Hot enough for you? Check out summer writing events!

 Hot or cold, sunny or dry, no matter the seasons, there's aways time for writing that works out our story muscles. Here's a sampling of contests and submission openings hitting my inbox.

July 11: As mentioned in a previous post, this is the deadline for entries for the Writer's League of Texas manuscript contest. See the online form to submit approximately the first 10 pages (not more than 2,750 words) of a fiction or nonfiction manuscript in any of several genres. Writers do not need a completed manuscript but should also attach a synopsis describing the rest of the planned book.

Winners in all categories will meet virtually with a top literary agent (the final judge in their category) via Zoom. All entrants, winners or not, have the option of written feedback from an experienced editor.

Fees: For writers who request the written critique -- $75 for Writer's League members, $95 for nonmembers. For those not requesting a critique the fee is $35 for members, $75 for nonmembers.

See the site for online submission forms and additional information.

July 15-August 5: Wattpad's Watty Awards opens to stories in a variety of genres, written in either English, Spanish, Filipino or Portuguese. Stories must be complete, with word count of at least 50,000 (for English language entries) or 40,000 and marked "complete" for Spanish, Filipino and Portuguese entries.

Entrants must have a Wattpad account but there are no fees either for setting up the account or submitting stories. In fact, if a story posted at Wattpad meets the Watty requirements, it will automatically receive a designating banner.

The contest offers a variety of prizes, including $5,000 (USD) for grand prize winners in each of the four language categories. See the site for full details.

Now-July 31: Quarterly ezine New Myths is open to submissions. Editors try to balance issues between science fiction and fantasy, dark and light, serious and humorous, hard and soft science fiction, and longer and shorter works. 

Submissions should be 10,000 words or less and previously unpublished. Pay for accepted stories: 3 cents/word with minimum of $50. See the site for details.

Image: Jill Wellington from Pixabay

August 6: Also as mentioned previously, this is the deadline to submit manuscript entries for the horror/fantasy/sci-fi writing workshop of Austin's ArmadilloCon. Dates for the convention itself are September 12-14, but workshop participants need time to read their fellow writers' stories! As always, at Austin's Southpark Hotel, 4140 Governors Row.

See the general site for basics, then follow the link for entry fees for the entire event, including workshop, as well as detailed instructions for writers.

Now-December 14: Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America announce their Best First Crime Novel competitions. Open to writers who have never published a book-length work (although check special rules for self-published authors). The winner will be offered a publishing contract by Minotaur Books with a $10,000 advance.

Manuscripts should be original books not less than approximately 65,000 words. And of course, a murder or other serious crime should be at the heart of the story!

At the contest site, readers may notice that Minotaur's Malice Domestic award for best first traditional mystery went unclaimed in 2025. Wouldn't it be a shame for that prize to go unawarded again? See the contest site for specifics, which include mysteries on the cozy-ish side.

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Is there more? Of course!

Check out hundreds of possibilities at Reedsy and Contest Lists
.

Happy writing!

Ready for a summer writing reboot? Crayons optional!

This week, I dropped off a shiny new backpack full of notebooks, paper, pens, pencils—and crayons--for my church’s annual school supply drive. It made me want to go back to school. OK, not to go back to the boring parts of school. Just the parts where you show up for awesome instructors, in classes full of wonderful people who are all excited about the very same thing – writing!--that excites you. Maybe even with a fistful of bright new crayons in hand!

August 5: Writers in need of readers? Writing Workshops Dallas offers a seminar this Sunday, 3-5:30 p.m., on how to build a wildly-engaged readership (with more joy and less stress!), led by multiply-published author Mary DeMuth. Cost is $60 ($45 for current and former WWD students), at Writing Workshops Dallas. Oh, you’re out of town and don’t want to travel to hotter ‘n’ hell Dallas for a writing class? Check out the live stream option to beat the heat. 

Want more classes about writing? Check out the Writing Dallas Workshops site for August and fall classes for all stages of writing in fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting and more! 

August 7: Wondering about the SMU Writer’s Path program? Registration for fall classes in the program opens August 8, but in the meantime, check out a free information session next Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in Room 115 of Dallas Hall on the SMU campus. See the site for registration.

image: pixabay

August 11: Rail Riders -- Deep Ellum Blues. If you thought writing classes were only for kids, adjust your attitude. Here’s one with a minimum age requirement – 21 years. This is a reboot because the first Rail Riders (August 4) sold out so fast. Hop aboard Dallas’s DART rail as poet/singer/teacher Lisa Huffaker guides a group of writers through the complex history of Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood. 

Participants will venture on foot into Deep Ellum’s cafes, bars and cultural venues, tour its visual art and historical locations and more, while writing poetry and performing impromptu readings. This Dallas Writer’s Garret event is free, but space is limited, so sign up now at Writer’s Garret. Rail Riders are responsible for buying their own tickets, food and drink expenses. Meet at the Mockingbird Station (5307 E. Mockingbird Lane) promptly at 3:30. Additional questions? Call 214-828-1714 or contact Emmy at gen@writersgarret.org.

August 24-26: OK, this is not a class, but it’s definitely bookish – Dallas Public Library’s semi-annual sale. Billions and billions of books. Or at least, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of books for all ages, audio and visual materials, and more from the library’s vast warehouse. Hours are 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, August 24; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. August 25 (Saturday); and (Friday), from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., August 25 (Saturday); 1-4 p.m. August 26. At the library’s Central Branch, 1515 Young Street, Dallas. 

August 25-26: Take your book-length story from premise Story 360, with author/editor/instructor/agent Lorin Oberweger. Early bird pricing now available: one-day (August 25 or 26) $139; both days, $249. Sorry, Dallas, readers, you’ll have to travel for this one, at eConsortium Offices, 2401 Fountain View Dr., Suite 920, in Houston, Texas. Classes run 10 a.m. -4:30 p.m. daily. Cost includes lunch and all workshop materials. For registration and additional information on this and other Story 360 workshops, including September’s Breakout Novel Intensives in Tampa, Florida, and San Antonio, Texas, see the Free Expressions site. 

October 13-14: Wait – that’s not still summer, is it? Officially, October is fall, aka, State Fair season, but don’t wait too long to get your tickets to this year’s Writers in the Field, a hands-on research opportunity for writers. At the Amber Inn Academy of the Arts, Mansfield, Texas. Cost of a weekend pass is $65 (fully refundable through August 13). See the Writers in the Field site for details.