World Book Day and Astrologica anthology submissions wanted by 31 March 2013

Happy World Book Day to you all and I thought this call for submission may be of interest:

 

Astrologica

The Alchemy Press Book of Astrologica: Stories of the Zodiac edited by Allen Ashley

Guidelines by the editor

Alchemy Press is pleased to announce The Alchemy Press Book of Astrologica: Stories of the Zodiac for print publication and e-book versions in 2013. This themed anthology will be edited by award-winning editor Allen Ashley.

Allen says: 'I am looking for stories about the signs of the Zodiac, the characteristics associated with those signs and/ or people born under them. I will also consider stories involving the mythical characters and creatures of the astrological signs, perhaps their history and origin, perhaps their present and future state. Note: I am not saying that one has to believe in the paraphernalia associated with modern astrology; but authors should seek to use some of this as inspiration and underpinning of their narratives.

I want stories based on the conventional Western Zodiac, the twelve Star Signs, not the Chinese calendar, the Vietnamese calendar, Aztec beliefs, etc. Stories should preferably be specific to a star sign, rather than pan-astrological. If you wish to try the latter, please query first with a broad outline. I will most likely be seeking at least one story per star sign, possibly more.

Stories will be expected to contain at least some element of fantasy in its broadest sense. Stories may be fantasy, horror, science fiction, slipstream, fabulist or realist but demonstrating imaginative use of and/ or acquaintance with fantasy tropes. Use of mythical or historical detail is permissible but authors must not use copyrighted material from any artistic medium. I am not looking for "Doctor Who is a Leo".

My preference is for stories that veer towards an intelligent and considered exploration of the theme. All the regular expectations of good plotting, solid characterisation, well-developed settings and holding the reader’s interest apply - as usual. Do not be afraid of adding a touch of wit and /or playful experimentation; make your story more ad astra than a horror scope.

My broad understanding of the conventional Western Zodiac is: Aries the Ram; Taurus the Bull; Gemini the Twins; Cancer the Crab; Leo the Lion; Libra the Scales; Virgo the Maiden; Scorpio the Scorpion; Sagittarius the Archer; Capricorn the Goat; Aquarius the Water-Bearer; Pisces the Fishes. There are slight variants accepted and acceptable on these. I will expect your story to reflect this in a pertinent way. Let it inspire you, not stifle you.

I am looking for properly developed stories, not poems, essays, daydreams or wishes. They should be written in English and preferably be in the range 3000 to 8000 words long. Query first if your story is outside these parameters. Stories must be previously unpublished, original to the author, not under consideration elsewhere and not a translation of someone else's work.

This is a level playing field. Stories will be judged on their own merits. The age, gender or nationality of the author will not be relevant.

Submissions should clearly indicate which zodiac sign(s) your story concerns: e.g. "Taurus: The Lost Lair of the Minotaur"; "Gemini: Double Trouble in the Twin Towns". Don't make me guess, I'll just get annoyed.

Manuscripts should be typed/ word processed in a conventional font (e.g. Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New) at a legible pitch (e.g. 12 or 14). They should be double-spaced. (See here.)Pages should be numbered. An approximate word length should be stated on the first page or cover sheet. Stories should be formatted in either Rich Text Format or a reasonably old version of Microsoft Word and sent as an attachment to the editorial address:editorastrologica@hotmail.co.uk

Submission period runs from 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2013. Do not submit outside these times; your story will be ignored if you do so. Response time: within two months after the end of the submission process. Editor's decision on story selection is final. You are welcome to contact the editor with queries, questions, suggestions, etc.

This is an exciting and innovative idea for an anthology. Your horoscope says you will meet a tall, thin computer and enjoy the gift of inspired creativity. Riches will not ensue but the rewards are still manifold.

Successful contributors will receive a nominal fee of £10, royalties plus a copy of the book on publication. We are purchasing First World Rights, including book and electronic rights, with a six month moratorium subsequent to publication.

Meet the Author Event - Fiona Shaw

Just got the following information from Louise Marr:

Thursday 4 April

MEET THE AUTHOR- Fiona Shaw- RESCHEDULED

Central Library, Northgate, Halifax HX1 1UN

7.30pm

FIONA SHAW is a writer living in York. She is the author of a memoir, Out of Me (Virago, 2001) and four novels. She is a Royal Literary Fund writing fellow and teaches creative and life writing. Her most recent novel, A Stone’s Throw, is published by Serpent’s Tail. Set in England and Africa, and opening during World War II, A Stone’s Throw is a novel about family, about love, about duty; it’s about the people we miss and the secrets we keep. Above all though, it’s about the choices we make – and those we don’t. This event was disrupted by snow earlier in the year.

