erupt from the pages with a fierce irreverent energy, and we know at once that this is not a collection to be savored quietly by the fireside in slippers with a cup of herbal tea. We also sense we will be entering a smart, challenging, multifaceted world. Support independent bookstores! Buy Made Man from the Bureau of General Services-Queer Division bookstore at the LGBT Center in New York City. Read a sample poem.   Spotlight Contests (no fee) Some contests are best suited to writers at the early stages of their careers. Others are better for writers with numerous prizes and publications to their credit. Here is this month's selection of Spotlight Contests for your consideration: Emerging Writers Celebrating Black Writers Student Writing Contest. The National Council of Teachers of English in partnership with Medgar Evers College's Center for Black Literature will award up to $4,000 to US high school and college students for previously unpublished fiction, prose, or essays (all genres compete together), 750-4,000 words, on "various themes raised by Black writers—poets, novelists, literary activists, public intellectuals, civil rights leaders, and historians—who have advocated for social justice". Due May 23. Intermediate Writers PEN/Phyllis Naylor Grant for Children's and YA Novelists. PEN America will grant $5,000 to an author of children's or young adult fiction for a novel-in-progress. An eligible candidate is a writer of children's or YA fiction who has published at least one novel for children or young adults which has been warmly received by literary critics, but has not generated significant sales. The writer's previously published book(s) must have been published by a US trade publisher (self-published works are ineligible). Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by a fellow writer. Due June 1. Advanced Writers Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing. The Society of Professional Journalists awards one $75,000 fellowship to an outstanding mid-career editorial writer or columnist to have time away from daily responsibilities for study and research by taking courses, pursuing independent study, traveling, and participating in other endeavors that enrich their knowledge of a public interest issue. Candidate must currently be a part-time or full-time editorial writer or columnist at a US news publication and have worked in this capacity for three years minimum. Freelancers are also eligible. Due June 20. See more Spotlight Contests for emerging, intermediate, and advanced writers within The Best Free Literary Contests database.   Calls for Submissions Winning Writers finds open submission calls and free contests in a variety of sources, including Erika Dreifus' Practicing Writer newsletter, FundsforWriters, Trish Hopkinson's blog, Erica Verrillo's blog, Authors Publish, Lit Mag News Roundup, Poets & Writers, The Writer, Duotrope, Submittable, and literary journals' own newsletters and announcements. • just femme & dandy: "Sustain" Issue (creative writing by queer authors about fashion - May 15) • OutWrite Chapbook Competition (LGBTQ literary festival in DC seeks poetry and prose manuscripts - May 15) • Tint Journal (creative writing by non-native English speakers - May 31) • RHINO Poetry (poetry, flash fiction, translations - June 30) • Voices of Lincoln Poetry Contest (poetry by adults and youth on theme "People Are..." - July 21) • Lethe Press: "Brute" Anthology (dark speculative short fiction about gay desire - August 1) • Green Linden Press: "Essential Queer Voices" Anthology (poetry by people outside mainstream sexual/gender norms - October 1)   Favorite Books This month, editor Jendi Reiter presents selected books that deserve your attention. There are many more in our Books resource section. Joy Ladin THROUGH THE DOOR OF LIFE: A JEWISH JOURNEY BETWEEN GENDERS Lyrically written, introspective, and mystical, this soul-searching and honest memoir explores the freedom, costs, and responsibilities of becoming your true self. Poet and English professor Joy Ladin describes how she became the first openly transgender professor at an Orthodox Jewish college, Yeshiva University in New York City. Through the silent suffering of growing up as the wrong gender, and the breakup of her marriage and family when she came out, Ladin drew strength from her deep connection to the enigmatic but ever-present God of the Torah, and she developed creative interpretations of Jewish tradition to make space for queer flourishing. Sue Macy THE BOOK RESCUER This inspiring picture-book biography of Aaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts, is enhanced with Chagall-inspired paintings of Jewish history. A good story in its own right, the book can also prompt educational conversations about heritage and assimilation, for children of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds alike. Illustrated by Stacy Innerst. Jerry Pinkney THE LITTLE MERMAID Hans Christian Andersen's tragic fairy tale is reconceived by acclaimed author-illustrator Pinkney as an empowering fable about friendship, exploration, and the power of a girl's voice. Lush paintings in gold and blue tones, featuring Black characters, make this one of the most delightful retellings of a famous story. Definitely superior to the Disney version, or at least an essential text to have on hand when your child watches the movie. Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen, translator MY FIRST BOOK OF HAIKU POEMS This artistically designed, bilingual picture book features 20 poems by Japanese haiku masters such as Issa and Basho. Each poem has breathing room in its own two-page spread featuring the original Japanese verse (in script and Romaji), Ramirez-Christensen's translation, a dreamy painting reminiscent of Magritte's surreal images, and a prompt for imaginative reflection on the pairing of art and text. Illustrated by Tracy Gallup. Jessica Young I'LL MEET YOU IN YOUR DREAMS This tender story, illustrated by Rafael López in rich, soothing colors, follows a brown-skinned mother and son as he grows up, has a child of his own, and feels her presence among the stars after she has become an ancestor.   Customers Love Our Book & Manuscript Critiques—Order Yours Today for $180 Guarantee: If you're not satisfied with your critique, we'll return your money. Learn more and order your critique for $180. We also offer critiques of poems, stories, and essays and children's picture books for just $90.   "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", illustrated by Julian Peters (part six) Here is the sixth installment of Julian Peters' 24-page comic-book adaptation of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot. We will reprint all 24 pages over the next several newsletters. See the previous installment. You can find more such adaptations in Poems to See By by Mr. Peters, on sale at Plough Publishing and Amazon. To be continued in our June 15 newsletter   The Last Word The Reactionary Pull of Sacred Texts The Religious Right's legal theories and Biblical interpretive method are identical. Notwithstanding the anarcho-communist messages you can easily draw from Jesus's words and actions in the gospels, the primacy of Scripture in Christianity is structurally reactionary for the same reasons that Constitution-worship produces slow, stingy, and inconsistent recognition of the civil rights of people who aren't white Christian male citizens. In both cases, empathy and political representation are circumscribed by how much permission you can wring out of a text from an era when you weren't considered fully human. [Read more] Jendi Reiter is the editor of Winning Writers. Follow Jendi on Twitter at @JendiReiter.

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Customers love our book & manuscript critiques Winning Writers has engaged contest judge and literary scholar Annie Mydla to provide expert private critiques of your books and manuscripts, published or unpublished, that have up to 200,000 words. Annie has evaluated thousands of self-published books in her work as assistant judge for our North Street Book Prize. At $180, our critiques are a bargain relative to comparable services, and we'll return your money if you're not satisfied!     What you get You can expect your critique to be 1,500-3,000 words long, and you may pose specific questions to be addressed.     View a sample critique Critiques cover technical execution, structure, content, use of language, recommendations, and exercises to unlock creativity.     Order a critique today You'll receive your critique within 4-6 weeks, and may submit a round of follow-up questions after you receive it.       ​ New! Annie is now critiquing children's picture books and manuscripts for $90. Learn more. ​       Share     Tweet     Share     Forward   © 2001-2022 Winning Writers. All rights reserved except for fair use.   Winning Writers 351 Pleasant Street Suite B PMB 222 Northampton, MA 01060-3998

 

FanStory is a trusted Winning Writers sponsor ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    At FanStory You'll Enjoy: Fun Contests With Cash Prizes. Click here to view the listing. Feedback For Your Writing. Detailed feedback for every poem, short story, and book chapter that you write. Win or lose you will get feedback for your contest entries and everything else that you share. How it works. Writing Community. Make connections and friends. Enjoy sharing your writing. All skill levels welcome. Amazing Price. Just $9.95 per month! Enter all these contests (and many more) for free with your paid membership. Details. Contest Listing   15 Syllable Poem For this contest, you are to write a short poem. The poem should have exactly 15 syllables. You can structure it any way you choose. But the total syllable count for the completed poem must have exactly 15 syllables. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Tomorrow! May 6th. Enter today or tomorrow.   Non-Fiction Writing Contest We are looking for personal essays, memoirs, and works of literary non-fiction. It can be spiritual, political, or funny. Creative approaches welcome. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline In 3 Days. May 8th   3 Line Poetry Contest Write a poem that has three lines and a syllable count of either 5-7-5 or 5-7-7. The poem must address a loved one. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline In 7 Days. May 12th   5 Line Poem Write a five-line poem that has a specific syllable count to enter this contest. Cash Prize! Deadline In 12 Days. May 17th   Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 150 words. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline In 15 Days. May 20th   Children's Poetry Contest Can you write a poem that brings a smile to a child? The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline May 24th   True Story Flash Write a non-fiction story on any topic that uses exactly 100 words. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline May 27th   Rhyming Poetry Contest Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline May 30th   Dribble Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 50 words. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Jun 3rd   Write A Script A script can bring a scene alive with just a little direction and words. Now is your chance to write your own. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jun 5th   ABC Poetry Contest For this contest, you are challenged to write an ABC poem. ABC poetry has five lines and often is used to express feelings. See the announcement for an example. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Jun 11th   Haiku Poetry Contest For this contest, you are challenged to write a Haiku, a form of poetry that only uses three lines. Can you paint a mental image using only three lines? Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jun 15th   6 Word Poetry Write a poem with only 6 words. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Jun 22nd   Cinquain Poetry A cinquain is a five-line poem that follows a specific format. Read the announcement for a sample poem. Cash Prize! Deadline Jun 26th   Love Poem Poetry Contest Write a love poem. Your love poem can be fictional or non-fictional. It can be a humorous or a serious love poem. The choice is yours. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jun 30th   No Rules Poetry Contest No rules! Write any type of poem from rhyming to free-form. You decide how to write your poem. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Jul 3rd   One Line Poem Write a monostich, a poem that is only one line. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Jul 7th   3 Line Poetry Contest For this contest, you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash Prize! Deadline Jul 13th   Haiku Can you write a poem with only three lines? Cash Prize! Deadline Jul 19th   Rhyming Poem Write a poem of any type that has a rhyme. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Jul 23rd   8 Words or Less Poem Write a poem with eight words or less. Your poem must be concise and have an impact. Can you do it? The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Jul 26th   Haiku Poetry Contest This is a "New Arrival" contest to welcome new members to the site. Haiku is a form of poetry that only uses three lines. A popular format is to have the first line contain 5 syllables, the second line 7, and the third line 5. A strict syllable count is not required in this contest. Cash Prize! Deadline Jul 31st   Loop Poetry Contest A fun poetry type that requires you to use the last word of each sentence as the starting word of the next sentence. Cash Prize! Deadline Aug 5th 75 Words Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses 75 words. Cash Prize! Deadline Aug 10th   My Faith Poetry Share a poem that is about your faith or how faith has impacted your life. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Aug 13th   Fantasy Writing Contest Write a fantasy story. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Aug 17th   Free Verse Poem Write a free-verse poem. This is a method of writing poetry that does not follow any structure or style. See an example and details in the announcement. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Aug 22nd   Haiku Poetry Contest For this contest, you are challenged to write a Haiku, a form of poetry that only uses three lines. Can you paint a mental image using only three lines? Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Aug 26th   Take A Photo Poetry Go out for a walk and take a camera, smartphone, or tablet with you. Snap a picture of something interesting and write a poem about it when you get home. Post the photo along with the poem. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Aug 31st   80 Word Flash Fiction Write a story on any topic that uses exactly 80 words. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Sep 5th   20 Syllable Poem Write a poem that has exactly 20 syllables. Any format. Cash Prize! Deadline Sep 10th   Share Your Story A memoir gives us the ability to write about our life. You can make sense of a life or part of that life. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Sep 15th   3-6-9 Poem This poem has three stanzas. Each stanza has three lines that follow the 3-6-9 syllable count. The first line has 3 syllables, the second line has 6 syllables, and the last line has 9 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Sep 20th   A First Book Chapter For this contest share the first chapter of your novel. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Sep 23rd   5-7-5 Poetry Contest For this contest, you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Sep 28th   Nonet Poetry Contest Write a nine-line poem for this poetry contest. But you must count syllables. The first line of your poem will have nine syllables. The second line has eight syllables and the third line has seven. This continues until your final line which has one syllable. Cash Prize! Deadline Oct 4th   Science Fiction Writing Write a science fiction story. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Oct 5th   Share A Story In A Poem In this contest, you are challenged to write a poem that tells a story and also rhymes. We've included examples of this type of poetry storytelling in the announcement. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Oct 10th   This Sentence Starts The Story Write a story that starts with this sentence: I'm glad you made it. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Oct 14th   2-4-2 Poetry Write a 2-4-2 syllable poem. It has three lines. The first line has 2 syllables, the second line has 4 syllables, and the last line 2 syllables. The subject can be anything. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Oct 16th   Newbie Flash Fiction For our New Arrival contest, we challenge you to write a story that uses exactly 100 words. The title does not count towards the word count. Write about anything with 100 words. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Oct 18th   Free Form Poetry Contest Write a free-verse poem. This is a method of writing poetry that does not follow any structure or style. See an example and details in the announcement. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Oct 20th   5-7-5 Poetry Contest For this contest, you are to write a short poem. It should have only three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash Prize! Deadline Oct 25th   Horror Writing Contest Put your readers on edge or terrorize them for this horror writing contest. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Oct 27th   Acrostic Poetry Contest Write an acrostic poem. An acrostic poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word. View an example in the announcement. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Oct 31st   Sonnet Poetry Contest Just like Shakespeare did, discover the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the Shakespearean sonnet. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Nov 6th   True Story Contest Share a memory from your life. Share a moment, an object, a feeling, etc. This does not have to be a profound memory but should allow readers insight into your feelings, observations, and/or thoughts. The winner takes away a cash prize. Deadline Nov 12th   Lune Poetry Contest A Lune is a short and fun poetry form with only three lines. View the contest announcement for an example. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Nov 16th   Minute Poetry Contest Write a Minute poem for this contest. A fun poem to write. It follows the "8,4,4,4" syllable count structure. This contest has a cash prize. Deadline Nov 22nd   5-7-5 Poem For this contest, you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash Prize! Deadline Nov 26th   Western Writing Contest Write a western story. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Nov 29th   Two Line Poem Write an essence poem. This is a poem of two lines with six syllables per line, each containing an internal rhyme and an ending rhyme. See the announcement for an example. Cash Prize! Deadline Dec 5th   5-7-5 Poetry Contest For this contest, you are to write a short poem. It should only have three lines. But the structure is that of a Haiku. The first line has 5 syllables. The second line has 7 syllables. The third line has 5 syllables again. Write about anything. Cash Prize! Deadline Dec 10th   Faith Flash Fiction Write a flash fiction story that somehow incorporates your faith or thoughts about how faith guides us in our daily life. Cash prize for the winning entry. Deadline Dec 12th   Free Verse Poetry Contest Write a free-verse poem. This is a method of writing poetry that does not follow any structure or style. See an example and details in the announcement. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Dec 15th   Four Line Poem Write a four-line poem that has a specific syllable count. The first line has 1 syllable, the second line has 5 syllables, the third line has 5 syllables, and the last line has 9 syllables. The subject can be anything. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Dec 22nd   Dialogue Only Writing Contest Write a story using only dialogue. Cash prize to the winner. Deadline Dec 31st   Faith Poetry Contest The theme for this poetry contest is 'faith'. We are looking for poems that in some way pertain to this theme. It doesn't matter if it's spiritual, political, intellectual, or emotional as long as faith is clearly represented. Enter for your chance at the cash prize. Deadline Jan 5th These are just a few of our contests. View the full listing here.

