Here is the latest newsletter for my followers to peruse:
News, opportunities and moreYour monthly WestWord round up
Hello everyone, I’m starting this month’s email with a huge congratulations to Erin Dawkins and Fiona Dignan whose stories The Pit and All The Other Mothers are this year’s Best of The Net nominations. Both very different, but such wonderful pieces! Good luck to both of you with the next stage of the process. This month we have three beloved submission opportunities returning; our annual Christmas Countdown, The First Chapter Competition and The WestWord Prize. Alongside your final chance to submit to a WestWord themed edition, the deadline for which is fast approaching. Submission details for all of these can be found below. October is going to be a busy month, full to the brim with workshops! We have everything from deep dives into craft to generative workshops designed to inspire you. So whether you want to hone your craft or perhaps try something new, we have the workshop for you. As always, happy writing! DeadlinesOur final edition of WestWord is also open for submissions. Send us your stories, micros and flash fictions exploring the theme MIRROR. A man trims his beard in a magnified mirror and spots something strange, a child takes the copycat game to concerning lengths, a woman fills her house with reflective surfaces after a breakup. Reflect your characters in fascinating ways. Deadline: 30th September. Gift givings gone wrong, conifers stolen in the dead of night, the woman who wraps herself up rather than deal with her in-laws… As the nights draw in it seems only right that we open submissions the Christmas Countdown! What better way to celebrate the festive season than with a literary advent calendar? Ten seasonal stories starting 12th December — and in true advent style the prizes are revealed when the story is published. Send your stories (up to 1,000 words) by 25th October. The First Chapter Competition is back! 2027’s judge is Imogen Pelham, an agent who’s list of authors is remarkable. This is the perfect development prize for anyone working on an adult or YA novel. Imogen loves unforgettable characters, literary thrillers, and smart women’s fiction. She is particularly drawn to literature that examines what it is to be human. Send your opening chapter (up to 3,500 words) for a chance to win feedback and more from Imogen. You have until 31st January 2027. First chapters aren’t all we’re after. The WestWord Prize is open for entries! Judge Gaynor Jones is joining us this year. Gaynor’s writing CV is as impressive as her stories. If you aren’t familiar with her work, I really encourage you to seek it out. Enter a flash fiction of 1,000 words or less. Deadline: 31st May 2027. There is no theme for this competition, just send us your best! Always openMini Memoir Flash Focus Monthly Micro Short Story Spotlight Coming soon100 Word Stories Long Short Stories If you’re a member of the WestWord Community you now get one free submission a year included with your membership. WorkshopsEasy as 1, 2, 3: Tackling the TriptychSunday 11th October 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM BST A triptych is three associated pieces of art, music or text that work together to create a bigger picture. Join Martha Lane as she explores the techniques we can use to create stories full of connected threads. This workshop is included with WestWord memberships. Join here or just book separately and come along. Crafting Satisfying Story EndingsTuesday 13th October 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM BST How many times have you read a flash, a story, a novel even and the ending feels flat?In this workshop we’ll look at endings in flash fiction specifically, and how to land that end with emotional resonance even with the constraint of a reduced word count. WestWord members can attend this workshop at a discounted rate. Homespun StoriesSunday 1st November 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM GMT Stories of domesticity are an important part of the literary landscape, peering behind closed doors is fascinating, and the unassuming everyday items that fill our homes can be as inspirational as any far-flung travels. Use easily accessible prompts to create wonderfully rich stories set in the home. This workshop is included with WestWord memberships. Join here or just book separately and come along. Writing Compelling Conflict in Flash FictionTuesday 10th November 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM GMT It’s extremely difficult to have a story without conflict, the push and the pull is what drives plot forward. And the resolution (or lack of) is what shapes the ending. However, conflict in flash fiction works a little differently. Without the space to build tension slowly you have to compress everything and work within the confines of immediacy. WestWord members can attend this workshop at a discounted rate. Friday FlashingEvery Friday 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM BST Join Debbi Voisey for focused flash fiction development that will sharpen every aspect of your writing. Each session features a reading, associated writing prompts and a chance to take your flash writing to the next level. These sessions are included in a WestWord membership or you can pay as you go. If you have your own idea for a workshop, get in touch. CoursesThe Writing SanghaThe Writing Sangha is a community space for paid members of The Mindful Writer. Including weekly writing prompts, themed writing sessions, private chat and regular Zoom sessions delving into Taoist, Five Element Wisdom and Yoga Nidra meditation. All with writing at its core. This month’s zoom session is The Unfolding: Metal Season and the Art of Letting Go, happening Friday 30th October, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM GMT. A Year of Mindful WritingOver twelve months, you’ll explore what it really means to write mindfully: with intention, authenticity, vulnerability, fearlessness, and compassion. Each month builds on the last, weaving together craft, self-inquiry, and spiritual practice to help you become not just a better writer, but a more present and honest one. This isn’t a course about rules and techniques. It’s about understanding why you write, what you’re writing towards, and how to get out of your own way so the work that wants to come through you actually can. Applications close in December 2026. Journalling CoursesThe Mindful Writer has three self-study courses developed to help you use mindful writing and therapeutic journalling as tools for genuine inner transformation. Each one is rooted in Amanda’s training as a therapeutic journalling practitioner and mindfulness mentor, and in her own ongoing practice — these are approaches she lives by. Work through them at your own pace, returning to any session whenever you need it. Each course includes teaching, guided writing prompts, and a meditation or mindfulness practice. There are three courses, From Limiting Beliefs to Limitless Self: A writing journey from wounded to whole, Cultivating Self-Compassion: A journalling journey to being kinder to yourself, and Ageing Gratefully: A journey to embracing the wisdom and joy of your elderhood. Other OpportunitiesFlash fiction writers, top tier literary zine Smokelong is opening up their free submissions on 30th September. Successful submissions receive payment. Horror writers rejoice, Trash Cat Lit wants horror flash (up to 1,000 words) with a ‘biohazardous flavour’. Clear guidelines can be found on their website and the eagle eyed readers might recognise on of the guest judges, WestWord member Joyce Bingham! You have until 11th October for this one. The National Poetry Competition is open for entries. You have until 31st October to enter one of the biggest UK poetry competitions. Boasting big name judges and a whopping top prize of £5,000. PromptWrite a telephone conversation between two people. Remember they cannot see each other so your dialogue will have to work harder to convey emotion. Once you’re happy with the conversation. Split it into two. Choose which side of the conversation you are going to show your reader. Edit so that you are including enough clues for the story to develop and trust your reader to fill in the gaps. Please help us support UK homeless charity, St. Mungo’s and buy a copy of our flash anthology, Dislocation. If you buy direct using the QR code or button below it means far more money reaches the charity, since we’re not paying 55% of the cover price to retailers. The direct orders are available for shipping in the UK and US only. If you want to buy from a bookstore then it is available in Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, Amazon, and can be ordered in by independent stores.
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