Tickets - £3

 

louise.marr@calderdale.gov.uk

01422 392606

Cinnamon Press call for submissions

Cinnamon Press Call For Submissions

Deadline: Sun 31 Mar 2013
 

They have nine slots to fill for books that will be published in 2015 and are looking for poetry collections, short story collections or full-length fiction.  I have outlined the full details below:
 

They have nine slots to fill for books that will be published in 2015 and are looking for books that fit their list and which are poetry collections, short story collections or full-length fiction (novels or novellas).

 

They expect a great deal of competition for very few slots so please read the guidelines carefully and follow them.

 

Unfortunately, they won’t have time to chase up submissions that don’t match the guidelines or to enter into correspondence about submissions.

Guidelines

Please take time to think about whether your work suits their list. If you’ve never read a Cinnamon Press book it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make  this judgement. Your manuscript does not need to be completely finished, but it should be a good draft and you should be confident that it will be ready for editing between January to December 2014. If you’ve read some of their books and think your manuscript is a good match then please send the following documents, each one as an attachment in .doc or .docx format (you may send a pdf if the manuscript needs particular formatting  that may not travel in a Word document):

 

A covering letter – this should be fairly brief, but please include your contact details and say why you think Cinnamon is the right press for

 

Your work, a bit about your writing background, what stage your manuscript has currently reached and how you see yourself promoting the

 

Book you’ve written or are working on.

 

A synopsis for fiction or a short description of your work, its particular themes or styles for poetry.

 

Your manuscript as a single .doc, .docx or pdf document.

 

Email the three attachments to info@cinnamonpress.com (please do not use any other Cinnamon Press address for the submission) and put ‘Submissions Call’ in the subject line.

 

If you are sending fiction please use a clear font (Garamond is house style for fiction, but Times New Roman or any clear font), double spacing and good margins.

 

If you are sending poetry please format as you would like the work to appear. (Cinnamon use Palatino Linotype 10 point for final manuscripts)  Cinnamon will contact the authors they’d like to publish by June 30^th.

 

If you haven’t heard by this date this means you have not been successful on this occasion.

 

They do not have the resources to give individual feedback or to enter into correspondence about the decisions.

Please note:

If you send several separate attachments containing single stories or poems they won’t be read – please make sure your manuscript is a single  document  with your summary and covering letter as two other attachments – three in all.

 

They are not accepting work by post for this submission call. Hard copy will be recycled.

 

They are only accepting work from February 1^st to March 31^st

Cleckheaton Writers Group 4/3/13

Excellent meeting tonight where we welcomed a new member, Daniella (D).  D, N and P were present too and we discussed the workings of the group and the writing/genres that we are working on at the moment.  We also informed N & D of the Writing Workshop that is taking place at Leeds Trinity next week that D, P and I have secured places on.

We discussed the Huddersfield Literature Festival and the authors appearing there, e.g. Joanne Harris and Jodi Picoult. 

D informed us that there is to be a Brighouse Literature Festival featuring R. L. Royle.

D was interested in blogging, so we explained that a writer can blog about anything, as often or little as they wish and that it is fairly easy once you get started.  We agreed that we would send her links to all our blogs.

D shared a powerful short story with the Group that had an ending that left us with questions - the best type of story.  It was hard-hitting but with a touch of wry humour that more than one member could relate to.  We gave our feedback and suggested a short story competition that would be suitable for submission of this piece.  We discussed short stories and the type of fiction we enjoyed.  This lead us on to discuss poetry.

I shared a section of a piece I am working on at the moment and the first page of a new novel that I am in the process of planning.  The Group felt that the section would work well with the rest of my serial killer fiction and that the first page was evocative and worth pursuing.

We were very pleased to hear that D is looking forward to attending future meetings.

Made-Up Words Competition 29 March deadline

Made-Up Words Competition

Deadline: Fri 29 Mar 2013

English PEN has teamed up with the UK’s leading creative writing charity Arvon to run a competition called Made-Up Words

English PEN and Arvon join together to give you a chance to win a place on an Arvon creative writing week!
For this year’s Arvon brochure competition, English PEN has teamed up with the UK’s leading creative writing charity to run a competition called Made-Up Words.

We’re giving you the chance to win a full place on an Arvon course at one of the three English Arvon centres, plus travel to the Arvon house (the equivalent of a second class train ticket within the UK). Arvon run an exciting and broad range of courses for writers at all stages.