Sponsored by Winning Writers ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Sponsored by Winning Writers ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌      North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books Deadline: June 30, 2022 Winning Writers will award a grand prize of $8,000 in the eighth annual North Street competition for self-published books. Choose from seven categories: Mainstream/Literary Fiction Genre Fiction Creative Nonfiction & Memoir Poetry Children’s Picture Book Graphic Novel & Memoir Art Book $16,750 will be awarded in all, and the top eight winners will receive additional benefits to help market their books. Any year of publication is eligible. All self-publishing platforms are eligible. Entry fee: $70 per book, with gifts for everyone who enters. Submit online via Submittable or by mail. Winning Writers is a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, and this contest is recommended by Reedsy. Click to learn more about our contest.   Learn more and submit     Winners of Our 2021 Contest   Final judges: Jendi Reiter and Ellen LaFleche, assisted by Annie Mydla, Sarah Halper, and Lauren Singer     2021 Grand Prize   C. Vargas McPherson, Inheriting Our Names   "I was born on the only day God is dead." With this striking, poetic first sentence, Vargas McPherson signals that Inheriting Our Names will be a story of tragedy and the mystical interpenetration of the spiritual and factual realms. Building on scraps of family history, she reconstructs the emotional truth of her grandparents' life in Sevilla during General Franco's fascist takeover in the 1930s.     2021 First Prize, Children's Picture Book   Nicole Kohr, My Pants   Writes Jendi Reiter, "As a parent and a self-diagnosed person on the spectrum, I've read a lot of picture books about kids with autism and related conditions, but none were as satisfying, or full of love, as Nicole Kohr's My Pants. Chelsea Rosado's cozy and colorful illustrations show that neurodiversity can be a source of pleasure, a talent for finding wonder in the mundane."     2021 First Prize, Graphic Novel & Memoir   Ryan Poirier, The Herd   The story has numerous supporting characters and side plots but doesn't feel cluttered or hard to follow—a problem that sunk some of the other ambitious sagas in this year's contest. The Herd proceeds like a classic TV cartoon series, where the overarching conflict is mainly a context and an excuse for ridiculous gags. For instance, Jack discovers that his super-strength includes the ability to generate fruits and vegetables out of his body. Fox's wife Vixie, who can shoot heat rays from her hands, is stuck with the moniker "Emergy" instead of "Energy" because of a typo in the text message to the superhero-suit designer.     2021 First Prize, Poetry   Thomas Sheehan, The Saugus Book   Even had his cover letter not mentioned that this accomplished craftsman was in his 94th year, Mr. Sheehan's philosophical tone and control of language bespeak a narrator who has burned off youthful excesses. The result is a collection that is straightforward but not merely colloquial, rich with emotion tempered by self-restraint. Mr. Sheehan has made this book free to download for your private enjoyment (PDF).     2021 First Prize, Creative Nonfiction & Memoir   Leslie Sussan, Choosing Life: My Father’s Journey in Film from Hollywood to Hiroshima   This braided narrative moves back and forth between Herbert Sussan's life-altering experience as a Defense Department cinematographer filming the aftermath of the atomic bomb and his daughter's pilgrimage to Hiroshima in 1987-88 to complete the exposé he was never allowed to share. Choosing Life is an excellent addition to our national dialogue about American accountability for historical misdeeds.     2021 First Prize, Mainstream/Literary Fiction   Delores Lowe Friedman, Wildflowers   This emotionally rich and intimate novel follows a decades-long friendship among three Black women in New York City. Their complex and shifting relationships encompass crisis support, joys and secrets shared, estrangement, and jealousy. This story celebrates the power of women's bonds, but also shows how intimacy can be shattered by projected insecurities. A lost friend can be as life-defining as any romantic breakup. Wildflowers explores this truth in honest detail.     2021 First Prize, Mainstream/Literary Fiction   Ian Strasfogel, Operaland   Literary fiction entries were so strong in 2021 that we made two First Prize awards. Operaland is a romp infused with love for opera and the hardworking eccentrics who bring it to the stage. The leading man is Richie Verdun, a car salesman with a hidden talent. One side of him is the aw-shucks American boy, contented to the point of laziness—a sore point for his coaches. He's still dazzled by the miracle of music, where his fellow performers and theater executives might be too jaded and ambitious. The other side of Richie, though, is the martial, virile power of his voice, which transforms him from a ridiculous to a heroic presence.     2021 First Prize, Genre Fiction   Tim Stickel, Special District: Harbin   Set in 1929 in a Chinese border city that's a crossroads for political struggle between the Nationalist Republic of China and the barely-established Communist government in Russia, this tale follows a young low-level policeman investigating his first homicide case. The primary momentum derives from Borya Melnikov's journey of self-discovery, as each exotic and challenging situation brings out more of his leadership potential.     2021 First Prize, Art Book   Jan Regan, #porchportraits   Our first-ever Art Book winner is a sensitive photo essay about families in Geneva, New York responding to the first months of COVID lockdown and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. Regan's entry stood out from similar-themed books because of its clean, attractive design, the diversity of its portrait subjects, and thoughtful photo-composition choices that highlighted the claustrophobia and homespun creativity of those strange days.     Read about the winning entries from all our previous North Street contests in our Contest Archives.

 

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