How To EnterAll you need to do is write a poem (maximum 14 lines) or a piece of flash fiction (maximum 100 words) with a title that is a made-up word.

Submit your entry in the body of an email (no attachments, thank you!) to competition@englishpen.org by midnight 29th March 2013. Any entries that come in at any time on 30th March 2013 onwards will not be submitted.

Good luck with your entry! You may only submit one entry and you may not alter or amend the entry once it’s been sent. See www.englishpen.org/made-up-words for further terms and conditions.

What’s a Made-Up Word?All words, in a way, are made up, and we want you to feel as free as possible, but you might also be interested in exploring words that people make up and use in their families and friendships (think of Paul Muldoon’s poem Quoof, his family’s strange word for a hot water bottle) or nonsense words (think of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky) or perhaps combinations from words of other languages, or onomatopoeic words, or words that are somewhere between sound and sense, or… Good luck exploring your own Made-Up Words!

JudgeWriter Femi Martin is the judge of the competition. Femi is a writer and performer who is best known for her flash fiction. She was appointed the Dickens 2012 Young Writer in Residence.

Be Inspired!Femi Martin – the judge – has written some inspiring words for you to help you come up with your entry! Have a read and get writing!

Competition PartnerMade-Up Words is part of europolyglot, an English PEN festival of events, workshops, night classes and roundtables that celebrates multilingualism and active ageing in the UK, in partnership with the European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom.

Screen Yorkshire Triangle 2013 open for applications

Just been sent the following information from Screen Yorkshire:

Triangle 2013 opens for applications - film development for writers, directors and producers across the UK

TRIANGLE 2013, a ten month film development scheme, is now open for applications. The scheme aims to develop new ‘triangles’ between writers, directors and producers within the UK film industry. The national scheme has been managed by Screen Yorkshire for three years and selects 45 applicants who form teams, participate in a series of workshops and are mentored by industry professionals. Four teams progress to the final stages and are supported in developing their first draft script.   Triangle 2013 is funded by the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund as part of ‘A Bigger Future 2’, the UK film skills strategy. Industry participation in previous Triangle programmes includes Studio Canal, Salt, The Works, Distrify, Vertigo, The Agency, United Agents, 2B Pictures, the BFI and Film4.    Triangle 2013 supports and, where necessary, helps form writer-producer-director teams, who will be mentored through the first stage of development for a feature film project. There will be a selection process throughout the programme, and the surviving teams will pitch the best projects to industry in February 2014. The goal is to find and help teams develop that can not only make a feature film together but may go on to establish as enduring a working relationship as that of the likes of Frank Cottrell Boyce/Andrew Eaton/Michael Winterbottom or Simon Pegg/Edgar Wright/Nira Park. In the first instance, we are looking for up to 40 writers and writer/directors to attend a virtual 121 story development session with industry mentors on 9 April 2013. From this we will select 12 writers and projects to form the core of the teams in Triangle 2013.  The deadline for writers' applications is 15 March 2013. The deadline for producers and directors is 26 April 2013. The 12 selected writers (or writer/directors) and up to 36 producers and directors will be invited to the launch event in Sheffield on 10-12 June. Apply Now

Leeds plays wanted for WYPH deadline 18 March 2013

Just received the following information from Alex Chisholm at the West Yorkshire Playhouse that I thought my followers might be interested in:

 

Leeds Story

As part of Transform: My Leeds My City we are putting out a call to Leeds writers for short (up to 15 minute) new plays inspired by the city.

 

The plays should be:

 

No more than 15 minutes in length

For no more than 3 actors to perform

Inspired in some way by Leeds

You should live, work or be from Leeds

In some way be trying out or playing with something new in your writing

 

To apply:

 

Send your script, typed and securely bound with page numbers, marked Leeds Story

to:

 

Alex Chisholm

Associate Director (Literary)

West Yorkshire Playhouse

Playhouse Square

Leeds LS2 7UP

 

Please include your name and contact details on the script. (No emails please)

 

Deadline for the scripts is Monday 18 March

 

Announcement of selected writers will be made on Monday 25 March.

 

Plays receive script in hand performances on Friday 19 April 2013 at 7pm as part of Transform season.

 

There will be a £100 fee paid to each writer for the reading.

 

And if you’re not at the stage where you are ready to enter your work yet – remember applications for So You Want To Be A Writer? are open until 5pm 8 March 2013. More details here.